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?
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Photography by Ari of Well Seasoned
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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.