This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.
Everyone needs to know how to put together a classic bacon broccoli salad. It’s so easy to whip up and tends to be a hit with most people! This recipe can be made all year round, and it’s the perfect option for potlucks!
Once upon a time, I worked in downtown Calgary at an oil and gas company. There was a woman that I worked with named Mary who was famous for her broccoli salad that she would bring to staff potluck suppers. To sum Mary up, she was a wonderful woman from Newfoundland who could cook like a boss, was hilarious beyond measure and her favourite saying was “Lord Lamp-lighting Jesus” when she was worked up about something. And her broccoli salad was the BEST I have ever tasted. Plus, we all know that any recipe that kicks off with “bacon” is going to go down pretty well, just like my Classic Caesar Salad.
Also, once upon a time, I could actually eat broccoli. Oh, to be in my early 20s again when I had a cast iron stomach. Now I can’t eat broccoli, but I do have Mary’s recipe and technique for making the best broccoli salad ever.
Cut everything as small as you can. Tiny, tiny, TINY little broccoli trees. Mary said she would take her cutting board to the living room on a TV tray and watch the tube as she chopped and chopped and chopped to make a massive salad to feed the whole office. While you don’t have to watch TV or make a quadruple batch, if you make sure that the ingredients in this are small, you’ll understand how the way they blend together makes this a fantastic broccoli salad!
Ingredients in Broccoli Salad
- Broccoli – florets, chopped very small
- Red onion – finely diced
- Raisins – I use dark Thompson raisins
- Sunflower seeds– salted and hulled
- Bacon – cooked and then crumbled into small pieces
- Mayonnaise – you can use low fat, but the texture of the dressing will change slightly
- White sugar – use Splenda or your favorite no-sugar sweetener to make it low-carb
- White vinegar – you can also try using cider vinegar for a unique taste
How to make Broccoli Salad
- Place all of the salad ingredients into a medium-sized bowl.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad ingredients.
- Cover the bowl and let the salad chill – Mary would let it chill overnight and then bring it to the potluck, which was spectacular!
- Serve cold.
Try a different salad dressing.
If you fancy spicing up your dressing, try Jamie Oliver’s style! Start by peeling some ginger and grating it into a bowl. Then stir in some sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce, and lime juice. Then, add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar before whisking the dressing together. Easy!
How healthy is broccoli salad?
To make this healthy, simply use low-fat mayo and watch the sugar! You can use as little as you want to make the dressing to your taste! Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring, and this is the perfect example! The classic bacon broccoli salad is super healthy and completely customizable depending on your tastes. Why not add some grapes or cranberries, too, for an added boost of flavour?
What should you serve broccoli salad with?
This salad is perfect on its own for a light lunch, but it can also be a great accompaniment to some simple Porterhouse Steak or roast chicken. Maybe you could even try ham hocks? There really is no limit to the combinations available here! Oh, how about egg drop soup for a soup and salad combo that is seriously awesome?
I’d love to hear what you like to serve alongside your broccoli salad, so don’t forget to share it in the comments to give us all some extra inspiration! I’m super excited to see what you come up with!
More salad recipes for you to try
- Winter Citrus Avocado Salad: who doesn’t love avocado?! This salad is full of fruit and greens and all sorts of Vitamin C!
- Avocado Egg Salad: more avocado! I think I have avocado on the brain today.
- Fast and Easy Greek Pasta Salad: an awesome combo of veg and pasta in one super tasty recipe.
I hope you love it! I have such fond food memories of this salad that I’m so sad that I can’t eat broccoli anymore. The family taste-tested this over Christmas, and it was deemed fantastic, so let me know what you think!
Love,
Karlynn
Classic Bacon Broccoli Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad
- 8 cups broccoli florets, chopped very small
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup salted sunflower seeds, hulled
- 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and then crumbled into small pieces
Sweet Mayonnaise Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4-1/3 cup white sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- Place all of the salad ingredients into a medium sized bowl.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad ingredients.
- Cover the bowl and let the salad chill – Mary would let it chill overnight and then bring it to the potluck and it was spectacular!
