Bacon and Broccoli Salad
Broccoli, onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheese, and bacon are mixed together and topped with mayonnaise, sugar, and apple cider vinegar dressing. It’s perfect served as a side dish for dinner, a cookout, or a holiday celebration. Bacon and Broccoli Salad is a quick summer salad that is sure to please your family and guest and make your taste buds dance.
We love broccoli, and we LOVE bacon. This salad is a combination of the two-plus more tasty ingredients.
It is so easy to throw together, and in just minutes you will have a delicious side for a pot luck, holiday, dinner, or a cookout. You can’t go wrong with this dish. It may become a family favorite for you as well.

I made this for our Father’s Day lunch, and not a bite was left. My family loved it, and many asked for the recipe. Be prepared when you serve this to your guest, they WILL ask for the recipe.
Chopping the broccoli and the onion is the hardest part, and I promise —it is so worth it! 🙂 I plan to make this again– this week– to serve to my family for dinner. And yes, I am excited to have leftovers to eat during the week.
This Bacon and Broccoli Salad makes enough to serve 8-10 people as a side dish. It will last for several days in the refrigerator. Maybe! 🙂
Ingredients Needed for Bacon and Broccoli Salad
broccoli florets
red onion
dried cranberries
dried roasted sunflower seeds
bacon, cooked and crumbled
shredded cheddar cheese
Dressing for Bacon and Broccoli Salad
mayo
sugar
apple cider vinegar
How To Make Bacon and Broccoli Salad
Chop the Broccoli into small pieces.
Add all of the salad ingredients to a medium-sized bowl–except the bacon. Stir until everything is mixed well.
In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar until smooth. Spoon the dressing over the salad mixture and stir until evenly coated.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving, add the bacon and stir well.

Tips for Making the Best Bacon and Broccoli Salad
Broccoli— use fresh broccoli for this recipe. Chop the broccoli into small pieces for this salad.
Bacon— Yes, please! I love bacon and I love to use it in recipes whenever possible. Sure, you can half the amount called for in this recipe, but why? Wait until you are ready to serve to add the bacon. This should keep it from getting soggy. Who likes soggy bacon?
Red Onion— the red onion adds flavor as well as color to this salad. It also gives it a nice crunch.
Dried Cranberries— the cranberries also add a lot of color and flavor. If you don’t like them– leave them out. The salad will still be just as good.
Apple Cider Vinegar— I like the taste of the vinegar in this recipe. It mixes well for the dressing and add a little tang. If you don’t have ACV, use regular white vinegar.
Cheese— I use medium cheddar cheese for this recipe. Feel free to use sharp cheddar if so desired.
Can I Make This Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make this salad up to a day ahead of time if desired. I like to make this salad at least 2-4 hours before I serve it. I wait until serving time to add the bacon.
How Long Will Bacon and Broccoli Salad Keep In the Refrigerator?
This salad should last up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an air-tight container.

Are you looking for more salad recipes? Try the recipes below for more options.
Easy Mixed Bean Salad--Mixed Bean Salad is perfect for a side dish or to serve as a snack. It has just the right amount of tanginess and color—a great dish for your next party.
Southern Cornbread Salad--Southern Cornbread Salad is a crowd pleasing layered salad with bacon, cheese, and cornbread that comes together easily for all of your gatherings. Perfect for any time of the year.
Carrot Apple Salad--Carrots, pineapple, apple, and raisins make for a delicious salad for just about any occasion. This is an easy dish to throw together with only a few ingredients and little prep work plus it is super yummy!
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This Stainless Steel Covered Mixing Bowl with a non slip coating on the base would be great for transporting food or storing leftovers.
Be sure to order your ingredients for this salad–dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, mayonnaise, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.

Bacon and Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 8 cups broccoli florets finely chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup dried roasted sunflower seeds
- 1 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli into small pieces.
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a medium sized bowl--except the bacon. Stir until everything is mixed well.
- In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar until smooth. Spoon the dressing over the salad mixture and stir until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving-add the bacon and stir well.
This looks absolutely delicious! I live trying new salads in the summer.
Salads are one of my favorite things to make during the summer months. They are fast and easy to make and perfect for picnics, and family gatherings.
Yummy! I will totally be making this!
I loved this salad recipe; 8 cups of fresh broccoli made a lot of salad, so I have lots of leftovers that I will use for my meal prep this week. I did not have fresh bacon, so I used Costco’s bacon bits; it still tasted delicious. I also decreased the amount of sugar a little bit. The salad is crunchy and so full of flavors. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Love this bacon and broccoli salad! Adding cranberries sounds like a great idea. Need to try it as soon as possible! Thanks for sharing.
I love bacon and I love broccoli, so this bacon broccoli salad is perfect for me! Thanks for sharing the recipe and including detailed instructions. I look forward to trying it!
This sure looks delicious! And broccoli is such a healthy food too 🙂 Win win!
While I’m not a fan of bacon, this salad looks really good. Anything involving broccoli is great in my opinion. I will have to give this a try, maybe make a small bacon-free version for myself. Can’t wait to try it.
This recipe looks tasty and easy! Although I must admit I do not eat meat, but I am skilled with the art of substitution so I do plan to make this less the bacon! Nom nom nom!
You had me at bacon!! Yum
This bacon and broccoli salad is a perfect combination. It was so savory and delicious. I had it for lunch and it kept me full all afternoon.
Such a lovely idea… I replace the bacon with halloumi which still gives that salty hit but I loved everything else about it. The dressing really set off all the other flavours. This recipe is one to keep I think.
OMG what an amazing looking salad. I love the addition of salty smoky bacon. A perfect summer salad recipe!
Delicious salad recipe. The bacon really adds to the flavour.
delicious salad recipe and i actually liked the raw broccoli !! way to go!
Love this broccoli salad! I am usually not a fan of broccoli, but this salad is too good!!
Really great salad! Slightly salty with bacon and sweet dressing, all come together beautifully! Thanks for the recipe!
Great flavors now I can make it myself cant wait to try this!
Outstanding recipe thanks so much! tasted so much good!
This was easy to make and it turned out really great! Now I have a new addition to my side dish rotation, thanks!
I made this salad for a recent potluck and it was a hit!