Bacon Broccoli Salad
This Bacon Broccoli Salad is guaranteed to be a hit for your next gathering, holiday side dish, or cookout. It’s simple, satisfying, comes together in minutes, and can be made ahead of time.
Broccoli and Bacon Salad is one of my favorite dishes to make. It not only tastes fantastic but is one of the first dishes to disappear from the table. It holds up well in the fridge and is perfect for any occasion.
If you’re looking for more easy salad recipes, be sure to try my creamy broccoli cauliflower salad, my salad with strawberry and pecans, or my shredded carrot salad.
Jump to:
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with Flavor: This salad is delish with fresh broccoli and crispy bacon. I love the dried cranberries not only for their flavor but also for their texture. A crunchy and fresh salad that’s very refreshing.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Taste even better after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
- Perfect for Gatherings: Great for potlucks, gatherings, BBQs, or as a side for a holiday dinner.
🛒 Ingredients Needed for Bacon Broccoli Salad
This broccoli and bacon salad recipe is quick, easy, and tastes fantastic. Perfect for any time of the year.
- Broccoli Florets: Use fresh, raw broccoli for the best taste and texture.
- Red Onion: The red onion adds flavor and color, balancing the sweetness of the dressing and cranberries. You could also use white or yellow onion.
- Dried Cranberries: The cranberries also add a lot of color and flavor.
- Dried Roasted Sunflower Kernels: Bring a slight crunch and nutty flavor that ties everything together.
- Bacon: Crispy and salty, and adds flavor to every bite.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: I prefer to use sharp cheddar cheese. Use the brand and flavor you like the best.
- Mayonnaise: Adds creaminess to the dressing and helps hold all the flavors together.
- Sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness and balances the vinegar in the dressing.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a tangy kick and balances the sweet and creamy flavors.
🔪 How To Make Broccoli Salad
Step 1: Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon, crumble it, and set it aside.
Step 2: Prep the broccoli. Chop the broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces for easier mixing and texture.
Step 3: Mix the salad. Add broccoli, onion, sunflower kernels, cheese, and cranberries to a large bowl. Stir well.
Step 4: Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar until smooth.
Step 5: Combine and chill. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well until coated. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Step 6: Add the bacon. Before serving, add the bacon and give the salad a good stir. This will keep the bacon crispy.
💭 Pro Tips
- Chop the broccoli into small pieces. This makes it easier to eat and for the dressing to coat it thoroughly.
- Add the bacon last. This keeps it crispy and from softening in the dressing.
- Refrigerate for a few hours to help the flavors blend. This is a delicious cold broccoli salad.
- To make broccoli bacon salad in advance, mix the salad and dressing, and store the bacon in a separate container in the refrigerator. Add the bacon before serving. Make this a day or two in advance.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Store this salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
No need to cook the broccoli for this recipe. The raw broccoli gives it crunch.
You can easily double this broccoli salad to feed a crowd.
More Easy Salad Recipes for Dinner
If you’ve tried this Bacon Broccoli Salad or any other recipe on my blog, please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating and sharing your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Bacon Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 8 cups broccoli florets finely chopped
- ½ medium red onion chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup dried roasted sunflower kernels
- 1 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Dressing
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon, crumble it, and set it aside.
- Prep the broccoli. Chop the broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces for easier mixing and texture.
- Mix the salad. Add broccoli, onion, sunflower kernels, cheese, and cranberries to a large bowl. Stir well.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar until smooth.
- Combine and chill. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well until coated. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Add the bacon. Before serving, add the bacon and give the salad a good stir. This will keep the bacon crispy.
Notes
- Chop the broccoli into small pieces. This makes it easier to eat and for the dressing to coat it thoroughly.
- Add the bacon last. This keeps it crispy and from softening in the dressing.
- Refrigerate for a few hours to help the flavors blend. This is a delicious cold broccoli salad.
- To make broccoli bacon salad in advance, mix the salad and dressing, and store the bacon in a separate container in the refrigerator. Add the bacon before serving. Make this a day or two in advance.
Love this broccoli salad! I am usually not a fan of broccoli, but this salad is too good!!
delicious salad recipe and i actually liked the raw broccoli !! way to go!
Delicious salad recipe. The bacon really adds to the flavour.
OMG what an amazing looking salad. I love the addition of salty smoky bacon. A perfect summer salad recipe!
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.
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.
You had me at bacon!! Yum
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!
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 sure looks delicious! And broccoli is such a healthy food too 🙂 Win win!
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!
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 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!
Yummy! I will totally be making this!
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.