Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe

Broccoli Salad is a quick anytime 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 over this recipe), it is the perfect potluck dish, great for any gathering, and a favorite addition to a holiday table.

A Favorite Salad Recipe

My friends and family absolutely love this fresh broccoli salad recipe.

• It’s so incredibly easy to make
• The dressing is quick, creamy, and flavorful.
• Since it’s best made ahead of time, it’s perfect for potlucks and barbecues
• It is always a hit and I never end up with leftovers!

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

Fresh crisp broccoli is the star of this dish and it doesn’t need to be cooked first. Simply wash and drain well. A salad spinner can help ensure it’s dry.

Crisp 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), and 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 tastes great)!

1. 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.

2. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside per the recipe below.

3. 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, resulting in an even more flavorful salad!

Broccoli Salad Dressing

I absolutely love this creamy broccoli salad dressing and it’s super simple with just a few ingredients. If you’re looking for a premade dressing, try coleslaw dressing or creamy poppyseed dressing. A few notes on the dressing:

• To make this broccoli salad recipe healthier, substitute half of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt and skip the bacon bits.
• Mayonnaise can be swapped for dressing (like Miracle Whip).
• A sugar substitute of your choice will work well in this recipe.

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!
• 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, resulting in an even more flavorful salad!

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 it, which makes it so much easier to get everything together!

This salad is great to serve alongside any grilled foods from Honey Mustard Chicken or BBQ Chicken to tender ribs! Add some Corn on the Cob for the perfect summer meal!

More Easy Salads We Love

• Italian Pasta Salad
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
• Southern Potato Salad
• Chicken Salad
• Chickpea Salad
• Classic Macaroni Salad
• Fresh Corn Salad

Did you enjoy this Broccoli Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

4.97 from 209 votes

Review Recipe

Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Refrigerate 1 hour

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Holly Nilsson

A fresh crisp broccoli salad tossed in a simple homemade dressing!

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Ingredients

• ▢ 8 cups broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ ⅓ cup red onion diced
• ▢ ½ cup dried cranberries
• ▢ ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ▢ ½ cup bacon bits
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ salt & pepper

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Instructions

• Whisk together cider vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper 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.

Recipe Notes

Dry broccoli very well so moisture doesn't water down the dressing.

Reserve some crisp bacon for garnish if desired and add just before serving.

Store-bought coleslaw dressing can replace the homemade dressing if desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 317, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 330mg, Potassium: 365mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 585IU, Vitamin C: 81.7mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Course Salad

Cuisine American

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