71 BBQ Side Dishes to Add Some Zing to Your Next Cookout
Most cookouts feature an assortment of a few essential BBQ sides: Corn on the cob, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, and pasta salad. We’re not about to mess with perfection; because this barbecue side lineup is just that: perfect. But when it comes to the recipes themselves, you’ve got options. Do you want your potato salad creamy, like this sour-cream-and-onion-inspired number, or vinegary, bright, and full of fresh herbs? Do you want your corn grilled and rubbed with salt and pepper butter, or sheared and tossed with bacon, okra, and cherry tomatoes for succotash? Whether you're looking for classic BBQ side dishes or fresh takes on cookout classics, we have all the side dish recipes you need for your next grill session.
Summer is the time for laid-back cooking, and these dishes abide by that low-maintenance spirit: Many of them can be cooked outdoors, so you don’t have to miss out on any of the warm weather fun. Going to a potluck? Plenty of our best BBQ sides are easy to make ahead and transport—just break out the trusty storage containers.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert1/71Creamy Coleslaw
Cool, crunchy, and refreshing, this classic coleslaw belongs on your barbecue plate. This easy BBQ side dish pairs well with just about any protein, from slow-cooker pulled pork to citrusy grilled chicken.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell2/71Grilled Beet Salad With Burrata and Cherries
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton3/71Ensalada de Sandía y Tomate (Watermelon Tomato Salad With Goat Cheese and Corn Nuts)
Change up the classic watermelon salad by swapping salty feta for punchy goat cheese. Corn nuts bring major crunch factor to this cooling sweet-and-savory fruit salad.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch4/71Grilled Zucchini and Bulgur Salad With Feta and Preserved-Lemon Dressing
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne8/71Paneer-Stuffed Peppers
Stuff hollowed-out bell peppers with fragrant spiced tomato sauce, jeweled with bite-size bits of paneer. Have leftover sauce? Make tomato-paneer sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.
Photo by Brittany Conerly9/71Honeychile Brown Butter Cornbread
There’s no better companion to mac and cheese and collards than homemade cornbread. This version from cookbook author Jocelyn Delk Adams cooks in a preheated cast-iron skillet, resulting in the crispiest edges.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson12/71Grilled Corn on the Cob With Salt-and-Pepper Butter
Photo by Greg DuPree13/71Grilled Peach Toast With Pimiento Cheese
Slightly spicy, creamy, bacon-laced pimento cheese meets sweet, smoky grilled peaches in the ultimate summer toast, a great side or main dish.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell16/71Green Bean Niçoise Salad
The best part of this lovely composed salad just might be the crispy fried capers, though the dressing-tossed breakfast radishes are pretty great too. And unlike most niçoise salads, which usually include oil-packed tuna, this one’s vegetarian-friendly.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce17/71Persian Rice With Fava Beans and Dill (Baqala Polow)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert19/71Yellow Squash Casserole
Yellow squash casserole is a staple at Southern barbecues and cookouts. Serve it with ribs slathered in bourbon-brown sugar BBQ sauce.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks22/71Zucchini "Noodles" With Eggplant and Tomatoes
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell23/71Cheesy Corn Spoon Bread
This comforting, cheesy side dish—which falls somewhere between cornbread and corn pudding—is the perfect partner for whatever you’ve got in the smoker or on the grill.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi25/71Creamy Pinto Bean Dip
Perform a feat of pantry magic and turn a can of pinto beans into a creamy dip. Serve this lightly spiced bean dip with tortilla chips or crispy veggies.
Photo by Danny Kim, food and prop styling by Ali Nardi26/71Orzo With Beets, Olives, Feta, and Soft-Boiled Eggs
Photo & Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin27/71Grilling Cheese With Sweet Peppers and Black Lentils
This top-rated lentil salad makes an easy weeknight meal, but we’ll be fixing it for our summer barbecues, too. The crispy cheese rafts on top are guaranteed to be the highlight of the cookout.
Photo by Beatriz Da Costa29/71Grilled Watermelon Salad With Lime Mango Dressing and Cornbread Croutons
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson34/71Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad
Spiced grains, roasted peak-season eggplant and zucchini, and a lemony garlic dressing make this a standout side dish.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell35/71Creamy, Crunchy Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Dressed with equal parts mayo and sour cream, this cooling cilantro-speckled slaw would pair well with grilled fish tacos.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova36/71Patates Riganates (Greek Lemon Potatoes With Garlic and Oregano)
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton39/713-Ingredient Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne41/71Roasted Carrots
Dunk these roasted carrots in ketchup and it’s almost like you’re eating french fries. Kidding, kidding—there’s room on our plate for fries too.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Kim42/71Zucchini and White Bean Caesar
When it gets hot outside, we’re always searching for cooling salads. This one trades the lettuce for ribbons of zucchini, which prove an equally ideal vehicle for Caesar dressing.
