Recipe

Classic Iceberg Wedge Salad

Steakhouse-style wedges with chunky blue cheese dressing, bacon, tomatoes, and optional quick pickled red onions.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A restaurant-style iceberg wedge salad on a chilled white plate, topped with chunky blue cheese dressing, crispy bacon crumbles, diced tomatoes, and sliced pickled red onions, natural window light

There are salads that feel like homework, and then there is the wedge. The wedge is crunchy, cold, a little dramatic, and unapologetically covered in a dressing you would absolutely eat with a spoon if nobody was watching.

This is the classic steakhouse version: iceberg cut into wedges, a chunky homemade blue cheese dressing, and the hits on top like crispy bacon and juicy tomatoes. I also highly recommend a pile of quick pickled red onions for that bright, tangy snap that makes every bite pop.

Best part: most of the work is prep-ahead friendly, so when dinner rolls around you can plate it like a restaurant and feel extremely accomplished for essentially cutting lettuce.

A small bowl of chunky homemade blue cheese dressing with visible crumbles and black pepper on a wooden cutting board with a whisk nearby, close-up food photography

Why It Works

Cold, crisp crunch every time: A quick ice bath and a thorough dry keep iceberg snappy, not soggy.
Chunky, not watery dressing: A mayo and sour cream base gives body, while buttermilk loosens it to the perfect drizzle.
Restaurant-style plating: Wedges hold toppings in place so you get bacon, tomato, and blue cheese in every forkful.
Prep-ahead wins: Dressing and pickled onions can be made days ahead, and the bacon can be cooked in advance.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

How to Store Components

Iceberg: Store uncut head wrapped in the fridge up to 1 week. If you already cut wedges, wrap each wedge tightly in paper towels, then plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 2 days for best crunch.
Blue cheese dressing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 to 7 days for best quality. If it smells off, looks odd, or the texture goes weird, toss it. It thickens as it sits. Stir in a splash of buttermilk to loosen before serving.
Cooked bacon: Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days for best quality. Discard if it smells off or feels slimy. Re-crisp in a skillet for 1 to 2 minutes or in the microwave on a paper towel.
Quick pickled red onions: Refrigerate in the brine up to 2 weeks.
Already assembled wedges: They do not keep well. If you expect leftovers, store everything separately and assemble right before eating.

Common Questions

Do I have to use buttermilk?

No. Buttermilk gives that classic tang and a pourable consistency. If you do not have it, use plain milk plus acid: a good rule is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar per 1 cup milk. For this recipe’s 1/4 cup, use about 3/4 teaspoon (1 teaspoon is fine if you like it extra tangy). Let it sit 5 minutes, then use as needed to thin the dressing.

What blue cheese is best for dressing?

Use a blue cheese you like straight up. For a classic steakhouse vibe, go with Roquefort (if you like it bold) or a creamy domestic blue. If you want milder, use Gorgonzola dolce.

How do restaurants get iceberg so cold and crisp?

They keep it cold and dry. For max crunch at home: soak wedges in ice water for 10 minutes, then dry thoroughly. Water left on the leaves is the enemy of crisp edges.

How far ahead can I prep this?

Dressing: up to 1 week
Pickled onions: up to 2 weeks
Bacon: up to 4 days
Lettuce wedges: 1 to 2 days (wrapped well, best crunch)

Can I make it without bacon?

Absolutely. Swap in toasted chopped nuts, crunchy croutons, or even fried onions for that salty crunch factor.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Small mixing bowl
Whisk or fork
Measuring cups and spoons
Skillet for bacon (or sheet pan)
Clean kitchen towels (best for drying wedges)
Jar or container with lid (for dressing and pickled onions)

The wedge salad is my favorite kind of kitchen chaos because it looks fancy, but it is basically just cold lettuce and confidence. The first time I made one at home I went too light on the dressing, like I was being polite. Never again. Now I chill the plates, crank the pepper, and pile on enough blue cheese to make it feel like a real steakhouse moment, even if dinner is just sandwiches on the couch.

Classic Iceberg Wedge Salad

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Wedge Salad

1 large head iceberg lettuce
6 to 8 slices bacon
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1 to 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced)
2 tablespoons chopped chives or thinly sliced green onions (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt, to taste

Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt for a tangier, lighter option)
1/4 cup buttermilk, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar)
1 small garlic clove, finely grated (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional but very steakhouse)
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional Quick Pickled Red Onions

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

Prep the Pickled Onions (Optional)

Make the brine: In a jar or bowl, stir together vinegar, warm water, sugar, and salt until dissolved.
Pickle: Add sliced red onion, press down to submerge, and let sit at least 15 minutes. For a stronger pickle snap, let them go 30 to 60 minutes. Refrigerate if making ahead.

Cook the Bacon

Skillet method: Place bacon in a cold skillet, turn heat to medium, and cook until deeply crisp, flipping as needed, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
Chop: Once cool, chop or crumble into bite-sized pieces.

Make the Blue Cheese Dressing

Base: In a bowl, whisk mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic, and Worcestershire (if using).
Chunk it up: Stir in about 1/2 cup of the blue cheese, keeping some crumbles intact.
Season: Add salt and lots of black pepper. Taste again after the cheese goes in because blue cheese varies a lot. If it is too thick, add buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time.
Finish: Fold in the remaining blue cheese right before serving for extra chunky texture.

Prep the Iceberg

Trim: Remove any wilted outer leaves. Trim the stem just enough to remove brown bits but keep the core intact so the wedge holds together.
Cut: Slice the head in half through the core, then cut each half into 2 wedges for 4 total wedges.
Optional crisp boost: Soak wedges in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then dry very well with clean kitchen towels (a salad spinner can bruise or break wedges).

Assemble

Plate: Place one cold wedge on each plate, cut side up. Chilled plates help if you want the full steakhouse vibe.
Dress: Spoon or drizzle on a generous amount of blue cheese dressing.
Top: Add bacon, tomatoes, chives, and a few pickled red onions if using.
Final touch: Hit it with extra black pepper and a tiny pinch of salt on the tomatoes if needed.

An iceberg lettuce wedge being plated on a white plate with a spoonful of chunky blue cheese dressing and bacon crumbles being sprinkled on top, close-up kitchen action photo

Nutrition information is estimated.

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