• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kudos Kitchen by Renee

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home

    40+ Best of the Best BBQ Side Dish Recipes

    I've assembled my best summertime BBQ side dishes all in one place to make your family meals and summertime entertaining needs easier and more delicious. Enjoy!

    A title text collage image of 7 different BBQ side dishes

    From cold pasta salads to the hot side dishes that everyone craves, I've got something for everyone in this amazing collection of BBQ sides.

    So, fire up the grill and gather your people, because we've got some serious eating to do!!

    This recipe post and its contents may include affiliate links for your consideration. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, but your prices are never increased as a result. Thank you.

    Table of Contents Found Here
    • How important are side dishes at a party or BBQ?
    • What are some of the best proteins for pairing with these BBQ side dishes?
    • How many BBQ side dishes should I serve at a party or gathering?
    • What type of occasions are these sides good for?
    • What is a standard serving size for a typical side dish?
    • Can the following BBQ side dishes be made in advance?
    • And now, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Kudos Kitchen BBQ side dishes:
    • For additional BBQ side dish recipes please check out my Popular BBQ Recipe Roundup which features tons and tons of recipes from some of your favorite food bloggers.

    Subscribe to my Kudos Kitchen channel on YouTube. IT'S FREE!! Thanks, and I can't wait to see you there!!

    How important are side dishes at a party or BBQ?

    VERY!

    I don't know about you, but I'm all about the sides when it comes to filling my plate at a BBQ.

    Sure, I love a good BBQ protein too, but without the sides, it wouldn't be a party (IMO).

    What are some of the best proteins for pairing with these BBQ side dishes?

    Where to begin? I'm sure I'll wind up missing out on many of them, but here are the first few that come to mind.

    1. Ribs
    2. Chicken
    3.  Brisket
    4. Pulled Pork
    5. Steak
    6. Hamburgers
    7. Hot Dogs
    8. Ham
    9. Seafood
    10. Lamb

    Need some meat inspiration? Check out Girl Carnivore and be amazed at all of her utterly delicious recipes!

    How many BBQ side dishes should I serve at a party or gathering?

    I like to serve at least 3.

    Usually one decadent, creamy side, and at least 2 healthier salad-type sides.

    Of course, if you're serving a large crowd, it's always a good idea to pull out all the stops and line the table with even more.

    After all, everyone loves a good side dish, and if you're serving vegetarians, the sides will be the thing that will fill them all up!

    What type of occasions are these sides good for?

    1. Graduations
    2. Patriotic Parties
    3. Birthday Parties
    4. Casual Weddings
    5. Showers
    6. Family Dinner
    7. Pool Parties
    8. Family Reunions
    9. Work Functions
    10. Block Parties
    11. The list is endless...

    What is a standard serving size for a typical side dish?

    I guess that answer will vary from person to person, but a good rule of thumb would probably be between a ¼ - a ½ cup of each side per person.

    Of course, that is dependent on many variables, but in my mind, it's always better to err on the side of caution and have too much food than not enough.

    Can the following BBQ side dishes be made in advance?

    In most cases, YES! 

    Should any of these recipes I've listed in the following roundup not yet have that information within the post, please don't hesitate to reach out to me with your questions. I'm always happy to get back to you ASAP with an answer.

    Everyone loves a BBQ! Whether you're hosting a party, feeding your family, or bringing a BBQ side dish to a pot-luck, these recipes are sure to please everyone.

    And now, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Kudos Kitchen BBQ side dishes:

