Everyone needs a recipe for the best Broccoli Salad! This one is stuffed with bacon, cranberry, cheese, sunflower seeds, and tangy homemade dressing. It is easy to make and is a huge crowd pleaser. The perfect side dish to bring to your summer barbecue, or even to serve at Thanksgiving!
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT15M
Total time: PT35M
Rating
4.88 stars (157 reviews)
Keywords
bacon, broccoli, easy, Salad
Ingredients
10-11 strips bacon (cooked)
2 heads broccoli (about 1 and 1/2 pounds or 5-6 cups)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (roasted and salted)
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup chopped red onion (or more to taste)
1 & 1/4 cups Miracle Whip OR mayonnaise
1 lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 & 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Categories
Salad
Cuisine
American
Steps
Start by making the bacon. I highly recommend baking it in the oven. So mush easier, and no splatter. However you want to do it, cook 10-11 slices of bacon to your desired level of crispness, then set aside on paper towels to cool. Once cool, chop into bite size pieces.
While the bacon cooks, mix together the ingredients for the dressing. In a large bowl add 1 and 1/4 cups Miracle Whip OR Mayonnaise, the zest from 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 and 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. (the cayenne adds flavor but not heat. Don't be scared of it! Just careful :) Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
Add the ingredients for the salad to the bowl with the dressing. Start by chopping your broccoli using a chef's knife. I like really small florets, so you don't get any bites that are just giant broccoli. See photos. I also like to save the stems, chop them up, and add them into the salad, but you can leave them out if you prefer.
Add all the broccoli to the large bowl. Add 1 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and 1/3 cup chopped red onion. Add in most of the bacon, reserving some to sprinkle on top for serving.* (Actually, any of the ingredients besides broccoli would look pretty sprinkled on top right before serving.)
Stir it all together. This salad can be served room temperature or chilled. If you chill it first, let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes before serving.
Store leftovers covered in the fridge! This salad will keep for about 5 days.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 570 kcal
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Protein: 13 g
Fat: 45 g
Saturated Fat: 11 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 48 mg
Sodium: 907 mg
Sugar: 20 g
Unsaturated Fat: 32 g
Reviews
AIMEE on 2026-07-02 (5 stars): This has become my go to salad for potlucks, picnics, anything for which you might need a salad. I just recently made it for our staff picnic in June, I actually heard more than one person ask, "who brought the broccoli salad?" "It's a 10/10"! It is so easy to make and not as many ingredients as you might think. I usually double the dressing recipe. I don't use all of it on the broccoli salad, but definitely more than the single serving dressing makes. And the extra dressing is tasty on anything else you might have on hand, like dipping vegetables, or just an ordinary garden salad. I recommend giving this a try, it is well worth it.
Shanna on 2026-04-06 (5 stars): My go to for any holiday gatherings! Delicious every time
Jacky on 2025-10-19 (5 stars): Made this for Friendsgiving and it was a big hit! Saving to make again.
Randeen Cordier on 2025-08-09 (5 stars): The best broccoli salad indeed! Just the right mix of sweet and tangy. The lemon juice is a necessary addition however, I did not add the zest for fear of overpowering the other flavors. I’ve made this several times with family loving it every time. Thank you for such a great and easy recipe!
Alison on 2025-07-30 (5 stars): The addition of shredded cheese with delicious. Ive had broccoli salad like this in the past but never with the cheese which was awesome!
Ashley Varghese on 2025-07-15 (5 stars): THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST BROCOLLI SALAD! I MADE IT FOR 4TH OF JULY AND AM STILL THINKING ABOUT IT. All of my gusts raved about it, and I truly can't wait to make it again! Cherry on top? It gets better the longer it sits in the fridge! And I didn't mind that my bacon was soggy, still added so much flavor!
Kathy B on 2025-07-13 (5 stars): Y’all… my husband ate this salad. If you knew him, you’d know this is a compliment of the highest order 👌🏼
Marilyn on 2025-07-04 (5 stars): Wow! All I can say is, "Wow!" This is an easy win for a cookout or a family dinner. And bacon...it makes everything better.
Anne Marie H on 2025-06-30 (5 stars): You will be SOOO happy you made this! Only change I made was I swapped out sunflower seeds & used Pignoli nuts instead (pine nuts, the kind on those delicious Italian cookies). Toasted 'em and they were spectacular.
Adrienne on 2025-06-16 (5 stars): Love this salad! So much texture! Great crunch and love the creamy dressing! I served the cheese and bacon on the side so everyone could add their own and they wouldn't get soggy for leftovers. Perfect summer salad!
