Broccoli Salad with Bacon

This broccoli salad with bacon is dressed up with cranberries, sunflower kernels and a delicious homemade dressing. It is super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. It’s the perfect side dish to bring to any potluck.

We absolutely love this broccoli cranberry salad and it definitely needs to be on your list to try! Before you decide you don’t like it, just try it. I’m normally not a huge fan of raw broccoli (my fave is roasted), but I’ll eat broccoli with bacon any day.

I don’t know about you, but I am SO excited that summer is almost here. One of my favorite parts about summer is having outdoor BBQ’s and getting together with friends and family. I always love making BBQ side dishes and this broccoli salad with bacon is always a crowd pleaser. The added bacon and sunflower kernels really take it up a notch and add the perfect flavor!

Dressing

The broccoli salad dressing is what makes this dish taste so good. It is so simple and has great flavor! I made it a little different than the classic dressing with sugar and vinegar and it tastes so much better! You have to try it. It’s made with 3 simple ingredients:

• mayo or greek yogurt
• lemon juice
• honey

I like to make my dressing first and let the flavors marinate together for a few minutes. Then I toss all the ingredients in a large bowl and make sure the broccoli is evenly coated with the dressing. Then just refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes prior to serving!

Tips + substitutions

• If you’re in a hurry, you can buy pre-chopped broccoli and pre-cooked bacon. It makes this side dish come together super quickly.
• Feel free to swap dried cranberries with 1/4 cup sliced grapes.
• Instead of sunflower kernels, use your favorite type of nuts (like slivered almonds or walnuts).
• If you want to make this dish lighter, use the greek yogurt for the dressing and turkey bacon.
• I love to cook my bacon in the oven. It’s by far the easiest method in my opinion and way less messy. Give it a shot if you haven’t tried it!

Making in advance

This dish can easily be prepped ahead of time if preferred. Assemble as directed, except leave out the bacon pieces. Then right before serving, mix them in. This helps keep the bacon nice and crispy.

For more potluck salads, check out:

• Tortellini Italian pasta salad
• Macaroni salad
• Easy pasta salad with Italian dressing
• Buffalo chicken pasta salad

Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli bacon salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 193

Author: Jamielyn Nye

This broccoli salad with bacon is dressed up cranberries, sunflower kernels and a delicious homemade dressing. It is super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. It’s the perfect side dish to bring to any potluck.

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Ingredients

Broccoli salad:

• 6 cups broccoli florets , cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 pieces bacon , cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled
• 1/4 cup salted sunflower kernels
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup red onion , finely chopped

For the dressing:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
• 2  Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste

Instructions

• Combine the broccoli, bacon, kernels, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour evenly over the broccoli and stir until coated.
• Refrigerate the salad 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 41.8mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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