Looking for an easy recipe for your summer bbq? This ultimate collection is full of delicious sides, salads and veggies to complement your grilled favorites!
40+ Summer Side Dishes For Your BBQ!
Side Dishes make the meal! Yes, we said it. A great grilled piece of meat is wonderful and what summer is all about, but we’re here for the sides.
If you’re planning on making sides for a crowd here’s a good rule of thumb:
- Make one pasta or potato side, the starches are filling and go great with grilled meats.
- Make something with greens, either a Cole Slaw or a classic salad, this will add bulk to the plate without weighing people down.
- Finally, a good fruit salad is ALWAYS a win, this is a great way for people to feel good about their meal choices before enjoying the all time summer favorite dessert, SMORE’S!
How much to make per person?
Since you’ll be making 3-4 side dishes along-side your main course you don’t need to follow the traditional serving sizes.
We recommend assuming it will feed double to triple the amount of people as most people will take smaller portions and may not each every dish. To be sure you have enough the best thing to do is have lots of easy finger foods people can supplement with in addition to their main plates of food.
Finger foods like cut vegetables or cut fruit, crackers and cheese or chips are perfect as a way to round out a BBQ get together.
1/41Easy Cole Slaw made in just 5 minutes with the perfect homemade dressing, this is the ultimate side dish for summer because it gets even better the next day. Perfect for cookouts and planning ahead.
Check out this recipe 2/41Classic Macaroni salad is an easy side dish you can make the night before your next picnic or potluck with an easy creamy and tangy classic dressing.
Check out this recipe 3/41Easy Fruit Salad is the PERFECT dessert, with a combo of berries, citrus fruit, kiwi, and grapes in a sweet sauce made from juice and honey and topped with fresh mint leaves.
Check out this recipe 4/41Bacon wrapped corn on the cob is a crispy, delicious appetizer or side dish to take to your next BBQ.
Check out this recipe 5/41Cucumber Tomato Salad with a quick and easy dill vinaigrette in just 10 minutes is the perfect side salad full of fresh summer vegetables.
Check out this recipe 6/41Classic Potato Salad with a creamy mayonnaise dressing with relish, mustard and celery salt coating potatoes and chopped hard boiled eggs.
Check out this recipe 7/41Easy Pasta Salad made with mozzarella, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers in a creamy Italian dressing is the PERFECT side dish to bring to a potluck or picnic!
Check out this recipe 8/41Texas Caviar (Cowboy Caviar) is a fun side or chip dip made with black eyed peas, black beans, corn, tomatoes, jalapenos with a cilantro lime vinaigrette in just 15 minutes!
Check out this recipe 9/41Broccoli Salad is an easy summer salad with raisins, bacon and sunflower seeds for your barbecues, picnics, and summer potlucks that can sit without wilting!
Check out this recipe 10/41Corn Succotash made with freshly grilled corn, zucchini, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, lima beans and red onion.
Check out this recipe 11/41These are the BEST EVER Baked Beans that have won 4 bbq competitions! Prepped in just 15 minutes that are going to be the hit of your summer barbecue.
Check out this recipe 12/41Big Mac Pasta Salad is a fun twist on a summer side dish! Easy cheeseburger pasta salad with McDonald's special sauce, topped with sesame seed bun croutons!
Check out this recipe 13/41Pimento Pasta Salad is a delicious take on a classic Macaroni Salad made with elbow macaroni, pimento peppers, cheddar, mayo and chives.
Check out this recipe 14/41Curried Egg Salad is the perfectly easy lunch recipe you can serve as a main dish over a salad or in a sandwich with a delicious curry mayo dressing.
Check out this recipe 15/41Cobb Potato Salad is the perfect mix of a Chicken Cobb Salad with bacon, egg, avocados and Blue Cheese mixed with red potatoes and ranch dressing.
Check out this recipe 16/41Baked Mac and Cheese is the ultimate side dish for any meal made with three cheeses, this classic is perfect for the holidays and for summer cookouts!
Check out this recipe 17/41This Popeye's Coleslaw is the best coleslaw to go with fried chicken! Crispy green cabbage tossed in creamy coleslaw dressing, easy recipe made in minutes.
