Keto Broccoli Bacon Salad: Fresh & Flavorful

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This Keto Broccoli Salad With Bacon is a delicious low-carb side dish everyone will love, especially in the summer! Made with fresh broccoli, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and more, it has all the flavors you could want from a keto salad!

close up pic of keto broccoli salad in a clear bowl

How to make keto-friendly broccoli salad

This homemade broccoli salad is the perfect keto side dish! I love how fresh and crunchy it is. Coated in a creamy sweet mayo dressing, it is especially great for outdoor barbecue and grilling season! I love to pair this salad with my Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks, which would also be great on the grill!

Broccoli salad ingredients:

  • Fresh broccoli Broccoli salads are best when using fresh broccoli florets cut away from stalks. Frozen works too, but it may not come out as crisp.
  • BaconThe bacon plays a huge role in flavor and adds fat, which is great for keto.
  • Cheddar cheese is very popular in salads, and the cheddar here is the perfect creamy addition.
  • Mayonnaise + lemon juice + sweetener- This makes for a slightly sweet, creamy dressing with an acidic bite from the lemon. See my go-to sweetener options below. You could also substitute miracle whip or possibly even plain greek yogurt.
  • PecansAdds more healthy fats and some crunch.
  • Red onionRed onion is key. It adds a mild but sharp bite.

Is Broccoli Salad Low Carb?

Traditional broccoli salads may add raisins, cranberries, or candied walnuts, which are all high in sugar. This keto broccoli salad recipe calls for low carb ingredients and is only 5g of net carbs per serving.

How to make Keto-Friendly Broccoli Salad

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and toast pecans on a small baking sheet on parchment paper for 5-7 minutes. This will bring out the incredible flavor in the pecans. bacon cooking in a skillet

Step 2: Chop the bacon into small pieces, then fry in a skillet. Drain on paper towels.

blanched broccoli in a ladel

Step 3: Blanch your raw broccoli by adding it to boiling water for 30-45 seconds and immediately placing it in ice water. Then strain well. (Excess water will make your salad limp and watery.)

mayo salad dressing in a clear bowl with a whisk

Step 4: In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, sugar-free sweetener, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I like to use Besti Monkfruit with allulose powdered sugar. (Other sweetener options could be Swerve Confectioners or Lakanto Monkfruit Powdered at the same measurement.)

If you prefer, you can make homemade keto mayo.

keto broccoli salad with bacon, cheese, onion and mayo dressing in a clear bowl

 

Step 5: Add the broccoli mixture with chopped onion and cheese cubes to the broccoli salad dressing mixture bowl, then stir to combine. Chill for 3 hours or overnight in the fridge so the dressings can marinate the salad. Before serving, stir in half the crumbled bacon, then add the rest of the bacon and the chopped pecans on top for garnish! Now you have the perfect side dish. Enjoy!

low carb broccoli bacon cheese onion salad on a white bowlFresh vs. frozen broccoli

I recommend using fresh broccoli for your salad because it provides the most crunch! For this recipe, I added raw broccoli florets to boiling water for a very short period, followed by dunking it in ice water. This is called blanching. Blanching aims to maintain the bright green color, texture, and flavor.

If you choose to use frozen broccoli florets, your salad won’t be as crunchy or crisp, but it will still taste delicious. With that said, you should blanch your frozen broccoli, which helps bring it back to life.

Can this be made ahead of time?

Yes. I recommend making this broccoli bacon salad recipe at least a few hours in advance, so the dressing has time to infuse the veggies. Remember that the longer the broccoli sits in the dressing, the softer it will become. If you want a super crisp salad, serve it within 3-24 hours of making it.

Is Broccoli Bacon Salad keto-friendly?

Yes, it is! Broccoli is a super popular keto vegetable because it’s high in fiber and low in carbs. Broccoli has about 2 net carbs for every 1 cup of broccoli.

bacon cheese and broccoli salad on a fork with plate in background

Other ingredients you can add to your salad:

Many broccoli salads have dried fruit like cranberries or raisins, but if you’re keto, they are not welcome because of their high sugar content. Instead, think about adding nuts, seeds, fresh herbs, spices, and low-carb vegetables. Here are some keto-friendly add-ins:

  • sunflower seeds
  • chopped walnuts
  • slivered almonds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • fresh chives
  • peppers
  • ranch seasoning
  • pine nuts
  • fresh dill
  • add sour cream to the dressing mixture
  • use flavored vinegar in place of lemon juice, such as apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

What can I serve with my keto broccoli salad?

You can eat this low-carb broccoli salad recipe for lunch, bring it to a potluck in bulk, or eat it for dinner as a healthy side dish alongside keto main dishes like a delicious ribeye steak, Keto Fried Chicken Nuggets, or my Keto Bunless Hamburger Recipe.