    1
    A white bowl filled with a colorful Sunflower Crunch Salad.
    Copycat Sunflower Crunch Kale Cabbage Salad
    The first things you'll notice about this Copycat Sunflower Crunch Kale and Cabbage Salad is that it is colorful, healthy, and addictive! This chilled salad has it ALL going on!! Dig in! You're going to love this colorful salad!
    Get the recipe
    2
    A pretty white salad bowl with a lettuce salad with oranges, avocado, blueberries and fennel inside.
    Fresh Fennel, Orange, and Blueberry Salad
    Fresh Fennel, Orange, and Blueberry Salad is the perfect winter salad. It has bright, refreshing flavors and colors and wonderfully contrasting textures. It's a winter salad that every-body craves.
    Get the recipe
    3
    A spoonful of Kidney Bean Salad.
    Old-Fashioned Kidney Bean Salad
    This fast and easy no-cook and economical recipe for kidney bean salad calls for only a handful of ingredients. It's the perfect chilled side dish to serve for any and every occasion!
    Get the Recipe
    4
    A pretty white bowl filled with Roasted Potatoes with Onion and Parmesan.
    Roasted Potatoes with Onion and Parmesan
    Delicious roasted potatoes are upgraded with the use of flavorful dry onion soup mix, and grated Parmesan cheese. This will soon become your new favorite potato recipe!
    Get the recipe
    5
    A glass bowl filled with No Mayo Sweet Sour Coleslaw along with a serving spoon.
    No Mayo Sweet Sour Coleslaw
    If you're looking for a coleslaw recipe you can make in advance that tastes amazing and can remain outdoors without running for cover during summer's hottest weather, look no further. This No-Mayo Sweet Sour Coleslaw will be your backyard BBQ's best friend!!
    Get the recipe
    6
    A spoon full of French Onion Mac and Cheese being served.
    French Onion Mac and Cheese
    French Onion Mac and Cheese has got your name written ALL over it, and I’m happily handing it to you so you can become the BBQ side dish star at your local block party! You’re welcome! 🙂
    Get the recipe
    7
    A blue bowl filled with Golden Dijon Potato Salad with chopped eggs and celery leaves as garnish.
    Creamy Golden Dijon Potato Salad
    This Creamy Golden Dijon Potato Salad will be the first thing to disappear from the picnic table this summer. It's cool, creamy and refreshing with just the right amount of tang from the dijon, and the right amount of crunch to balance all that creaminess. It's got it all!
    8
    A serving of Zucchini Corn Gratin on a blue plate with a fork.
    Zucchini Corn Gratin
    Zucchini Corn Gratin is one of the cheesiest and easiest vegetable side dishes you'll ever have. It's the perfect accompaniment to almost anything, and it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish!
    Get the recipe
    9
    A blue bowl filled with chilled Orzo Pasta Salad with Corn and Blueberries.
    Orzo Pasta Salad with Sweet Corn and Blueberries
    Chilled Orzo Pasta Salad with Sweet Corn and Blueberries may be a little unexpected, but after your first bite, you'll keep coming back for more!
    Get the recipe
    10
    A small white bowl filled with Calico Beans.
    Calico Baked Beans with Beef and Bacon
    Calico Beans are a delicious side dish for any meal or BBQ, or they can be eaten as an entire meal all on their own. Calico baked beans are protein-packed with ground beef, bacon, and a wide variety of beans, making this a standout dish for any occasion!
    Get the recipe
    11
    Sliced garlic cheese bread with rosemary spears on a cutting board.
    Roasted Garlic Cheese Bread with Rosemary
    This savory cheese bread works equally well as a delicious appetizer, side dish, or even a meatless entrée. 
    Get the recipe
    12
    A large serving bowl filled with Italian Panzanella Salad topped with fresh basil and cheese.
    ITALIAN PANZANELLA SALAD
    This easy-to-make Panzanella Salad features plenty of garden-fresh summer tomatoes, crusty Italian bread, and fragrant basil. It's a simple salad that pleases just about everyone.
    Get the recipe
    13
    A glass bowl filled with a BLT layered salad on a red and white checked napkin.
    BLT Layered Salad
    Everything you love about a BLT sandwich is in this BLT Layered Salad, including the toasted bread!
    Get the recipe
    14
    A beautiful bowl of spinach salad with purple potatoes, pecans, blue cheese, and sliced onions.
    Superfood Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Purple Potatoes
    This salad may surprise you with its unexpected ingredients. But after your first bite of this incredible Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Purple Potatoes, you'll agree that it blows all other spinach salads out of the water!
    Get the recipe
    15
    A pretty Caprese salad with zucchini and burrata on a square decorative platter.
    Caprese Salad with Zucchini, Prosciutto and Burrata
    This Caprese Salad with Zucchini, Prosciutto, and Burrata isn't your typical (or traditional) Caprese salad; it's WAY better, thanks to the grilled zucchini, onions, and all the extra special touches!
    Get the recipe
    16
    A vibrant broccoli and apple salad in a white bowl with a spoon.
    Chilled Broccoli Apple Salad
    After your first bite, you'll wonder where this chilled broccoli apple salad has been all your life! It's a refreshing and healthy salad you'll want to have on hand year-round.
    Get the recipe
    17
    A vibrant bowl of Avocado and Kidney Bean Salad with a serving spoon.
    Chilled Avocado and Kidney Bean Salad
    This cool and refreshing Chilled Avocado and Kidney Bean Salad is the best bean salad with avocado and is the perfect BBQ side dish or vegetarian main course. It has healthy, delicious ingredients and is a no-cook dish that takes only minutes to prepare.
    Get the recipe
    18
    Plate of Italian Roasted Plum Tomatoes with breadcrumbs and cheese.
    Roasted Plum Tomatoes with Italian Breadcrumbs
    Roasted Plum Tomatoes are sweet, soft, crunchy, and deliciously seasoned. They’ll make a perfect BBQ side dish for just about anything you can imagine, and they’ll even be as tasty as heck for breakfast or brunch.
    Get the recipe
    19
    Cold Italian Shell Pasta Salad
    Italian Shell Pasta Salad
    Italian Shell Pasta Salad comes together quickly with the help of store-bought bottled Italian dressing. It's wonderful as a chilled side dish or vegetarian main course.
    Get the recipe
    20
    A clear glass bowl filled with Pea and Farro Salad along with a green napkin and fresh mint.
    Farro and Pea Salad
    Farro and Pea Salad with mint and feta is flavorful and delicious! The vibrant green color speaks to the freshness of this springtime side dis, or vegetarian main course.
    Get the recipe
    21
    A white bowl filled with chilled French lentil Salad.
    Chilled French Lentil Salad
    French lentil salad is served chilled. It's a flavorful, protein-packed, side dish, or it can serve as a vegetarian main course with one minor adjustment.
