Grandma’s Broccoli Salad
If you’ve never craved broccoli, this salad will change your mind. It’s creamy, crunchy, sweet, and tangy—all the best flavors in one bowl. My grandma has made it for every holiday and family get-together for as long as I can remember, and it’s been a favorite of mine for just as long. With fresh broccoli, sharp cheese, crispy bacon, and a signature sweet-tangy dressing, it’s the side dish that disappears first at any gathering.
Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Salad
Our family has long deemed this the best broccoli salad recipe, gobbling it up ever since my grandma began serving it. Even the most broccoli-averse among us seems always to enjoy at least a small serving. It’s undeniably hard to resist!
- Contrasting Textures – The raw broccoli retains some crunch, the bacon is salty and crisp, and the cheese is smooth and creamy; it all combines to create an amazing mixture of textures.
- Quick Prep – The broccoli is used raw, so no cooking is necessary except for the bacon; this comes together quickly and easily, which is the perfect dish to bring along to a holiday, party, or potluck.
- Easily Customizable – Take out ingredients you don’t like, swap in your favorite cheese, add sunflower seeds, chopped nuts or dried fruit… the combinations are endless! You can also change up the dressing; see below for some ideas!
Ingredients Overview
The broccoli salad ingredients are simple and few, but they combine to make the most amazing salad!
- Broccoli — For this salad, you’ll use fresh broccoli, specifically the florets. I use 2 heads of broccoli for this recipe, which comes out to about 7 cups of florets.
- Bacon — Use your favorite brand and cut, then cook it using your favorite method (I have been an oven bacon convert for years!) and coarsely chop it. I love real bacon, but if you’re in a SERIOUS pinch, you could sprinkle on bacon bits.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese — The cheese is cut into small cubes, but you can also use shredded cheese. You can also use different types of cheese, such as mild cheddar, Colby or Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Swiss, feta, etc.
- Onion — This is finely chopped, and you can use your favorite variety – white, yellow, or red.
The broccoli salad dressing only requires a few ingredients, as well.
- Mayonnaise — Real mayonnaise for the best texture and flavor!
- Sugar — Regular white granulated sugar.
- White Vinegar — You could also substitute apple cider vinegar.
If the dressing on the salad sounds like something you’ll love, you should also make my Seven Layer Salad, which uses the same dressing.
More Add-In Ideas
One great thing about this recipe is that it’s super customizable! I’ve seen lots of versions with different additions and mix-ins, including:
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins
- Dates
- Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- Seedless grapes
- Chopped apples
- Nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bell peppers
If your family makes broccoli salad, I’d love to hear what your favorite add-ins are!
Dressing Substitutions
While I love my grandma’s traditional dressing, the salad lends itself to some flavor modifications when it comes to the dressing if you’d like to try something different:
- Honey instead of sugar
- Lemon juice in place of white vinegar.
- Add a dollop of Dijon mustard for an extra punch of flavor.
- Honey mustard vinaigrette if you don’t want a creamy dressing
- Sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, or buttermilk-based dressing if you want it creamy but not mayo-y.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
The process is simple and takes very little time.
Step 1 – In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli florets, bacon, onion and cubed cheese.
Step 2 – In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar.
Step 3 – Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and gently stir to thoroughly combine, ensuring everything is coated with the dressing.
Step 4 – Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving for the best flavor!
What to Serve with Broccoli Salad
This is such a wonderfully versatile side dish! It’s great along with holiday spreads like ham, lamb, beef, and turkey, as well as the usual summer picnic foods like burgers, bbq, and sandwiches.
It also makes for a fantastic lunch!
Make-Ahead Tips
If you’re looking to save time, take advantage of any or all of these time-saving tips when making and assembling the broccoli salad:
- Prep Ahead: Chop the broccoli, bacon, and cheese up to 2 days in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers until ready to assemble.
