Wedge Salad
intro
Crisp iceberg lettuce wedges topped with tangy blue cheese dressing, smoky bacon, fresh tomatoes, and chives: a classic, refreshing steakhouse side.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook crispy bacon
Place 225 grams of thick-cut bacon in a cold large skillet over medium heat (175°C/350°F). Cook for 8–10 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking, until bacon is deeply golden and fully crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain for 5 minutes, then crumble into 1cm pieces once cool enough to handle.
Mix blue cheese dressing
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 120ml full-fat mayonnaise, 60ml sour cream, 60ml buttermilk, 15ml apple cider vinegar, 1.5g garlic powder, 2g kosher salt, and 1g black pepper until completely smooth. Stir in 85g (3/4 cup) of the crumbled blue cheese, reserving the remaining 28g (1/4 cup) for final topping. Refrigerate dressing until ready to assemble the salad.
Prep iceberg wedges
Peel off and discard any wilted, browning outer leaves from the 680g iceberg lettuce head. Rinse the entire head under cold running water, then pat completely dry with paper towels—excess surface water will thin dressing and cause it to slide off. Cut the head straight down through the core into 4 equal wedges, leaving a small section of core attached to each wedge to hold leaves intact.
Arrange lettuce bases
Place one iceberg wedge on each of 4 chilled salad plates, angling the flat cut side of the wedge slightly upward to cradle toppings. Lightly season the cut surface of each wedge with a tiny pinch of extra black pepper (roughly 1/8 teaspoon total across all servings) for subtle extra flavor.
Drizzle blue cheese dressing
Spoon roughly 60ml (1/4 cup) of the prepared chilled blue cheese dressing over the cut top of each lettuce wedge, letting it drip slightly down the sides of the outer leaves. Do not toss the salad—thick, heavy dressing sitting on the wedge is part of the classic presentation.
Add finishing toppings
Sprinkle each dressed wedge evenly with the crumbled crispy bacon, seeded diced Roma tomatoes, reserved 28g blue cheese crumbles, and 6g finely chopped fresh chives. Serve immediately while lettuce is cold and crisp for the best texture.
Tips
2.For extra smoky summer flavor, cook bacon on an outdoor grill over medium heat for 12 minutes instead of pan-frying, to match classic BBQ pairings.
3.Make the blue cheese dressing up to 3 days in advance and store it in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator to cut down on day-of prep time.
OMG this wedge salad is a total game changer for our weekly taco night! I was worried the blue cheese would be too strong for my picky 8 year old but he asked for SECONDS. The 20 minute cook time is no joke, I threw it together while the ground beef was browning and it was perfect. Crisp iceberg, tangy dressing, crumbled bacon bits on top? Chef’s kiss.
I make a big batch of the blue cheese dressing every Sunday for meal prep and it stays good all week! I swap regular bacon for turkey bacon to cut a few calories and it still tastes incredible. Such an easy, no-fuss salad that feels way fancier than it is. Brought it to a work potluck last week and people were asking for the recipe before I even left.
Really solid wedge salad recipe! The only tweak I made was add a little extra black pepper and a sprinkle of diced red onion for some zing. The dressing is super creamy without being gloppy which is my biggest pet peeve with store bought blue cheese. Will make again for sure.
I’ve been making wedge salad for 40 years and I have to say, this dressing ratio is spot on. Not too much mayo, just the right amount of blue cheese crumble tang, and the tip to soak the iceberg in ice water for 10 minutes to get it extra crispy? Absolute pro move. My wife said it’s the best version I’ve ever made.
Just made this for my lunch and WOW. SO good. I had all the ingredients in my fridge already so I didn’t even have to run to the store. I added some cherry tomatoes on the side because I had them and it was chef’s kiss. Why have I been buying sad pre-made salads when this takes 20 minutes max?!
Tasty but I think I put too much blue cheese in the dressing for my taste, it was a little overpowering. Next time I’ll cut the blue cheese amount in half and add a little extra buttermilk to thin it out. The wedge itself was perfectly crispy though, so the base recipe is solid.
Made this to go with our weekend ribeye cookout and every single person at the table raved about it. The crisp cold wedge cuts through the richness of the steak perfectly. I added a drizzle of hot sauce on mine for a little kick and it was chef’s kiss. 10/10 will be a regular at our cookouts all summer.
My kids loved it!!! I was so sure they’d turn their noses up at blue cheese but I let them sprinkle their own bacon bits and chives on top and they ate every bite. This is going into our regular weeknight rotation for sure – so easy, minimal cleanup, and no complaining at dinner? That’s a win in my book.
Super easy recipe, came together quick after a long day on the trails. I didn’t have any chives so I used a little chopped green onion instead and it worked great. Next time I’ll add some diced avocado for extra creaminess, that would slap. Overall really good, will make again.
My bridge club came over for lunch yesterday and I served this salad with some crusty sourdough and everyone asked for the recipe! The dressing is so rich and flavorful, you don’t even need that much on each wedge. I will say, make sure you dry the lettuce really well after you cut it so the dressing sticks, that’s my little pro tip.
I wanted to love this but my dressing turned out way too thick? I followed the measurements exactly but it was almost like a paste, not pourable at all. Did I do something wrong? I ended up adding a bunch more buttermilk to thin it out but it still didn’t taste right. Bummed because I love a good wedge salad.
Just made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with a mini fridge and hot plate, who says you can’t eat good in college??? I used pre-cooked bacon bits from the dining hall and it still slapped. So easy, cheap, and way better than the sad dining hall salads. 10/10 will be making this every week.
Game. Changer. I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday dinner (he’s obsessed with steakhouse wedge salads) and he said it was better than the ones we get at our favorite fancy steakhouse downtown. I added some candied pecans on mine for a little sweet crunch and it was *chef’s kiss*. Can’t wait to make this again.
Really solid recipe! I pre-cut the iceberg wedges on Sunday and kept them in an airtight container with paper towels to keep them crisp, and they held up great for 4 days. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish the recipe had a note about how long the dressing stays good in the fridge – I guessed a week and it was fine, but a heads up would be nice.
Brought this to our neighborhood block party potluck and it was the first dish gone! People kept coming back asking who made the wedge salad. I set out little bowls of extra toppings: diced tomato, extra bacon, chopped red onion, croutons, so people could customize their wedges. 100% making this for every potluck from now on.
I’ve made so many bad blue cheese dressings over the years that I almost gave up, but this one is perfect! Creamy, tangy, not too salty, just the right ratio of cheese to dressing. I ate two wedges for dinner last night and didn’t even feel guilty because it’s mostly veggies, right? 😂
Made this to eat while we watched the Browns game yesterday and it was the perfect game day snack food. I skipped the fancy plating and just chopped the iceberg into bite sized pieces so we could eat it out of bowls while we yelled at the TV. 10/10, no messy drips, perfect crunch, great flavor. Will be a game day staple.
I was tasked with bringing a salad to my sister’s baby shower and I was so stressed because her mother-in-law is a total food snob, but this salad got so many compliments even from her! The blue cheese dressing is so rich and flavorful, and the wedges looked so pretty on the platter. I added a sprinkle of pomegranate arils for a pop of color and it was perfect. So easy, so impressive, 10/10.