    Get the recipe
    22
    Cast Iron Skillet Grilled Cornbread
    Making this Cast Iron Grilled Skillet Cornbread will help you keep your cool this summer and keep the heat out of the house. It's perfect for outdoor entertaining and will please even the pickiest eater.
    Get the recipe
    23
    A white bowl filled with Asparagus and Pea Risotto along with shards of Parmesan cheese on top.
    ASPARAGUS AND PEA RISOTTO
    Asparagus and Pea Risotto combine all the flavors of spring with very little fuss and just a little bit of stirring.
    Get the recipe
    24
    A cast iron pot of fried corn on an outdoor grill.
    Fried Corn with Bacon and Sweet Bell Peppers
    Fried Corn with Bacon and sweet bell peppers is a delicious and colorful side dish that can be made indoors, or outside on the grill. It's a delicious dish that will please just about everyone!
    Get the recipe
    25
    Sweet & Savory Roasted Mexican Sweet Corn Risotto - kudoskitchenbyrenee.com
    Mexican Street Corn Risotto
    If you love Mexican street corn (and who doesn't), it's time to think outside the husk with this Mexican Sweet Corn Risotto.
    Get the recipe
    26
    Roasted Tomato Bacon Linguine
    If you can turn on the oven and boil water, you'll be successful at making this easy and delicious family favorite pasta meal in under 30 minutes.
    Get the recipe
    27
    A glass and drink dispenser filled with Peach Basil Lemonade along with fresh fruit in the front.
    Peach Basil Lemonade
    This refreshing Peach Basil Lemonade is the perfect combination of lightly sweet and lightly tart, and the basil adds an extra herbaceous fragrant note you'll enjoy!
    Get the recipe
    28
    A green Wedge Salad with Wasabi Peas and Blue Cheese Dressing.
    Wedge Salad with Wasabi Peas
    This retro-inspired Wedge Salad with Wasabi Peas is traditionally delicious, but with an updated twist. You're going to love the big, bold flavors with a touch of heat to offset the cool crunch of the lettuce and dressing!
    Get the recipe
    29
    A Chicken Cordon Bleu Salad on a platter with cheese and meat.
    Chicken Cordon Bleu Salad
    My Chicken Cordon Bleu Salad is a hearty romaine lettuce salad loaded with chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese. It's then topped with a lightly sweet and tangy homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette that balances this delicious salad perfectly!
    Get the recipe
    30
    Chef's Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing - kudoskitchenbyrenee.com
    Best Ever Chef's Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
    A chef's salad isn't something only to be eaten at restaurants. You can easily make this Chef's Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing at home with all the great add-ins and flavor you love!
    Get the recipe
    31
    A blue bowl filled with Hot Roasted Potato Salad.
    Hot Roasted Potato Salad for a Crowd
    With only a few minutes of preparation, this Hot Roasted Potato Salad can feed a hungry crowd without much fuss. It can be made in advance, which makes it perfect for entertaining.
    Get the recipe
    32
    A brown bowl filled with Roasted Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs.
    Roasted Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Fresh Herbs
    Roasted Baby Potatoes with Garlic & Fresh Herbs are creamy in the center, and brown and crispy on the outside. Pair all that deliciousness with a dipping sauce made of mustard, horseradish, and mayonnaise, and you have the perfect side dish or even a fun and unusual party appetizer!! 
    Get the recipe
    33
    Cheesy Fennel Onion Gratin Title Image
    Deliciously Cheesy Baked Fennel Onion Gratin Recipe
    Fennel Onion Gratin is a deliciously cheesy side dish that is wonderfully flavorful and simple to make. It's the perfect accompaniment to any main course, or it can become the main course all on its own.
    Get the recipe
    34
    A white bowl filled with German Fried Potatoes along with scallions and a spoon.
    German Fried Potatatoes
    Crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside. German Fried Potatoes are everything you want in a potato side dish...including the bacon!
    Get the recipe
    35
    A plate of Layered German Spaetzle Casserole along with a casserole dish in the background.
    Layered German Spaetzle Casserole
    Buttered German egg dumplings (spaetzle) are layered in a casserole dish along with shredded Gruyere cheese and crispy, crunchy onions to bring you this delicious recipe for German Spaetzle Casserole with Cheese and Crunchy Onions.
    Get the recipe
    36
    Bacon Bourbon Green Beans Almondine topped with almonds in a china serving bowl.
    Bacon Bourbon Green Beans Almondine
    Green Beans Almondine is a delicious buttery bourbon update on a classic and will soon become your favorite way to eat green beans.
    Get the recipe
    37
    A small baking tray filled with crispy baked eggplant chips with an whole eggplant and fresh basil as garnish
    Crispy Baked Eggplant Chips with Basil and Parmesan Cheese
    Crispy Baked Eggplant Chips are packed with flavor thanks to a light brushing of homemade basil-infused olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese.
    Get the recipe
    38
    A closeup photo of Alfredo Macaroni and Cheese with melted cheese and elbow macaroni.
    Alfredo Mac and Cheese with White Wine
    This Alfredo Mac and Cheese is one of the best macaroni and cheese recipes you'll ever have. It's a cheese and a wine lover's dream come true, and it's easy to make too!!
    Get the recipe
    39
    Creamy Potato Salad with Dill Pickles
    Dill Pickle Potato Salad
    Boring old potato salad gets an upgrade with dill pickles, shallots, bacon, and smoked paprika in this recipe for Creamy Dill Pickle Potato Salad.
    Get the recipe
    40
    A white bowl filled with Corned Beef and Cabbage Coleslaw with cheese and onion.
    Corned Beef and Cabbage Coleslaw
    This recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage Coleslaw may be unusual, but it's also unusually delicious! Inspired by traditional Irish fare, this recipe is decidedly untraditional!
    Get the recipe
    41
    Large bowl with a kale salad with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
    Rubbed Kale Salad with Berries
    This kale salad with berries is a deliciously healthy side dish that takes only minutes to prepare. It's chock full of Mother Nature's healthiest ingredients and then topped with a homemade vinaigrette dressing which is just the right amount of tang to compliment the hearty kale.
    Get the recipe
    42
    A fluted white bowl filled with Oil and Vinegar Veggie Pasta Salad.
    Oil and Vinegar Veggie Pasta Salad
    Oil and Vinegar Veggie Pasta Salad is a fresh and healthy chilled pasta salad that you can serve as a side dish or a summertime meat-free main course.
    Visit the recipe
    Shop my recommended products at my Kudos Kitchen Store