- Use Pre-Cooked Bacon: Grab pre-cooked bacon or microwaveable bacon to skip stove time. Just crisp it up a bit before adding.
- Bagged Broccoli Florets: Save time by using pre-cut broccoli florets—just give them a quick chop to make bite-sized pieces.
- Mix the Dressing Early: The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge. Just give it a stir before using.
Recipe Tips for Best Results
Here are a few quick tips for making the absolute best broccoli salad!
- Let It Chill: This salad tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge. The flavors meld, and the broccoli softens slightly for a perfect texture.
- Customize the Sweetness: You can adjust the amount of sugar in the dressing to your taste—some like it tangier, some a little sweeter!
- Add Crunch: For extra crunch, toss in sunflower seeds or slivered almonds just before serving.
How to Store the Salad
This should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Broccoli salad doesn’t freeze well. As a result, make it and enjoy it within a few days!
More Favorite Side Dish Salads
These are great for holidays, a potluck, summer BBQ, and really any get-together!
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Best Ever Potato Salad
- Easy Grape Salad
- Creamy Mexican Corn Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon & Pecans
Watch the Recipe Video
If you make this broccoli salad recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Broccoli Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 heads broccoli, florets trimmed off and cut into bite-size pieces (discard stems)
- 8 ounces bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
For the Dressing
- 1 cup (227 g) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, bacon, cheese and onion.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir together until everything is evenly coated.
- The broccoli salad can be served immediately, but tastes even better if you cover and refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- You should get about 7 cups of broccoli florets from the heads of broccoli, roughly 28 ounces.
- A great shortcut is using bagged, prepped florets. I still need to cut up some of the larger ones, but it’s a big time saver!
- You can use a white, yellow or red onion, whatever your preference.
- There are so many variations to broccoli salad, so feel free to add other ingredients based on your personal preferences: dried cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, chopped pecans, etc.
- You can make the following modifications to the dressing: plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise and honey in place of sugar. You can also use a honey mustard vinaigrette if you don’t want a creamy dressing, or a sour cream or buttermilk-based dressing if you want it creamy but not mayo-y.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Ari of Well Seasoned
I love the simplicity of this recipe, I have to double it though, as it is a gathering favorite! Thank you for sharing, if there were more stars, this recipe would have it !!
I just got done making this for my residents at work and it tastes absolutely amazing, although I did add ranch and in my opinion made ur better!! But the sugar was a smart idea it gives it a sweet taste
Awesome Broccoli salad….Thats wsy i make mine but use red vinegar…But your Grandma recipe is awesome thanks for sharing her recipe with us……💓💗💗
I add in cauliflower pieces and frozen peas. Love this for a refreshing summer salad.
Great recipe,quite easy to prepare, taste yummy.
One of my son in laws favorites. I’ve made it with just mayo and just sour cream. I’ve found the best taste with the creamiest is a mix of both Mayo and sour cream, even a dash of ranch dressing powder. I have to make a double and triple batch most times. But this fall I’ve been asked to make a banquet pan amount or two of them for our family reunion.
LOVE THIS BROCCOLI SALAD, BUT I DO ADD WATER CHESTNUTS AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS. IT’S SO GOOD!! SOMETIMES I GET THE BAGGED BROCCOLI THAT IS MICROWAVABLE AND IT WORKS JUST AS WELL. JUST MAKE SURE ITS COOLED BEFORE YOU ADD IT TO THE SALAD. :-)
Easy and quick to make with ingredients that are always in the cupboard.
Wow
Thank you so much I’m going to try this recipe tonight🙏
I make this broccoli salad all he time .i only use apple cider vinegar.it is greatly loved. Kids are getting big fast.
The perfect Broccoli Pasta recipe. Delicious
I love love love this recipe!! I was looking for a broccoli salad recipe that would please my husband, who was in love with the broccoli salad from a restaurant nearby. I made it once and he went crazy for it! Now he won’t eat any other! Thanks for this recipe, it’s better than restaurant’s💜
Awesome salad
Loved it great recipe
I love adding sliced red grapes.
