Take your summer grilling to a whole new level with these 30 incredible BBQ sides! You’ll be the hit of the party, whether you’re hosting or just bringing a BBQ side dish to a backyard gathering.
From light and easy salad recipes, to decadent cheesy potato dishes and so much more, there’s a side dish to serve with all your favorite grilled entrees!
While most people worry about the grill when it comes to a summertime BBQ, I tend to focus more on the side dishes. BBQ sides are actually my favorite – in fact, I could always make a meal out of the sides and skip the entrée entirely!
If sides are your jam, you’re in the right place! We’ve got you covered with an incredible array of BBQ side dishes that are perfect for serving your crew.
This post is divided into categories, so use the drop down Table of Contents menu for ease of navigation. Don’t forget to pin it and save for later!
BBQ Sides
When you’re planning a summertime cookout for family and friends, you might already have your main dish in mind. Whether it’s burgers, brats, chicken kabobs, ribs or pulled pork, these side dishes are sure to please!
So many of them can feed a crowd, but be sure to use the sliding bar to adjust ingredients for more servings if necessary. We’ve made it so easy!
Wondering how to get your temperatures just right on the grill? Don’t skip this free printable Meat Temperature Chart!
I’ve also got tips about how to set up an incredible Burger Bar, and even our favorite Gourmet Burger recipe.
Tips
- Check with guests about restrictions and allergies so you can accommodate.
- Serve a few vegetarian sides to cover a variety of lifestyles, no matter the entrees!
- Choose one item from each category for a fabulous array of BBQ sides – a couple healthier options, and a couple indulgent ones. This makes for a great mix to please everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions
Corn, coleslaw and baked beans are the most popular BBQ side dishes in the Midwest. It varies both culturally and regionally!
Yes, pasta salad is an excellent side dish for barbeque! It’s wonderful because it’s quite inexpensive to make, but feeds a crowd.
BBQ Side Dish Recipes
Here we go – let’s do this! Each recipe link will take you to a post with a printable recipe card, making it so easy to plan your menu.
Salads
From pasta salads to loaded green salads, we’ve got them all!
Green Salads
First up, green salads. Fresh, flavorful and packed full of nutrients, these are beautiful to serve and a great way to balance a more decadent meal.
Simple Spring Salad Mix
This spring salad mix is the perfect summer salad to take with you to picnics and pot lucks. Full of vibrant fruits, pecans and cheese, you can prep the salad at home and whip up some vinaigrette and have a fresh, easy-to-transport salad.
Seven Layer Salad
This Seven Layer Salad is full of vivid, bold color and bright flavors. There’s a reason this classic 7 layer salad has been so popular over the years, and you’ll remember it with every crunchy bite!
Red White And Blue Salad
Ready in minutes and perfect for picnics, you’ll love this pretty garden-fresh salad that can be displayed as an American flag or more traditionally mixed.
Classic Cabbage Salad
This delicious, refreshing Cabbage salad recipe is the perfect choice for potlucks, barbecues and so much more. Learn the secrets to the light and tangy cabbage salad dressing in this fresh and fabulous side dish!
Arugula Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
This is an easy and refreshing recipe for an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette. This simple salad is so perfect for the warmer weather, and is perfect to serve as a simple side or appetizer.
Apple Salad Recipe
This is a fresh, crunchy Apple Salad that is full of flavor! It’s a sweet and savory Apple Salad Recipe with butter lettuce and wholesome ingredients.
Peach Salad With Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
This peach salad features a memorable sweet and savory honey dijon vinaigrette. The peach flavor is perfect for summer, and the honey and mustard dressing is tangy and sweet!
Pasta Salads
The ultimate summertime side, pasta salad always serves a crowd and is pretty affordable to make. I’ve got a great range of Pasta Salad Recipes, so don’t skip this complete Pasta Salad Guide!
Italian Pasta Salad
I’ve integrated my favorite Italian Dressing and favorite Italian Salad into this easy, full of flavor Italian Pasta Salad recipe. We love pasta salad in our house, especially in the summer!
The Best Spaghetti Salad
Spaghetti salad is an incredibly flexible, fast pasta salad recipe that is such a crowd pleaser! Tossed in a savory homemade Italian dressing, its a fresh take on a tomato and cucumber salad.
Incredible Veggie Pasta Salad
This veggie pasta salad recipe is bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors and overflowing with nutrients thanks to an array of fresh sautéed veggies. It’s a vegetarian pasta salad side dish or an incredible lunch you can feel good about!
Bow Tie Pasta Salad
This is my most popular and refreshing pasta salad recipe, perfect for summer picnics and outings. This bow tie pasta salad is tossed with an amazing, light and zesty dressing.
Mexican Pasta Salad
This is an easy 20 minute pasta salad recipe, full of vibrant flavor. It is great for making ahead and is the perfect side dish to add to your bbq line-up.
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad is a light and refreshing alternative to classic pasta salads. It’s full of fresh flavor and is made in minutes with a few simple ingredients.