- Serve cold.
Nutrition
PIN THIS RECIPE to your Salads Board and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
lois (gordon) shedlowski says
Sorry if this is a duplicate comment….having computer glitz…just “trying” to say Hi and that I, too, worked in a downtown Calgary oil office in the mid-50’s (didn’t everybody?)….Royalite and Canadian Superior……..came to CA on my honeymoon 65 years ago and forgot to go turn around! This recipe looks better than my old faithful one so thx a million!
lois gordon shedlowski says
Hey, lady….I, too, worked in an oil office in downtown Calgary in the mid-late 50’s before coming to California on my honeymoon (65th anniv this Dec.) and forgetting to turn around and go back!! I was with Royalite for awhile but Canadian Superior for the most part. Glory days, all! This looks even better than what I used to make so you made my day!!
Mady says
Absolutely perfect! Loved it!
Jackie says
I don’t like real mayo. What can i use in its place?
Christine says
Try using Miracle Whip salad dressing. I don’t care for Mayo either.
Lynn M. says
Happy Spring!! My son in law is a Type 1 diabetic…is the nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe based on 1 serving size?
Thanks so much for your help!!
Kelley Stokes says
I also am interested in the nutritional info. What is a serving size? and is it really 700+ calories for 1 serving?
CindyB says
I posted with a rating for this recipe previously, but wondered if anyone had ever substituted turkey bacon for the pork bacon. I didn’t get any responses, but I was determined to try it for a potluck to accommodate friends’ dietary preferences. So for my second round, I made some modifications. I used a 12 oz. pkg. of turkey bacon and cooked it in the microwave per the package directions, then used a butcher knife to chop the strips into small pieces. An excellent substitute for those who don’t eat pork, as I really couldn’t tell that it wasn’t real bacon once mixed with all the other ingredients. The first time I tried the original recipe I substituted a white onion for the red, but this time I did use a red onion, minced finely, but only added 1/3 cup to my tripled recipe, as I find them to be very strong. I used Craisins instead of raisins, and I also added 2 cups of red seedless grapes, cut in half. (TIP: Place as many grapes as will fit onto the lid of a large Tupperware lid and place a second lid on top of the grapes. Place your palm gently, but firmly, on the top lit to hold the grapes in place. Slip a sharp knife between the two lids and slice horizontally from one side of the lids to the other. In one swift motion you’ve sliced all of the grapes in half. I use this method for slicing olives and cherry tomatoes as well.) Taking a suggestion from another post, I made half again as much dressing and was happier with the result. What a versatile and delicious recipe!
CindyB says
This was fantastic!! The only reason I gave a 4-star rating was because I substituted a sweet onion for the red. I want to make this for an upcoming potluck, but some of the guests don’t eat pork so I have a bacon dilemma. They do eat turkey though and I’m wondering if turkey bacon would be an acceptable substitute. Has anyone tried that? Appreciate your input.
Andrea says
We used dried cranberries and blueberries instead of raisins. I would probably use less red onions. They were very strong and stayed with you. This recipe is always so good!
Heather says
Question- would it taste ok without the onions? I have a bunch of family that will not eat it with the onions. Should I add a little onion powder?
Andrea says
You would be fine omitting the onion. Don’t add onion powder.
Anna says
Dang it, Mary, you and your little bitty broccoli trees! I can’t say I particularly enjoyed chopping all of that broccoli but my goodness this is a good salad; made it once and when no one could figure out why it was so much better than other broccoli salads I gave Mary and your oil and gas company parties the credit. It has been requested since that original time, also. Thank you!
Bruce W. says
Tried it, first time tonight. Followed the recipe, though I added about half again as much “dressing” as called for. It was delicious. I did have a little trouble tracking down sunflower seeds. Has anyone tried using chopped walnuts? That seems like it might be a good substitute.
Kathy Hake says
Pecans are good in it.
Diane says
This recipe reminds me of my childhood. It’s delicious!
