Broccoli salad with bacon and raisins is a classic side dish that’s easy to make and full of flavor. It’s crisp, creamy, and just the right mix of sweet and salty. Make a small batch for two or scale it up for a cookout or potluck. It’s faster, fresher, and better than anything from the deli case.
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Featured Comment by Emily :
"So minimal but so awesome!"
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Salad
- Simple and fast – Just chop, stir, and chill. No cooking beyond the bacon.
- Crunchy, fresh broccoli – The star of the show—nothing soggy or wilted here.
- Great flavor combo – Sweet raisins, salty bacon, cheddar, and creamy dressing.
- Scales up or down – Make a small batch for two or a big bowl for a potluck.
- Easy to customize – Add nuts, cranberries, or skip the bacon if you like.
- Better than deli salad – Crisp, homemade, and made the day you need it.
🥦 Ingredients
- Fresh broccoli – One medium head (about 2–3 cups chopped). Florets and peeled stems both work.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Cubed or shredded.
- Bacon – Cooked until crispy and crumbled.
- Raisins – Adds sweetness and chew. Optional, but recommended.
- Red onion – Adds crunch and a little bite.
- Dressing – Made with:
- Mayonnaise
- White vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt and pepper
👉 This salad can easily be adapted for keto, vegetarian, or even vegan diets—it’s flexible and up to you.
✅ Pro Tip: Use the freshest broccoli you can find. Older broccoli turns dry and bitter fast—it's the number one reason store-bought salads taste flat and dry. Look for firm stalks, tight florets, and no yellowing.
👨🍳Quick Overview: Making Broccoli Salad
1. Prep ingredients
Start by washing and trimming the broccoli florets and stems. Also, chop the onion and cheese if needed.
✅ Pro Tip: Trim the broccoli to fork-sized pieces—this is a salad, not a knife-and-fork situation.
If using bacon, chop and fry until crispy and drain.
2. Combine
Mix the dressing first, then stir in the bacon, raisins, cheese, and onion. Add the broccoli last.
3. Refrigerate
Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend before serving.
👇For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
🤔 Optional Ingredients to Make It Your Way
- Broccoli swap – Replace half the broccoli with chopped fresh cauliflower for a broccoli-cauliflower combo.
- No bacon? – Leave it out or try chopped smoked almonds for crunch and flavor.
- Raisin alternatives – Use dried cranberries instead for a tangier twist.
- Other veggies – Add ½ cup of cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, diced celery, or chopped cauliflower.
- Nuts & seeds – Toasted sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, or pecans all add crunch and flavor.
- Mayo swap – Use low-fat Greek yogurt for a lighter dressing.
You can easily adapt this for a keto, vegetarian, or even vegan diet—it’s your call.
👍 Tips to Make It Right Every Time
- Use the freshest broccoli – Older broccoli gets dry and bitter, like the deli version nobody really wants. Look for firm stalks, tight florets, and bright green color.
- Measure by volume, not guesswork – One medium head yields about 2–3 cups of florets; a large one gives 3–4 cups.
- Dressing tips – Use good-quality mayo (or Greek yogurt if you prefer). Start with the base and adjust sugar or vinegar to make it sweeter or tangier—your call.
- Cheese choices – Sharp cheddar is classic, cubed or shredded. Feta works, too—or skip it entirely.
- Bacon made easy – Chop it before frying to save time, or cook full slices and crumble them after.
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↕️ Making Broccoli Salad for Two or a Crowd
This recipe makes about four servings—just right for one medium head of broccoli with no waste.
- Cooking for two? Decrease the number of servings in the recipe card to cut the ingredient amounts in half.
- Feeding a crowd? Increase the servings the same way.
✅ Pro Tip: When adjusting the recipe card, only the ingredient list changes automatically—not the instructions. So use the new amounts, but follow the same steps.
Got leftover broccoli? See the FAQs below for how to freeze it for later.
🕒 Make Ahead and Serving Suggestions
You can prepare broccoli salad ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It's best the day it's made, but it's still good the next day. After two days, it starts to lose its crunch and begins to taste more like the deli version.
This salad isn’t just for picnics. It’s a great side dish year-round—serve it with grilled chicken breasts or hamburgers on the grill, or as part of a brunch spread alongside Waldorf Chicken Salad or Chicken Salad Sandwiches. Homemade always stands out next to the usual coleslaw and potato salad.
❄️ How to Store Broccoli Salad
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the best texture and flavor, try to eat it within 2 days.
❌ Do not freeze the prepared salad—it turns mushy.
🥗 More Summer Salad Recipes
If you're looking for more easy side salads, try one of these favorites:
Cold Macaroni Salad – Creamy and classic, just the right size.
Broccoli Slaw – Crunchy, tangy, and ready in minutes.
Caprese Pasta Salad – Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil in one simple dish.
Simple Spinach Salad with Bacon – Quick, flavorful, and topped with a warm bacon dressing.
❓FAQs
Use low-fat mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt in the dressing. You can also swap the bacon for diced ham or Canadian bacon.
Yes. Wash and trim the broccoli, then spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for 2–3 hours until solid, then transfer to zip-top bags or airtight containers. It will keep for up to 2 months.
Nope. Raw broccoli is the way to go—it stays crisp and gives the salad its signature crunch. Blanching isn’t needed for this salad or for freezing.
📖The Recipe Card
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Raisins (Small Batch or Crowd-Ready)
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups fresh broccoli - one medium head
- 2 strips bacon
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup sharp cheddar - small cubes
- ½ medium red onion - chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ to 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ to 1 tablespoon white vinegar - or apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, or celery - halves
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, or walnuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep ingredients
- Wash and trim the broccoli. Cut florets into small, fork-friendly pieces. Peel the tough outer layer from the broccoli stems and dice into ½-inch cubes.
- Chop the red onion and cheese, if needed.
- Cut 3–4 strips of bacon and cook over medium-high heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
Combine
- In a small bowl, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, ½ to 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar, and ½ to 1 tablespoon sugar. Vary the sugar and vinegar to your taste. Mix in ¼ cup (½ medium) chopped red onion, 4 oz. sharp cheddar in small cubes, ¼ cup of raisins, and any optional ingredients.
- Add the chopped broccoli and mix until evenly coated.
Refrigerate
- Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use **the freshest broccoli** for the best crunch and flavor.
- Trim broccoli into fork-sized pieces**—this is a salad, not a knife-and-fork situation.
- Low-fat mayonnaise will reduce calories by almost half.
- A medium head of broccoli yields 2–3 cups; a large one yields 3–4 cups.
- This recipe is easy to scale—adjust the number of servings on this card. Only the ingredient list updates automatically; the instructions do not.
- Great additions: cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, dried cranberries, or toasted nuts.
- Flavors improve after chilling overnight, but are still great the same day.
- Best within 2 days, but can be stored safely for up to 4 days.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Based on Food Network's Paula Deen Broccoli Salad recipe. The original Paul Deen recipe needed some modification, more options, and made smaller.
Editor's Note: Originally Published March 13, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Kate says
Instead of the bacon, try using some coarsely chopped Smokehouse Almonds (Blue Diamond brand, I think).
Emily Littlefield says
So minimal but so awesome!