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.
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Easy Cole Slaw Recipe (Coleslaw)
Easy 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.
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Macaroni Salad
Classic Macaroni Salad is an easy side dish you can make the night before your next picnic or potluck with a creamy and tangy dressing.
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Easy Fruit Salad
Easy 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.
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BBQ Bacon Wrapped Corn on the Cob
Bacon wrapped corn on the cob is a crispy, delicious appetizer or side dish to take to your next BBQ.
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Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
Cucumber Tomato Salad with a quick and easy dill vinaigrette in just 10 minutes is the perfect side salad full of fresh summer vegetables.
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Potato Salad Recipe
Classic Potato Salad with a creamy mayonnaise dressing with relish, mustard and celery salt coating potatoes and chopped hard boiled eggs.
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Easy Pasta Salad
Easy 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!
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Texas Caviar (Cowboy Caviar)
Texas 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!
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Broccoli Raisin Salad
Broccoli Salad is an easy summer side with raisins, bacon and sunflower seeds for barbecues and summer potlucks that can sit without wilting!
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Corn Succotash
Corn Succotash made with freshly grilled corn, zucchini, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, lima beans and red onion.
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Baked Beans Recipe
These 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.
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Big Mac Pasta Salad
Big 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!
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Pimento Pasta Salad
Pimento Pasta Salad is a delicious take on a classic Macaroni Salad made with elbow macaroni, pimento peppers, cheddar, mayo and chives.Â
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Curried Egg Salad
Curried 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.
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Cobb Potato Salad
Cobb 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.
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Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
Baked 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!
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Popeye's Coleslaw (Copycat)
This Popeye's Coleslaw is the best coleslaw to go with fried chicken! Crispy green cabbage tossed in creamy dressing, easily made in minutes.
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Southwestern Potato Salad
Southwestern Potato Salad made with avocados, black bean, corn and cheese with a creamy southwestern dressing that's the perfect side dish for your BBQ.
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Milk Boiled Corn
Milk 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!
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Elote
Elote, or Grilled Mexican Street Corn, is an easy side dish topped with mayonnaise, crema, queso fresco, chili powder and lime.
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Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
Crispy 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.
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Shrimp Salad
Creamy 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.
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Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple
Easy 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!
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Beer Battered Onion Rings
Beer 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!
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Chipotle Inspired Jalapeno Lime Corn Salad
A 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.
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Classic Three Bean Salad Recipe
Classic Three Bean Salad with green beans, garbanzo beans and kidney beans tossed with a sweet and sour dressing is the perfect summer side.
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KFC Coleslaw
KFC Coleslaw is a five minute side dish you'll enjoy all summer long with your favorite chicken and more! Tastes exactly like the original!
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Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Bacon 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!
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Mexican Corn Salad
Mexican 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!
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Cheddar and Sour Cream Roasted Potatoes
All 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!
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Loaded Garlic French Fries
Oven Baked Loaded Garlic French Fries tossed in slightly warmed chopped garlic, olive oil and kosher salt, just like you enjoy at the ball game!
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Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad
Strawberry 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.
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Easy Greek Pasta Salad
Easy 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.
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Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad
Italian 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!
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Creamy Bacon Pea Salad
Creamy Bacon Pea Salad with mayonnaise, bacon, cheddar and crunchy sweet peas. The perfect southern summer side dish in just five minutes!
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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
10 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!
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BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad with a rich, yummy BBQ mayonnaise sauce, corn, bell peppers, black beans and juicy chicken breasts.
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad with just a handful of ingredients will be the most popular side dish at your summer bbq events and picnics!
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Sweet Coleslaw
Sweet 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.
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German Potato Salad Recipe
German Potato Salad is a traditional warm potato salad with bacon and caramelized onions mixed with a tangy vinegar and sugar dressing.
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El Pollo Loco BBQ Black Beans
El 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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