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A wedge salad is a simple but satisfying dish made with crisp iceberg lettuce, creamy homemade Thousand Island dressing, and fresh toppings. It’s easy to put together, looks impressive on the table, and can be customized with your favorite add-ins.
Wedge salads are a steakhouse classic, so they pair perfectly with my Cast Iron Steak or Prime Rib.
5 Things That Will Make of Break Your Wedge Salad
- Start with cold lettuce. Use a head of crisp iceberg lettuce. Rinse it well, dry it, and chill it in the fridge before cutting—it tastes fresher and crunchier when it’s cold.
- Cut into wedges. Slice the head into quarters or sixths, depending on how big you want each portion. Keep the core in until serving so the leaves stay together.
- Dress it right. This recipe includes a recipe for homemade Thousand Island dressing, which is my personal choice for topping a wedge salad. Blue cheese dressing is classic, but ranch works too. Drizzle it over the top instead of mixing so it coats the leaves without drowning them.
- Add texture. Crisp bacon, chopped tomatoes, and onion are the usual toppings, but you can add croutons, cucumbers, or avocado for variety.
- Keep it simple. Since the salad is pretty hearty, you don’t need too many extras. A few well-chosen toppings make it feel balanced without being heavy.
recipe walkthrough
How to Make a Wedge Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
- Wash and dry the lettuce. Peel off the outer layers, and cut the head of iceberg lettuce into 4 quarters, keeping the core in tact. Gently rinse the leaves, then pat them dry with paper towels. Carefully cut out the core and place cut side up on serving pl
ates. - Chop the toppings. To make this salad easier to eat, and prettier, you’ll want to dice all of the ingredients into small, bite sized pieces. Anything that is jarred and stored in a liquid should be well drained.
- Assemble. Lay the wedge of iceberg lettuce a each plate, pointing up. Drizzle with dressing (this helps the toppings to stick, then sprinkle on toppings. Finish with a couple turns of fresh cracked pepper.
- Serve. Include a fork and knife for easy eating.
How to Make Thousand Island Dressing
Whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, grated onion, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt and black pepper in a bowl and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
- If not serving right away or if you have some dressing leftover after serving the wedge salads, store the dressing in a mason jar or another type of container with a tightly fitted lid.
Variations
I love this salad just the way we make it, but there are several different variations I’ve come up with that are just as delicious. If you’re looking to try something a little different for your salad course, try these wedge salad variations:
- Classic: Diced bacon, tomatoes, onions, blue cheese crumbles and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
- Southwest: Black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, zesty Ranch dressing (add taco seasoning) and tortilla strips.
- Mexican: Diced avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, pepitas, pepper jack cheese, lime juice, ranch dressing.
- Italian: Sundried tomatoes, pepperoncinis, olives, salami, mozzarella cheese, zesty Italian dressing.
- Greek: Kalamata olives, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, lemon vinaigrette.
Storage Tips
How to Store
Prepping and storing the lettuce:
- Cut the iceberg into wedges but leave the core in place—this helps hold everything together.
- Wrap each wedge tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container lined with paper towels.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Storing the toppings: Store bacon, chopped veggies, and dressing separately in their own containers. This keeps everything fresh and prevents the lettuce from getting soggy.
Assembling: I don’t recommend assembling the salads ahead of time. For make-ahead, prep all the components and store them separately. Assemble and dress the wedges just before serving so they stay crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Iceberg lettuce is traditional because it’s crisp and holds its shape when cut into wedges. Romaine is a good alternative. Other lettuces don’t stay together as well.
Make sure the wedges are dry before storing, and wrap them tightly. Adding a paper towel in the container helps absorb extra moisture.
Recipe Tips
- Prepare all of the ingredients for the salad, including the lettuce wedges, in advance up to 24 hours. Don’t assemble until ready to serve. Or better yet, set up an assembly station and let guests make their own.
- Prepare thousand island dressing in advance. It will last up to two weeks if properly stored.
- Be sure to get sweet pickle relish and not regular dill. There is a definite flavor difference.
More Salad and Salad Dressing Recipes
- Olive Garden Salad Copycat
- Bibb & Blue Salad (Macaroni Grill Copycat)
- Bacon Avocado Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Easy BLT Pasta Salad
- Classic Cobb Salad
- Simple Spinach Salad
Wedge Salad with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
Ingredients
1000 Island Dressing:
- 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 tablespoon Finely diced or grated onion
- 1 teaspoon Finely minced garlic 1-2 cloves
- 1/2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt or more to taste
- Pinch of black pepper or more to taste
- Couple dashes of hot sauce like Tabasco, if desired
Wedge Salad:
- 2 heads of iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 pound slices of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons Fresh minced chives
- 4 ounces Pepper jack cheese shredded or cut into chunks
- 1 pint Grape or cherry tomatoes diced
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
Dressing:
- Whisk together ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Store in a tightly covered container or jar in the refrigerator.
Salad Assembly:
- Remove the outer layers of the head of iceberg lettuce, and cut it in half, then those pieces in half again, creating wedges. Cut the end to remove the stem.
- Place wedges onto 4 separate plates. Top with homemade 1000 island dressing, bacon crumbles, shredded pepper jack cheese and diced tomatoes. Garnish with fresh minced chives and fresh cracked black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Soooo good! We are partial to thousand island too. I prep lettuce in a fun way; peel outer leaves off of iceberg; core it, run cold water into core area and let it flow for a minute. Tip the lettuce core side down in a bowl and let it drain in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour. Perfectly cold and crisp and dry😇
Nice! Love the feedback Sandra! Thanks for stopping by.
This recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome Brittany! Thank you for stopping by.