Broccoli Salad with Bacon
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 3, 2025 
The Best Broccoli Salad Recipe we’ve ever made! This spin on classic southern broccoli slaw is bursting with color and surprise ingredients.
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Broccoli Salad is a classic side dish that is a true crowd-pleaser all year long. However, I find we eat it most often in the summer when we are planning picnics and outdoor parties.
The traditional southern blend of tiny broccoli florets, bacon pieces, and dried fruit kissed with a creamy slaw-style dressing has been around for decades. Some cooks add in seeds, nuts, onions, and other ingredients to provide additional flavor and crunch. This is all up to your own desired taste!
I have a few other ingredients I like to throw in to create the perkiest, most intriguing, ahem… The Best Broccoli Salad Recipe, my family has ever eaten.
Ingredients You Need
- Broccoli – small florets
- Kale
- Dried cherries (or dried cranberries)
- Bacon
- Red onion
- Sunflower kernels
- Apple
- Carrots
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Mayonnaise – regular or low fat mayo
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
This blend of ingredients offers endless crunch, sweet bites of fruit, rich salty bacon and sunflower seeds, and a touch of spice!
How To Make Broccoli Salad
Find the full Broccoli Salad recipe with detailed instructions and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Meal Prep: Make-Ahead and Enjoy All Week
The Best Broccoli Salad Recipe is a fabulous make-ahead and leftover, especially for barbecues and potlucks. The ingredients all hold their texture for up to a week in the fridge.
I have been known to stand with the refrigerator door open and eat it straight out of the storage container… For breakfast. There’s no shame in loving this salad.
Recipe Swaps and Add-Ins
Make this salad your own by adding or swapping ingredients. Consider adding…
- Red cabbage
- Celery stalks
- Parsley
- Red bell pepper
- Raisins
- Blanched almonds
- Cayenne pepper (for a spicy broccoli salad)
Other recipes you might like:
- Southern Caramel Cake
- Southern Tomato Pie
- Chow Chow Recipe
- Best Pork Butt Recipes (Pork Shoulder)
- Chipotle BBQ Chicken Skewers
- Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
- Hawaiian Tuna Burgers
- Cobb Summer Salad Recipe
- Best Oatmeal Raisins Cookies
- Not Your Traditional Coleslaw (Caribbean Style)
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrient information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, fiber, and vitamin c percentages.
Broccoli Bacon Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 6 cups broccoli florets
- 3 cups kale finely chopped
- 1 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrots roughly chopped
- 1 apple chopped
- 3/4 cup dried cherries
- 3/4 cup cooked bacon chopped
- 3/4 cup sunflower seed kernels
- 1 cup mayonnaise could be low fat
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Chop and prep all the ingredients. In a large bowl add the broccoli florets, chopped kale, red onion, shredded carrots, chopped apple, dried cherries, chopped bacon, and sunflower kernels.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, crushed red pepper, and salt, until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until thoroughly coated. Then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Best EVER Broccoli Salad! I have made this a few times and always get rave compliments. Even those who think they do not like kale or broccoli. Great side dish with almost any entree.
A great dish for any time of the year.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this broccoli salad recipe. Even my broccoli-hating brother asked me for the recipe after eating it. So delicious. I don’t change anything and it’s perfect – especially after it’s chilled over night.
This was very good; I loved the color and the fact that it is another great way to sneak kale into my hubby (much like your amazing macaroni salad!)… but next time I will leave out the crushed red pepper.
This salad is amazing. I followed it directly, and it didn’t disappoint. The sweet and salty flavors, mixed with fresh veggies, made everyone happy at my table.
This is delish! I had opposite quantities of kale and broccoli so mine was heavy on kale and still just great. I left out the bacon because I couldn’t be bothered to make it. So good news is that it doesn’t need it to be fabulous for anyone wondering.
Writing this one down.
Definitely a keeper. Thanks!!
This is a winner! I am a culinary instructor and we used this recipe as a guide in a Summer Salad class, we modified it just a little and made homemade mayo for the dressing. It was sensational. I am making it this weekend for a small patio party. It will go great with the bbq ribs.
A healthy, easy but simple dish to make. I will learn to make this dish.
This salad was so good! I’ve made it twice in one week! I used fresh corn and homegrown cherry tomatoes. So much flavor for so few ingredients. Thank you for sharing this recipe as it’s now one of my favorites!
Thank you for this post i like it
Thanx this recipe has everything thats good in it.
I love broccoli!
I would like to make this recipe but it lists 12 servings. How many cups, etc is a serving. I am diabetic and would appreciate this information.
Hi Dian,
Each serving is approximately one cup.