Description
The Best Broccoli Salad is a creamy, crunchy side dish loaded with crispy bacon, sweet dried cranberries, red onion, and sliced almonds. Tossed in a tangy-sweet dressing, it’s the perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks, BBQs, holidays, or easy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
For the Salad:
- 1⅓ lbs broccoli florets, finely chopped into bite-size pieces
- 8 slices crispy cooked bacon, chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped broccoli, crispy bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients.
- Toss well until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
- Toss again just before serving and enjoy.
Notes
- For best texture, chop the broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the bacon until extra crispy for maximum crunch.
- For a lighter version, substitute half the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
- Add almonds right before serving if preparing a day in advance to keep them crunchy.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: No-Cook / Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg