This broccoli salad with bacon, sunflower seeds, and a creamy homemade mayonnaise dressing is so easy to make! It's the perfect salad to bring to potlucks and summer parties because it's always a huge crowd-pleaser!
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
I love the crunchiness of this easy broccoli salad recipe thanks to the crunchy sunflower seed, real bacon bits, and fresh, crisp broccoli. The sweetness of the tangy dressing, the saltiness of the sunflower seeds, and the savory flavor of bacon take this salad from great to awesome!
Plus, this bacon broccoli salad is high in fiber, essential nutrients, and antioxidants, thanks to its healthy ingredients.
💭 Is Broccoli Salad Healthy?
Broccoli salad is full of nutrition and has a lot of amazing health benefits. Broccoli is very high in fiber and a good source of other essential nutrients such as Vitamin K, Vitamin C, folate, and potassium.
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Sunflower seeds are rich in healthy fats and are especially high in Vitamin E and Selenium. They are also rich in antioxidants which help protect the body’s cells against free radical damage.
So much yummy goodness all together in one plate!
🥘 Equipment Used
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For the best broccoli salad recipe, you'll only need a cutting board, a chef's knife, a large skillet and tongs for making bacon, a mixing bowl, and a large spoon.
🧾 Ingredients Used
- Fresh broccoli florets: I use roughly two cups of broccoli that have been chopped up and had their stalks removed. If your local grocery store sells fresh chopped broccoli, all the better. I used raw broccoli florets for this recipe and not frozen broccoli.
- Bacon: Any brand of bacon will work for this recipe. If you're making crispy bacon for breakfast, save some for this cold broccoli salad!
- Mayonnaise: I use this sweet homemade mayonnaise dressing recipe with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, eggs, and dijon mustard. You can use store-bought mayo or any dressing you choose. You can also add monk fruit sweetener if you want it sweeter.
- Sunflower seeds: You can use salted unsalted, but I prefer the salted version in this easy recipe.
🔪 How to make bacon broccoli salad
- First, wash and pat dry the broccoli. Then, remove the stems of the broccoli and cut them into small bite-sized pieces.
- Put a dry pan on the stove and place bacon in it when it gets hot. Flip once when it begins to curl. When the bacon turns crispy, take it out and let it cool for a few minutes. Crumble the bacon into smaller bits and set aside.
- Combine broccoli, chopped bacon, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Pour in half a cup of the homemade dressing and stir it into the broccoli mixture thoroughly. Taste and then add more as needed. I use a cup of mayonnaise dressing, but you can add more if you want it even creamier.
- Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or, even better, overnight. When chilled overnight, the broccoli salad soaks up the flavor and tastes even more amazing!
This broccoli salad also makes an excellent lunch and can be prepared the day before. Just pack the mayonnaise dressing separately and pour it in when you’re ready to eat.
🥫 Storing and Reheating
Store leftover broccoli salad with bacon in an airtight container. It will last well in the fridge for 3-5 days. This broccoli salad also makes an excellent lunch and can be prepared the day before.
You can even pack the mayonnaise dressing separately and pour it in when ready to eat. This is a cold broccoli salad, so no heating is necessary!
💭 Tips and Variations
- To make the salad even more flavorful, add a little bit of the bacon fat and mix it in.
- You can add more or less sweetener depending on your personal preferences.
- Add some chopped red onion for extra spice and crunch.
- Make sure you use fresh broccoli for this recipe, not frozen.
- Use pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds if you have a preference.
🍽️ What Can I Eat It With?
This delicious summer salad goes very well with meat and fish dishes. Since it's a side dish, it needs to be paired with a main dish like a marinated beef shish kebab, chicken thighs, pork chops, chicken breast, or lamb chops.
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
Although many bacon broccoli salad recipes call for steamed broccoli, it's unnecessary. The small pieces of raw broccoli are easy to eat and digest, and they add a subtle sweetness that pairs well with the tangy broccoli salad dressing. Part of what makes this recipe so great is that it's a great quick side dish - no boiling water required.
For this bacon broccoli salad recipe, I like to chop my broccoli into small pieces using a chef's knife and a cutting board. However, you can also carefully pulse your raw broccoli florets in a food processor or manual food chopper. You just need bite-size pieces, so be careful not to chop the broccoli too small.
I love eating this broccoli bacon salad with a side of protein, especially at potlucks during the summer months. It's the perfect side dish to fried chicken drumsticks, BBQ grilled shrimp skewers, or my favorite grilled t-bone steak recipe!
📚 Related Recipes
Check out these low carb and keto salad recipes!
Kachumbari (Kenyan Tomato and Onion Salad)
Keto Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
Broccoli Salad With Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli chopped
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 cup sweet homemade mayonnaise dressing
- 2 tablespoon sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the broccoli.
- Remove the stems of the broccoli and cut into small florets.
- Put a dry pan on the stove and when it gets hot, place the bacon in it.
- Flip once when it begins to curl.
- When the bacon turns crispy, take it out and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Crumble the bacon into smaller bits and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the broccoli, the crumbled bacon, and the sunflower seeds.
- Pour in the dressing and mix thoroughly.
- Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
Notes
- To make the salad even more flavorful, add a little bit of the bacon fat and mix it in.
- You can add more or less sweetener depending on your personal preferences.
- Add some chopped red onion for extra spice and crunch.
- Make sure you use fresh broccoli for this recipe, not frozen.
- Use pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds if you have a preference.
This is amazing!! As a new low carber I love it when I come across a recipe that checks all the boxes! Will subscribe to your site for more!
Thank you for your feedback, Mary. I'm glad you enjoyed the broccoli salad!