Keto Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon (The Best!)

March 7, 2025

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Published: Jun 2, 2021 · Modified: Apr 25, 2024 by Cathy Chenard · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This keto broccoli salad recipe with bacon is one of the best no-sugar broccoli salads out there!

Keto broccoli salad with chopped bacon in a serving bowl.

We devour this keto broccoli salad any time it’s made — it’s the best! It’s a simple cold salad made with crunchy, raw broccoli, slivered almonds, red onion, grated cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and a sweet and tangy dressing.

We had never tried this classic salad (which you can typically find at delis) until my mom recently convinced us to adapt her version of it. It’s a shame we haven’t had it until now since it’s so delicious! But, this low-carb broccoli salad will be in regular rotation at our house this summer!

This keto broccoli salad is simple to make, too. The most time-consuming part is making the bacon. If you’re looking to save time, we recommend cooking the bacon in the microwave. The rest of the salad simply involves chopping the the broccoli and onions, making the dressing (just three ingredients!), and adding slivered almonds and grated cheddar cheese.

This broccoli salad is a perfect salad for backyard barbeques, picnics, or even as a pre-made lunch salad during the work week. Each serving is just 3 net carbs.

Ingredients

As always, our recipes are all 8 ingredients or less! The ingredients in this salad include:

Broccoli: Our recipe uses a generous amount of broccoli: roughly one cup of chopped broccoli per serving. We chop the broccoli into bite-size florets to make it easy to scoop up and digest.
Bacon: We use 3 slices of cooked bacon in this recipe. It’s best and easiest to cook in the microwave (see directions here), but you can bake in the oven or fry in a pan if you prefer. Or, you can leave it out all together.
Chopped red onion: Just a little red onion, about an ⅛ cup, is needed for flavor.
Grated cheddar cheese: This recipe calls for ¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese, which we recommend grating in the largest-size hole of the grater. If need be, you could use store-bought grated cheese, but it’s not quite the same (and it adds a little more carbs).
Slivered, toasted almonds: We tried different nuts in this salad and our favorite is toasted, slivered almonds. We use a ¼ cup, so you get a nice crunch in most bites.
Mayonnaise: This salad is typically made with a mayonnaise dressing for creaminess.
Swerve sweetener: The mayonnaise dressing is made slightly sweet with erythritol (we use Swerve sweetener).
Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider is added to the dressing, which makes it nice and tangy.

What’s in a Typical Broccoli Salad?

A typical, full-carb broccoli salad is made with similar ingredients, including raw broccoli florets, crispy bacon, nuts or seeds, red onion, and grated cheddar cheese. However, it also includes raisins or dried cranberries and sugar in the mayonnaise dressing, which are not keto-friendly ingredients. But, those are simple ingredients to replace or exclude in order to make the salad keto-friendly. If you have a family-favorite broccoli salad, it may be easier to convert than you think!

How to Make

STEP 1: First, fry, bake or microwave 3 slices of bacon until crispy. We find it best and easiest to cook the bacon in the microwave (see directions here). After the bacon has cooled, then chop it into smaller chunks.

STEP 2: Next, make the salad dressing. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Swerve sweetener and apple cider vinegar. Stir until well combined.

STEP 3 & 4: Then, chop the vegetables and grate the cheddar cheese (or you may use store-bought grated cheddar cheese). Combine all the ingredients in a large serving bowl and stir until well combined. We recommend refrigerating for an hour before serving (since it’s typically served chilled). Or, if you prefer, you may serve immediately.

Finished broccoli salad in a serving bowl.

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

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