45 Best BBQ Side Dishes

Watch Now: How to Make Easy Smoked Corn on the Cob

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Vegan Potato Salad

The Spruce

Vegan mayonnaise gives this cookout favorite potato salad its creamy—but still egg-free—texture, with diced onion and celery adding crunch. Make it a day ahead and store in the fridge, for a BBQ side dish that everyone can enjoy.
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Creamy Southern Succotash

The Spruce Eats / Diana Mocanu

Succotash is a popular Southern side that traditionally accompanies grilled chicken and fish. Lima beans, corn, and chopped bell pepper are sauteed in seasoned butter and finished with heavy cream.
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Kansas City Baked Beans

The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Kansas baked beans are the ideal accompaniment to a barbecued brisket since they're flavored with bits of the cooked meat. They're also infused with bacon, onions, and peppers for richness, and cook in a heavenly cider-molasses barbecue sauce.
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Mexican Street Corn

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Grilled Mexican street corn is salty, sweet, crunchy, and creamy in every bite. Lime juice, Mexican cheese, fresh cilantro, and chili powder add south of the border flair to the amped up mayonnaise dressing.

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Simple Coleslaw

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Perfect for the traditionalist, this easy coleslaw requires just a few ingredients, including a simple mayo and cider vinegar dressing. Use it for topping pulled pork sandwiches and fish tacos.
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Grilled Potato Skins

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Set up a self-serve potato skins bar with toppings for guests to enjoy at their leisure. After prepping the potato halves and cooking them briefly in the microwave, they're ready to crisp up on the grill.
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Vegetarian and Vegan Quinoa Salad

The Spruce

Nutty cooked quinoa is tossed with plenty of diced raw vegetables in a bright and tangy vinaigrette for a vibrant summer salad that's both vegan and gluten-free. Cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth infuses it with extra flavor and is a step worth doing.
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Creamy Dill Potato Salad

Ina Peters / Stocksy United

If you love pickles, this is the potato salad for you! The creamy dish gets tons of tangy flavor from chopped dill pickles and juice, with fresh dill adding a nice herbal aroma.

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Beer Batter Hush Puppies

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Beer in the batter makes these hush puppies crisp and light in texture. Jalapeno peppers and onion give these bite, but you can also a little Tabasco to the batter if you like for extra heat.
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Classic Macaroni Salad

The Spruce

Classic macaroni salad is made with hard-boiled eggs, chopped vegetables, and a seasoned mayonnaise dressing with a bit of mustard added for tang. Go ahead and add cooked chopped bacon for an extra umami punch.
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Fresh Grilled Corn on the Cob

Anita Schecter/The Spruce

This essential recipe for grilled corn on the cob could not be simpler or more delicious. All you need is fresh ears of summer corn, some butter, fresh herbs, and a hot grill to serve up this cookout favorite.
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Vegan Cole Slaw

The Spruce

This colorful, crunchy slaw with cabbage and carrots is completely egg-free and gluten-free, with a bright and tangy flavor from a simple vinaigrette dressing. Make it a few hours ahead of serving and store in the fridge if you can to allow time for flavors to meld.

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Greek Salad

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

In this classic Greek salad, chopped fresh veggies and crunchy romaine lettuce are tossed with creamy feta cheese and a lovely dressing made from lemon, oregano, and olive oil.
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Corn Tomato Basil Salad

The Spruce / Molly Watson

Sweet summer corn meets its match in a seasonal salad that pairs the kernels with bright, acidic tomatoes. Thinly-sliced fresh basil leaves add color and even more summer flavor.
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French Fries on the Grill

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Everyone loves French fries, which make a perfect pairing for juicy hamburgers and veggie burgers at your backyard BBQ. This recipe starts with placing frozen fries into foil packets on the grill and combining them with bacon, American cheese, and chives before serving.
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Grilled Portobello Mushrooms With Garlic Butter

The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

The earthy flavor and firm texture of portobello mushrooms make them a satisfying meat alternative for your vegetarian guests. Here, they're grilled in a buttery, garlicky marinade that adds tons of extra flavor.

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Southern-Style Cornbread

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Skillet cornbread is a staple in the South and makes a fantastic side dish for barbecued beef and pork mains. This version is a bit richer than most and very tasty.
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Burrata Salad

Elaine Lemm

While you've got the grill going, toss on some nectarines for this summery burrata salad. With juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, crisp lettuce, and creamy burrata, it's far more impressive than your average salad.
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Watermelon Fruit Party Basket

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Watermelon fruit bowls are perfect for summer barbecue parties because they're easy to make and look impressive. Simply follow our step-by-step carving instructions, fill with your favorite fruit salad mixture, and enjoy!
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Fresh Tomato Gazpacho

Diana Rattray

Chilled gazpacho makes a refreshing starter at cookouts and is easily served in plastic cups. Ripe tomatoes are blended with cucumber, bell and jalapeno peppers, onion, and garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and a little vinegar to form a refreshing soup.

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Smoked Corn on the Cob

The Spruce

Coated ears of corn in an easy homemade spice rub and cooking them in the smoker brings out all the natural sweetness of this essential summer vegetable. Be sure to follow the tips for soaking ears of corn before adding to the smoker.
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Chimichurri

Lisovskaya/Getty Images

Chimichurri is a South American salsa that's similar in texture to pesto and is used to add flavor to grilled meats, fish, and shellfish. Whip up a batch easily in the food processor with a few fresh herbs, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and hot pepper flakes to taste.
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Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Anita Schecter

A great way to add some body to a salad is with pasta, and this Mediterranean pasta salad is the perfect side dish for your next barbecue. Arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, fresh basil, and feta cheese, are tossed with cooked pasta and dressed with a creamy lemon-garlic vinaigrette, making for a fresh-tasting pasta salad.
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Black Bean and Mango Salad Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Emily Hawkes

Black beans and sweet juicy mangoes combine with fresh cilantro and chopped bell and jalapeno peppers in this colorful side salad that's completely vegan, high in protein, and gluten-free.