More Keto Salad Recipes & Dressings:

Don’t miss out!

If you aren’t already following my easy keto/low-carb recipe page on Facebook, where I post all my new recipes, I’d love for you to join us! Also, make sure to follow me on Pinterest.

Many fantastic resources are available if you are just following a keto diet and want more information. Amazon has several great books you may want to check out here.Pinterest Logo

broccoli, bacon, cheese, onion and dressing in a clear bowl
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4.80 from 30 votes

Keto Broccoli Salad

This Keto Broccoli Salad With Bacon is a delicious low-carb side dish everyone will love, especially in the summer! Made with fresh broccoli, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and more, it has all the flavors you could want from a keto salad!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time16 minutes
Marinade Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 21 minutes
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 7
Calories: 442kcal
Author: Kasey Trenum

Ingredients

  • 5 ½ cups fresh broccoli 2-3 crowns, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 8 slices of bacon
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese cut in small cubes (smaller than the cubes you can buy pre-cut)
  • ¼ small red onion, chopped finely
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup mayo
  • ¼ cup Besti Monkfruit with allulose powdered (or Swerve Powdered and Lakanto Monkfruit Powdered would also work)
  • 2 TB fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° and toast pecans on a small baking sheet over parchment paper for 5-7 minutes. This will bring out the incredible flavor in the pecans.
  • Chop the bacon into small pieces, then fry in a skillet. Drain on paper towels.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and add your broccoli for no longer than 45 seconds, then place it in ice water. Drain, then dry broccoli thoroughly.
  • In a large bowl, stir mayo, sweetener, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you prefer, you can make homemade keto mayo.
  • Add the broccoli, onion, and cheese to the bowl of dressing mixture, then toss to combine.
  • Chill a minimum of 3 hours overnight so the dressings can marinate the salad. (It tastes best if you can marinate overnight.)
  • Before serving, stir in half the crumbled bacon, then add the rest of the bacon and the chopped pecans on top for garnish.

Video

Notes

Nutritional Information:
This recipe makes approx 5 cups of low-carb broccoli salad. The nutritional information provided is based on dividing it into seven equal servings.
Variations to this recipe:
  • You can use fresh or frozen broccoli florets, but the fresh will give you a crunchier salad.
Other ingredients you can add to broccoli salad:
Many broccoli salads have dried fruit like craisins or raisins, but if you're keto, you'll want to avoid due to the high sugar content. Instead, think about adding nuts, seeds, fresh herbs, or spices. Here are some keto-friendly add-ins:
  • sunflower seeds
  • chopped walnuts
  • slivered almonds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • fresh chives
  • peppers
  • ranch seasoning
  • pine nuts
  • fresh dill
  • add sour cream to the dressing mixture 
  • use flavored vinegar in place of lemon juice, such as apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
This salad will stay fresh for 2-3 days in a sealed container.

Nutrition

Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 577mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 638IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @kaseytrenumblogger or tag #kaseytrenumblogger!

2 pic collage image of broccoli bacon salad

 

 

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30 Comments

    1. Yes, although blanching makes the broccoli a bright green color and tenderizes it just a tiny bit.
      But, if you had rather not that is up to you.

    1. You are welcome to leave it out if you prefer, but I can’t guarantee the final result of the recipe.

    2. Does it have to be powdered? I almost just dumped in my granular monk fruit then realized it says powdered…

  1. I understand that you must gear your recipes to most of your followers, however, as a person who is cooking for one it is a real pain to have to reduce each ingredient down to one. I must say even numbers are easier to par down put when the servings are 5, 7 or even 9 most of the time I just say forget it. I know that usually, and I am not say that you do but most of the time the odd numbers are to bring the carb amount down. Just wanted to voice my frustration. I also must say that I have found quite a few recipes that sound great on your site.

    1. In the number of servings on the recipe card you can toggle the arrow to change the recipe to however many servings you’d like and the corresponding measurements will change with it.

  2. I’ve been making a similar recipe for years, and it’s one of our favorites! Mine isn’t sweetened, adds cauliflower and water chestnuts or chopped celery, and doesn’t have cheese.

  3. I would like to try this recipe, but was wondering if the sweetener is necessary? I am from the Netherland and the monk fruit sweetener is hard to get or very expensive. Can I just leave it out?

    1. I’ve only made it as is, so I am not sure how it would turn out without it. It’s worth a try.

  4. 5 stars
    Great recipe! I tweaked the salad dressing a little as my husband hates lemon (weirdo) so I used apple cider vinegar and also a tablespoon of bacon grease – it was amazing!

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