Potatoes
Potatoes, whether served warm and cheesy or cold in potato salad, make an excellent BBQ side dish!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
These quick and easy grilled sweet potatoes in foil make an excellent side dish for all your favorite barbeque entrees! They are healthy, savory and so easy to customize to every individual’s tastes.
Potato Salad with Egg
There is that one little secret that makes this classic potato salad with egg so amazing…and lucky for you, I don’t believe in keeping secrets.
Grilled Baked Potatoes
These grilled baked potatoes are such an incredible side dish for all your summer grilling adventures! Baked potatoes on the grill are so much better than your oven – they have a perfectly moist, soft and fluffy interior but are incredibly crispy and salty on the outside.
Truffle Fries
Baking your Truffle Fries prevents your home from smelling like grease and makes them so much healthier. Get the recipe for this crispy, classic burger side!
Healthy Sweet Potato Fries
Skip the deep fryer with these Healthy Sweet Potato Fries, ready in less than 30 minutes. If you love sweet potatoes, these Gourmet Fries will blow you away!
Loaded Smashed Red Potatoes
Smashed Red Potatoes make the perfect burger side dish or party appetizer to serve a crowd. These pretty little potatoes are so good, and perfect for entertaining, any time of year!
More Veggies
The are the BBQ side dishes that soak up the joy of the fresh produce available all summer long.
Corn Recipes
In the summer, we get to call corn a vegetable, even if it’s *technically* not one. I hope that works for you, because it works great for me!
Grilled Corn on the Cob
This grilled sweet corn is the ultimate burger side dish. It’s made with just two ingredients. Even better? It’s ready to serve in less than 10 minutes. It’s delightfully smoky, juicy and full of flavor!
Mexican Corn on the Cob
The mix of these salty, citrusy flavors when combined with the tang of cheese and mayo is just BEYOND! It’s an explosion in your mouth- don’t miss this crazy good burger side dish.
Corn Casserole (Cheesy Corn)
Creamy corn casserole made with cream cheese – this cheesy corn doubles as a dip! It’s a classic side dish that is perfect for parties as a dip or a family-friendly side dish.
BBQ Baked Beans with Bacon
Fine, these aren’t exactly a vegetable either, but they count for today, okay? This is one of the most BBQ side dishes ever, and you can’t skip it! Sweet and savory baked beans serve beautifully with grilled foods, and they are inexpensive and easy to make ahead.
Vegetable Sides
Crispy Brussel Sprouts
This Crispy Brussel Sprouts Recipe is bursting with flavor! Brussel Sprouts with pancetta and shallots are sautéed into a fragrant, textural side dish that will leave your family begging for more.
Grilled Green Beans
Meet your new favorite healthy summer side dish! These grilled green beans are perfectly crisp, yet tender and charred just the right amount. They are the best accompaniment to any of your favorite grilled or baked entrees.
Roasted Mushrooms
These are a low carb, low fat side dish that also double as a great topping for your burgers!
Fiesta Ranch Baked Cauliflower
Roasted vegetables are the ultimate way to celebrate the goodness of summer and this fiesta ranch roasted cauliflower is no exception. Just prep and place in the oven as you’re warming up the grill.
Handhelds
When you’re hosting a BBQ or picnic, handhelds make serving so easy! Make these ahead and save the silverware for another time.
Fresh Fruit Skewers
These are kid-friendly, healthy, and so much fun to make and eat!
Mac and Cheese Cups
It’s everyone’s favorite comfort food in the perfect bite-sized portion! Easy to make and even easier to eat, I dare you to try and stop at just one mac and cheese cup!
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed Mushrooms are such an incredible hors d’oeuvre that are always a crowd pleaser. They take just 15 minutes to make before putting them in to the oven to bake!
Best Deviled Eggs
Get the secrets to the best deviled eggs recipe. Once you try this fluffy, creamy, tangy recipe, you’ll never go back. They are devilishly good, and perfect for parties, picnics, Easter and so much more.
What do you think? Are you planning any barbeques to celebrate the start of summer? I’d love to hear from you!
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BBQ Sides
Take your summer grilling to a whole new level with these incredible BBQ sides! You’ll be the hit of the party, whether you’re hosting or just bringing a BBQ side dish to a backyard gathering.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
Veggies (and Corn and Beans)
Instructions
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Select your favorite recipes, or try one from each category!
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Organize all the requested ingredients, and print each recipe card to prep.
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Prep and serve your BBQ sides in under 30 minutes.
Tips
- Check with guests about restrictions and allergies so you can accommodate.
- Serve a few vegetarian sides to cover a variety of lifestyles, no matter the entrees!
- Choose one item from each category for a fabulous array of BBQ sides – a couple healthier options, and a couple indulgent ones. This makes for a great mix to please everyone!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 272kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 62g (21%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 1g (2%), Saturated Fat: 1g (5%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 138mg (6%), Potassium: 1005mg (29%), Fiber: 9g (36%), Sugar: 15g (17%), Vitamin A: 32231IU (645%), Vitamin C: 12mg (15%), Calcium: 70mg (7%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
