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Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad is both flavorful and filling. Chopped veggies are tossed with a homemade creamy dressing, grilled chicken, and bits of bacon…you’ll make this salad recipe again and again!

If you love salad as much as I do, you’ve got to try some of my other favorite recipes: Greek salad, cucumber salad with dill and garlic, and this Russian potato salad.

Dressing being poured on broccoli salad in a white decorative bowl on a wooden table.

Cold Broccoli Salad

When I say I really, really love salad, I’m not kidding. When my daughter was in kindergarten, they made a cute Mother’s Day gift where the children answered questions about their moms. One of the questions there was “what’s your mom’s favorite food and drink?”. My daughter promptly answered “salad and water”. Hah!

As boring as it probably sounded to the teacher it really is true. I try to have a salad at least once a day, so having a variety of recipes helps me to keep it exciting and delicious while getting all those yummy veggies in. This cold broccoli salad, in particular, is a long-time favorite of mine.

I like this dish because I can easily prep for it at the beginning of the week by cutting up veggies. Add a little leftover chicken or even turkey and you’ve got an easy, no-cook cold broccoli salad!

Top view of a fully assembled cold broccoli salad before the dressing is added to it. Onion, bacon and dressing are in the background.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Of course, this dish has one major thing going for it that amps the flavor up…bacon! This broccoli bacon salad is more of a ‘meal’ kind of salad, where it’s not just a side dish, but something that will fill you up and keep you full for a while.

If you plan on making the broccoli bacon salad, one easy hack is to simply set aside a few slices of bacon if you make some for breakfast. Hide it in the back of the fridge where no one can find it until you’re ready to make your salad! 🙂

Bacon does give the salad a nice smoky flavor, but if you’re trying to eat clean & healthy, omit the bacon and go with cooked chicken breast alone.

Creamy Salad Dressing

The smokey bacon tastes even better because it contrasts so well with the homemade creamy salad dressing that goes with this recipe. I often find that people are intimidated by making dressing at home, but I assure you it’s so easy and tastes SO much better than anything you’d find in a bottle.

Making creamy salad dressing is simple. All you need to do is combine three ingredients together: mayo, vinegar, and sugar. You can make a batch of the creamy salad dressing ahead of time as part of your meal prep too. The dressing should keep for a few days if you store it in an airtight container within the fridge.

How to Make Broccoli Salad

For detailed recipe instructions see the recipe card bottom of the post.

  • Bake (or fry) bacon until it is rendered & crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and pat the tops with a paper towel as well, to absorb extra fat. When cool enough to handle, chop to small pieces.
  • Meanwhile, start the broccoli salad. Break the broccoli into small florets. Shred the stems on a large-holed box grater, or using the food processor fitted with the grater attachment.
  • Slice the onion into thin slices.
  • Make the dressing by combining the mayo, vinegar & sugar in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
  • Arrange all ingredients around the salad bowl, including the grilled chicken, in piles. Pour dressing over the broccoli salad & mix to coat the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Mixed broccoli salad in a white bowl with a wooden spoon.

More Great SALAD Recipes:

Broccoli Salad with Chicken

5 from 1 vote

This is the very best broccoli salad recipe! Veggies, grilled chicken, smoky bacon are all flavored by a creamy dressing.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli chicken salad, broccoli salad
Calories: 345 kcal
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

  • 3 cups broccoli florets & shredded stems
  • 1 cup chicken breast skinless, boneless, cooked, shredded
  • 6-8 strips bacon rendered & crispy, chopped
  • 1/4 onion sliced thinly
  • 1/3 cup craisins

Dressing (double the amount if you like a lot of dressing in your salad)

Instructions

  1. Lay slices of bacon onto a parchment or aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, until rendered & crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and pat the tops with paper towel as well, to absorb extra fat. When cool enough to handle, chop to small pieces.

  2. Break the broccoli into small florets. Shred the stems on a large holed box grater, or using the food processor fitted with the grater attachment.
  3. Slice the onion into thin slices.
  4. Combine 1/4 cup mayo, 1 Tbsp vinegar & 1 Tbsp sugar in a bowl. Whisk until homogeneous & smooth.

  5. Arrange all ingredients around the salad bowl, in piles. Pour dressing over the salad & mix to coat the ingredients. Serve.
Nutrition Facts
Broccoli Salad with Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 345 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 52mg17%
Sodium 374mg16%
Potassium 430mg12%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 425IU9%
Vitamin C 62mg75%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • I need to make it more appealing for my son. He hates broccoli.

    · Reply
  • Tanya

    It’s super good! I’ve made it many times already and it’s always a big hit in our family and when I take it somewhere… The combination of flavors is divine! Thank you!

    · Reply
  • M G Jones

    This looks great, but I don’t do mayo. Do you have ideas for a healthy alternative? Could I use plain Greek yogurt?

    · Reply
    • I think a mix of greek yogurt and a little bit of olive oil could work, although it would not have different flavor 🙂

      · Reply
    • Jshifflett

      Did you try the Greek yogurt?

      · Reply
  • Deborah W.

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! We love it! I’ve fixed it for dinner twice since I saw it here! Other than the wife, no one knows the stress of fixing food hubby will eat. Not only did he eat it, he’s the one who wanted it a second time. Believe me, unless it’s covered in chocolate, that doesn’t happen. Thanks again for a keeper.

    · Reply
    • That’s great to hear! Thanks for your feedback Deborah!

      · Reply
  • Natasha (@NatashasKitchen)

    Yum!! I love how you used the broccoli stems and the way you sliced them up! Bacon and chicken sound so good. It’s like an entire meal in a bowl! 🙂

    · Reply
    • Yes, this salad is very filling!
      Thanks Natasha!

      · Reply

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