Name: Classic Broccoli Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: 8 cups broccoli florets, cut into small, even pieces (about 2 heads); ½ cup bacon bits (or 6 thick-cut bacon slices, cooked and chopped into ½-inch pieces); ⅓ cup red onion, finely diced; ½ cup dried cranberries; ¼ cup sunflower seeds; 1 cup mayonnaise; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp granulated sugar; Salt and pepper to taste

My neighbor dropped off a potluck sign-up sheet last week, and broccoli salad was already claimed by two other people on the list. I put my name down anyway.

That tells you everything about how this dish lands at a summer cookout or a Sunday spread. Raw broccoli florets, crisp bacon, a handful of dried cranberries, and a tangy mayo dressing that pulls it all together after an hour in the fridge.

The dressing is the part most recipes get wrong. A full cup of mayonnaise sounds like a lot, but 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar cuts right through it.

You end up with something creamy and bright, not heavy.

I’ve made this more times than I can count, and the one thing I’d tell a first-timer is to cut the florets small. They’re eaten raw, so size is everything.

Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 0 minutes · Total: about 1 hour 20 minutes (with chilling) · Serves: 8

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How do you make broccoli salad dressing that isn’t too heavy?

The ratio that works is 1 cup mayonnaise to 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar. The vinegar is doing real work here, not just adding flavor. It cuts the richness of a full cup of mayo so the dressing tastes bright and balanced, not thick or greasy.

Why This Recipe Works

Chilling the assembled salad for at least 1 hour lets the dressing work into the raw broccoli, softening the texture just enough so it doesn’t feel like you’re eating it straight off the cutting board.
The 3-to-1 ratio of broccoli to dressing (8 cups florets to 1 cup mayo) keeps every bite coated without drowning the vegetables.
Cutting florets small and evenly means the dressing reaches every surface, and you get a consistent bite rather than one giant stem with no flavor.

I skipped the chill time once when I was in a rush, and the broccoli tasted raw and the dressing tasted flat. An hour in the fridge is not optional.

Why I Keep Coming Back to This One

No cooking required, which makes it one of the easiest sides you can bring to a cookout or a potluck.
It actually gets better as it sits, unlike leafy salads that wilt the moment the dressing goes on.
Everything comes from a normal supermarket, and most of it is probably already in your fridge or pantry.
It feeds 8 people from one big bowl, which makes it a reliable crowd side.

What You’ll Need

8 cups broccoli florets, cut into small, even pieces (about 2 heads)
½ cup bacon bits (or 6 thick-cut bacon slices, cooked and chopped into ½-inch pieces)
⅓ cup red onion, finely diced
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredient Notes

The broccoli is the whole dish, so buy two fresh heads and cut them yourself. Pre-cut florets from a bag tend to be large and uneven, and big pieces stay tough and don’t absorb the dressing the same way.

You want pieces roughly the size of a quarter.

Mayonnaise is the base of the dressing, so use a full-fat one you actually like the taste of. Low-fat versions tend to be thinner and sweeter, which throws off the balance with the vinegar.

Real apple cider vinegar (not white vinegar) gives the dressing a slightly fruity edge that works well against the sweet cranberries.

For the bacon, thick-cut slices cooked yourself will give you bigger, meatier pieces with more texture. Bacon bits from a jar work fine on a weeknight and honestly hold their crunch a little better after the salad sits.

I’ve used both, and I don’t have a strong opinion either way.

How to Make Broccoli Salad

Cook the bacon. If using raw bacon slices, cook them in a skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until the fat is fully rendered and the pieces are deep golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let them cool completely before chopping into ½-inch pieces. They should snap, not bend.
Cut the broccoli. Working from the crown down, cut the florets into small, even pieces roughly the size of a quarter. If any stems are attached, trim them so no piece is thicker than ½ inch. The goal is uniform size so every piece gets coated and no one bite is all stem.
Prep the onion. Dice the red onion finely, about ⅛-inch pieces. If the raw onion flavor is sharp, soak the diced pieces in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry. They’ll mellow out without losing their crunch.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and sugar until completely smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Taste it before it goes on the salad. It should be tangy and just slightly sweet. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine the salad. In a large bowl, add the broccoli florets, red onion, dried cranberries, and bacon. Pour the dressing over the top and toss everything together until every piece of broccoli is coated. The bowl will look very full at first, but it comes together quickly.
Add the sunflower seeds and chill. Stir in the sunflower seeds, then cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The dressing will settle into the broccoli and the flavors will come together. If you’re making this more than a few hours ahead, hold the sunflower seeds and stir them in right before you serve so they stay crisp.

Tips for Success

Don’t skip the chill time. Spend With Pennies calls for at least 1 hour in the fridge, and that’s the step that turns this from a bowl of raw vegetables with dressing on top into an actual salad.
If you’re prepping this the night before, hold the sunflower seeds out and stir them in right before serving. They soften in the dressing overnight and lose their crunch.
This is a mayo-dressed dish, so don’t leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Taste the dressing before it goes on the salad. The vinegar-to-mayo ratio is balanced at 3 tablespoons to 1 cup, but a pinch more salt can make a real difference depending on how salty your bacon is.
Red onion is worth using here over white or yellow. The color is part of the dish, and the flavor is sharper and more interesting raw.

Make-Ahead and Leftovers

This broccoli salad keeps well in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days. The broccoli softens a little as it sits, which most people actually prefer by day two.

Give it a stir before serving since the dressing settles to the bottom. Don’t freeze this salad.

Mayonnaise-dressed raw vegetables don’t hold up in the freezer. The mayo breaks and the broccoli turns watery when it thaws.

You can make the dressing up to a day ahead and store it separately in the fridge. Cut the broccoli and prep the onion the night before too, then toss everything together the morning of and let it chill.

What to Serve With Broccoli Salad

Grilled burgers or hot dogs, because this salad is the cool, creamy side that balances the char from the grill.
Pulled pork sandwiches, where the tangy dressing echoes the vinegar in a good barbecue sauce.
Baked chicken thighs, since the richness of the mayo dressing pairs well with something simple and savory alongside it.
Corn on the cob, because both are classic summer sides and they look good on the same plate.

Equipment Worth Having

A large mixing bowl, big enough to toss 8 cups of florets without flinging dressing over the side.
A sharp chef’s knife, because even floret cuts come from a good knife and a steady hand, not a food processor.
A small whisk or fork for the dressing, so the sugar dissolves fully into the mayo before it goes on the salad.
A cutting board with some surface area, since you’ll be breaking down two full heads of broccoli.

Common Questions

Can you make broccoli salad the night before? Yes, and it’s actually one of the best make-ahead sides there is. Make it the night before and let it chill overnight. Just hold the sunflower seeds and stir them in right before you serve so they don’t go soft.

Do you have to blanch the broccoli for broccoli salad? No. Both classic versions of this recipe use raw broccoli, and the texture is part of the appeal. The key is cutting the florets small so they don’t feel tough, and giving the dressing at least an hour to work into them.

What can I use instead of mayonnaise in broccoli salad? You can swap in plain Greek yogurt for half the mayo to lighten the dressing, though the flavor will be tangier and less rich. Full-fat sour cream also works as a partial swap. I wouldn’t replace all of it, the mayo is what gives the dressing its body.

Why does my broccoli salad taste bland? The most common reason is not enough acid. The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of mayo, and that ratio is what keeps the dressing from tasting flat. Also check your salt. Bacon adds some, but the broccoli needs seasoning too.

How long does broccoli salad last in the fridge? Up to 3 days in a covered container. After that the broccoli gets too soft and the dressing starts to separate.

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