Bev says
We love this salad with our fresh garden broccoli each year. We always put in chopped cranberries and halved grapes! We found “Cotton Candy Grapes” this year and never thought we could improve the recipe! A must try! I found the grapes at Costco. They also add a little more sweetness so you can add less sugar to the dressing. Can’t beat this recipe!
Sara says
Made this before and love it. This time I put dried cranberries in instead of raisins. It’s a nice bright pop of color. Hopefully it still tastes good.
Elizabeth Chambers says
An easy and delicious recipe! My husband said I could make it any time (as in often 😆). I cut the recipe in half because it’s just my husband and I (my toddler wouldn’t eat it). I might have done a teeny bit less sugar than it called for. But again an easy and delicious recipe!
Eric says
Very versatile and forgiving recipe. I’ve made this many times, using whatever dried fruit and nuts I have on-hand and it always comes out great (my personal favorite is chopped apricots with pine nuts). I only use 1 Tbs of sugar whenever I make this salad.
Ida Goad says
I just made this broccoli salad, but i too added nuts instead of sunflower seeds, lots of raisins and cheddar cheese. Taste yummy. Next time i will do yogurt instead of mayo.
Starr says
I have substituted Greek yogurt for mayo, and used whatever nuts I have on hand. I also blanch the broccoli, but this recipe is always always delicious and satisfying. Thank you!
Betty Mills says
Love this broccoli salad recipe. Delicious. Thanks.
Joanna says
Looking for something different but was REALLY skeptical of this recipe because…. idk. I’m Puerto Rican and this combination of ingredients just was different but thats why I wanted to try it. I used pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower and dried cranberry instead of raisins because that’s what I had in my pantry. Wow! This was so good and a hit with my 2 year old. Delish! Like De-freakin-licious! Will be a staple in this house going forward.
Jan says
Karlynn,
This salad was delicious! I made it for a July 4Th party and everybody raved about it. I’m making it again for another party this weekend! Thanks for sharing😊
Kelly says
Excellent recipe. My whole family loved it.
Sandra says
Try kewpie Mayo, rice vinegar and sugar for dressing.
Norma Schutt says
OMG, this is great! I made it exactly as written and will not be changing a thing the next time I make it.
Melita says
Amazing
Lynn y says
I added celery and cucumber, subbed craisins for raisins and added sharp cheddar cheese. Delicious
Micah says
What type of mayonnaise do you use? Real mayo or miracle whip?
Karlynn says
Real mayo!
Sally Barry says
REAL MAYONNAISE ONLY!
Bruce W says
Amen !!!
Danielle says
Easy classic recipe. I made this for my parents. My mom said it was the best she’s ever had! Including her own! That says a lot.
Jennifer says
We make this a lot for our family gatherings. I too use dried cranberries instead of raisins. Delicious!
Lisa Gibbs says
I made this delicious salad for a Christmas eve family gathering. I doubled the recipe, added cheddar cheese. In the dressing I used half plain Greek yogurt and half “lite” mayo, apple cider vinegar, and substituted Monkftuit zero-carb sugar to make this dish Keto and diabetic friendly
Soooo delicious! Merry Christmas, everyone!
Terry says
Delicious fresh tasting salad! I used raw honey instead of sugar, and yellow onion [didn’t have red]-still delicious AND so easy to make ahead of time.
I’ll be serving it with baked chicken. YUM!
Kathy Smith says
Terry I just finished making your broccoli salad , and I have to tell you it is delicious. Thank you so much for caring enough to share this great recipe .
Kathy
Linda Swoveland says
I have all of the ingredients to make this salad. A good friend recommended this recipe to me.
I gave it a 5 star rating even though I haven’t made it yet…that’s going to happen today to serve for dinner tomorrow. The 5 star rating in advance is because I KNOW the hubs and I are going to love and devour it. I don’t like cooked broccoli but I love it raw.
I can’t wait until tomorrow to enjoy this delicious salad. My mouth is watering right now! ?
Penny says
One of my family’s favorite recipes! Sometimes I substitute craisins for the raisins or I’ve also used golden raisins. We love pecans, so I usually use those instead of sunflower seeds. Thanks for sharing this tasty salad!