33 Best BBQ Sides

If I’m tasked with preparing a side dish for a picnic or cookout, this recipe is my go-to. Packed with pasta, chickpeas, and tangy feta cheese, it’s hearty and satisfying. Still, a bright lemon dressing, tomatoes, cucumbers, and ALL the herbs make it feel light and fresh.

Grilled zucchini is one of the simplest BBQ sides. Cook it alongside veggie burgers or hot dogs…whatever you’re grilling!

With nearly 400 5-star reviews, this recipe is one of the most popular BBQ sides on Love & Lemons. It’s not hard to see why. A lightly creamy, sweet, and tangy dressing coats little broccoli florets, chewy dried cranberries, and smoky roasted almonds and pepitas. Trust me, you’ll be back for seconds!

Boiled works too! Keep things classic, and season the ears with butter, salt, and pepper, or slather them with one of these herb compound butters instead.

On a boiling hot summer day, nothing cools me off like a bite of this watermelon salad. The sweet, juicy melon contrasts perfectly with crisp cucumbers, creamy avocado, tangy feta, and aromatic herbs.

You can’t talk about barbecue sides with mentioning classic potato salad. This one features chopped dill pickles, fresh dill, and chives for for bold, savory flavor.

This Greek-inspired orzo salad is a reader favorite on Love & Lemons. Try it to see why!

I like to grill lemon halves alongside the asparagus. Right before serving, I squeeze the grilled lemon juice over the lightly charred spears. It takes this easy BBQ side dish to a whole new level!

The secret to epic coleslaw? Homemade coleslaw dressing! Mine calls for 5 simple ingredients, and it’s creamy, tangy, and just the right amount of sweet.

When you’re planning a menu of BBQ side dishes, you can never go wrong with a fresh fruit salad. I especially love this recipe. In it, a sweet, zingy honey-lime dressing brightens up the colorful fruit.

Speckled with crisp bell peppers, juicy cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado, this fresh black-eyed pea and corn dip is completely irresistible. The entire bowl will disappear in minutes!

This recipe is my twist on the macaroni salad I ate at cookouts and BBQs when I was a kid. It has a lightly creamy dressing and lots of crunchy veggies, and diced dill pickles give it a pop of salty, tangy flavor.

Jazz up these colorful kabobs with drizzles of Greek salad dressing, and serve them with creamy tzatziki sauce for dipping.

They’re crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and packed with smoky flavor! Serve them with chipotle sauce for dipping to take them over the top.

This recipe became one of our favorite BBQ sides last summer, and I can’t wait to make it again this year! A lightly creamy basil pesto coats curly noodles, crunchy pine nuts, and thinly shaved zucchini.

This delicious salad is one of my all-time favorite BBQ sides! 10 simple ingredients pack it with bold, bright flavor.

A fantastic showcase for summer tomatoes, this homemade salsa is zesty, fresh, and ready in just 10 minutes. More of a green salsa person? This tomatillo salsa verde makes a great BBQ side dish too!

Pass the tortilla chips!

Nicely charred on the outside and silky smooth in the middle, smoky grilled eggplant is always a BBQ hit. Serve it plain, or dress it up with my quick couscous topping.

A plant-based riff on the cookout classic! Instead of using actual bacon, I toss my crispy, smoky tempeh bacon into this summer pasta salad. Sun-dried tomatoes amp up the savory flavor even more.

Creamy dressing not your thing? This slaw will become one of your back-pocket BBQ sides. Make it at least 20 minutes (and up to 2 days!) in advance so that the veggies have a chance to marinate in the punchy apple cider vinegar dressing.

This crave-worthy board has something for everyone! Your guests (and you!) will love sampling the marinated feta, tart cherry compound butter, and a creamy, lemony white bean dip.

We all know that tomatoes and basil are a knockout combination. But here’s a tip: strawberries and basil are an amazing pairing too! I combine all three in this picnic-perfect riff on a classic Caprese salad.

I love crispy baked sweet potato fries as much as the next person, but on a hot summer day, I don’t want to turn on the oven in order to make them. Instead, I throw a couple sweet potatoes on the grill. They come out beautifully charred on the outside and creamy in the middle.

Creamy pasta salad lovers, this one’s for you! Instead of mayo or sour cream, tahini gives this colorful BBQ side dish its delicious creamy texture.

Serve squares of this moist, tender cornbread on their own, or dress them up with homemade honey butter for a next-level side dish.

Warning: this sweet and savory slaw is highly addictive. It packs up perfectly for a picnic or BBQ, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to devour it as soon as you toss it together.

The beauty of this zesty summer side dish is that only gets better if you make it ahead! Just wait to add the avocado until right before you eat.

Caprese salad, but make it bite-sized.

Have you tried grilled watermelon yet? If not, you HAVE to make this recipe this summer! Grilling watermelon concentrates its sweetness and gives it a hint of smoky flavor. Top it off with a zesty corn and avocado salad to make it a crowd-pleasing BBQ side.

When it comes to Southern-style BBQ sides, you can’t beat homemade mac and cheese. This one is creamy, tangy, and baked with crispy breadcrumbs on top. Everyone will want seconds!

If you love BBQ side dishes that maximize flavor while minimizing prep, this fruit and cheese platter is for you. It’s filled with three cheeses—a soft goat’s cheese, a funky blue cheese, and sharp white cheddar—as well as vibrant fruits, olives, nuts, and a summery jam. It looks and tastes impressive, all with no cooking required!

These refrigerator pickles are salty, tangy, and SO refreshing! Cut them into spears for snacking, or slice them into rounds to pile onto sandwiches and burgers.