Loved it and so did everyone else!! I added Pecan nuts, which gave a nice crunch. I also added quite a lot of chopped flat leaf parsley, which gave it some freshness. Left-overs…what’s that???? Will definitely make this again.
So good! I’m had to double it for a group of people and bought the florets already cut up which was a huge time saver. I used half of a family sized bag of broccoli and a bag of broccoli slaw. I used 1 brick of cheddar and a cup of shredded mozzarella. I also used turkey bacon instead of pork (I don’t like pork bacon). It legit reminds me of the broccoli salad my grandma used to make so the title is very fitting! Will be making again! :)
I am in love with this salad! It’s so fresh and…generally perfect! I have done it several times, last time I have even used another kind of cheese and still it was pretty tasty. It was the best when I used broccoli that I have grown from seeds ordered on https://gardenseedsmarket.com/broccoli-limba.html but unfortunately I don’t grow it whole year – for certain reasons! Thank you for this recipe!
I love to make it for my husband. I do use shredded cheddar and I use red wine vinegar instead of white. He doesn’t like all the trimmings but they are so yum. I prefer this made the day before as it soaks into the broccoli.
Loved it and so did everyone else!! I added Pecan nuts, which gave a nice crunch. I also added quite a lot of chopped flat leaf parsley, which gave it some freshness. Left-overs…what’s that???? Will definitely make this again.
Just have to say, please don’t discard the thick broccoli stems. Peel outer layer with potato peeler, then cut into long slices. Crunchy and juicy. Great for dipping into hummus or dips, or just eat as a quick and very healthy snack.
I have a recipe similar to this, but it has the addition of rotini pasta. Have also used bow tie. I don’t use much sugar as my family prefers a more savory salad. Have also used real bacon bits in a pinch.
Hi Barb, Love the idea of adding pasta, I will have to try that, thanks for the suggestion!
I have made this the most of all recipes on this site. Actually my non vege loving mother makes it also and chooses to take to potlucks.
Ahhh I love this!!
Looks delish.
Brokoli çok severim ama bu şekilde yapmamıştım. Çok teşekkürler.
I put jicama in this salad when it’s in season. It gives it a nice crunch.
I love this salad. I use shredded mozzarella instead of cheddar. Yum!
I love broccoli salad! A few years ago, I decided to add cubes of red delicious Apple, granny Smith Apple, green and red grape halves, red and Vidalia onion and pecans. I hadn’t thought of using cubed cheese. I’ll definitely try that next time!!!
My family always want to know where the kitchen sink is, but they always eat it until it’s ALL gone.
I use yogurt as mayo in this recipe but it still yummy thank’s for sharing this
absolutely love this recipe and have made it many times, but after the first time I realized I didn’t like the broccoli quite so hard. I blanch it for 2-3 minutes, chill in an ice bath and then proceed with the recipe. I can’t get enough of it!!!! I make enough to last several days and it keeps getting better.
Thank you for posting the Broccoli Salad recipe. I have always loved this salad but never made it. After seeing your post, I realized I had all the ingredients on hand and made the spur of the moment decision Easter morning to make it. It tasted so good. Everyone loved it (except my husband who won’t touch broccoli in any form).
I love broccoli to no end, and to see it in this fabulous looking salad, I know it will be mouthwatering delicious. Will be on our table tomorrow. I give it 5 stars.
tried this salad last night. so delicious and easy to make. the dressing is out of this world……….but will have to cut the sugar way down as i also cook for a diabetic. glad i found this site and her recipe.
I love broccoli salad. I do cut my broccoli on the smaller side, add thinly sliced sweet onion or red onion, bacon, and dried cranberries or raisins which have first been soaked for a half an hour in brandy (drain off the brandy, add it to Coke and drink after the soaking!), same dressing. I think the soaked dried fruit adds something – on the other hand I’ve never made it any other way!
