This Bacon Pea salad is a simple side dish filled with sweet peas, smoky bacon, cheddar cheese, and red onion in a quick creamy dressing.
Ingredient Tips For Pea Salad
This easy pea salad is a great side dish for potlucks or holiday meals since it’s quick to prep and should be made ahead of time. We often serve it alongside our Easter ham or Thanksgiving dinner.
- Peas: You can use either fresh or frozen peas for this recipe. My preference is frozen as they’re sweet, tender, and don’t require cooking. To make pea salad with fresh garden peas, shell them and boil them for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Drain well and cool completely.
- Bacon: Either cook and crumble bacon or use pre-cooked bacon or bacon bits. If using pre-cooked or bacon bits, I microwave them for a minutes or so to crisp them before adding.
- Cheese: I love sharp cheddar in this recipe, but any variety of cheese can be used.
- Onion: Green onion or sweet white onion can be used in place of red onion.
Dressing: Pea salad dressing is a simple mixture of mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and seasoning.
Holly’s Tips
- No need to cook frozen peas for this pea salad – run them under cold water to thaw.
- Any frozen peas work, but tiny peas, sometimes called baby peas or baby sweet peas, contain more sugar and are preferred.
- The dressing in the recipe is quick and adds the best flavor; you can replace it with Ranch dressing or premade coleslaw dressing in a pinch.
- Chopped boiled eggs are a great addition.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This pea salad does not freeze well.
More Veggie Salads
This classic pea salad is perfect on any potluck table. Here are more favorite quick salads.
Did you enjoy this Pea Salad? Leave a rating and a comment below!
The Best Bacon Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen peas thawed
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese or cubed, 2 oz
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion or sweet white onion, more to taste
Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, and white vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add peas, bacon, onion, and cheese to the bowl and gently stir to coat.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Season with additional salt & pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Lunch, Salad
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I found this recipe yesterday, I love pea salad and this one is good but the red onion really overpowered the flavors to the point where I had to throw it all away. So today I tried it again but used a sweet Vidalia onion and it turned out PERFECT!!! I will make this pea salad slot this summer!!
Thanks for sharing your top, Willow! I am glad you enjoyed it so much.
Love this salad!! My go to. Wonderful side dish on a hot Arizona day.
This will be my 3rd time making pea salad for a covered dish function at my church. It’s been a big hit!
Absolutely delicious!!! When I bring it to share with others they ask for the recipe and I direct them to your website – Thanks so much!!!
Hands down the best pea salad recipe that you will find ANYWHERE!! This was a hit with my husband, AND with me!! I followed the recipe to a T and it came out perfecto!! Thank you so much for publishing this!!
I was looking for an option with fresh peas and although I questioned cooking them like you suggested, I did it against my better judgment. I would hope you take that suggestion out of your recipe. it was a shame to grow, shell and then use them in this manor. Especially the quantity. Would have been better with fresh peas, especially if you don’t like cooked peas.
Hi Lisa, we do find frozen peas are the best option as they are already blanched before frozen. And while we haven’t tried this recipe with uncooked garden peas, if you don’t like cooked peas then fresh would be a good alternative. Love to hear how it turns out if you attempt it again.
Holly specifically stated that frozen peas are the best option for this recipe, but if you prefer fresh garden peas, shell them and cook 5-8 minutes OR until tender. Surely if you grow peas, you would know how long to cook them for a cold pea salad. It seems unfair to give this recipe a lower rating based on your mistake. This recipe is delicious as written!
awesome quick but Delicious ideas. thank you
Taking this to picnic today ! I have taken it before and it was requested again this year
Made it today for a BBQ. This is crazy good. I feared it would be too sweet, but definitely not – it’s perfect! The only thing I did (and always do) is soak the red onion in cold water for 10 minutes or so to take the bite out. I’ll absolutely be making this again (and again and again :)
I made this for the second time today, such a nice summer salad. I skipped the cheese (preference) and it is perfect.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I made it once and my husband raved over it and asked me to make it for an event he was cooking for at the local Senior Center. Well everyone loved it. I am now using it for my favorite go to recipe especially when we have people over. Again Thank you!
just love your site and many of your recipes. thank you
I am so glad you are loving the recipes Charlie!
I made your Dill Pickle Pasta Salad and OMG, it was to die for. My sister and my daughter loved it as much as I did.
Can’t wait to try this one! I love your recipes.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Susan!
This salad is delicious and well liked.