Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
Love the broccoli salad at Chicken Salad Chick? Chicken Salad Chick broccoli salad at home is just small broccoli florets, sharp cheddar and bacon bits stirred into a tangy dressing of mayo and red wine vinegar. The vinegar keeps the mayo light, and a short chill takes the raw edge off the broccoli. One bowl, about 40 minutes with chilling, and it makes 4 servings!
Chopping and stirring take about ten minutes. Then the fridge takes over while you get the grill going or pack the cooler. There’s no lettuce, so nothing wilts on a cookout table or a potluck buffet. I love that it skips the sugar most broccoli salads call for. The cheddar and bacon really come through.
For more Chicken Salad Chick copycat and restaurant-style recipes, be sure to also try my jalapeno holly chicken salad recipe, starbucks bacon and gruyere egg bites, or big mac salad.
What You’ll Love About This Copycat Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Cheese Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad:
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli Florets: Fresh broccoli is a must here. Cut it smaller than you think, about the size of a grape, so the dressing coats every piece. A bag of pre-cut florets from the produce section is my shortcut. Just trim the big ones down.
Sharp Cheddar: Sharp is worth it. Mild cheddar gets lost next to the vinegar. I grate it from a block, since bagged shreds are tossed with starch to keep them from sticking and taste a little dry.
Bacon Bits: Real bacon bits, like Hormel’s, are what I grab. They’re fully cooked and ready to sprinkle. Cooking your own? Crumble 4 to 6 strips of crisp-fried bacon.
Mayonnaise: In a broccoli salad with mayo, the mayo is the whole base of the dressing. Duke’s is the one to grab. It’s the brand Chicken Salad Chick uses in their chicken salad, and it has no sugar in it.
Red Wine Vinegar: This is where the tang comes from. Apple cider vinegar works too, and it’s what a lot of versions use. It’s a little fruitier and softer. White vinegar is the sharpest of the three.
Broccoli Cheddar Salad Variations
Add Sunflower Seeds: Stir in ¼ cup of roasted, salted sunflower seeds right before serving for extra crunch.
Add Dried Cranberries: A ¼ cup of dried cranberries adds little sweet-tart pops against the cheddar.
Add Red Onion: Finely dice 2 tablespoons of red onion and stir it in with the cheese. Soak it in cold water for 5 minutes first if you want it milder.
Swap the Cheese: Use Colby Jack instead of cheddar for a milder, softer bite.
Make It Lighter: Swap half the mayo for plain nonfat Greek yogurt, the same trick I use in my coleslaw with greek yogurt. Use reduced-fat sharp cheddar and turkey bacon bits too. The dressing comes out a little thinner, so give it the full chill.
How To Make an Easy Broccoli Salad
Here are quick visual instructions. Be sure to check out the full instructions with exact ingredients in the printable recipe card below.
Step 1: Whisk the mayo, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.
Step 2: Pile the cheddar and bacon bits on top of the chopped broccoli.
Step 3: Pour the dressing over the bowl and stir until every floret is coated.
Step 4: Chill for 30 minutes, then stir and taste before serving.
What Is Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad Made Of?
Chicken Salad Chick’s menu describes their broccoli salad as broccoli in a sweet, vinegar-based dressing with shredded mozzarella and cheddar. Most copycat Chicken Salad Chick broccoli salad recipes online add sugar and apple cider vinegar to get there. So theirs leans sweet.
This one goes the other way. It’s a broccoli salad with red wine vinegar and no sugar, so it’s sharper and a bit saltier. Want it closer to the restaurant’s? Whisk 1 tablespoon of sugar into the dressing, and stir in ½ cup of shredded mozzarella with the cheddar. That’s the easy way to try both and pick your favorite.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Dry the broccoli well. Water left on the florets thins the dressing. It pools at the bottom of the bowl, too. A salad spinner or a clean kitchen towel fixes it.
Blanch it if you like it softer. Drop the florets in boiling water for 20 seconds, then rinse them under cold water right away. You’ll still get crunch, just without the raw bite. Dry them well afterward.
Salt at the end. The cheddar and bacon are already salty. Taste after chilling, then add salt only if it needs it.
Give it the full chill. Thirty minutes lets the dressing soak in. An hour is even better if you have it.
What to Serve With Broccoli Bacon Cheddar Salad
This is a cookout side through and through. Grilled chicken, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches and hot dogs all go with it. For a potluck spread, round it out with a few more last minute potluck ideas or other side dishes to bring to a BBQ.
Keep it in a cooler until serving time if it’s going outside. The USDA says not to leave perishable food out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it’s above 90°F. It also packs well for lunch. A scoop next to chicken salad and crackers makes a nice plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as written. Broccoli, cheddar, bacon and mayo are all low in carbs, so it works as a keto broccoli salad. Check the label on your bacon bits, since a few brands add sugar.
It's mostly broccoli, so every scoop is a big serving of vegetables. The mayo, cheddar and bacon make it richer than a plain veggie side, but that doesn't make it unhealthy. Want it lighter? The Make It Lighter swap above trades half the mayo for Greek yogurt.
It's actually better that way. Stir it together, cover the bowl and refrigerate it overnight. The broccoli softens just a little and the flavor gets better. If you're adding sunflower seeds, wait until right before serving so they stay crisp.
Bringing this to your next cookout? Come back and give it a star rating, and let me know in the comments if you tried the mozzarella!
More Salad Recipes
Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets cut small
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1/4 cup bacon bits
For the dressing
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli into small florets, about the size of a grape. Rinse them, dry them well, and put them in a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise and red wine vinegar to a small bowl, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk until no streaks of mayo remain.
- Scatter the grated cheddar over the broccoli, then the bacon bits.
- Pour the dressing on top. Stir with a spatula until the dressing coats every floret and you see cheese and bacon all through the bowl.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to an hour for more flavor.
- Stir once more right before serving. Taste it, then add more salt, pepper or a small splash of vinegar if you want it tangier.
Notes
The nutritional details for recipes are estimated using MyFitnessPal and can vary with different products, measurement accuracy, and source reliability. We aim to provide accurate information but cannot guarantee the precise accuracy of the nutritional data