Do you love broccoli crunch salad? Well, the Walmart Broccoli salad is the best. They stopped making it during the pandemic, and I've not seen it back.
So, I replicated their version so you can make it at home any time you crave it. It's a great side dish with grilled meats, at a brunch, or with soup and sandwiches.
The combination of broccoli, bacon, raisins, and sunflower seeds just really makes this a delicious anytime salad.
Why you will love this recipe
If you love broccoli, then you're going to love this crunchy Walmart broccoli salad. It's perfect for summer BBQs and potlucks, and it's very easy to make.
It's made with chopped fresh broccoli, bacon, red onion, raisins, sunflower seed, and a delicious homemade dressing. Broccoli is a superfood that is packed full of nutrients, your family will love eating their vegetables with this salad!
Jump to:
- Why you will love this recipe
- Ingredients
- How to Make Broccoli Salad
- Serving Suggestions
- Substitutions
- Storage
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
- 📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Use fresh broccoli from the produce section of the grocery. Get the crowns and you have less to through away, as you will not use the stems. Black raisins is what the Walmart broccoli salad uses, but you can use Craisins also. Get toasted sunflower seeds, not the raw ones.
You can use real Crumbled Bacon by Hormel, or fry up your own bacon and then crumble it. See our Air Fryer Bacon recipe to cook bacon quickly with low mess.
- Fresh Broccoli florets, about 2 medium or 3 small crowns.
- Bacon, either Bacon Crumbles or cook your own bacon (about 1 lb)
- Red onion
- Sunflower seeds
- Raisins
- Mayonnaise - don't use salad dressing or Miracle Whip. Look for Duke's Mayonnaise, JFG Mayonnaise, or Hellman's / Best Foods Mayonnaise.
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed
- Apple Cider vinegar (or Rice Wine Vinegar)
- Salt
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
Trim the stalks off the broccoli crowns. Fill your sink with some cold water, add 3 tablespoons of salt, and submerge the broccoli crowns in the water, crown side down. Let the broccoli sit in the cold salty water for 15 minutes. This will draw out any hiding insects.
Next, prepare the dressing first and set it in the refrigerator.
Step 1. Prepare the Salad Dressing
Squeeze the lemon juice. Mix the mayonnaise with the sugar, cider vinegar, salt and the lemon juice. Set aside until you chop up the vegetables.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 2. Chop Up the Vegetables
Remove the broccoli from the cold salty water. Shake it dry and then pat it with paper towels or a clean cloth. Chop the florets up so they are a bunch of mini florets. Chop the red onion and the bacon, or use Bacon Crumbles.
Add the sunflower seeds and raisins. Use a big bowl as you will want the room to mix the bulky contents.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 3. Mix the Salad with the Dressing
Add the prepared salad dressing you mixed up earlier. Mix with the vegetables so that all ingredients are evenly dispersed.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Chill the salad if you have time, but it is ready to serve as soon as mixed up. If you chill it, remove from the refrigerator, toss to mix the dressing in again, and transfer to a serving bowl.
Serve with steaks like our Pan Grilled Steakhouse Pork Chops, Sous Vide Ribeye Steaks, Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs, Sourdough Grilled Cheese Sandwich, or as a side dish for Baked Ziti with Pumpkin & Sausage. This broccoli crunch salad is fantastic on banquet tables, parties, or any gathering. You will be lucky to have any leftovers!
Substitutions
You can substitute red onions with yellow or white onions, and you can substitute the black raisins with yellow raisins, or even tart cranberry Craisins.
Storage
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This recipe is NOT freezer friendly though, so don't freeze it.
Tips for Success
- Chop your vegetables up the day before your event or party, then mix the dressing up.
- Store in the refrigerator and mix together at the last minute.
- Don't mix the dressing in ahead of time (more than 4 hours) as the raisins will start to get soft and soggy, losing some of the chewy texture contrast to the crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, since the recipe uses sugar, omit the sugar and use Vanilla or Honey Greek Yogurt for the sugar and mayonnaise portions of the dressing.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Walmart Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh broccoli crowns, about 5 cups wash and soak in salty water to draw out any insects, then chop
- 1 cup bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup black raisins
For the Dressing
- 1 ½ cup mayonnaise not Miracle Whip or salad dressing
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Dressing
- Measure the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Whisk together to mix until smooth and creamy. Set in the refrigerator until ready to dress the broccoli salad.1 ½ cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup sugar, 3 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed, 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt
For the Broccoli Salad
- Wash and trim the broccoli if you have not already. Let it set in cold water with 3 tablespoons of salt to draw out any insects. Let soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and dry. Chop the broccoli into little floret chunks. Add to a large bowl.2 lbs fresh broccoli crowns, about 5 cups
- Either cook, cool, and crumble raw bacon or use pre cooked Bacon Crumbles. Add to the large bowl.1 cup bacon
- Chop the red onion and add it as well as the sunflower seeds and black raisins to the large bowl.½ cup red onion, chopped, ½ cup toasted sunflower seeds, 1 cup black raisins
- Mix all the vegetables with the previously prepared salad dressing. You can serve this immediately, or chill for 30 minutes to an hour to let the flavors blend. Toss again right before serving.
Notes
- Chop your vegetables up the day before your event or party, then mix the dressing up.
- Store in the refrigerator and mix together at the last minute.
- Don't mix the dressing in ahead of time (more than 4 hours) as the raisins will start to get soft and soggy, losing some of the chewy texture contrast to the crunch.
Nutrition
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Enfys says
OMG, I'm so happy I found your recipe for the broccoli crunch salad. I hadn't been to a Walmart supercenter in well over a year, but I went this past weekend. My first stop was the deli where I sadly discovered they no longer have their salads. I was heartbroken. Their broccoli salad and kale salad were my favorites. But I looked online hoping I could find a copycat recipe for them. I did, and your recipe is exactly like the salad I used to get at Walmart - absolutely delish! Now to find a replacement for the kale salad. Thank you so very much!
Kelly Bloom says
I am SO glad you like the Walmart Broccoli Crunch salad! It was one of my favorites also! I worked at a bank located inside Walmart in Richmond VA, and was laid off during the pandemic. When I returned, Walmart no longer carried the salad I used to buy during my lunch break. I was devastated also! So, I worked this up to make it like I remembered my favorite salad. I have never had the Walmart Kale salad, but I love the Chick Fil A Superfood Kale salad. I will be working on replicating that one in a few months (I'm recovering from an ankle surgery right now, so have to wait until I'm out of a cast now). I don't know how different the Chick Fil A Kale salad is, but it is really good, if you haven't tried it yet.