This pea bacon salad is a quick and simple side dish to accompany any meal. It's so light but tasty enough to bring your whole meal to the next level without overpowering it. It's a must-have summer salad to please everyone at a barbeque, potluck, or just a night in on your own or with family.
Pea Bacon Salad
If you don't know what to do with a bag of frozen peas then make this pea bacon salad recipe for dinner tonight. It's an easy salad for dinner rotation, and a creative way to get your family to eat more vegetables.
This salad has a smooth and creamy texture, but the peas give it a nice pop in each bite. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by this salad and keep coming back to it, either by your own craving or by someone else's request!
The Ingredients
This pea salad is made of frozen peas, bacon, mayo, dried mustard, garlic powder, red onion, sugar, salt, and black pepper. It's so quick to make and can be ready in less than 5 minutes.
One of the best things I love about this bacon pea salad is that you can adjust and customize the ingredients according to your taste. If you love bacon, add more of it into the salad. Or, if you want the salad to be sweeter or tangier, use more sugar or add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Green peas: You can use fresh or frozen green peas. Do not use canned green peas as that may lead to a mushy salad.
Bacon: You can use any type of bacon you like and crumble it into small pieces, or simply use pre-made bacon crumble from the store. Here's a good recipe on how to cook crispy bacon in the air fryer.
Mayonnaise: You can use regular mayonnaise or Miracle Whip. Miracle Whip contains lower calories and fat than mayonnaise, but it's also loaded with processed ingredients like high-fructose syrup and flavor enhancers. For that reason, if you are going to use Miracle Whip, skip the extra seasoning and sugar mentioned in this recipe.
How to Make Pea Bacon Salad
Step 1. Defrost the Frozen Peas
You can thaw the frozen peas overnight in the fridge or on the same day right before serving. Here's how to quickly thaw frozen peas.
- Remove the frozen peas from the package.
- Place in a colander and run cool water over peas until thawed. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Place the thawed peas on paper towels, and pat dry.
Step 2. Mix All the Ingredients
- In a large bowl, add mayo, dried mustard, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Add thawed peas into the bowl and mix well.
- Refrigerate the pea salad for 1-2 hours before serving.
FAQ and Cooking Tips
Properly stored, this pea salad will last 1-2 days in the fridge.
I don't think it's a good idea because this salad contains mayonnaise. Freezing mayonnaise will make the ingredients separate.
Yes, you can. Just thaw the frozen peas overnight in the fridge and combine all of the ingredients right about 1-2 hours before serving.
Check Out More Side Dish Recipes
- Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Roasted Asparagus
- Corn Souffle Casserole
- Green Beans Almondine
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Roasted Yellow Squash
- Roasted Baby Potatoes
📖 Recipe
Pea Bacon Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen peas (thawed and drained)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sugar (add more according to your liking).
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 7 slices of bacon strips (cooked and crumbled)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Method
- In a large bowl, combine all dressing ingredients. Add peas, bacon, and diced red onion. Mix well.
- Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving. Serve with some leftover shredded cheese and bacon crumbles.
Steven Osborn says
Quick and delicious side. Highly addictive.
Rika says
Thanks for trying and sharing your feedback, Steven! I am glad that you liked this pea bacon salad and found it easy to make!
Best,
Rika