These Wedge Salad Skewers pack all the classic wedge salad flavors onto individual skewers—making them a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side for backyard barbecues, potlucks, and summer gatherings.
The recipe gives options for shortcuts with store-bought ingredients or fully homemade components. Either way, guests will enjoy this playful, flavorful way to serve a salad.
Wedge Salad Skewers
These wedge salad skewers are ideal for serving a group on a hot day. They’re quick to assemble, mostly make-ahead friendly, and deliver the satisfying crunch and bold flavors of a traditional wedge salad in bite-sized form.
Each skewer is made with a chunk of iceberg lettuce, candied bacon, a cherry tomato, creamy blue cheese dressing, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. For extra texture and flavor, sprinkle minced red onion and additional blue cheese crumbles on top before serving.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Iceberg Lettuce – the classic choice for a wedge salad. Iceberg forms a tight head, making it easy to cut into roughly 1″ cubes for skewering.
- Tomatoes – cherry tomatoes are convenient since they don’t require slicing. Choose firm, similarly sized tomatoes so the skewers look uniform.
- Candied Bacon – regular sliced bacon tossed with brown sugar and baked until glossy and slightly chewy. (Tip: don’t over-crisp it or it will crumble on the skewer.)
- Balsamic Glaze – store-bought glaze works, or reduce balsamic vinegar with a little sugar until thick and syrupy for a quick homemade version.
- Blue Cheese Dressing – use your favorite store-bought dressing or blend a homemade mixture for richer flavor. Ranch can be substituted if preferred.
How to Make This Wedge Salad Recipe
- Prepare the bacon. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or spray it with nonstick spray. Lay bacon slices in a single layer and sprinkle half the brown sugar over them.
- Bake the candied bacon. Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes, remove the tray, sprinkle the remaining brown sugar, then return to the oven 5–10 minutes more. Watch closely so it doesn’t become too crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then cut into 1″ pieces.
- Make the balsamic glaze. Combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until reduced by about half and syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Make the blue cheese dressing. Blend sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stir in blue cheese and break up larger pieces with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Assemble the skewers. Cut the iceberg into 1″ strips, then into 1″ cubes. Thread onto toothpicks or small skewers: a lettuce cube, a 1″ piece of candied bacon, and a cherry tomato. Repeat to create as many skewers as needed.
- Serve. Arrange skewers on a platter, drizzle with balsamic glaze and blue cheese dressing, and garnish with extra blue cheese or minced red onion if desired. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
A wedge salad is traditionally made from a quartered or chopped head of iceberg lettuce. It’s commonly topped with bacon and blue cheese dressing, and often includes tomatoes and red onion.
Any sliced bacon will work, but avoid cooking it to a brittle crisp. Slightly chewy candied bacon holds together better on a toothpick and pairs beautifully with blue cheese and iceberg lettuce.
You can prepare the dressing and balsamic reduction up to four days ahead and refrigerate in airtight containers. Cook the bacon a day ahead and store it sealed; briefly reheat in the microwave to re-crisp before assembling.
Storing Instructions
- Kabobs: best eaten the same day; store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 24 hours.
- Blue cheese dressing: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Balsamic reduction: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.
- Candied bacon: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Wedge Salad Skewers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
Candied Bacon
- 1 pound bacon
- 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
Balsamic Glaze Reduction
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 ounces blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
Candied Bacon
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or spray with nonstick spray. Lay bacon in a single layer and sprinkle half the brown sugar over the slices.
- Bake about 15 minutes, remove and sprinkle remaining brown sugar, then bake 5–10 more minutes until glossy but not brittle. Cool on a rack and cut into 1″ pieces.
Balsamic Glaze
- Combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Simmer until reduced by half and syrupy. Cool completely.
Blue Cheese Dressing
- Blend sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stir in blue cheese and mash larger pieces with a fork until mostly smooth.
Assembling
- Cut the iceberg into 1″ cubes.
- Thread a lettuce cube, a 1″ piece of candied bacon, and a cherry tomato onto each toothpick.
- Arrange on a platter, drizzle with balsamic glaze and blue cheese dressing, garnish if desired, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates calculated with a third-party tool.
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Did you make this?
Leave a rating below if you tried the recipe and enjoy creating variations—swap dressings or add garnishes to suit your taste.
More of the Best Summer Appetizers
- Zucchini Fries
- Corn Salsa
- Zucchini Chips
- Pesto Pinwheels
- Fruit Charcuterie Board
- Pork Carnitas Nachos
- More Summer Recipes
- More Simple Appetizers
These wedge salad kabobs deliver classic wedge salad ingredients on a stick—iceberg lettuce, candied bacon, creamy blue cheese dressing, and a homemade balsamic glaze—perfect for summer entertaining.