Long John Silver’s Coleslaw Recipe

Long John Silver’s is one of the best restaurant chains for those who are looking for high-quality seafood.

With their iconic mascot based on the popular Treasure Island character, they are a brand loved by grown-ups and kids alike.

Among their plethora of great seafood recipes we find their famed coleslaw, often served alongside their combo meals as the perfect side dish to a classic fish or shrimp meal.

Today we’re going to show you how to make Long John Silver’s coleslaw at home so you can also enjoy a bit of that traditional Long John Silver taste without heading out of the house.

How to make Long John Silver’s Coleslaw

What makes this side dish a little special in comparison to any old coleslaw that you can buy from the supermarket is its use of sugar, buttermilk, and a little apple cider vinegar.

It’s said that this recipe comes from the restaurant’s secret cookbook, so you can impress your friends and family with this tangy and sweet coleslaw recipe that doesn’t just come off the shelf.

Ingredients:

(6 servings)

• 1 head of finely chopped cabbage
• 67g of granulated sugar (doesn’t matter if white or brown)
• Ground black pepper, 1/8 of a tsp
• 115g of mayonnaise (1/2 a cup)
• Half of an onion, finely chopped/diced
• 1/4 of a cup of buttermilk
• 2 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
• Half a tsp of Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of whole milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 of a cup of shredded or finely cut carrot

Instructions:

The good thing about coleslaw is that it uses all fresh ingredients, so no cooking is required. This also makes storing for later a breeze!

Step 1:

Chop the carrot, onion, and cabbage into desired size pieces.

It’s best to dice the onion with a knife.

The carrot and cabbage can be either shredded, grated, or cut by hand.

Just make sure the carrot pieces are small enough to not need to be chewed as they will be raw.

Step 2:

In a separate mixing bowl, add the sugar, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, kosher salt, whole milk, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and lemon juice.

Once all ingredients are added, use a whisk to beat them until everything is combined and you have a smooth mixture.

Step 3:

Take all of your finely cut vegetables and add them to the mixing bowl.

Stir thoroughly so everything gets a nice coating of the coleslaw dressing.

Step 4:

Coleslaw is best served cold, so after all the ingredients have been combined it’s best to refrigerate the whole thing for a few hours before dividing it into portions.

Remember to cover the bowl when placing it back in the fridge.

Ingredient substitutions

Coleslaw is an incredibly versatile side, meaning you can substitute almost any of the vegetables for whatever you have lying around the house and it’s still going to work great.

1. Mini Bell Peppers

Chopped mini bell peppers are one of the greatest substitutions (or additions) to coleslaw.

They don’t require any cooking and can just be thrown straight into it to add a nice little extra flavor on top of the classic coleslaw recipe.

2. Green Onions

Sparing use of green onions can really add an extra bit of kick to your coleslaw and add a nice visual element by diversifying the color palette of the dish.

Don’t go too crazy with them or it will end up overpowering the dish.

3. Mini corn

This is probably one you’ve already seen a good few times.

A pre-packaged stock of mini corn can just be thrown in to add a great texture to your coleslaw mix.

4. Broccoli

Fresh broccoli is another fantastic vegetable substitution or addition for coleslaw, when it’s fresh it adds a bold and slightly sweet flavor which will complement the coleslaw dressing perfectly.

Remember to cut it small enough so that it won’t be difficult to chew.

What to serve with Long John Silver’s Coleslaw

As a quintessential side dish served as Long John Silver’s, there’s a large variety of mains it can be appropriate for.

While it’s quite difficult to go wrong when serving coleslaw with anything, there are definitely certain dishes that can be enhanced tremendously when served with well-made coleslaw.

Chicken

Deep-fried chicken tenders are a staple of Long John Silver’s.

Often served with extra fries and chicken balls.

With all that fried food coleslaw can provide that perfect cold dish refreshment to complement the package perfectly.

Salmon (or fish alternative)

Grilled salmon served with their signature rice bowl and sweetcorn, seasoned with sweet chili and buttered vegetables is another great main to serve with coleslaw.

With the sweet and tangy dressing of the coleslaw paired with the slightly spicy grilled salmon great a complementary blend.

Obviously salmon isn’t for everyone, so feel free to use any kind of fish you have lying around.

Most fish cooks in a similar fashion so this will not affect the method much.

This is also good because you don’t have to make the batter yourself, and grilled shrimp is much simpler to make.

Shrimp

A common combo meal is Long John Silver’s 8-piece deep-fried shrimp with fries and hushpuppies.

Coleslaw also serves as a great finishing piece to this dish bringing the flavor palette back up after all that fried food.

A great choice if fish isn’t an alternative you’re in the mood for.

You can also use grilled shrimp instead.

You can add some additional salt and pepper to grilled shrimp for an extra kick.

How to reheat Long John Silver’s Coleslaw

While coleslaw is traditionally served cold, it is both possible and safe to reheat it if this is your preference.

This is especially helpful if you are sensitive to cold food and just need to get it back to room temperature quickly.

How to reheat Long John Silver’s Coleslaw in a pan

Place everything in a pan and on the lowest heat you can get, slowly stir the ingredients until up to the desired temperature.

Remember we are not looking to cook anything, just to bring the temperature up slowly.

How to reheat Long John Silver’s Coleslaw in the microwave

Microwaving coleslaw can be a bit aggressive as often people aren’t looking for it to be hot.

A good method to bring the temperature up in a measured way is to place everything in a microwavable bowl and cook it for 10 seconds.

Remove the bowl and stir the ingredients to prevent any hot spots.

Place the bowl back in and continue for another 10 seconds.

You can repeat this process until it has reached the desired temperature.

How to reheat Long John Silver’s Coleslaw in the oven

Simply place all the ingredients in an ovenproof bowl or dish, and put it in the oven at a low temp.

It should only take 5-10 minutes to come up to an acceptable temperature.

How to store Long John Silver’s Coleslaw

You can cook coleslaw in bulk and then store it in the fridge.

Once prepared you can store everything in the fridge for 3-5 days without issue.

When you’re ready for more you can simply serve it straight from the fridge.

Store in the fridge

Simply place all the ingredients in a sealable Tupperware or a bowl that you can cover with cling wrap or foil to prevent moisture loss.

Ideally, airtight containers will be bestand will ensure that your coleslaw retains as much flavor as possible for the longest possible time.

Store in the freezer

If you have the ingredients available it’s very possible to make it in bulk and freeze it for another date.

Once prepared you can place them either in an airtight container, or an even better option is to use a sealable freezer bag where you can remove all of the air beforehand.

One thing to note is mayonnaise-based coleslaw doesn’t freeze so well.

So if you plan on doing this, replacing the mayo with vinegar might produce better results.

Once frozen it will keep for up to 6 months which makes cooking it in bulk very appealing!