This broccoli salad looks so good! Great idea to serve it for Easter, I might just have to do that this year. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I was introduced to this salad in the late 1960s as cauliflower salad. An extra ingredient is a head of lettuce. The dressing was Miracle Whip and sugar. The instructions were to layer the ingredients and top each layer with dressing and store in the refrigerator overnight. Toss before serving. Unfortunately it doesn’t keep well to a second day once it’s tossed.
Now I make half the recipe using a bag of cauliflower and broccoli florets, a bag of spring greens, shredded cheese and already chopped onion. I still have to cook the bacon
This is the most Pennsylvania thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. I am not a fan of broccoli salad but I love this one! I do not like the bitterness of raw broccoli so I blanched it and that brought out the sweetness and the broccoli still remained crunchy. I added some leftover lettuce varieties from the garden, walnuts, Craisins and the bacon and cheddar cheese. I had sliced green onions and croutons in bowls as optional toppers. I served a freshly made blue cheese dressing for the adults and the kids wanted Ranch dressing. Everyone agreed that this made a great dinner that each could tailor to their taste. There were no leftovers and they want me to make it again.
I’ve never been able to tolerate cooked spinach, broccoli or cabbage, yet I LOVE coleslaw. I decided it must be the “fragrance” of them when my Mom cooked the life out of them. Now I’ll eat raw broccoli if I can drown them in dip or spinach in a salad. My sister used to make a similar broccoli salad but she put water chestnuts in it. I’ll give your recipe a try.
I really like the addition of sugar to the dressing for broccoli salad. It gives it the perfect amount of sweetness. I’ll be trying this version. Old family recipes are the best.
Very good! I also add halved grapes, and use shredded cheddar (instead of cubed) and purple onion!
I make this almost every time I take a dish some where. Everyone loves it! I add in dried cranberries , sliced black olives, and cherry tomatoes. Most of the time I add the onion unless someone asked me not to put onion in. (it’s good with or without) I have added pecans, but I usually forget to add those! :) Yummy! Yummy!
Oh my…one of my favorite salads; I could eat it all by myself! We usually toss in some cauliflower too. I remember being a newlywed and bringing it to a family get-together. The next get-together, my mother-in-law told me she was going to bring it…I remember thinking, oh no – she’s taken about the only thing I can cook, what will I do?!
I have a similar recipe from a local chef. She uses red wine vinegar in the dressing, shredded cheddar, and red onion. It’s delicious!
I LOVE this salad…I first tried it about 15 years ago when I lived in Dayton, OH and there was a specialty food store there that made a great version. They added raisins and used shredded cheese, but it was basically the same thing. I know our Eat n’ Park keeps it on their salad bar most days also. I prefer it pretty saucy (to kill the taste of the broccoli…ha) and I like the sweet raisins with the salty bacon. Great recipe!
I don’t understand why people put any sort of sweetening in these types of salads. Why does everything have to be sweet these days? I never add sugar to any basically savory salad. To me it ruins the actual flavors of the salad.
The sugar complements the saltiness of the bacon. Many people like that salty/sweet combo.
This is one of my favorites and most made recipes from you.
People you have to make this. Even those who aren’t into vege’s enjoy this salad!!
GREAT salad with red onion, shredded cheddar, golden raisins, sunflower seeds.
No bacon? Try fried pepperoni!
Golden raisins no cheese. Delicious!
Look delish, can’t wait to try this recipe!
http://www.cantiquejoice.com
I’ve been making this as a low-carb salad for years and everyone RAVES about it. (I use Splenda or Truvia for the sugar.)
I do have a few small variations:
1. I use shredded cheese instead of cubes (so it’s easier to get in one forkful with the other ingredients).
2. I use red onions (so they aren’t quite as potent)!
3. I add garlic salt.
I’ve made this salad many times now, and it’s very popular with everyone. You are right.It is even better the next day. It’s very quick to make. The dressing is amazing. It would be good for cole slaw or tossed salad as well.
