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    Broccoli Salad

    Updated September 12, 2025 / By Holly Erickson

    Cold and crunchy, this easy broccoli salad recipe includes crisp bacon, diced red onion and chewy raisins, then tossed in a creamy homemade dressing. It’s a summer favorite!
    A bowl of fresh broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions

    Broccoli salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes! Right up there with coleslaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad, it packs tons of flavor and texture into one easy recipe! Studded with bacon, onion and sunflower seeds, this salad is such a banger for summer parties, and it’s a favorite holiday side, too.

    A bowl of fresh broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions

    I love broccoli salad because it is crunchy, sweet, creamy and savory, all at the same time! It’s great for crowds, because it’s naturally gluten free and dairy free, and it tastes just as good the next day. Serve it with classic summer food like burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, or fried chicken. For a lighter side, try this fresh and herby Avocado Salad. 

    ingredients laid out for fresh broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions

    Broccoli Salad Ingredients 

    • Raw broccoli florets. You don’t need to cook broccoli for this salad. No-cook summer salads FTW!
    • Bacon. Cooked until crispy, then minced. 
    • Raw red onion. The sharp onion flavor is so good with the creamy dressing.
    • Sunflower seeds, for crunch. Look for the unsalted kind. 
    • Raisins. The hint of sweetness and toothsome chewiness is a great foil for the super-crunch of the raw broccoli.
    large bowl of raw broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, purple onions and golden raisins ready to be mixed with creamy dressing
    sweet creamy dressing being poured onto homemade broccoli salad with crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions

    Variations + Tips

    • Try golden raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries in place of the raisins.
    • Add cheese: Some broccoli salad recipes include shredded cheese, and if you want to add cheese, go for it! Shredded white cheddar is especially good.
    • For even more crunch, add diced apples.
    • For the dressing, you could swap in a different vinegar if you prefer. White wine vinegar, rice vinegar or sherry vinegar all work well in this recipe. 
    A bowl of fresh broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions
    close up of homemade broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onion

    More Classic Side Dish Salads

    The Best Broccoli Salad Ever? 

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    A bowl of fresh broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions

    Broccoli Salad Recipe

    Updated September 12, 2025

    By Holly Erickson

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  15 min
    • Calories:  693

    Description

    Cold and crunchy, this easy broccoli salad recipe includes crisp bacon, diced red onion and chewy raisins, then tossed in a creamy homemade dressing. It’s a summer favorite!
    Print Recipe

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      Video

      Ingredients

      • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
      • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
      • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, (from 2 lemons)
      • 3 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
      • ½ teaspoon sea salt
      • 8 cups broccoli florets, (about 1¼ pounds), cut into bite-size pieces
      • 12 slices bacon, cooked, chopped
      • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
      • ½ cup sunflower seeds
      • 1 cup raisins

      Method

      1. Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and salt, until smooth.

        sweet creamy salad dressing in a bowl with a whisk to be used for fresh and crunch broccoli salad

      2. Add the broccoli, bacon, red onion, sunflower seeds and raisins to the same bowl. Toss until the broccoli is evenly coated with the dressing. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. 

        A bowl of fresh broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions
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      Nutrition Info

      • Per Serving
      • Amount
      • Calories 693
      • Protein 14 g
      • Carbohydrates 35 g
      • Total Fat 57 g
      • Dietary Fiber 6 g
      • Cholesterol 52 mg
      • Sodium 891 mg
      • Total Sugars 24 g

      Broccoli Salad

      Questions & Reviews

      Rated 5 stars by 25 readers

      or
      • Vickie

        Hi,If I am making my broccoli salad the night before. Should I wait till the next day to add the dressing?

        We would! Hope you enjoy!

      • Jae

        You don't mention how to cook the bacon, if the onions are diced, slices, how big? Do appreciate it but recipe should say what to do with all ingredients. Are we using bacon that comes in bottle? Are we cooking the bacon? Etc

        Hi Jae, ingredient list says finely chopped red onion so you'll want it finely chopped and cooked bacon whatever way you prefer to cook it. We love to bake it if you want to look our baked bacon if you need instructions for that. Hope you enjoy!

      • Nina

        Can you substitute Vegenaise or Avocado Oil mayo for the mayo?

        absolutely!

      • Cathy

        Can I mix the the dressing the day before and then add it to the broccoli the next day

        Absolutely!

      • geri

        can I use frozen brocilli

        Hi Geri, we would not recommend that in this recipe.

      • Rhonda

        You don't cook the broccoli before u add it too the salad

        Hi Rhonda, nope! This is a raw broccoli salad!

      • sue

        I would like to omit the nuts and substitute greek yogurt for mayo. how would this alter the calorie count?
        What are your thoughts on the substitution of mayo to greek yogurt?
        thank you for your time

        We would not substitute greek yogurt in this recipe. It is much tangier than mayo.

      • Stephanie

        No need to steam the broccoli beforehand?

        Nope! This is a raw broccoli salad. Hope you enjoy!

      • althea

        need a recipe for 10 people. How do I increase this recipe?

        This serves 8. You could just do 1.5 times the recipe. Hope you enjoy!

      • Emily

        Is there another vinegar i can use to substitute apple cider vinegar if i dont have that?

        Rice Wine vinegar or champagne vinegar would probably be your best options.

      • Jenny

        5-star rating

        Classic, delicious, and so easy!! I think the most time-consuming part was cooking the bacon. Tailored to my taste with a smidge less mayo and sugar. Next time I would go lighter on raisins and a little heavier on onions. Thanks for a great recipe!

        Thanks Jenny, so glad you loved it!

      • Valerie

        5-star rating

        This recipe is SO good! My favorite broccoli salad! Adding this recipe to my recipe book!

        Thanks Valerie, we are so glad you loved it!

      • Patricia

        5-star rating

        Love this recipe thank you. Made it exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing. However Debs idea of diced apples sound good.

        Thanks, so glad you loved it!

      • tanya

        5-star rating

        It is amazing - you can make 2/3 of the dressing and it has a lighter feel as well.

        Thanks Tanya, we are so happy you loved it!

      • Sally

        5-star rating

        I make broccoli salad a lot and everyone loves it 😋. I use craisins instead of raisins and instead of cider vinegar, I use bread and butter sweet pickle juice in the dressing.

        Sounds like yummy substitutions Sally!

      • Bernie

        5-star rating

        I made this salad last week and it was delicious! I substituted Greek yogurt for half of the mayo and it was still delicious. I will make it again and will add shredded cheese.

        Thanks Bernie, we are so happy you liked it!

      • Patricia

        5-star rating

        We love this recipe. The only change I made was using Swerve instead of sugar and omitted the raisins, my husband is diabetic

        Thanks Patricia, so happy to hear you both love it!

      • Lisa

        5-star rating

        delicious and easy

        Thanks Lisa!

      • susan

        5-star rating

        Super yummy. Everyone asked for the recipe. Your page is very informative.

        Thanks Susan, we are so happy that everybody loved it!

      • Marie

        5-star rating

        This is a very flexible recipe. I use white vinegar instead of cider. I make a huge quantity. I dress the broccoli and add the other ingredients at serving time if then. It is delicious and healthy with just the broccoli and dressing alone. I use dried cranberries instead of raisins and sometimes walnuts instead of the sunflower seeds.

        Thanks Marie, so glad you like it and that you have fun switching it up with what is on hand!

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