Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon
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This is the best Broccoli Salad recipe! It’s sweet, creamy, and crunchy with fresh broccoli, homemade dressing, and lots of bacon!

Broccoli Salad Recipe
Here’s an amazing broccoli salad recipe that will blow your mind! What sets this one apart? Homemade dressing! All the bacon! No raisins! Or craisins! My Mom’s recipe! Did I mention, all the bacon!?
It’s one of the better fail-proof recipes I have in my custody that I am in LOVE with. So I thought I’d share it today with all of you wonderful readers. It’s easy, has a good crunch factor, has the right broccoli to bacon ratio plus that sweet dressing turns otherwise unassuming gross broccoli into magic.
Main Ingredients
- Broccoli Florets – The main ingredient of this salad. You can buy whole broccoli crowns or buy pre-cut broccoli. Either way, the most important thing is to cut them into bite-size pieces.
- Red Onion – This adds a nice spiciness to contrast the sweet and salty.
- Celery – Brings an essential fresh crunch.
- Sunflower Seeds – Little bursts of nutty flavor found in every bite.
- BACON – Salty bacon goodness belongs in any salad recipe if you ask me. Feel free to double this part of the salad 😉
- Raisins or Craisins – Ok, these are totally optional. BUT if you do use them, they bring a chewy sweet flavor to the whole salad.
- Homemade Dressing – You can find this tangy-sweet dressing recipe below. It’s basically the perfect pairing for this broccoli salad.
If broccoli salad isn’t your thing, try these other tasty salads you’re sure to love: macaroni salad, cucumber salad, classic coleslaw, or southwest chicken chop salad.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
Chop all the vegetables making sure to cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cook bacon according to your liking and cut up into small pieces, or you could buy bacon bits.


The best part about this salad is you can chop all the veggies, store it in your fridge and add the dressing right before serving. It’s a definite crowd pleaser and is fabulous for holidays and potlucks.
Below is the printable recipe card!
Have a great day and enjoy, friends!

Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh broccoli florets bite size
- 1/2 cup red onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup crumbled bacon
- 1/2 cup raisins** or craisins
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups real mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop all the vegetables making sure to cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cook bacon according to your liking and cut up into small pieces, or you could buy bacon bits.
- Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, mix dressing ingredients together to combine. Pour over salad and toss. Serve or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Other salad recipes you might like:
- Fruit Salad Recipe
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Chicken Salad with Grapes
- Waldorf Salad from Simply Recipes
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Great recipe! Delicious!
Do you guys cook that brocolli at all ?
no, we keep it raw.
I made this with regular vinegar and needed to add more sugar. Craisins are a must for me. I liked this recipe very much.
This is a family favorite at our house too. Except – no celery and add the finely shredded cheddar cheese.
Next time I will definitely use less sugar. Broccoli salad is delicious; I just prefer mine less sweet.