Creamy Bacon Pea Salad with mayonnaise, bacon, cheddar cheese and crunchy sweet peas. The perfect southern summer side dish!
Some friends and family members I’ve made this Creamy Bacon Pea Salad for have been put off at the idea of “pea salad” or a salad with a mayonnaise base, but as soon as they try the salad? They are eating it by the spoonfuls! Then they come up to you at the end of your event and ask “hey so can I get that pea salad recipe?” It happens ALL the time.
Looking for more summer salads to serve with your favorite grilled foods?
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Raisin Salad
- Easy Greek Pasta Salad
- Mexican Avocado BLT Pasta Salad
This Creamy Bacon Pea Salad recipe is such an easy side dish to make because it really is just a mix of a handful of ingredients. I like to use thick cut bacon for the salad but I have friends who use the premade bacon bits (made of actual bacon) and swear by the flavor. You can’t argue with that, with pre-made bacon bits you can have this salad chilling in the fridge in less than 10 minutes.
Some questions I get asked a lot about this pea salad recipe:
- Do you serve this as a cold green pea salad? Yes, you serve this pea salad recipe cold.
- Do you make this pea salad with canned peas? No, I like the crunch of using frozen, thawed peas, but if you prefer the texture of the canned peas by all means go ahead. I would rinse the peas before using them in the salad.
- Can you add egg? Yes, I’ve made this pea salad with egg before. I hard boil 4 eggs and chop them into small 1/2″ dice and combine gently with the rest of the ingredients.
- Layered Pea Salad can also be made with this recipe. First toss the peas and cheese with the mayonnaise, salt and pepper then add half the peas, half the onions, half the bacon then repeat. Top with a bit more cheese.
Tools Used in the making of this Creamy Bacon Pea Salad:
Bacon Bits: If you want to skip browning and chopping your own bacon, these bacon bits are a quick and easy swap.
My favorite Kitchen Knife: You may not even have a lot to chop but this knife is so inexpensive and I love it so much I want to share it any time chopped items are involved (second from the top on the left. It is an AMAZING knife).
Cheese Grater: Your knuckles will thank you.
Creamy Bacon Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen peas
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound bacon cooked crisp and chopped
Instructions
Rinse the frozen peas in a colander and let drain for a few seconds while you make the rest of the salad.
Into a large bowl add the cheese, red onion, mayonnaise, Kosher salt, black pepper and bacon.
Top with the peas and stir together until fully combined.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Do you thaw the peas before making the salad?
Yes 🙂
Hi Sabrina,
I love your recipes, they all look so yummy. I make a salad similar to this pea salad but mine has peanuts in it, it’s really good too. Would you like me to send you the recipe? Have a great day, Ann
Sure 🙂
My family loves this salad.
Excellent Pea Salad
I made it for a BBQ and everyone loved it and asked me for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it, Linda. Thanks for the 5 stars.
My family and I love this recipe just as it is written!
Thanks, Sandy!
Hey Sabrina, what kind of main dishes do you recommend serving this with? 🙂
I love this for a potluck side dish because you can really pair it with just about anything. If I was adding it to a dinner, I would serve it alongside chicken or pork. I hope you enjoy it!
How far in advance could you make this? If I’m serving it for Thanksgiving, could I put it together Tuesday night?
It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, so yes you can make on Tuesday. Hope this helps!
I usually make this using either home made or bottled ranch salad dressing. It was one of the favorites at my old church senior’s group. Adding boiled eggs sounds good too.
I hope you enjoy it Karen
How much bacon bits should I use for this salad? One pound, or less?
Thank you.
I used one pound of cooked bacon to make my bacon bits for this salad. You can adjust to whatever amount you prefer. Enjoy!
Pea salad recipe
haven’t tried this Pea salad yet …made it with lettuce can you add lettuce to the creamy pea salad Ranch mix with sour cream do you have that recipe can’t wait to try to pea salad