A cool, crisp Classic Wedge Salad is one of the best staples, ever. This famous steakhouse salad features crunchy iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, chives, and drizzled with a scratch-made blue cheese dressing. It’s a salad you can pair alongside your main entree or enjoy all on its own, it’s delicious like that!

dressed wedge salad on white platter with tomatoes and bacon

Listennnn, a wedge salad is one of those can’t-get-enough and won’t-ever-get-tired-of-it kind of classic for me. Y’all know exactly what I mean, like, a food item that stays heavy in your rotation. Whenever I’m planning out meals for the week or looking for what to pair with a main entree, a wedge salad is somewhere in the mix. It really needs no introduction, but so happy to share this one!

Classic Iceberg Wedge Salad 🙌🏾

A wedge salad, unlike individual leaves of lettuce or a chopped salad, consists of a whole wedge of iceberg lettuce piled high with accouterments. It’s a steakhouse favorite with classic toppings like juicy cherry tomatoes + smoky crumbled bacon, and slathered in blue cheese dressing. There’s no gussying up a wedge salad, its simple and less is more approach is so friggin’ delicious!

⇢ Whether it’s my honey mustard chicken, this crispy parmesan crusted chicken, or this detroit-style pizza…a wedge salad pairs well with many things.

iceberg wedge salad on white platter

Wedge Salad Ingredients You’ll Need:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • For the homemade blue cheese dressing: blue cheese crumbles, buttermilk, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, garlic, fresh chopped parsley, and salt/pepper- to taste. This scratch-made dressing is *chefs kiss*!
  • For the wedge salad: head of iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bacon, and fresh chopped chives for garnish- optional. Minimal ingredients, big flavor!
head of iceberg lettuce cut in half and checkered cutting board
cut the head in half
iceberg lettuce cut into quarter wedges on checkered cutting board
…then cut each half into quarters

How To Make A Wedge Salad:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

  1. Make the blue cheese dressing– In a bowl or mason jar, combine the blue cheese crumbles, buttermilk, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, garlic, chopped parsley, and salt/pepper- to taste. Stir the dressing until all ingredients are well combined. Cover dressing and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
  2. Prep lettuce– Remove the outer leaves of lettuce as these ones are usually a bit wilted and kinda dirty. Carefully rinse the remaining head of lettuce and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the head of lettuce on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the head in half from the top and slicing down to the core. Then cut each half of lettuce once more into quarters/wedges. Cut the core off each quarter while keeping the wedge intact.
  3. Assemble wedge salad & serve– To serve up family-style, place the 4 wedge quarters onto a large platter (or serve on individual plates). First, spoon/drizzle the desired amount of dressing over the individual wedges. Top each wedge with tomatoes and crumbled bacon. Garnish wedge salad with fresh chopped chives, if desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

⇢ This type of salad is the definition of low-effort, high-reward, peeps! 😋

blue cheese dressing in small pink bowl with gold spoon

Tips + Tricks, Notes & FAQs

You may have additional questions about this wedge salad recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info you might find helpful:

  • Blue cheese alternatives: Great substitutes that have a similar complexity in flavor & texture of blue cheese include roquefort cheese, stilton cheese, or gorgonzola cheese! Any of those alternatives work well.
  • Buttermilk substitute: Combine 1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, stir mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes. Then use this “homemade buttermilk” for the dressing. You can also use plain kefir!
  • Mayonnaise substitute: Feel free to use full-fat sour cream.
  • Don’t eat pork? Try using turkey bacon, just get it extra crispy!
  • Storing homemade salad dressing: Keep the dressing stored inside of an airtight container or jar at all times, and it’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Always stir the dressing well before using.
assembled wedge salad with bacon and tomatoes on white platter

Blue Cheese Dressing Alternative?

Haha, I get it. Blue cheese is one of those very polarizing foods that some people love while others cannot stand. Me? I have zero qualms with it, gimme all the funky-pungent, tangy, sharp, and creamy goodness that is blue cheese. However, if you’re not a fan of the blue cheese, I recommend using ranch dressing or a dressing of your choice for your wedge salad.

How To Eat A Wedge Salad?

Because of its structure, a good ole fork and knife is the best way to go at a wedge salad, breaking it apart while eating.

Can I Add More Toppings?

A wedge salad isn’t a salad with a whole ton of toppings, in fact, it’s one of the main reasons why folks love it. The classic iceberg wedge salad staples are tomatoes, bacon, and blue cheese dressing. Although, feel free to customize with avocado, red onion, hard boiled egg, or sliced radish. Keep the toppings as minimal as possible, I’d add only 1-2 more on top of what the recipe calls for.

Wedge Salad & Protein Pairings

This salad pairs well with a few different kinds of protein like…

  • Grilled/sautéed/baked chicken
  • Grilled/pan-seared steak
  • Sautéed shrimp
  • Grilled/pan-seared salmon
closeup of iceberg wedge salad on white platter

A Classic Wedge Salad is one of those simple, effortless staples that hits time and time again. I know y’all will enjoy it! Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

More irresistibly good recipes to swoon over:

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dressed wedge salad on white platter with tomatoes and bacon

Classic Iceberg Wedge Salad

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  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side Dishes, Appetizers
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

A cool, crisp Classic Wedge Salad is one of the best staples, ever. This famous steakhouse salad features crunchy iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, chives, and drizzled with a scratch-made blue cheese dressing. It’s a salad you can pair alongside your main entree or enjoy all on its own, it’s delicious like that!

Ingredients

Scale

For the blue cheese dressing:

  • 1 cup blue cheese crumbles (aged)
  • ¾ – 1 cup whole buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup full-fat mayonnaise (we love Duke’s!)
  • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the wedge salad:

  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 quarters
  • 6 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked to a crisp & then crumbled
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish- optional

Instructions

For the blue cheese dressing:

  1. In a bowl or mason jar, combine the blue cheese crumbles, ¾ cup buttermilk, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, garlic, chopped parsley, and salt/pepper- to taste. Stir the dressing until well combined- if you prefer a drippier dressing consistency, add an additional ¼ cup of buttermilk. Give the dressing a taste test and adjust with more salt/pepper, as needed. Cover dressing and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld.

For the wedge salad:

  1. Prep lettuce. Remove the outer leaves of lettuce as these ones are usually a bit wilted and somewhat dirty. Carefully rinse the remaining head of lettuce and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the head of lettuce on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the head in half from the top and slicing down to the core. Then cut each half of lettuce once more into quarters/wedges. Cut the tiny bit of core off each quarter while keeping the wedge intact.
  2. Assemble wedge salad & serve. To serve up family-style, place the 4 wedges onto a large platter (or serve on individual plates). First, spoon/drizzle the desired amount of dressing over the individual wedges. Top each wedge with tomatoes and crumbled bacon. Garnish wedge salad with fresh chopped chives, if desired. I also like to hit them with a little freshly cracked black pepper as well- totally optional. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Blue cheese alternatives: Great substitutes that have a similar complexity in flavor & texture of blue cheese include roquefort cheese, stilton cheese, or gorgonzola cheese!
  2. Buttermilk substitute: Combine 1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, stir mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes. Then use this “homemade buttermilk” in recipe above. You can also use plain kefir if you’d like!
  3. Mayonnaise substitute: Feel free to use full-fat sour cream.
  4. Storing homemade salad dressing: Keep the dressing stored inside of an airtight container or jar at all times, and it’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Always stir well before using.
  5. Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

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