Cook at Home Mom | Recipes | Side Dishes

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Name: Broccoli Bacon Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 5 cups broccoli florets (about 3 crowns); 8 slices bacon (or turkey bacon); ½ red onion; ½ cup diced dates (or substitute with dried cranberries or raisins.⠀); ½ cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds⠀; ½ cup mayo⠀; 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon mustard⠀; 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, (preferably raw); 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon); salt and pepper (to taste)

Madison Wetherill 05/03/2026

12 Comments

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This broccoli bacon salad is the ultimate easy summer side dish! It tastes great with any protein and kids love it, too. Fair warning: everyone will ask you for this recipe!

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A glass bowl filled with a broccoli salad containing chopped broccoli, red onions, bacon, sunflower seeds, and a creamy dressing, with a wooden spoon resting inside.

The simplest recipes are usually the most impressive to me. This is why easy and delicious salads made with wholesome ingredients are always on the menu at my house!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This is a total crowd-pleaser of a side dish. It works just as well for picnics and cookouts as it does for weeknight dinners! If you’re looking for creative ways to add more vegetables into your family’s diet, this recipe is for you!

The broccoli is cut into bite-sized florets and tossed with red onions, sweet dates, crispy bacon and crunchy sunflower seeds. Tossed in a creamy lemon dressing, every bite is loaded with the most incredible flavor!

If there are picky eaters in your house, the recipe is easy to customize! Just use the ingredients your family likes.

What Readers Are Saying

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Great flavor! I added toasted almond slivers for more crunch.
–Amy

As an added bonus, this is a super simple recipe. After prepping the ingredients, just toss them together with the dressing, then let your family and guests dig in!

Best of all, this broccoli bacon salad only takes 20 minutes to make. It’s a quick, simple, and absolutely delicious side dish!

Happy Kitchen Secrets

Here are some mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.

Be sure to wash the broccoli before cutting it into florets. This will keep any dirt and/or unwanted pests out of your salad.
To reduce the sharp flavor of the onions, pour the dressing over the sliced onions and wait an hour. The vinegar in the dressing will begin to mellow the flavor of the onions over time.
Want to make the broccoli bacon salad ahead of time? I recommend following the recipe as written, but keep the bacon in a container or zip-top bag at room temperature. Put the dressing in the fridge and leave the salad undressed. Refrigerate the salad in a covered container for up to a day. Add the bacon and dressing just before serving.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

These fresh ingredients make the best broccoli salad recipe you’ll ever taste!

Overhead view of labeled ingredients for a broccoli salad arranged on a wooden cutting board.

Broccoli is, of course, the star of the salad. If you have trouble cutting broccoli into florets, don’t stress about it, just buy a bag of florets instead.

Bacon: It’s really quick and simple to cook bacon in the air fryer. If you want to save more time, use precooked bacon or bacon bits instead. To some calories, you could cook turkey bacon in the air fryer.

Dates: Medjool dates are what my kids like the best. They have a sweet flavor and the texture is similar to raisins. Speaking of raisins, they’re a good substitute for dates! Or really, any dried fruit that you like should work well.

Sunflower seeds add crunch and a lovely nutty flavor! I use roasted and unsalted sunflower seeds so I have more control over the saltiness of the salad.

The broccoli salad dressing is tangy, creamy, and really tasty! My kids don’t even notice the garlic, but if you want to leave it out, the dressing will taste great without it.

To convert this broccoli salad recipe into a vegetarian dish, just omit the bacon, or use a plant-based substitute.

How to Make the Broccoli Bacon Salad

This is only a summary of the steps. For the full instructions, see the recipe card! ⬇️

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Overhead view of chopped broccoli, chopped cooked bacon, slices of red onion, and chopped dates on a wooden cutting board.

Overhead view of a hand whisking ingredients together for lemon garlic dressing.

Prep the salad ingredients. Cook the bacon and chop it into pieces. Then, cut the broccoli into florets and chop/slice the other vegetables and dates.

Make the broccoli salad dressing. This is super simple! Just whisk the ingredients together and set it in the fridge so it stays cold.

Overhead view of an undressed broccoli salad in a glass serving bowl

Pouring creamy dressing over a broccoli salad in a large glass salad bowl.

Assemble the salad, but don’t add the dressing. Cover the bowl and keep it undressed in the fridge for up to a day.

When you’re ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing!

Helpful Tip

To thin the consistency of the dressing a bit, whisk in more lemon juice. Only add a teaspoon at a time, though. This way, the dressing won't become too runny.

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer leftover broccoli salad to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing any leftovers. Before serving, shake up the salad to redistribute the creamy homemade dressing into the broccoli mixture.

A glass bowl of broccoli salad with red onions, bacon, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and creamy dressing, mixed with a wooden spoon.

Broccoli Salad Recipe FAQs

Do I use raw or cooked broccoli in broccoli salad?

I prefer to use raw broccoli, however, you can decide whether you like blanched or raw broccoli, based on your preferences. Blanching refers to briefly submerging the vegetable in boiling water and then stopping the cooking process quickly. This softens the broccoli a tiny bit.

Is there a way to make the dressing thinner?

Absolutely! If you want to thin the consistency of the salad dressing, all you need to do is whisk in a little bit of lemon juice. Only whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of juice at a time, so it doesn't becoming too runny.

Planning to make this recipe?

After you make it, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it went!

Serving Suggestions

This dish is really versatile! Broccoli salad tastes great with almost any protein you can think of. It's a classic side for summer meals like burgers, air fryer hot dogs, and bbq chicken thighs.

I also serve it with our Easter and Thanksgiving meals. It's tasty with chicken drumsticks, meatloaf, and even salmon.

Other Delicious Salads

Hey friend, I’m Madison!

I’m the mama behind Cook at Home Mom. Through simple, family-friendly recipes and practical meal prep tips, I show busy moms how to make healthy eating enjoyable and sustainable, even with packed schedules. So glad you are here!

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