Made this tonight for potluck tomorrow. Substituted 8oz shredded cheddar and 3 Tbls wine vinegar. Came out fab!
I make this broccoli salad and ONLY this broccoli salad now. First recipe I tried, and it’s a keeper! My picky boyfriend absolutely loves it, and so do I! Thank you for sharing! :)
Made this today for my mother! Absolutely loved it! She saved half of it for lunch the next day since it says its better served cold! :)
I know I posted a couple of years ago but I wanted to let you know that this salad has become a staple for my family. I recently made this for my in laws who live in Oslo and now, the recipe and demand for this salad is spreading through Norway. Thanks again for such an awesome recipe!
I’ve been making this salad for years. Sometimes I substitute bacon bits for the bacon, and use shredded swiss or shredded cheddar cheese for the cubed cheese. When sweet vidalia onions are in season, I like to use them – red onions can also add a different taste.
That’s what is so great about this recipe – you can play around with some of the ingredients, depending on what you have on hand – though I never change the dressing!
Someone else commented that this is ‘that dish’ that if you don’t make for every single family occasion you will have people complaining. It’s true. I have been making this dish – without the cheese and with the raisins – for twenty years. My son spent four months in Japan last summer and this was what he begged for as his first dish ‘at home’. I am not entirely convinced that the cheese will make it better, but honestly, the raisins are amazing in it.
I love broccoli! And I have it coming out of my ears in the garden right now. This will be a nice new recipe to try out on the family this week!
Sounds good! However, I don’t like mayo. I know I’ll never taste it when mixed in, but I’ll know it’s there. Childish I know. You think maybe I could substitute plain yogurt?
Hi Erika, This dressing actually doesn’t taste much like mayo because of the sugar and vinegar, but if you’re completely averse, you could give the yogurt a try. I’ve never used it, so I can’t vouch for it, but it tends to be a common substitute for mayonnaise. It will likely be a little tangier. If you try it let me know what you think!
This sounds awesome. I have an aversion to veggies too. Especially cooked ones…it’s the texture. I just put up a post on my little blog today on my favorite broccoli salad. It’s vegan (a diet I gave up months ago) so it doesn’t have bacon or cheese (Which make everything better) but I use it all the time as a side dish. I am excited to try yours this summer. Thank you for sharing!
This looks great. I have some broccoli sitting in the fridge that just may become this salad. Thanks for sharing!
nice picture you have been putting up but my outcome is never as nice as yours.
Papacheong
http://home-cook-dishes-for-family.blogspot.com/
you are exactly like my 11yo daughter. totally allergic to greens, and will only eat brox (that’s what she calls broccoli) if its drowning in mayo+vinegar+cheddar dressing or heavily smothered in a milk+cheese+tofu quiche. i get a good chuckle everytime you mention your aversion to greens. i always tell her, “one step at a time, you’ll soon love all greens”, and she’ll give me a “mom-are-you-nuts” look. do you too?
I made this for Easter, it was wonderful!!!
This was SO delicious. I made it today for Easter dinner. I was a BIG hit. Perfect balance of flavor. I will definately be making this again….I probably wont share either….lol! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
My mom makes this and adds sunflower seeds. Yum!
A word of warning: this is *that dish* in our family. You know *that dish*, the one that people grumble loudly and occasionally shoot you a dirty look if you don’t bring it to a potluck. So you’ve been warned: if you bring this to a get-together, you’re going to be making it for every potluck moving forward.
Like others here, my family adds raisins and red onions, omits the cheese. The sunflower seeds that someone mentioned sound good.
Yummy!Thank you so much for this great sounding recipe!!
