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Recipes /
Healthy Broccoli Salad with BBQ Chicken

May 21, 2026

This broccoli salad is one of those recipes I come back to every single summer. I’ve been making it for years, and it never gets old, especially because it somehow tastes even better on day three topped with BBQ chicken.

It’s crunchy, savory, slightly sweet, loaded with texture, and perfect for meal prep. And unlike most store-bought broccoli salads, this version skips the refined sugars and unnecessary ingredients hiding in the dressing. Just real ingredients that actually taste good and leave you feeling good too.

Once you add the BBQ chicken, it becomes a complete Fab Four meal that keeps you full, energized, and satisfied for hours.

The Fab Four Breakdown

One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is because it naturally checks all four Fab Four boxes:

Protein: The BBQ chicken, hemp hearts, bacon, and even the pumpkin seeds help add satisfying protein to stabilize blood sugar and support satiety.
Fat: Healthy fats from the mayo, olive oil, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, avocado-oil-based dressing from Primal Kitchen (code 'KELLY'), and bacon help slow glucose absorption and keep this salad extra satisfying.
Fiber: Broccoli, red onion, raisins, seeds, and hemp hearts provide fiber to support digestion and steady energy.
Greens: Broccoli is the star here, giving you a huge serving of cruciferous greens that support detoxification, gut health, and overall wellness.

The combination makes this salad feel balanced and substantial instead of leaving you hungry an hour later.

Why the Double Chop Matters

My favorite trick in this recipe is the final “double chop” once everything is mixed together.

After tossing the salad, I run my knife through everything one more time so all the ingredients get evenly distributed. That way every bite has a little crunch, creaminess, sweetness, smokiness, and texture all together.

If you’re someone who loves balanced bites and portion-friendly meals, this step makes such a difference. And this salad honestly gets even better after a couple of days in the fridge, making it one of my favorite meal prep lunches for a busy week ahead.

Prep Time
10 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Servings
4
Freezer Friendly
No

Ingredients

For the Broccoli Salad:

2 heads broccoli, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion
2 tablespoons hemp hearts
2 tablespoons sprouted pumpkin seeds
4 strips bacon

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup Primal Kitchen mayo
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
Salt and pepper to taste
Small drizzle of maple syrup

For the BBQ Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Salt
Garlic powder
Light dusting smoked paprika
Primal Kitchen Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

Directions

For The BBQ Chicken:

Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them thin for even cooking. Season with salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with Hawaiian BBQ sauce, then bake for another 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

For the Salad:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake bacon for about 20 minutes until crispy. Let cool slightly, then chop into small pieces.
Thinly slice the red onion and place it in an ice water bath while preparing the rest of the salad. This helps mellow the sharpness while keeping the crunch.
Finely chop the broccoli into very small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, white wine vinegar, olive oil, raisins, salt and pepper, and a small drizzle of maple syrup. Taste and adjust as needed.
To assemble the salad, add the softened red onion, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, bacon, and dressing to the broccoli. Toss well to combine. Then do one final “double chop” through the salad with a knife so every bite has the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
Slice chicken and serve over the broccoli salad.