Check out this recipe 18/41Southwestern Potato Salad made with avocados, black bean, corn and cheese with a creamy southwestern dressing that's the perfect side dish for your BBQ.
Check out this recipe 19/41Milk Boiled Corn is an easy side dish boiled with water, milk, butter and salt until it is sweet, tender and buttery in less than 20 minutes!
Check out this recipe 20/41Elote, or Grilled Mexican Street Corn, is an easy side dish topped with mayonnaise, crema, queso fresco, chili powder and lime.
Check out this recipe 21/41Crispy Sweet Potato Fries with a single magic ingredient to keep them crispy! No more soggy fries, these stay crispy even if you have to reheat in the oven.
Check out this recipe 22/41Creamy Shrimp Salad with celery, red onion and a dill mayonnaise dressing is a great sandwich filling or lettuce topper you can make in just minutes.
Check out this recipe 23/41Easy Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple made in a grill pan is the quintessential side dish to any summer dishes you're making. When grilled the pineapple gets soft, tender and melts in your mouth!
Check out this recipe 24/41Beer Battered Onion Rings are the perfect combination of crispy, light and fluffy with a hint of sweetness from the beer. A great side for your summer bbq!
Check out this recipe 25/41A delicious fresh, bright corn salad just like the salsa served up at Chipotle. Takes less than five minutes to make, an hour or so to sit and let the flavors meld together.
Check out this recipe 26/41The Classic Three Bean Salad with green beans, garbanzo beans and kidney beans tossed with a sweet and sour dressing made with sugar, vinegar and celery seed is the perfect summer side dish.
Check out this recipe 27/41KFC Coleslaw is a five minute side dish you'll enjoy all summer long with your favorite chicken and more! Tastes exactly like the original!
Check out this recipe 28/41Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad takes the classic potato salad and kicks it up a notch with the flavors of bacon and blue cheese. This will be a summer bbq favorite!
Check out this recipe 29/41Mexican corn salad is an easy no-cook side dish for your summer bbq with corn, mayo, lime juice, chili powder, cilantro and cotija cheese that gives you elote flavors without the cob!
Check out this recipe 30/41All the flavors of Cheddar and Sour Cream Potato Chips on freshly roasted potatoes! Made with 100% natural powdered cheddar and sour cream and totally craveable!
Check out this recipe 31/41Oven Baked Loaded Garlic French Fries tossed in slightly warmed chopped garlic, olive oil and kosher salt, just like you enjoy at the ball game!
Check out this recipe 32/41Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad with almonds, feta, and an easy balsamic and olive oil dressing is the perfect side dish for a potluck or get together.
Check out this recipe 33/41Easy Greek Pasta Salad with a homemade vinaigrette, pasta, feta, and olives is the perfect, easy lunch meal you can enjoy at room temperature. Also great with added chicken or shrimp. Pairs well with Pure Leaf® Unsweetened Black Iced Tea.
Check out this recipe 34/41Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad is delicious and easy with creamy Italian dressing, cheese, salami, olives, tomatoes, bell peppers and pasta that's the perfect addition to your summer menus!
Check out this recipe 35/41Creamy Bacon Pea Salad with mayonnaise, bacon, cheddar cheese and crunchy sweet peas. The perfect southern summer side dish!
Check out this recipe 36/4110 Minute Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is so quick to make and so delicious you will put this in your regular rotation for lunches, parties, picnics and bbqs!
Check out this recipe 37/41BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad with a rich, yummy BBQ mayonnaise sauce, corn, bell peppers, black beans and juicy chicken breasts.
Check out this recipe 38/41Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad with just a handful of ingredients will be the most popular side dish at your summer bbq events and picnics!
Check out this recipe 39/41Sweet Coleslaw is a favorite Southern BBQ side dish. Creamy coleslaw with an easy mayo-based dressing with vinegar, celery seed, and sugar made in minutes.
Check out this recipe 40/41German Potato Salad is a traditional warm potato salad with bacon and caramelized onions mixed with a tangy vinegar and sugar dressing.
Check out this recipe 41/41El Pollo Loco BBQ Black Beans are a classic side option that are sweet and a bit of heat from scratch. The cult favorite no longer on the menu!
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