I’m a HUGE fan of broccoli salad and so yours looked so good it went straight to the top of my list! I made it tonight and it was fabulous! Thank you =)
great recipe for broccoli salad and that look so fresh, yummy…..
farida
http://kitchensuperfood.com
This looks just like the broccoli salad I make all the time except I grate my cheese and toss it all in. I love this salad and usually it’s the one I make whenever we go to gatherings and I’m asked to bring a salad. It is very good isn’t it and that dressing is delicious…and so easy!
I make something similar – no cheese but cheese tortellini and sunflower seeds – yum!
I have to go back to the grocery store and get the broccoli I walked right past earlier today now that I’ve seen your photos and recipe! Looks and sounds yummy! =]
made this tonight for dinner…..yum!
One of my very favorite vegetables! This salad is so simple yet so healthy and delicious
its really good with raisins & sunflower seeds!
Gorgeous! WANT.
Wow I hate broccoli and that looks delicious!
Ok, so I’ve been using the same recipe everyone else has all these years; raisins and sunflower seeds. I never thought of adding cheese! I will definitely be using this. My only problem is that my husband’s coworkers loved the old recipe so much they stole the bowl of leftovers at the last potluck. If I add cheese, they’ll be camping out on my doorstep! LOL
This looks good. I make a broccoli coleslaw with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and red onions in a coleslaw dressing. It’s a big hit in my family and the only way to get my picky 4 yr old to eat it. I like how you added some bacon and cheese, brilliant!
I love a good broccoli salad! I will probably sit and eat this all for dinner :)
I love that dressing – my Grandma made a similar one – Mayo, sugar, half&half and pepper. Tossed it with sliced cucumber – amazing! We still call it “the cucumber stuff.”
=) Great recipe!
I have this exact recipe, but minus bacon and added craisins. The dressing is super awesome (especially if you need to cover the veggie taste), lol.
There’s a “Broccoli Slaw” I make with a similar recipe. Break the broccoli a little smaller, add bacon, toasted sun flower seeds, dried cranberries, some caramelized onions and use straight up kraft coleslaw dressing. SO good, but so simple.
Try it with grapes! SOOOOO yummy!
Almost just like what I make only I add shredded carrots and cauliflower, raisins or halved grapes, too! So Yummy!
We will have this as part of our Easter dinner. Thank you for taking some of the “what side dish” guess work out of the equation. Have a great holiday.
This looks delicious! I make something similar but never thought to add cheese. You’re brilliant! That would be most excellent!
Oh my does this look good – you literally included all of my faves… bacon, cheese, mayo, broccoli. Can I have a cookie after I eat every morsel of this salad to complete my circle of happiness?
Your photography is gorgeous and congrats on the Top 9 today. Well deserved!!
I love broccoli salad! I usually end up buying it at the deli, and that’s fine enough, but I’d like to try a homemade version. I think I’ll start with yours!
Just found my dish to bring to Easter dinner!!
It sure looks GOOD!
Papacheong
http://home-cook-dishes-for-family.blogspot.com/
MMmm I love broccoli. I will have to try this, the dressing sounds interesting!
I basically make the same salad except add raisins & sunflower seeds and omit the cheese. LOVE this salad and it’s my “go-to” salad for any occasion, everyone usually raves about it!
My all time fave dressing that I make from scratch and re-link at least once a week is vegan slaw dressing, i.e. broccoli slaw dressing that I veganized and I eat it on all my salads, veggies, etc.
I heart brock salad! Omg this is music to my ears this post. Love it :)
This does look good! How could broccoli be bad with bacon and cheddar cheese?!
Although I do not have an aversion to vegetables I have no problem dressing them up with YUM either. That is what marriage is about right? Two helping each other out to be better? I’ll support this marriage.
This looks really good – the dressing sonds great!
YUM! Love the idea of the cubed cheddar!! My aunt has been making a version of this salad for YEARS and its always a hit! She adds RAISINS to hers…..sounds so gross, but trust me, it is AMAZING!