Broccoli Salad is a quick salad full of fresh crisp broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits. It’s all tossed in a really easy creamy homemade dressing.
Since it’s best made ahead of time (and everyone raves about this recipe), it’s a great potluck dish and a favorite addition to a holiday table.
What Makes This The Best Broccoli Salad
Simple. Delicious. Easy. The best broccoli salad recipe doesn’t need a lot of fancy ingredients.
- It’s so incredibly easy to make!
- The 3 ingredient dressing is super simple and extra creamy with a little tang. We love that it doesn’t have tons of sugar!
- Since it’s best made ahead of time, it’s perfect for potlucks and bbq’s or even lunches throughout the week.
- It is always a hit, we almost never have leftovers but if you do have leftovers, they last for about 5 days!
If you have extra veggies you need to use up, you can easily add them to this dish. Zucchini, cauliflower, celery, or peppers can make great additions!
Ingredients in Broccoli Salad
Fresh broccoli florets are the star of this dish. The broccoli doesn’t need to be cooked first. Just wash and drain well (a salad spinner can help ensure it’s dry).
Crispy bacon adds a salty smoky flavor. I use real bacon bits in this recipe to keep is simple but you can cut and crumble your own if you’d like.
Add ins include:
- onions (red or green work well)
- dried cranberries (add raisins if you’d like)
- sunflower seeds. Swap out the seeds for any kind of chopped nuts like almonds or pecans.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
This is probably one of the easiest salads you will throw together, which is why it has become a favorite (plus it’s so yummy)!
- Wash the broccoli and dry it very well. Cut the florets (and the stem) into bite-sized pieces, this can be done up to 4 days ahead of time. If you’d like you can also add some broccoli slaw to the salad.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside per the recipe below.
- Place the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and toss with dressing. Remember to allow time for the recipe to chill in the fridge. This gives the broccoli a chance to soak in some of the dressing making it even better!
Broccoli Salad Dressing
We love this creamy broccoli salad dressing and it’s super simple to make in just 3 minutes.
- Mayonnaise can be swapped for dressing (like Miracle Whip).
- A sugar substitute of your choice will work well in this recipe.
- If you’re looking for a premade dressing, try coleslaw dressing or creamy poppyseed dressing.
- To make this broccoli salad recipe healthier, substitute half of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt and skip the bacon bits.
Tips for the Best Creamy Broccoli Salad
- Wash your broccoli ahead of time if possible, this helps to ensure it drains well.
- This gives the broccoli a chance to soak in some of the dressing, resulting in an even more flavorful salad!
- Allow time for the recipe to chill in the fridge. This gives the broccoli a chance to soak in some of the dressing, resulting in an even more flavorful salad!
Make Ahead & Leftovers
Broccoli Salad can be made in advance and kept in the fridge (at least an hour but up to 24 hours) until you’re ready to serve. If you’d like to make further ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss a few hours before serving.
Leftovers will last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
More Easy Salads We Love
Did you enjoy this Broccoli Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
The Best Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup bacon bits
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits. Pour the prepared dressing over and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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We make this recipe frequently as it’s always requested. Out of cranberries and sunflower seeds one time, I added shredded cheddar as an addition and now THAT is the request every time I make it.
Loved this recipe. Easy peasy with ingredients in my pantry. First time making it!!
5-16-25, Just made this and it’s so delicious. I had to make two changes due to what I had on hand, but still turned out great. Didn’t have the bacon bits, unfortunately, and I routinely use real maple syrup in place of white sugar for my sweetener of choice but with no maple flavor, just the sweetness comes through. I also lightly parboiled my broccoli to take the crunch off just a bit, but still bright green. Boy is this a great salad and I know I’ll be making this again and again this summer. Thank you!
I wanted to stop going to the deli for this salad, and the recipe did NOT disappoint! Almost the exact same taste as the deli at the local grocery store, and MUCH easier to make than I thought. I had almost all the ingredients in my kitchen – only had to purchase red onion & broccoli. I may reduce the amount of sugar next time by 1/2 a tablespoon. Seems a little sweet to mwe.
Delicious! Also can add many other things to change it up like halved grapes, almonds, some sweet carrots.
i made this last week, oh my gosh, my guests including myself loved it! glad i had it, i overcooked my carrots, so this was my veggie! LOL , but they thought this was fantastic! I am making it again tonite for my partner and i, but will keep some of the broccoli aside without dressing on it..and use the remainder in 3 days. Is that possible? i know i have about 8 cups of broccoli, and i realize we can’t eat it all tonite, so i wonder if the brocolli washed and dried in refrigerator, can stay in refrigerator for the next 3 days??
Lise, I am happy to hear that you and your guests enjoyed this salad. The dressing and the broccoli will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
We love this one! Try it out.
very delicious I love it!!!
I took this to a family gathering last year, and now it’s requested and I’m known for it. This is so easy to put together, and the taste is fantastic with the fresh crunchy broccoli, the sweet cranberries, the salty sunflower seeds, and that smoky chewy bacon. The dressing soaks into the broccoli and they soften some, so it’s great the day of, and okay the next day too. I don’t even like onion, but the ratio is good on this and it adds to the flavor, so I don’t skip it. I can just pick out the bits on my plate as it needs the onion to offset the sweetness from the craisins. I’ve made this several times and it’s always a hit. Thank you for sharing this. It’s so good that I’ve written it on an index card and kept it.
So delicious. A weekly staple in the spring and summer. If we don’t have/feel like cooking bacon we add a cup of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese and it’s just as good. Or both bacon and cheese and it’s even better. Thank you for the recipe!