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.
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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!
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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I made this and it was a huge hit. The cool thing is that it is versatile, so you can add or swap out ingredients.
I suggest doubling the recipe, I will be doing that tonight. The first time I made it everyone wanted more.
Well that says a lot Jim! So glad you love this salad recipe!
Haven’t tried yet
Do you use salted or unsalted sunflower seeds?
I use unsalted, but both will work. You may just add a little less salt to season. Enjoy!
Broccoli
Seed
Red onion
Bacon
Rasien
Make dressing what kind
Hi Candace, there is a recipe card that has the entire recipe. Scroll down the page, or click on the Jump to Recipe button at the top of the post to find it. You’ll find the ingredients and instructions there! Enjoy the recipe!
Followed the recipe exactly and it came out fantastic. Rave reviews from friends and family. Just as tasty the next day for lunch. I took the time to make sure the broccoli was dry and the dressing clung beautifully.
Try it with pomegranate instead of cranberries!
This is one of my “go-to” broccoli salad recipes! My husband and I enjoy this alot!! As you suggested, we do add other ingredients to it – i.e. apples!! We cannot get enough of it!! Thank you for sharing! Also, I wanted to let you know that we “eat with you” a lot! When I say that I got a recipe from “Spend with Pennies,” my husband always says “Well, I know it’s gonna be good!!” Again, thank you for this recipe, and so many others!!
Aww, thank you so much Jan. So glad you’ve loved the recipes. Happy Cooking!
I love the idea of adding apples! I’m going to try this.
Apples never occurred to me, but sounds so fresh Jan!! Thanks for the idea!
I made this recipe for the first time and it has great taste i would make make again.
Would this work with frozen broccoli?
Hi Lori, frozen broccoli won’t have the same crunch or texture as fresh broccoli so I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you try this recipe with frozen broccoli we would love to hear how it turns out.
Very good! Simple and easy to make.
I made this recipe tonight and we love it! I substituted blue cheese chunks for the bacon. It was great but can’t wait to use bacon next time.
Can I use simulated bacon bits in this salad?
The simulated bacon bits can soak up moisture and get a bit soggy. If that’s all you have on hand, I would suggest sprinkling it on top as you’re serving. Let us know how it goes!
Hi! Are cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar the same? Thank you!
Yes, they are the same.
Great recipe!
How many pounds of broccoli make eight cups?
Hi Lora, it is about 1.25 lbs of broccoli chopped. Hope that helps!
This recipe is delicious. Am actually going to add this to my Thanksgiving meal.
This is a good blend for the dressing. Great recipe, whether you add the bacon or not. It’s also good whether you use sliced grapes, raisins, or the craisins. And the sunflower seeds can easily be switched for pecan pieces-either works well. I vary according to what’s in my fridge, or what people prefer. Thanks for posting the recipe. I also appreciate that you answer questions that people have. One more tip I’d like to share… if some of the leftovers get a bit runny it gets perfect again if you add a small dollop of Miracle Whip (store brand ok) I imagine Mayo would do it too, but haven’t done that with it yet. I have prepared the salad with either to begin with.
Thank you for sharing that tip! It makes my day to hear that you love this salad as much as I do!
yummy
Your recipes look incredible, are home-cook friendly and use items that most of us have in the kitchen without having to spend money on ingredients we may use only one time.
Thank you Meda! That makes my day!
Wonderful recipes!
Thank goodness I found a recipe for candied cranberries. I am waiting for the broccoli to thaw.