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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Broccoli Salad is an easy summer salad with raisins, bacon and sunflower seeds for your barbecues, picnics, and summer potlucks that can sit without wilting!
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!
This 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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
The 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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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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