I have a new favorite salad. Ever, ever. I’ve made this spinach bacon salad probably half a dozen times over the past couple of weeks and am still not sick of it. This spinach salad with hot bacon dressing has all sorts of flavors, a variety of colors and textures, and it looks pretty! We’ve got layers of crunchy and healthy spinach, a creamy bacon-laced dressing (YES!) and delicious toppings like cheddar crisps and hard boiled eggs. Yes, it has a lot going for it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for spinach salad with bacon, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
For The Salad:
Cheddar Parmesan Crisps – Move over croutons, these cheese crisps are way more flavorful and protein-packed. You’ll need 1/2 of the recipe for the salad — snack on the rest.Hard Boiled Eggs – I prefer to use organic eggs, but you can use whatever large eggs you prefer. I like to hard-boil them for this recipe, but soft boiled eggs would also be delicious.Baby Spinach – I recommend baby spinach over regular, as the spinach leaf is more tender in the baby version.Red Onion – The red onion gives great flavor and crunch to this bacon spinach salad, but if it’s too strong for you, soak them in cold water for 5 minutes after slicing to mellow them out.Grape Tomatoes – Use any small tomato. Cherry tomatoes will also work.
For The Warm Bacon Dressing:
Bacon – We’ll cook the bacon to make crispy bacon crumbles, then reserve the bacon fat to use in the warm bacon dressing.Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar gives a tangy flavor to the dressing. You could also use white or red wine vinegar.Mayonnaise – Make your own homemade mayo, or use store-bought, it’s up to you.Sweetener Of Your Choice – I used Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend, which is the closest alternative to powdered sugar (without the sugar and carbs of course). For those that don’t care about the added sugar, regular powdered sugar or maple syrup would also work.Dijon Mustard – Adds a nice flavor to the warm bacon dressing, and also helps emulsify the dressing so it doesn’t separate.Olive Oil – This is optional and only needed if you don’t have 1/2 cup of bacon drippings. See below.
How To Make Spinach Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing
This section shows how to make spinach salad with warm bacon dressing, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below. I think the above is already a great combo, but feel free to experiment with other additions:
Other Veggies – Sliced mushrooms or bell peppers make nice additions. Nuts – Such as pecans or sliced almonds. Balsamic Glaze – This recipe for balsamic glaze adds an instant flavor boost to the salad!
Storage Instructions
Keep salad components (not dressed) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The parmesan crisps can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The bacon dressing can be stored separately; it will solidify in the fridge, so just reheat when ready to serve. Add olive oil or avocado oil to bacon grease to reach 1/2 cup.
What To Serve With Spinach Bacon Salad
This spinach salad with warm bacon dressing makes a great side dish to virtually any main dish! Try one of these for a healthy meal:
Chicken – Chicken recipes such as air fryer chicken breast, crispy chicken thighs, or pan seared chicken pair very well with spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. You can also slice up some baked chicken breast and serve on top of the salad for a full meal.Beef or Pork – Serve the salad with air fryer filet mignon, baked pork chops, or slow cooker pork loin.Seafood – Try spinach and bacon salad with seafood recipes like grilled shrimp skewers, baked salmon, or baked cod.
More Easy Salad Recipes
If you like this recipe for spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, you might also like some of these other easy salad recipes: Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