Photo by Maya Visnyei45/71Freakishly Delicious Olives, Warmed by the Fire
Headed camping? Heating olives over the open fire (or in a saucepan on the stove or grill) utterly transforms them into a smoky snack perfumed with herbs. Spoon them over grilled fish or serve as a side to fire-kissed pork chops.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich47/71The New Wedge Salad With Better-Than-Thousand-Island Dressing
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich48/71Fennel-Orange Salad
Need something fresh on the table? This light, crisp fennel and orange salad is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, but it also makes a great companion to heavier sides like creamy potato salad or mac and cheese.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton50/71Pickled Zucchini
One of the best ways to use your farmers market surplus is to make your own pickles. This recipe swaps cucumbers for zucchini for a unique take on dill pickles.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton51/71Chickpea-Potato Chaat
This chickpea-potato chaat is technically a potato salad—but it’s dressed with two different chutneys, drizzled with limey yogurt sauce, and topped with crispy sev. So, basically, it’s the best potato salad you’ve ever tasted.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi53/71Creamy Avocado Dip With Scallions
If you’re hosting last minute, whip up a batch of this creamy dip, which doubles as an appetizer and a side. It’s a great way to use up less-than-perfect avocados (now just learn to store them properly).
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne55/71Caponata
This caponata can be made up to a week in advance—it’s the perfect side to pack in the cooler for a long day at the beach.
Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Simon Andrews56/71Grilled Potatoes With Red Miso Butter
Want to make a full meal off the grill? Pair these grilled miso butter potatoes with foolproof grilled chicken or veggie burgers.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson57/713-Ingredient Charred Green Beans With Ricotta and Lemon
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege58/71Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad
Forget any bad memories of pasta salad. This version is rich and varied, with wonderful contrasting flavors. Grill eggplant and zucchini, then toss with hot pasta, fresh tomatoes, herbs, and mozzarella for an almost instant ratatouille-inspired cookout side dish.
Photo by Deb Perelman60/71Cucumber Salad With Garlicky Dill Yogurt
Getting hot by the grill? Cool things down with a crisp, crunchy cucumber salad. It’s like tzatziki, but heavy on the cucumbers.
Photo by Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn61/71Picnic Three-Bean Salad
Triple the beans, triple the fun. Or at least that’s what’s been said about this three-bean salad, which is full of protein and easy to pack for a picnic.
Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Simon Andrews62/71Grilled Eggplant With Garlicky Tahini-Yogurt Sauce
If you already know and love the fully loaded baked potato, allow us to introduce you to the fully loaded eggplant. Split the grilled guys open and pile on the tahini sauce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow63/71Tonnato Eggs
Inspired by Italian tonnato, this riff on deviled eggs is bright and briny—and even better when topped with crispy fried capers.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop and food styling by Ali Nardi64/71Roasted Beet Salad With Flash-Pickled Radishes and Chard
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen, Food Styling by Molly Baz65/71Marinated Summer Squash With Hazelnuts and Ricotta
This BBQ side starts with one easy (but crucial) move: Salt yellow squash or zucchini and let it drain in a colander for several minutes before cooking. It’ll release excess liquid, concentrate the flavor, and season the veg throughout.
Photo by Elizabeth Cecil66/71Little Gem Lettuce With Green Goddess Dressing
This green goddess dressing is endlessly versatile: Use it as a sauce for chicken, a dip for crudités, or, of course, as a salad dressing. If you can’t find Little Gem lettuce, use any other small, crunchy green, such as romaine hearts.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson67/71White Bean Salad With Lemon and Cumin
You could make a big batch of classic BBQ baked beans—or you could make this light, bright white bean salad to spoon into lettuce cups. It keeps incredibly well, so you can double the recipe and enjoy leftovers for lunch all week.
Photo by Beatriz Da Costa68/71Sweet Pickle Potato Salad
This potato salad recipe only calls for a few ingredients, so each one plays a very important role. But perhaps the most important ingredient is the sweet pickle relish, which forms the tangy base of flavor for this BBQ side.
