If you love a good broccoli salad (or even if you don’t), this Chicken Salad Chick broccoli salad recipe might just become your new favorite. The restaurant version is hard to beat, with an irresistible crunch and smoky flavor from the bacon. This copycat is pretty spot-on, just saying.
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What You’ll Love About This Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
- Easy Recipe – Toss raw broccoli, mix easy dressing, and go!
- Healthy Side —A light mayonnaise and vinegar dressing with a touch of honey is a healthier way to enjoy a crunchy broccoli salad.
- Make-Ahead – The flavor only gets better as it sits! A make-ahead gem!
Never tried broccoli salad? I urge you to try it! I remember the first time a friend brought one to a gathering, I thought, “Ew, raw broccoli in a salad” but because I didn’t want to be rude, I took a serving. Tentatively trying it, I was like, “Oh my goodness, why didn’t you tell me this was so amazing?” So give it a try!
Chicken Salad Chick Brocoli Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Honey: I like to sweeten the salad with honey, instead of sugar.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds a sweet tanginess to the recipe.
- Mayonnaise: I like Chosen Foods Avocado Mayo for it’s flavor.
- Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli florets (not frozen), stems trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. Grate both of them from a block of cheese for the best flavor and keep gluten-free.
- Bacon: Cook and crumble strips of crispy bacon, it adds amazing smoky flavor.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
Let’s make the creamy dressing by whisking together the honey, apple cider vinegar, mayo, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.
Cook your bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, until crisp. Lay it on a paper towel-lined plate. Once cooled, cut or break it up into smaller pieces.
Next, add the broccoli, cheese, and crumbled bacon to a large bowl and toss to mix. Pour the dressing on top and gently stir the broccoli salad until the dressing evenly coats all of the ingredients.
How to Blanch Broccoli Florets: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until bright green and slightly tender. Quickly transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry before using.
Then just chill the salad for at least 30 minutes, and serve!
Broccoli Salad Chicken Salad Chick Tips
- The longer the salad chills, the more time the flavors have to develop. However, if you plan on leaving it in the fridge for more than a couple of hours, leave the bacon out and add it before serving.
- If your broccoli florets aren’t already in bite-sized pieces, chop them before adding them to the recipe to make the salad a little easier to eat.
- Don’t forget to rinse the broccoli well and pat it dry with paper towels before starting the salad recipe.
And I have more amazing copycat recipes from everyone’s favorite restaurants, like my Panera Green Goddess Salad, our popular Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies or these Mimi’s Honey Bran Muffins. Be sure to check out all of my Copycat recipes.
Variations for Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
Gluten-Free Broccoli Salad
When you shred your own cheese this recipe is naturally gluten-free. Did you know that packaged shredded cheeses sometimes contain gluten?
Low-Carb Keto Broccoli Salad
The only change you need to make is to substitute the honey with a honey alternative or use monk fruit instead.
Can I make it Vegan Broccoli Salad?
Replace the mayo with plant based mayonnaise, the sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheeses with your favorite variation of plant-based cheese, the honey with sugar or agave, and, of course, leave off the bacon!
Dairy-Free Broccoli Salad
Leave out the cheese, or use plant-based alternatives for a dairy-free broccoli salad.
Substitutions and Add-Ins
- Substitute the honey with regular sugar, agave or a substitute if preferred.
- White wine vinegar or white vinegar can replace apple cider vinegar if necessary. But apple cider vinegar yields the best results.
- For a less sweet dressing, cut back on the honey.
- Adjust the shredded cheese according to your taste.
- Add dried fruit, like raisins or dried cranberries (craisins). Nuts and sunflower seeds are also a delicious addition to the salad recipe.
- If you like onions in your broccoli salads, add chopped red onion.
- Add a kick with a dash of hot sauce or red pepper chili flakes.
- If desired, use bacon bits instead of fresh cooked bacon.
- For a healthier broccoli salad, replace the mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
Make-Ahead Instructions
To make this easy side dish in advance, mix the dressing, toss it with the broccoli and cheese, and let it chill covered in the fridge. Then, cook the bacon fresh, let it cool, and add it just before serving for the best texture.