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Grilled Caesar Salad

Anita Schecter

While you have the grill lit, toss some romaine lettuce on the fire. The extra special makes this grilled Ceasar salad extra special. An easy homemade dressing and croutons make this a delicious first course or side dish.
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Garden Pasta Salad With Rotini

The Spruce

This garden pasta salad is loaded with freshly chopped vegetables and ripe olives. The spiral noodles are fun to eat and the lemony pesto and mayonnaise dressing flavors the salad perfectly.
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Solterito Corn and Lima Bean Salad

The Spruce / Marian Blazes

Solterito is a Peruvian vegetable salad traditionally made with lima beans and corn. This cookout version adds chunks of queso fresco, spicy chile pepper, fresh tomatoes, ripe olives, and red onion, for a salad bursting with flavor and color.
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Air Fryer Onion Rings

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Crispy, crunchy onion rings are addictive, and this air fryer version lacks the guilt of deep frying. Make a bunch and serve them alongside barbecue sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and more.

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Indian Spiced Couscous Salad

Westend61 / Getty Images

Your guests will enjoy the nutty taste of this Indian-spiced couscous salad. It's high in protein and fiber from couscous with plenty of nutrition from the veggies.
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Baked Macaroni and Cheese

The Spruce

Southern-style baked macaroni and cheese includes an easy, homemade cheese sauce with plenty of sharp cheddar and a crunchy, golden brown breadcrumb topping.
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Tuscan Bread Salad (Panzanella)

Carrie Anne Castillo / Getty Images

Panzanella is a colorful Italian summer salad that combines crusty cubes with fresh veggies in a simple basil vinaigrette dressing. Because the bread gets softer as it soaks in the vinaigrette, it's a wonderful way to use up old loaves.
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Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad

The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Here's a potato salad you can be proud to serve at 4th of July parties. Small, colorful potatoes and chopped hard-boiled eggs are tossed in a creamy dressing, with chopped fresh dill and dill relish adding loads of tangy flavor.

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33 of 45

Pineapple Salsa

Kristina Vanni

Sweet and tangy pineapple salsa makes a tropical accompaniment to grilled fish, chicken, or pork. It's best made with fresh fruit, plus cilantro, chopped purple and green onions, honey, and lime juice.
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BBQ Dill Potatoes

ivanmareev / Getty Images

Grilled baby potatoes in a packet are easy to make and fun for guests to open and eat. They're tossed with olive oil, melted butter, garlic, fresh dill, salt, and pepper, then wrapped in an aluminum foil and placed on the grill to cook 'til tender.
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Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Grilling corn adds texture and brings out a smoky flavor in the naturally sweet vegetable. Here, the kernels are combined with fresh mint and cilantro, chopped tomatoes, red onion, and optional avocado and cheese, in a summer salad that is a little bit spicy and overall very tasty.
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Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Westend61 / Getty Images

If you're grilling chicken, serve this crunchy and creamy vegetable salad that tastes especially good with poultry. Cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, fresh herbs, and red onion are dressed in a light balsamic vinaigrette.

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Grilled Romaine Hearts

Carin Krasner / Getty Images

Foodies love this preparation for lightly dressed romaine lettuce hearts. It puts them right on the grill, creating a fabulously smoky flavor that tastes great on top of burgers.
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Heirloom Tomato Salad With Goat Cheese and Arugula

The Spruce / Miri Rotkovitz

Fresh heirloom tomatoes from the farmer's market combine with spicy arugula and creamy goat cheese in this tasty summer salad. The honey-basil vinaigrette dressing is outstanding, too.
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Tabbouleh Salad

The Spruce

Tabbouleh is a refreshing Middle Eastern salad made with cracked wheat bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, and a bright garlic-mint dressing. Serve it on its own or to accompany grilled chicken or lamb.
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Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

Jonathan Kantor / The Image Bank / Getty Images

Grilled vegetable kebabs are a healthy, colorful idea for summer cookouts. Serve them over couscous for vegetarians to enjoy as a main or with grilled meats for everyone else. The Dijon-herb marinade adds tons of flavor.

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Cheese and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Stuffed mushrooms are a must at grilling parties. With a filling of crunchy breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, pimentos, fresh herbs and spices, this recipe is a real crowd-pleaser.
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Grilled Zucchini

The Spruce

Zucchinis are cut lengthwise, coated with seasoned olive oil, and grilled to tender perfection in this simple summer recipe that goes great with beer can chicken. Top the grilled squash with grated Parmesan or crumbled feta for serving.
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Tex-Mex Macaroni and Black Bean Salad

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Surprise your friends with this Tex-Mex style macaroni salad that dials up the flavor on a classic BBQ side. Cilantro, corn, black beans, and diced tomatoes mingle in a kicked-up, creamy chili-lime mayonnaise dressing.
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Grilled Endives With Herb and Balsamic

Regarding BBQ Inc

Endives marinated in a garlicky vinaigrette and seared on the grill make a lovely, mild side dish for serving with grilled fish. You may also want to try them in a salad tossed with green goddess or blue cheese dressing.

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Grilled Cabbage

The Spruce / Molly Watson

Grilling cabbage adds a lovely sweetness and crunch that transforms the humble vegetable. Dressed with a little olive oil and sea salt, you can serve it alongside steaks, on top of pulled pork sandwiches, or as a side for grilled fish.