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This Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing is one of those salads that even non-salad eaters go back for seconds. With tender spinach, creamy eggs, crispy bacon, earthy mushrooms, and a warm, tangy dressing, it delivers bold flavor using everyday ingredients and less than 15 minutes of hands-on prep.
Looking for more flavorful salads? Don't miss my recipes for BLT salad, Strawberry Spinach Salad, and Copycat Panera Greek Salad.
Kristen's Keys for Spinach Bacon Salad
For a spinach bacon salad that strikes the perfect balance between salty, creamy, fresh, warm, and tangy, it all comes down to the right ingredients and timing.
- Save the bacon drippings. That tablespoon of bacon fat is the base of the dressing. It adds richness and helps the dressing cling to the spinach instead of sliding right off.
- Use fresh, dry spinach. The dressing can not cling to damp greens, making this a time that drying the greens is exceptionally important. Use a salad spinner or a clean kitchen towel.
- Don't overcook the eggs. Aim for set eggs that are still a bit creamy for rich contrast. Using my method for Instant Pot Hard boiled eggs is nearly foolproof for but I have included stovetop instructions as well.
- Dress the salad right before serving. You can prep the components in advance, but wait to assemble and dress the salad right before serving. That will ensure a slightly wilted, perfectly balanced salad rather than soggy, damp spinach.
How to Make Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
While there are many components to creating the perfect spinach salad with warm bacon dressing, everything comes together with minimal effort. Even a beginner cook can easily prepare this impressive salad.
Step One: Prepare Hard Boiled Eggs
Begin this recipe by preparing hard-boiled eggs. You can opt to use my recipe for Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs (my favorite!) or use the following stovetop method.
To make hard boiled eggs on the stove, place eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 14 minutes. After 14 minutes, transfer the eggs to an ice bath to chill completely.
Step Two: Soak Onions
While the eggs are cooking, thinly slice the red onion and soak in cold water while you prep everything else. This takes the sharp edge off the onion so it adds flavor without overpowering every bite.
Step Three: Prepare Bacon & Dressing
Add chopped bacon to a skillet and pan-fry over medium-high heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving for later.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan to begin to build the warm bacon dressing. To those drippings, add vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and pepper. Whisk over low heat until slightly thickened.
Remove the dressing from the heat and give a quick taste. If the dressing tastes flat, add a pinch of salt.
Step Four: Assemble Salad
At this point, the components are ready to go. Drain the onions, peel and slice eggs, and slice the spinach.
To assemble, layer spinach in a large bowl. Top with eggs, onions, mushrooms, and bacon. Drizzle the warm dressing over the salad, and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Advance Preparation
Spinach Bacon Salad is best if assembled and served immediately before serving for best results. That said, you can prepare the components up to 3 days in advance. making it a perfect salad for entertaining or busy weeknights. Follow my tips below to pull this salad together effortlessly.
- Prepare the hard-boiled eggs. Once cooled, peel the eggs, discarding the shell, but do not slice them until right before assembling the salad. Store the peeled eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Pan-fry the bacon as directed. Allow the bacon to cool and then store the crumbled bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Use the bacon drippings to prepare the dressing as directed. Let cool slightly and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Place the sliced onions in a glass jar and cover with cold water. Store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, until ready to serve the salad.
When ready to serve, slice the hard-boiled eggs, drain the onions, and warm the bacon dressing by microwaving it in a heat-safe dish in 20 second-intervals until smooth and warmed through. Then assemble as directed.
Serving Suggestions
Warm Bacon Spinach Salad is so rich in flavor, making it a great dish to serve with dishes that can stand up to bold flavor, or when you want to really make an impression. Below are a few of my favorite entrees to pair with this salad.
Spinach Bacon Salad
Video
Ingredients
Spinach Salad
- 8 ounces spinach, washed and dried
- 5 slices thick-sliced bacon, diced into bite-size pieces
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 6 ounces button mushrooms, sliced, optional
Warm Bacon Dressing
- 1 tablespoon warm bacon grease, reserved from cooked bacon
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prepare hard-boiled eggs according to the directions below. While the eggs are cooking, place the thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl and cover it with cold water. Set aside to soak while the remainder of the salad is being prepared.
- Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Place the chopped bacon in the pan and pan-fry for 3-4 minutes per side, or until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon from the frying pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon grease for the dressing.
- To the same skillet that the bacon was prepared in combine the drippings with the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and pepper. Whisk together until slightly thickened and creamy. Remove from the heat and taste to see if you need to add a pinch of salt--that will depend upon how salty your bacon is.
- To prepare the salad, drain off water from red onions and peel and slice the hard-boiled eggs. Toss the spinach with the cooked bacon, onions, and eggs. Toss with the warm dressing and serve immediately.
Stove-Top Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Place 3 eggs into a saucepan and cover with water. Turn the heat to high and allow the water to come to a rapid boil. Once the water has reached a rapid boil, cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from heat and leave covered for 14 minutes. After 14 minutes, transfer the eggs to an ice bath to chill completely.
Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Pour 1 cup of cold water into the inner pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot, or 1 ½ cups of cold water into the inner pot of an 8-quart Instant Pot. Place a trivet or egg rack into the inner pot and add the eggs to the rack. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. After the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release of any remaining pressure. Place the eggs into an ice bath for 5 minutes, or until chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made this many times. One of my husband's most requested recipes and he doesn't even like salad!
Now that is a compliment! Thanks for sharing, Susan!
Kudos to you for this lovely recipe! My husband and I loved it. My daughter happened to be here the night we had this salad and she also loved it! (And wants the recipe)
Thanks for sharing, Sue! I love hearing your family enjoyed.
I loved this recipe..a great alternative to my usual lettuce and tomato salad! I added just a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the finished salad, not too much!