    For additional BBQ side dish recipes please check out my Popular BBQ Recipe Roundup which features tons and tons of recipes from some of your favorite food bloggers.

    I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's recipe roundup with more than 40 fantastic BBQ side dishes as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!

    A bowl of Mexican Street Corn with green onions, and limes in a white bowl. Best BBQ side dishes

    Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!

    Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!

    Please don't forget to like and follow me across all of my SM channels, and while you're at it stop by and say hello! I'll be looking for you! 🙂

    FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, YOUTUBE, KUDOS AMAZON SHOPPING,

    and PINTEREST

    Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!

    Selfie of Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Renee
    Custom Renee Signature

    Primary Sidebar

    Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Renee holding a cast iron skillet cornbread.

    Hi, I'm Renee! I've been a passionate home cook for over 40 years. I specialize in easy-to-make comfort food dishes from appetizers to desserts and everything in between.

    More →

    Fast and Easy Dinners

    • A salsa sloppy joe sandwich in a small cast iron skillet with avocado slices and a sesame seed bun.
      Salsa Sloppy Joes
    • A stack of Burrito Dogs with some ketchup and mustard in the background.
      Burrito Dogs (aka Dogs in a Blanket)
    • Four Caprese Sausage Sandwiches on a platter with tomatoes and fresh basil.
      Caprese Sausage Sandwich
    • A stack to Burgerdillas on a wooden cutting board.
      Burgerdillas - Burgers in Tortillas

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When I find a great product or service I like to share it with my readers. For additional information please view my privacy policy.

    Copyright © 2025 Kudos Kitchen by Renee