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This creamy broccoli salad is easy to make and loaded with all the good stuff, including cheese, chicken, and crispy bacon, all tossed in a rich, flavor-packed mayo dressing. It’s the perfect side dish for picnics, potlucks, or any get-together.
Who can resist a heaping helping of this creamy, cheesy, bacon-chicken-and-broccoli combo? NO. BODY. And yes, there are juicy tomatoes and crisp red onions in there too. The whole thing is basically a crunch fest you won’t want to skip.
Also! If you’re looking for a potluck-friendly salad, this is it. Need something to pack for lunch? This is still it. And honestly? That tangy, creamy dressing seals the deal. This is a total winner.
Reasons You’ll Love This Creamy Broccoli Salad Recipe
- Simple, fresh ingredients. Just a handful of basics like broccoli, chicken, bacon, and a few pantry staples come together for something seriously delicious.
- Great for making ahead. This salad tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge. It’s perfect for prepping in advance for parties, BBQs, potlucks, or busy days.
- Perfect for any occasion. From weeknight dinners to lunches and weekend cookouts, it holds up beautifully and always gets compliments.
Ingredients For This Creamy Broccoli Salad
For The Salad
- Broccoli Florets – Fresh, bite-sized pieces give this salad all the crunch. Make sure to dry them well after washing!
- Bacon – Feel free to use turkey bacon, low-sodium regular bacon, or even pancetta if you’re feelin’ fancy.
- Cooked Chicken Breasts – Leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie works perfectly here.
- Cheddar Cheese – Cubed and ready to party. Go with sharp cheddar for extra flavor, or use what you have. Monterey Jack or Colby work too.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Halved for juicy bursts of sweetness in every bite. Grape tomatoes are a great sub.
- Red Onion – Thinly sliced. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to tone down the sharpness.
For the Dressing
- Mayonnaise – Use your favorite brand for the best flavor. I love Hellmann’s. You can also use Miracle Whip if you prefer a sweeter, tangier flavor. If you want to lighten it up a bit, swap half the mayo for plain yogurt.
- Granulated Sugar – A classic ingredient in this dressing, and also necessary to balance the acidity.
- White Wine Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice are good swaps.
How To Make Creamy Broccoli Salad
- Prep the ingredients. Wash and chop the broccoli into bite-sized florets. Cook the bacon until crispy, then chop it into pieces. Dice the cooked chicken, cube the cheese, halve the cherry tomatoes, and thinly slice the onion.
- Combine. In a big salad bowl, toss together the broccoli, bacon, chicken, cheddar, tomatoes, and red onion. Set aside while you make the dressing.
- Whisk the dressing. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the mayo, sugar, and vinegar until smooth and creamy. Give it a quick taste and adjust if needed.
- Toss it all together. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavors can mingle and the broccoli softens just a bit.
- Serve: Give it one more toss before serving and dig in!
Katerina’s Recipe Tips
- Let it chill. This is an all-time favorite salad, and it goes fast! If you have the time, let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving because the flavors and texture get even better with time.
- Dry your broccoli well. After washing, make sure your broccoli is nice and dry so the dressing sticks and doesn’t get watered down.
- Not into raw broccoli? Simply steam the florets for 2 minutes in boiling water, then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process. They’ll be a little softer but still hold that crunch.
- Cut everything bite-sized. Nobody wants a giant chunk of onion or chicken in their salad. Keep it small and snackable.
- Make it your own. Swap the bacon for diced ham, skip the chicken if you want a veggie version, or mix in a handful of sunflower seeds for crunch. This recipe is super flexible. Got extra veggies hanging around? Toss ’em in! Zucchini, cauliflower, celery, even peppers, this salad can handle it all.
- Use a different salad dressing. If you want to change the vibe, feel free to use a different dressing. My Hawaiian mac salad dressing or my creamy coleslaw dressing would both work here, or just go with your favorite store-bought dressing.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy broccoli salad is perfect for any summer BBQ, picnic, or casual weeknight dinner. It’s a crowd-pleasing side dish that goes with everything from juicy turkey burgers and crack chicken sandwiches to steak skewers and Chinese boneless spare ribs. I also love serving it alongside my grilled chicken thighs or Kalua pork.
And if you’re looking to round out the meal, mix up a pitcher of vodka lemonade for the grown-ups and finish with a sweet treat like my crockpot blueberry crisp or peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Proper Storage
Leftovers of this broccoli salad can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
More Potluck Salads
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Creamy Broccoli Salad Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE BROCCOLI SALAD
- 4 to 6 cups small broccoli florets*
- 6 slices bacon, cooked to a desired crispness and chopped
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 2 cups cubed cheddar cheese
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced or finely diced
FOR THE CREAMY DRESSING
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Combine the salad ingredients. In a large salad bowl, combine the broccoli, chopped bacon, diced chicken, cubed cheese, cherry tomatoes, and onions; set aside.
- Make the dressing. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar; whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- Toss it all together and refrigerate. Add the dressing to the broccoli salad and toss gently. Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- *If you don’t like raw broccoli, you can put the florets in a small amount of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, covered. Then, rinse the broccoli under cold water to stop it from further cooking.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Any thing I can use to substitute the sugar? Trying to stay away from refunded processed sugar. Honey maybe?
Hi!
Yep, you can definitely use honey, or any other sugar substitute you may have on hand.
Made this last night for supper. Salad is great, but sorry to say we did not care for the dressing! If I make this again, will definitely be hunting a different one.
Such a perfect picnic side!
Broccoli salads are so delicious! This recipe looks amazing too, looking forward to try it.
Love the chicken addition in this salad! Great idea!
Love everything about this! Definitely Saving!
Such a great way to enjoy broccoli! Thanks for this salad recipe!
This recipe is me, but how much in cups or ounces do you think a serving would be? Great for a weight watcher diet, thank you.
Hi!
Yep, definitely good for a WW diet! 🙂 A serving of this salad is about 1-1/2 to 2 cups, or 1/6 of the entire salad since it serves 6 people.
Thanks for your reply and since you know more than I do, I ‘love ask another question! This would do us well for dinner, but it there any way to make this salad and have it for a couple of lunches? Could I just leave the salad undressed? Any idea of how much a serving of dressing is? Don’t forget, as a Weight Watcher I count every bite! Thanks for all of your help!
Personally, I like this salad a day or two after, salad dressing included. 🙂 But, yes, you can definitely have it for a couple of lunches – just keep it in an airtight container and in the fridge. In as far as the dressing, there’s a total of 16 tablespoons that you can get out of it, but for a cup of broccoli salad, you won’t need more than say 1 tablespoon. And a serving of the dressing is 1 tablespoon. Hope that helps! 🙂
YUM!! What a great combo! I love broccoli salad 🙂