This keto cabbage salad with bacon recipe is a fresh and crisp side dish, perfect for cookouts, picnics, or any occasion where you want a creamy, flavorful, and low-carb option. If you love creamy slaw, bacon, and ranch, then this coleslaw will become a favorite.
Bacon & Ranch Coleslaw: A Summer Staple
This Bacon Ranch Coleslaw is a mix of crisp red and green cabbages loaded with bacon and dressed in a creamy ranch dressing. It's a perfect side dish for summer cookouts, especially when trying to avoid cooking over a hot stove. The creamy cold salad pairs well with low-carb favorites like bunless burgers, grilled sausages, and low-carb deli meat sandwich wraps.
What is Coleslaw and Where Did It Come From?
The word "coleslaw" comes from the Dutch term "koolsla," which translates to "cabbage salad." The "kool" part of the term comes from the Dutch word for cabbage, and the "sla" part is short for salad. The dish is said to have been brought to America in the late seventeenth century by Dutch settlers in New York. Like many other words in our history, the term "koolsla" gradually morphed into the word "coleslaw" that we use today. While the term has changed over time, some things remain the same: cabbage is the main ingredient and is usually dressed with something.
Making the Bacon Ranch Coleslaw
This coleslaw recipe is easy to make, thanks to some time-saving ingredients. Using a bagged coleslaw mix instead of shredding your own cabbage and using real bacon bits instead of frying bacon saves a lot of time. However, if you prefer to do the extra work with the cabbage and bacon, feel free to do so.
One ingredient that is recommended to make from scratch is the Ranch Dressing Mix. Instead of using store-bought packets like Hidden Valley Ranch, making your own allows you to avoid added carbs and mystery ingredients.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients for Keto Bacon Ranch Coleslaw:
- Coleslaw Mix
- Real mayonnaise
- Real bacon bits
- Ranch Mix
- Heavy cream
- Dry onions
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Low carb sweetener, optional
These ingredients, when combined, create a salad that can be tweaked to your family’s liking. For instance, you can add a tiny bit of low-carb sweetener to get the coleslaw to your preference. If sweetness is not your preference, you can leave the sweetener out. It is easy to taste and adjust as you are mixing.
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine well.
- Once you have the Bacon Ranch Coleslaw mixed and the flavors adjusted to your desired tastes, cover the slaw tightly and chill before serving.
Tips for Making the Best Keto Bacon Ranch Coleslaw
- Coleslaw Mix: To save time, use a prepared bag of coleslaw mix found in the cooler section of your produce department. These mixes typically have a few shredded carrots in the mix, so if you want to avoid the carrots, you can also use bags of finely shredded cabbage found in the same section. Note that those bags of finely shredded cabbage come in smaller 10-ounce bags, so you may need two bags for this recipe.
- Bacon: Crispy fried bacon is delicious in this recipe, but to save more time and a step, use a small bag of store-bought bacon bits. Make sure you grab the “real” bits and not those artificial red bits.
- Ranch Mix: To avoid the premade Ranch mixes at the store, try making your own dry mix to keep on hand. Just a couple of tablespoons of your homemade mix are equal to one store-bought packet.
- Mayonnaise: If you like a drier coleslaw, start with 1/2 to 2/3 cups of real mayo instead of the 3/4 cups called for in this recipe. You can always add more if needed. The cabbage will release some moisture of its own and that will loosen up the coleslaw as it chills.
- Vinegar: If you like vinegar in creamy salads, add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
Nutritional Benefits
While this coleslaw tastes great, it also offers some nutritional benefits. Cabbage has potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, folate, fiber, and vitamin B6. Bacon has B vitamins, selenium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and potassium.
Serving and Storage Tips
It is best to mix this right before serving. You can layer the dressing in the bottom of your bowl and put the cabbage on top ahead of time. If you make it ahead, it can get watery because cabbage is loaded with water. As it sits in the sauce or dressing, the water is pulled out of the cabbage.
Another way you can help prevent this from happening is by slicing the cabbage and sprinkling salt on it. The salt helps pull out the water in the cabbage, so you will want to keep it in a colander. It’s best to let it sit for 1-3 hours, then drain off any liquid. This isn’t a required step, but it’s helpful at preventing watery coleslaw.
Due to the cold ingredients in the coleslaw, it should never sit out longer than 1-2 hours. If it does sit out for longer, it needs to be thrown away. If you are taking it to a dinner party or somewhere that it’s not going to be refrigerated, it’s best if you keep it on ice. Place a bowl with ice on the bottom and the bowl with the coleslaw on top. This will keep it chilled, and it can sit out for longer.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Keto Coleslaw Variations
- Add scallions: Scallions add tons of flavor and healthy vitamins and minerals.
- Spice it up: Feel free to vary the spices in this recipe.
- Make it sweeter: Add a bit of low-carb sweetener to get the coleslaw to your preference.
Recipe
Yields: 8 servingsPrep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 bag (14-16 oz) coleslaw mix (or shredded green and red cabbage)
- ¾ cup real mayonnaise
- ½ cup real bacon bits
- 2 tablespoons Ranch Mix (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon dry onions
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- Low carb sweetener, optional (to taste)
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Mix well until the coleslaw is evenly coated with the dressing.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or seasoning as needed.
- Cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition (per serving):
- Calories: 291
- Total Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Cholesterol: 19mg
- Sodium: 404mg
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Net Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Net Carbs: 3.5g
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