Georgia Cracker Salad is a delightful Southern “salad” that pays homage to one of the South’s greatest dishes, the tomato sandwich! Think of this dish as a tomato sandwich in salad form. Crackers, juicy chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and a few other herbs and seasonings combine for a super easy dish.

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I’ll admit, when I first heard of cracker salad, I was a bit unsure if I would really like this “salad,” but let me tell you, it’s absolutely delicious! You must try it. It is said to have originated in southeast Georgia. It’s served at many restaurants and tea rooms, and Georgia native Paula Deen is a big fan of this salad too!

Why You’ll Love Georgia Cracker Salad

Cracker salad is a versatile option, perfect for a light lunch, a refreshing side dish, or even a potluck contribution. It’s an old fashioned recipe that you just must try yourself!

If you’ve ever had the privilege of biting down into a tomato sandwich (lightly toasted bread, tomato slice, mayo and salt and pepper) then you know how delightful this simple Southern sandwich can be! Now you can serve it in a new way!

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

CRACKERS: You can substitute Ritz or Townhouse crackers for the saltines if you like! The key here is not to add them in to the rest of the ingredients until you are ready to serve this cracker salad so they’ll stay crunchy for that perfect texture. No one wants soggy crackers! If you do substitute crackers, aim for about 35-40 total crackers.

TOMATOES: You can truly use any tomato variety. Regular garden tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, any variety will be fine! Just seed them as best as you can and chop them up. Just pat them dry with a paper towel to soak up any extra juices.

MAYONNAISE: Opt for a high-quality mayo like Duke’s mayonnaise or Hellman’s! Feel free to add more or less mayo depending on your preferences.

GREEN ONION: You can substitute in diced red onion if you prefer. Or leave it completely out! I just love the extra flavor the green onion gives this cracker salad.

GARLIC POWDER: Every dish is a little better with a pinch of garlic powder!

SALT/PEPPER: Add a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper and adjust to your liking! I usually end up with about 1/4 tsp of sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.

PARSLEY: Add diced parsley on top for a touch of greenery and flavor. You can sub this in for chives, thyme, etc. Or leave it out if you don’t have it!

HARD-BOILED EGG: On occasion, some people include a chopped, hard-boiled egg in their Georgia cracker salad mix, I personally don’t love this addition, so I leave it out. It’s not included in the cracker salad served at the charming Mallery Street Café in St. Simons, Georgia so I’m sticking with leaving the egg out, but add it if you like!

More Recipe Notes:

Want to make your Georgia cracker salad a little heartier? Add some protein! You could easily add shrimp or shredded chicken to this salad to give it a bit more “oomph” and turn it into an easy lunch salad! Want more crunch? Add chopped bacon on top!

I’ve even thought about adding some shredded white cheddar cheese to this salad, what do you think?

Can you make Cracker Salad in advance?

Georgia Cracker Salad is best served right after being made, so don’t plan to save any to eat later, the crackers will lose their crunch! If you are looking to save time, prep everything else in the recipe in advance, then stir in the crumbled crackers at the last minute!

More Easy Salads

I hope you give this old fashioned Southern salad recipe a try! It’s super simple, tasty and so easy to make for cookouts, picnics, potlucks and more!