37 Barbecue Sides Because We Can’t Live Off Burgers Alone
Main dishes tend to get all the attention when it comes to backyard barbecues, but we all know this summertime rite of passage isn’t a meal without a few glorious BBQ sides. So since the hot dogs and burgers are taken care of, and you don’t have to make the ketchup or sauce (unless you want to), we’ve gathered some of our favorite summer recipes for the side of your plate. We have crunchy, fresh side dishes that make the most of seasonal produce. Tangy, cooling side dish recipes to cut through the richness of the meat. Carby, bready side dishes recipes to sop up all those juices. You want more? We’ve got more. Scroll on.
Alex Lau1/37Watermelon and Jicama Salad With Jalapeño and Lime
First on our BBQ sides roundup: This easy recipe for the ultimate summer salad. Just toss cut watermelon, jicama, jalapeño, scallion, cilantro, and lime juice in a large bowl and season with salt.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson2/37Charred Bean and Pea Salad
Laura Murray3/37BA’s Best Caprese Salad
The gang’s all here: heirloom and cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, flaky salt, and black pepper. Just please, resist the urge to add overpowering balsamic vinegar to the equation.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson4/37Spicy Kimchi Slaw
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Ines Anguiano5/37Cornbread Cheddar Biscuits
Buttermilk biscuits meet cornbread in this crossover your summer barbecue didn’t know it needed. A generous addition of sharp cheddar keeps things, well, cheesy. (The good kind of cheesy.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Graylen Gatewood6/37Ratatouille
Photographs by Laura Murray, food styling by Rose Daniels and Yia Vang7/37Potluck Chopped Salad
This may be called chopped salad, but when it comes to the fresh herbs, retract your knife. You want the whole leaves of Thai basil, cilantro, dill, and mint to do their things.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Graylen Gatewood8/37Fried Green Tomatoes
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio9/37Crunchy Pickle Salad
We realize there are a lot of salads on this list, but nothing accompanies fatty meats like a crunchy, vinegary mixture of fresh greens and vegetables.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea10/37Cheesy Broccoli Casserole With Butter Cracker Crunchies
Casserole is a comfort food. Broccoli-cheddar soup is a comfort food. Barbecue is a comfort food. Ergo, broccoli-cheddar casserole served as a side at a barbecue is the ultimate comfort food.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart11/37Classic Pigs in a Blanket
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman12/37Marinated Peppers With Basil and Garlic
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.13/37Grilled Corn With Chaat Masala
The grilled corn on the cob at your summer cookout is likely missing one simple flavor booster: chaat masala, a bright, lemony, earthy blend of spices, the most notable of which are sharp black salt and amchur (dried green mango powder).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by JoJo Li14/37Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes
For this barbecue side, we give mashed potatoes the sour cream-and-onion treatment, with onion powder doing the heavy lifting (frankly, more effectively than a fresh onion).
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Claire Saffitz15/37Slow-Cooked Scallions with Ginger and Chile
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li16/37Lemony Pasta Salad With Crisped Capers
If you make one pasta salad recipe this summer, let this be it. The bright, fresh version features smashed olives, whole capers, and lots of lemon juice, and chopped parsley.
Vincent Cross17/37Grilled Kale Salad with Paprika Breadcrumbs
Grilled salad. It’s a thing. This one gets a double dose of smokiness, first from the charred greens and then from the hot smoked Spanish paprika.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani18/37Muhammara
Muhammara is a spicy dip made of, among other ingredients, walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. We recommend spreading it on bread, scooping some up with cucumber spears, or just putting a spoonful on your plate so that it can flavor steak, potatoes, or whatever else comes off the grill.
Photograph by Joyce Lee, food styling by Brandon Gray, prop styling by Chloe Kirk19/37Tomato Salad With Basil Vinaigrette
Here’s a tip that goes beyond this recipe: Salting and straining ripe tomatoes extracts their flavorful juices; when combined with oil, it makes a slightly sweet and vegetal salad dressing.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by JoJo Li20/37Melon and Avocado Crudo
Photo by Peden + Munk, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky21/37Potato Salad with Bacon and Eggs
Can’t decide if you’re in the mood for egg salad or potato salad? This recipe has you covered (and then some) with bacon and canned black olives to boot.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson22/37Wilted Greens in Tomato-Bacon Broth
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua23/37Spicy Caesar Potato Salad
This potato salad spin pays homage to Caesar salad, applying its supremely likable creamy, garlicky savory dressing to itty-bitty boiled potatoes. If you want a more classic potato salad recipe, we have that too.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson24/37Charred Cabbage With Goat Cheese Raita and Cucumbers
Go hard when charring cabbage wedges—to the point you might think you did something wrong. They are dense and need a good amount of time on the grill to soften.
Photo by Peden + Munk, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky25/37Sweet-and-Spicy Slaw
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson26/37Grilled Summer Squash and Red Onion With Feta
Inspired by escabèche, we’re cooking first, marinating second. In the case of summer squash or zucchini, the method produces maximum flavor without compromising char or texture.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Nicole Louie27/37Creamy Preserved Lemon–Black Pepper Orzo
If you like pairing mac and cheese with your barbecued meats, may we suggest trying this luscious dairy-free pasta? It relies on blended raw cashews for creaminess and a serious amount of cracked black pepper for a cacio e pepe vibe.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman28/37Crispy Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski29/37No-Brainer Corn Salad
Consider this a deconstructed elote (or Mexican street corn turned sala—a.k.a. esquites). Grill fresh corn, still in its husk, and then remove the kernels, which you’ll mix with cilantro, Cotija cheese, lime juice, and more.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Graylen Gatewood30/37Som Tum Thai (Green Papaya Salad)
With a balance of fiery chiles, sweet palm sugar, tangy lime juice, and pungent fish sauce, shredded papaya is a classic Thai salad recipe for a reason.
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mallory Lance, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon31/37Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Nicole Louie32/37Broken Lasagna Pasta Salad
Macaroni salad, who? Pasta salad made with broken lasagna noodles looks more elegant, in our opinion, and they have plenty of wavy edges that capture the bright, herbaceous dressing.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by JoJo Li33/37Greens With Magical Sesame Salt
Alex Lau34/37Slow-Cooked Collard Greens in Olive Oil
Instead of the smoky flavor that comes from the traditional addition of pork or turkey, this collard greens recipe goes heavy on garlic.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Kat Boystova, prop styling by Allie Wist35/37Summer Vegetable Cassoulet With Crispy Gruyère
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li36/37Cheesy Cornbread With Tomatoes
Filled with salty feta and sour cream and topped with cherry tomatoes, this savory cornbread seems like it has something to prove—and it’s working. For the traditionalists in the room, though, here’s a more classic buttermilk cornbread.