How to Store Leftover Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
Store leftovers or make the recipe in advance by storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Best Broccoli Salad FAQs
Since the start, Chicken Salad Chick has used classic mayonnaise in their salad dressings, producing the best and most authentic flavor.
Chicken Salad Chick’s broccoli salad contains 170 calories in a single 4-ounce serving.
Yes! The popular restaurant values freshness and makes its famous recipes fresh each day.
Because of the mayo, broccoli salad shouldn’t be out at room temperature for longer than two hours. If it’s hot out, place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with some ice!
Chicken Salad Chick has many healthy homemade dishes that cater to several food allergies, including the gluten-free diet. Not all menu items are gluten-free, but they clearly label the dishes that do not contain gluten to make it easy and accessible for those with dietary restrictions.
Chicken Salad Chick serves their broccoli salad in 4-ounce servings; according to their nutrition and allergen page; 170 Calories, 13 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fats, 20 g cholesterol, 160 g sodium, 10 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein, and 6 g sugar.
My recipe is similar in calories 176 calories based on my calculator, but as always input the ingredients into your own nutritional calculator to make sure!
What to Serve With Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
Best Main Dishes for Copycat Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad Recipe
I like to serve broccoli salad with freshly grilled Coconut Lime Chicken for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner, try these BBQ Chicken Sliders or these Pulled Pork Sliders.
Great drinks to serve with Broccoli Salad
More Great Broccoli Recipes
Did you make this Homemade Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad Recipe? Please share your creation on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest? And comment and rate! We so appreciate your kind comments and ratings, it’s what helps our site grow!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey or replace with 2-3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar, low-carb use sugar substitute or honey substitute
- ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise use a good mayo, I like Chosen Foods Avocado Mayo
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 6 – 8 cups broccoli florets fresh, rinsed and patted dry, chopped into bite-site pieces (about 3-4 med head of broccoli)
- ½ – 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese sharp cheddar, grated off the block
- ½ cup mozzarella grated off the block
- 6 – 8 strips bacon cooked crisp and crumbled (about ½ cup bacon bits)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey ¼ cup honey, apple cider vinegar ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar, mayo ⅔ cup mayonnaise, salt ½ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper ¼ teaspoon ground pepper until well blended.
- Place the broccoli 6 – 8 cups broccoli florets, cheese ½ – 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese ½ cup mozzarella, and half the bacon 6 – 8 strips bacon in a large bowl and toss to mix.
- Pour the dressing over top, and then gently toss thoroughly so the dressing is well distributed. Before serving, sprinkle and toss in the balance of the bacon.
- Chill and serve.
Notes
- Do not use frozen broccoli, it will be mush!
- You can use regular sugar in place of honey if desired.
- White vinegar or white wine vinegar can be substituted for apple cider vinegar.
- Freshly grated cheese yields the best flavor.
- If you prefer a less sweet dressing, you can cut the honey back by a tablespoon. Some is needed to balance out the vinegar.
- Use more or less shredded cheese
- Make ahead, the flavors are great as it sits, but I suggest holding out some of the crispy bacon and tossing just before serving, because nobody likes limp bacon!
When you shred your own cheese this recipe is gluten-free. Did you know that packaged shredded cheeses sometimes contain glutens?. Low-Carb Keto Broccoli Salad The only changes you need to make are to swap out the honey for a honey substitute or use monk fruit instead. Vegan Broccoli Salad
Replace the mayo with plant based mayonnaise, the sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheeses with your favorite variation of plant-based cheese, the honey with sugar or agave, and, of course, leave off the bacon! Dairy-Free Broccoli Salad
Omit or replace the cheeses with your favorite plant-based cheese substitute and you are good to go!
Nutrition
Edie Betzing
I don’t see chicken in the recipe. ??
No, there isn’t chicken in this recipe Edie, it’s a broccoli salad and a copycat recipe from Chicken Salad Chick probably where the confusion lies. But you could certainly add a couple cups of shredded cooked chicken!
MinShien
AMAZING RECIPE!!
Thank you!!
Debbie
Greeley has a Chicken Salad Chick
Thanks Debbie, yeah I looked it up, Greeley and Colorado Springs, neither are close to us! Bummer, someday hopefully they will make their way into the Denver area!