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BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad

March 9, 2018 by Great Grub, Delicious Treats

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This BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad is a delicious southern style salad recipe that is loaded with amazing flavor and is a perfect side dish. Your taste buds will be in heaven with this flavorful salad and will be requested time and time again.

A green and white bowl filled with a serving of broccoli salad.

Living in Texas, my recipe rotation tends to be equal parts Mexican, Tex-Mex, and southern food. I share a lot of the former, but today, I wanted to give all of you a taste – literally, I hope – of one of my favorite southern sides. Of course, as a cook, I can never leave well enough alone, so my version of this broccoli salad is kicked up with some other great flavors that I think you’ll love. I’ve been making this salad for a long, long time. It’s a fantastic side any time of year, but I usually find myself making it during the warmer months because it pairs so perfectly with all my favorite recipes. This is the perfect, easy dish for family meals, potlucks, and parties!

BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad

This delicious side starts with fresh broccoli. Then, it’s mixed with crispy, crumbled bacon, onions, carrots, avocado, tomatoes, and cheese. Finally, I add mayo and BBQ sauce for a zesty, creamy sauce. It all comes together to create a delicious side that’s loaded with a variety of flavors and textures. It’s a simple dish with complex flavors that pairs perfectly with almost any meal.

BBQ Bacon Broccoli Salad in a white bowl.

Why You’ll Love This BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad

  • It’s the best broccoli salad recipe you’ll ever make. 
  • It’s super flavorful and full of delicious favorites. 
  • It is a great side dish for backyard barbecues, family gatherings, and potlucks or a side for beef, chicken, pork, or fish. 
  • It’s easy to make and the family will love it. 

Recipe Tips

  • This recipe only uses the florets of the broccoli. Cut up the stems and freeze them so you can use them in other recipes. 
  • Let your bacon thoroughly drain on paper towels so you don’t have a greasy salad. 
  • Chill this salad overnight for the best flavor and texture. 
  • Wait until you’re ready to mix the broccoli salad ingredients before cutting up the avocado. This prevents it from turning brown. 

Variations

  • You can use your favorite cheese in this recipe so long as it has a strong enough flavor to cut through the dressing. 
  • Yellow, white, and sweet onions work well in this recipe. 
  • Try adding diced ham in place of bacon for a different flavor. 
A close up of broccoli salad with tomatoes, avocados, bacon, cheese in a creamy sauce.

What to Serve with BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad

This recipe is so delicious, and it’s so versatile. You can pair it with just about any of your favorite dishes. Try it with:

  • BBQ beef, chicken, or pork
  • Roasted chicken
  • Beef and pork roast
  • Broil fish
  • Fried fish
  • Burgers and dogs
  • Your favorite backyard bash dishes

Recipe FAQ

Can you make broccoli salad ahead of time?

You sure can! In fact, it’s best when chilled overnight, so feel free to make it the night before.

Will avocado turn brown in salad?

Not usually. If the avocado is thoroughly coated in the dressing, it will block the air which is what makes it brown.

How long does broccoli salad last?

It will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze broccoli salad?

No. Mayonnaise-based sauces and recipes break when they defrost, leading to a watery, gross texture.

A green and white bowl with a serving of bacon broccoli salad in it.

How to Store BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad

Store this salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad Ingredients

It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this delicious salad. You probably have most of them in your kitchen right now, and the ones you don’t are all easily found at your local grocery store.

For the Sauce

  • Barbecue sauce
  • Mayonnaise

For the Salad

  • Fresh broccoli florets, cut up small
  • Bacon, crispy, crumbled, and divided
  • Red onions, diced small
  • Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • Carrots, grated
  • Avocado, diced
  • Grape tomatoes, chopped
A bite of broccoli salad on a fork.

How to Make BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad

Making this salad is as easy as gathering up the ingredients. It only takes a few minutes and a few simple steps. That’s it! 

Step 1: Make the Sauce

Combine the BBQ sauce and mayo. Then, cover it with plastic wrap and chill it while you make the salad. 

Step 2: Make the Bacon

Cook the bacon until crispy in a large frying pan. Remove the bacon and place it on a plate lined with paper towels. Then, crumble 5 pieces for mixing into the salad, reserving 2 to 3 pieces to crumble and top the salad. 

Step 3: Cut the Broccoli

Cut the heavy stems from the broccoli and cut the florets into bite-size pieces. Add them to a large bowl. 

Step 4: Make the Salad

Add the remaining salad ingredients and dressing to the bowl, then mix to coat. Chill, salt and pepper to taste, and serve. 

A double collage photo of BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad.

Try This Delicious BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad Today

This easy BBQ bacon broccoli avocado salad is absolutely delicious and so incredibly easy. It’s the perfect dish for any occasion. From sides for a weeknight dinner to serving up a big bowl at your next backyard barbecue or potluck, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. Give it a try, and I know you’ll be looking for reasons to make this creamy, crispy, zesty side dish. 

A three collage photo of BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad.

More Delicious Side Dish Recipes You’ll Enjoy

Chicken Curry Pasta Salad – This delicious chicken salad is so flavorful and absolutely delicious. The crunchiness of the lettuce and cucumbers, water chestnuts and pea pods, mixed with the flavor of the creamy curry sauce makes this salad irresistible and will fast become a favorite.

Macaroni Salad – This delicious macaroni salad is a family favorite and the array of flavors from the red onions, mixed with the black olives and dill relish, makes this one of the best side dishes.

Red Potato Salad – This potato salad recipe is loaded with soft, creamy, red-skinned potatoes cut into small bite-size pieces with dill pickles, hard-boiled eggs, and red onions all mixed together for a delicious classic potato salad recipe the whole family will enjoy.

And, here is a Creamy Chicken Salad from Deliciously Seasoned that you will enjoy as well.

BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad

Great Grub, Delicious Treats
This delicious broccoli salad is the perfect side dish for many dishes and is loaded with bacon, avocado, tomatoes, onions, carrots, cheddar cheese and a creamy barbecue sauce mixture.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 0 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Southern
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 610 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Sauce

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup mayonnaise

For the Salad

  • 5 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut up small
  • 7-8 pieces bacon, crispy, crumbled and divided
  • ½ cup red onions, diced small
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • ⅓ cup carrots, grated
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • ½ cup grape tomatoes, chopped

Instructions
 

  • In a small mixing bowl, mix the barbecue sauce and mayonnaise together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill while frying the bacon and preparing the salad.
  • In a large frying pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Crumble 5 pieces, which will go into the salad keeping 2-3 pieces to be crumbled and sprinkled on top before serving.
  • Remove heavy stems from broccoli and cut just the florets so they are small (bite size), add to large mixing bowl.
  • Add remaining ingredients then pour dressing into mixing bowl and toss to coat.
  • Chill and serve.

Notes

Nutritional values are approximate.
 
Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.
 
Recipe adapted from H E B’s Cooking Connection. 

Nutrition

Calories: 610kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 12gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 19gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 1055mgPotassium: 657mgFiber: 5gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 2142IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 1mg
Keyword BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad, Broccoli Salad
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A green and white bowl with a serving of barbecue bacon broccoli salad in it.
A white bowl filled with a serving of broccoli salad.
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes Tagged With: Avocado, Bacon, Barbecue Bacon Salad, BBQ Bacon Broccoli Avocado Salad, Broccoli, Broccoli Salad, Salad

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Comments

  1. Laura Strnad

    March 9, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    I love that your recipes are so simple and do not require expensive ingredients. This looks really good. Can I use turkey bacon instead?

    • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

      March 9, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      Hi Laura, thank you so much and yes you sure can. :)

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