Wedge Salad
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Crisp iceberg lettuce, rich blue cheese dressing, smoky bacon, and juicy tomatoes—this classic wedge salad is favorite that never goes out of style.
I cut my teeth in the restaurant business at a fine dining steakhouse in Washington, DC, where the classic wedge salad was a permanent fixture on the menu. With crisp iceberg wedges, creamy blue cheese dressing, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, and chives, it’s been a steakhouse favorite for decades.
The wedge first gained popularity in the late 1950s and has made a comeback in recent years. These days, chefs like to put their own spin on it, but the retro version still holds up. The key is the balance of textures and flavors—crunchy, creamy, salty, fresh. It just works.
This classic salad is perfect as a starter or a light meal, and it makes an impressive presentation served family-style on a big platter. Pair it with steaks, grilled chicken, or just good crusty bread.
“Wonderful! My husband loves a wedge salad and often orders one when we go out for dinner. He was very happy with this one!”
Wedge Salad: ingredients you’ll need
- Iceberg Lettuce: Classic base for any blue cheese wedge salad providing cool crispness and freshness. Its shape and texture is key to the wedge shape of the salad.
- Bacon: Adds smoky flavor and a crispy texture to the salad.
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes: Adds bursts of sweetness and color contrast. Use a variety of colors for a more interesting look.
- Fresh Minced Chives: Provides a fresh, mild onion flavor and a pop of green color to both the salad and the dressing.
- Creamy Salad Dressing Base: The quick homemade dressing contains mayonnaise for its rich flavors and sour cream for its tangy zing and creamier texture. A bit of buttermilk enhances the tangy flavors while also giving a velvety creaminess to the dressing.
- Flavor Components: Apple cider vinegar adds acidity for balance and brightness. It has a mild flavor, and it’s my preferred vinegar for this dressing. White vinegar and red wine vinegar work too but their flavors are a bit more intense. Fresh garlic infuses the dressing with savory flavor, and salt and pepper bring out the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Crumbled Blue Cheese: Signature flavor element, adding creamy, tangy richness to the dressing and the salad when sprinkled on top.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make a Wedge Salad
Step 1: Prep the Bacon. Lay the slices of bacon on a lined baking sheet. I use both foil and parchment for to make cleanup easier and to prevent sticking).
Step 2: Cook the Bacon. Place the pan in a 400°F-oven to bake for 14 to 18 minutes for regular bacon and 18 to 20 minutes for thick-cut bacon. Be sure to rotate the baking sheet from front to back midway through cooking so it cooks evenly.
Step 3: Drain. Remove the bacon from the oven and use tongs to transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 4: Make the Wedge Salad Dressing. Combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk them together to create the smooth and creamy base.
Step 5: Add the Blue Cheese. Stir in the blue cheese crumbles and chives. (If you’d prefer a smooth dressing with a more uniform blue cheese flavor, you can blend all of the ingredients except the chives in a food processor. Once it’s blended, stir in the chives.)
Step 6: Assemble the Salad. Cut the head of iceberg lettuce into wedges. Add each iceberg lettuce wedge to a plate and drizzle the dressing over the top of the wedge. Top each with a quarter of the bacon pieces, tomatoes, chives, and crumbled blue cheese.
Wedge Salad Variations
- Choosing the Lettuce. While iceberg lettuce is the classic choice for a wedge salad, feel free to switch it up based on your preferences or what you have on hand. Romaine or even butter lettuce can work well, but keep in mind that iceberg will give you the crispiest texture and that classic wedge shape.
- Candied Bacon. Swap the regular bacon for candied bacon. It brings a bit of sweetness to the smoky and crispy component.
- Swap the Dressing. An easy way to switch up the flavors of your salad is to swap the dressing. Try it with a creamy green goddess dressing or this creamy Greek yogurt dressing. If you prefer a vinaigrette, this homemade Italian dressing is a classic!
- Add Protein. Make your iceberg wedge salad a bit heartier with your favorite protein. Anything from grilled flank steak to garlic butter shrimp can be added to make the salad more satisfying.
Pro Tips
- Cooking the Bacon. I use the oven method to cook the bacon, which is the way to go when you’re cooking more than just a few slices, but feel free to use a skillet if you prefer.
- Serve with a Fork and Knife. The easiest way to eat a wedge salad is with a fork and knife.
- Using Leftover Dressing. You may have some extra dressing left. It makes a delicious dipping sauce for veggies, chicken wings, or as a flavorful spread on burgers or sandwiches.
- Make Ahead. As with most salads, you will want to wait to prepare all the fresh ingredients. But you can make the dressing ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also cook the bacon in advance for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to serve the salad, simply briefly reheat the bacon in the oven or microwave to crisp it back up
More Salads you may like
Wedge Salad
A steakhouse staple, this classic wedge salad recipe combines crisp iceberg lettuce with a creamy homemade blue cheese dressing, smoky bacon, and juicy tomatoes for a retro dish that still feels totally fresh.
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 head chilled iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters, cored, and any limp outer leaves removed
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced chives
For the Blue Cheese Dressing
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese plus more for sprinkling over the salad
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced chives
Instructions
- Cook the bacon: Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty wide aluminum foil so that there is some overhang on all sides (this prevents the grease from getting onto the baking sheet), then cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Lay the slices of bacon on the baking sheet and bake for 14 to 18 minutes for regular bacon and 18 to 20 minutes for thick-cut bacon, rotating the baking sheet from front to back midway through cooking.
- Carefully remove the bacon from the oven and, using tongs, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate or cutting board.
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Make sure your blue cheese is crumbled into small pieces. Add to the mixture along with the chives and stir to combine. To incorporate some of the blue cheese crumbles more thoroughly, use the back of a spoon to mash them against the sides of the bowl, and then stir again. (Alternatively, if you want the dressing completely smooth, blend all of the ingredients except for the chives in a food processor, then stir in the chives.)
- To serve, on a platter or individual plates, spoon the desired amount of dressing over each wedge (you will likely have some dressing leftover). Top with a quarter of the bacon crumbles, tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, and chives. The easiest way to eat a wedge salad is with a fork and knife.
- Note: If you have additional dressing, will keep nicely, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to a week.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 584
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 558 mg
- Cholesterol: 42 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This was so easy to make and so good!! The only thing I changed was to cut up the bacon first and fry it up in a cast iron pan since I was short on time. It was such a pretty presentation for our company and went nicely with our steak and baked potatoes. Thanks for the great recipes!
Do you use fresh blue cheese or already crumbled blue cheese in a container?
Hi Marilyn, I’ve used both — you can go either way. Enjoy!
Looking forward to making this classic. Can I substitute Gorgonzola for the blue cheese since that’s what is in the fridge?
Sure Donka, that’s fine – enjoy!