There’s a reason pea salad with bacon and cheddar has been a staple at Southern and Midwestern cookouts and potlucks for decades — it’s creamy, slightly tangy, and always a crowd-pleaser. This version adds fresh dill to the dressing for a bright, herbaceous lift that makes it an ideal summer side.
Before You Start Cooking
- Peas. Frozen green peas are convenient, consistently sweet, and available year-round. Fresh shelled peas are excellent when in season.
- Red onion. Soaking chopped red onion in ice water for 10 to 15 minutes mellows the sharp bite while keeping it crisp. Drain well before adding.
- Reserve the dressing. Fold in most of the dressing before chilling and add the remainder just before serving to keep the salad creamy after refrigeration.
How To Make Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon and Cheddar
Most of the work happens up front: cook the bacon, blanch the peas, whisk the dressing, then let the salad chill so flavors meld.
Step 1: Cook the Bacon
Chop well-chilled bacon into bite-sized pieces. Thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon gives a meatier texture, though standard-cut is fine. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 8 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain, leaving rendered fat in the pan.
Oven option: Bacon can be baked until crisp, then chopped or crumbled before adding to the salad.
Step 2: Cook the Peas
Frozen peas: Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil, add the peas, and cook 1 to 1½ minutes just until heated through. Since frozen peas were blanched before freezing, avoid overcooking.
Fresh peas: Add shelled peas to lightly salted boiling water and cook 2 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender, depending on pea size.
Immediately transfer cooked peas to an ice bath to stop cooking and preserve bright color. Once cooled, drain well in a colander and set aside.
Frozen Vegetables and Food Safety
Freezing preserves food but does not reliably kill most bacteria — it only halts their growth while frozen. Only frozen products labeled “ready to eat” are intended to be eaten without cooking. For safety, heat frozen vegetables through and then cool them before adding to salads that won’t be cooked further.
Step 3: Make the Dressing
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream. Use full-fat for the richest texture.
- Apple cider vinegar. Adds bright acidity.
- Dijon mustard. Provides depth and a subtle sharpness.
- Granulated sugar. Balances tang and savory notes without making the dressing sweet.
- Fresh dill, finely chopped. Fresh dill gives the best flavor; dried dill can be used in a pinch.
- Seasonings. Granulated garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 4: Assemble the Pea Salad and Chill
In a large bowl, combine drained peas, cooked bacon, diced red onion, and diced cheddar. Fold gently with a rubber spatula to avoid crushing the peas. Use sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cut into small cubes slightly larger than the peas so each bite has a balanced mix.
Fold in roughly two-thirds of the dressing, reserving the remainder in the refrigerator. Cover the salad tightly and chill for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 to 4 hours, to let flavors meld.
Step 5: Finish the Salad
Remove the salad from the fridge and stir in as much of the reserved dressing as you prefer — use it all for a very creamy salad, or less for a lighter result. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Garnish with extra crumbled bacon, a few dill fronds, and freshly cracked black pepper before serving. Serve cold straight from the refrigerator; when transporting to a picnic use an insulated bowl to keep it chilled.
Serving Pea Salad
Do not leave the salad out more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or higher. Stir before serving if the dressing settles.
This pea salad pairs well with grilled burgers, hot dogs, brats, potato salad, coleslaw, and grilled or smoked chicken and ribs.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Store leftover pea salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Expect the peas and bacon to soften over time; the salad is best within the first two days. Do not freeze: the mayonnaise-and-sour-cream dressing will separate and peas will lose texture.
Make-ahead: Cook and cool the peas and bacon, chop the onion and cheddar, and store components and dressing separately overnight. Re-crisp bacon briefly in a pan if cooked a day ahead, then assemble and chill for a few hours before serving.
More Salads for Picnics and Cookouts
- Loaded Potato Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Orzo Salad with Feta
- Southwest Pasta Salad
- Spinach Pea Salad with Bacon and Summer Sausage
- Macaroni Salad
Pea Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon (10–11 ounces), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cups frozen peas
- 1/3 cup small diced red onion
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese, diced into small cubes
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and the pieces are crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
- Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add the frozen peas and cook 1 to 1½ minutes until heated through. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Once cooled, drain well in a colander.
- Add drained peas, bacon, red onion, and cheddar to a large bowl. Fold together gently to avoid breaking the peas.
- In a separate bowl, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, granulated garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Fold two-thirds of the dressing into the salad until well coated. Reserve the remaining dressing, covered, in the refrigerator. Cover the salad tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably 2 to 4 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and fold in as much reserved dressing as you like. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with extra crumbled bacon, fresh dill fronds, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
Bacon: Thick-cut, hickory-smoked bacon adds a meatier bite. Reserve a tablespoon of extra crispy bacon for garnish if desired. Bacon can also be baked and crumbled.
Peas: Two 10-ounce bags of frozen peas yield about 4 cups. For safety, blanch frozen peas rather than simply thawing before adding to the salad. If using fresh peas, cook until crisp-tender, then shock in ice water and drain.
Red onion: Soak diced red onion in ice water for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce sharpness while keeping it crisp; drain well.
Cheddar: Sharp or extra-sharp both work; dice slightly larger than the peas so each bite has balance.
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is an approximation.
Recipes are developed using US customary measurements and have not been tested for high altitude cooking.