This simple garlic ranch layered salad recipe is all about texture—crisp lettuce, smoky bacon, sweet peas, and a cool, creamy garlic ranch dressing layered together in the simplest way. It’s the kind of salad you spot right away at a summer potluck, usually sitting in a glass bowl, chilled just enough, and always scraped clean by the end of the meal. Light, familiar, and easy to make ahead, it’s perfect for backyard BBQs, family reunions, and those gatherings where everyone brings a dish and leaves with a full plate and a good story. It was one of my favorites growing up and always will be. It all comes together in just a few short steps. We come back to this numerous times each year because of the ease, and the kids love it! It’s an easy way for us to sneak in some healthy veggies.

Ingredients for Simple Garlic Ranch Layered Salad

• 2 small bags of shredded lettuce, or 2 heads of lettuce sliced.

• 1/2 Cup celery sliced thin (And remember to wash it thoroughly, you don’t want dirt in your salad)

• 1 Green chopped green pepper.

• 1/2 purple onion sliced

• 1 Small package of frozen peas

• 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

• 1 1/2 Cup Sour Cream

• 2 Tbsp. Sugar

• 8 oz. Shredded Cheese

• About 6 slices of cooked chopped bacon, or about 1/2 cup real bacon pieces.

• 2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic

• 1 packet powered ranch, or you can use about 1/4 cup liquid ranch.

Tips and Extras

Lettuce: If you are in a budget crunch it can be inexpensive to simply chop the lettuce yourself. If you do this, you also can handpick a fresher head of iceberg lettuce rather than picking the bad pieces out of the bag. The lettuce portion of the salad has many other options that you can also use both for different texture and flavor. Green leaf lettuce, a handful of spinach (minus the stems) or red leaf lettuce to add a little more color are all great options. Make sure to give it a good wash!

Peas: Frozen peas are the best option when assembling. It isn’t recommended using canned peas as it will alter the texture and create a mushy unsavory taste. You don’t even need to defrost them before adding. Just add them frozen, and they will help keep the salad cool before serving.

Bacon: You can use precooked bacon, real bacon pieces, and if you have the extra time, you can chop your own cooked bacon. If you make your own, it adds a great extra crunch.

Sour Cream: You can use Greek yogurt as a substitution; however, it may alter the taste slightly.

Additions: If you are looking to add a little more heat, add some red pepper flakes or diced jalapenos to the dressing mixture. Also, do be afraid to use pepperjack cheese in place of the cheddar.

You can easily add this to a trifle bowl, and layer it any way you like. This was you can see all the ingredients neatly layered but just make sure you get a little drizzle of the dressing on each of the layers.

Simple Garlic Ranch Layered Salad

Layers of crisp lettuce, bacon, peas, and a creamy garlic ranch dressing come together in this easy, crowd-pleasing salad. Light enough for hot summer days and always welcome at BBQs and family meals.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 2 hours hours

Calories:

Equipment

• 1 9X13 Dish You can make this in a trifle dish, but you may need to scale back the ingredients depending on the size of the trifle bowl.

Ingredients

• 2 Bags Shredded lettuce, or 2 heads of lettuce sliced thin. Either works great.
• ½ Cup Celery sliced thin
• 1 Chopped green pepper.
• ½ Purple onion sliced
• 1 Small bag Frozen peas (thawed)
• ½ Cup Mayonnaise
• 1½ Cup Sour Cream
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 8 oz Shredded Cheese
• 6 slices Cooked chopped bacon, or about 1/2 cup real bacon pieces if that works better.
• 2 tbsp Minced garlic
• 1 pkg Ranch seasoning Or you can use about 1/4 cup liquid ranch.

Instructions

• Layer the bottom of the baking dish with the shredded lettuce.
• Next sprinkle the celery, green pepper, onion and peas.

Instructions for the dressing

• Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch seasoning, sugar, and garlic.
• Spoon the dressing mixture on next.
• Sprinkle the top with cheese and bacon.
• Chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Video

Notes

There really is no set way to layer.  You are free to layer the ingredients in any order that you wish.  We often do it different every time, however it is best to put the lettuce down first. 

Salad Assembly

• Layer the bottom of the baking dish with the shredded lettuce.

• Next sprinkle the celery, green pepper, onion and peas.

• Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch seasoning, sugar, and garlic in a small bowl.

• Spoon the dressing mixture on next.

• Sprinkle the top with cheese and bacon.

• Chill in the fridge for a few hours.

This layered salad keeps things simple. The lettuce stays fresh under the creamy garlic ranch dressing, while the bacon adds smoky crunch and the peas bring just enough sweetness to balance it all out. Because everything is layered instead of tossed, the textures hold up beautifully, making it easy to prep ahead without turning soggy. It’s especially fun to make in a clear trifle dish, where the layers are on full display and everyone can see what’s coming. With no cooking involved, it’s also a great recipe for kids to help with—just layering, sprinkling, and a little patience while it chills. The trifle option is great as well or you can also try Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, Garden Pasta Salad, or a Simple Spinach Salad. All great options!