This Iceberg Wedge Salad is loaded with bacon, tomatoes, egg, and crispy breadcrumbs, then drizzled with a homemade ranch dressing. This is an easy salad to pull out when entertaining because you can serve it on a huge platter and it looks so impressive!
“This is a great salad recipe! The dressing is my favorite!! I’m so disappointed when I run out! My husband and I prefer using the breadcrumbs vs croutons. Thank you for sharing!” – Dianna, So Much Food reader
Table of contents
Not Your Average Wedge Salad …
Unfamiliar with the wedge salad? It’s just what it sounds like! A wedge of lettuce (typically ultra crunchy iceberg) is topped with blue cheese dressing, bacon, chopped tomatoes, and maybe chives and blue cheese crumbles.
But I’m here to tell you that the days of basic (dare I say boring?) wedge salads with only dressing, bacon, and tomatoes are long gone. That’s why I created this loaded wedge salad recipe to put any other variation of this ’70s salad to shame.
We’re going all-in on the toppings and textures so that this salad is absolutely bursting with flavor. Instead of gloopy blue cheese dressing, I used a creamy buttermilk ranch dressing. And the toppings are simple but spectacular!
The Ingredients for the Dressing and Toppings
- Lettuce. Iceberg is a classic here! But you could also jazz things up with little gem or mini romaine heads.
- Ranch dressing. My homemade buttermilk ranch is the absolute best here! You could swap in your favorite blue cheese dressing as well.
- Bacon. Crispy bacon is a must in any wedge salad variation!
- Egg. Grating (not chopping!) some hard boiled eggs over the top of your salad is an absolute game changer.
- Red onion. I soak my diced red onion in a mix of cold water and a little vinegar to keep it from tasting too pungent.
- Tomato. You could dice a tomato, or cut small cherry tomatoes into pieces. Whatever you have on hand!
- Crispy breadcrumbs. I use panko or fresh breadcrumbs here. Crisping up bread crumbs in butter with a bit of lemon zest is SO much better than croutons! They coat the salad better and don’t fall off.
- Fresh chives. I always cut chives into little batons and top the salad with them for some extra onion flavor.
The Basic Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
How to Make a Wedge Salad Like a Pro
Jenny’s Tip: I especially love making this recipe for BBQs or entertaining because I can lay all the iceberg lettuce wedges out on a platter, top them, and let the guests grab and go.
- Whisk together the ranch dressing. In a perfect world, you’d make the dressing at least 2 hours before using so that the flavors have time to meld in the fridge.
- Cut the lettuce into wedges. One head of iceberg lettuce will yield 4 wedges for larger portions, or 6 wedges for smaller portions. (Exact instructions on how to cut and wash iceberg lettuce for a wedge salad can be found below.)
- Make the buttery breadcrumbs. All you have to do is toast them in a little butter until golden, then season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
- Assemble. Load up your iceberg wedges with as much of the ranch dressing and toppings as your heart desires!
My Preferred Method for Cutting Iceberg Lettuce Into Wedges
Cutting the iceberg lettuce for this wedge salad recipe is key! Here are my top tips for cutting iceberg lettuce into perfect wedges for wedge salad.
- Remove any browned or wilted leaves. You want to make sure that all the leaves on the exterior of the head of iceberg lettuce are crisp and vibrant green.
- Cut the head of lettuce in half and remove the stem. From there, cut the lettuce into wedges (4-6).
- Rinse the lettuce wedges under cold water. Dirt and debris might be hidden in its many layers! Take the time to pat the wedges dry with paper towel before assembling your salads.
Wedge Salad Variations To Try
Surprise! There are so many ways to customize a wedge salad. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Add a protein. While there is bacon on this loaded wedge salad, you can easily turn it into a whole meal by adding a protein. Grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, and even grilled steak are all amazing additions to make this salad even heartier.
- Switch up the dressing. As I’ve mentioned, I adore this herby buttermilk ranch dressing and it’s my go-to for a wedge salad. You could also swap in blue cheese dressing or even your favorite caesar dressing.
- Go all-in with toppings. I have a lot of toppings on this salad, but you could take things even further! Try adding crispy onions, diced avocado, diced cucumber, thinly sliced radish, peeled carrot ribbons, etc.
What to Serve with a Wedge Salad
A wedge salad is perfect served alongside a nice pasta recipe, lemony roasted chicken, or even before a classic pot roast. The sky is the limit here!
Next time you’re throwing a dinner and need an epic salad recipe, try this Loaded Wedge Salad recipe! It’s one of my party go-to’s and never fails to impress. If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know!
Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA o Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Side Salad Recipes to Make
- Tomato Burrata Salad
- Little Gem Caesar Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Cucumber Yogurt Salad
- Classic Panzanella (Bread Salad)
This recipe post for Loaded Wedge Salad contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.
Loaded Wedge Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce, like Crystal
Wedge Salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges
- 8 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
- 2 hard boiled eggs, diced or grated
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sliced fresh chives
Crispy Lemon Breadcrumbs
- 1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs, (panko or fresh)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Whisk together all the ranch dressing ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This is a dressing that needs time for all the flavors to meld.
- Soak the onions. Place the diced onions in a small bowl and add 1/4 cup cold water plus the 2 tablespoons of champagne or white wine vinegar. Soak for at least 30 minutes and drain before using.
- Cut the lettuce. Remove any outer layers on the head of lettuce that are browned and wilted. Cut the head of lettuce into wedges and remove the stem. You can cut the lettuce into 4 wedges for larger portions, or 6 wedges for smaller portions.
- Clean the lettuce. Rinse the lettuce wedges under cold water to remove any dirt and debris. Pat dry with paper towels and store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Make the breadcrumbs. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the bread crumbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and cool to room temperature.
- Assemble. Arrange the lettuce wedges on a plate or platter and drizzle with dressing. Top as desired and sprinkle with crispy breadcrumbs. Top with the fresh chives and serve.
Notes
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Rate & Review This Recipe
I made this for my husband and I for dinner and we loved it! I had to make a few substitutions because we only had fresh chives and dill but the dressing still turned out delicious. We also used regular Italian breadcrumbs and they were good too.
This is a great salad recipe! The dressing is my favorite!! I’m so disappointed when I run out! My husband and I prefer using the breadcrumbs vs croutons. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
(I don’t typically leave reviews)
I am obsessed with using breadcrumbs over croutons! It coats the salad perfectly so that every bite as some crunch. So happy you loved it!