16 Best Summer BBQ Side Dishes That’ll Steal the Show

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There’s nothing quite like the sizzle of a summer BBQ, but let’s be honest – the real magic happens when the side dishes hit the table. Whether you’re hosting a backyard bash or bringing a dish to the neighborhood potluck, these 16 summer BBQ side dishes are about to become your secret weapons. For this list, I focused on easy and tasty BBQ party sides so you won’t find complicated recipes in this batch. 

From make-ahead salads that get better overnight to air fryer sides that’ll have everyone asking “how’d you do that?”, we’ve got your cookout covered.

1. Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

All the smoky, creamy, spicy goodness of elote transformed into a portable pasta salad that’s absolutely perfect for summer gatherings.

2. Easy Sweet Potato Rounds in the Air Fryer

Crispy-edged, tender-centered sweet potato rounds that cook up in minutes and taste like they took hours of careful preparation. Peel, slice, oil them up and wait. So good. Try with a side of our thoroughly yummy Thick & Clingy Blue Cheese Dip.

3. Stovetop Green Beans & Tomatoes

Fresh green beans and juicy tomatoes come together in this simple, flavorful side that celebrates summer’s best produce with ease.

4. Red Potato Salad Recipe

Creamy, tangy, and loaded with herbs, this classic red potato salad is the kind that disappears first at every BBQ. Better double the batch.

5. Crockpot Summer Vegetable Soup

Light, fresh, and hands-off, this slow cooker soup showcases garden vegetables without heating up your entire kitchen during summer. One of our more unconventional BBQ menu ideas, but it’s a vegetarian option without being yet another salad. 

6. Creamy Pasta Salad

Speaking of salad: Hearty and endlessly customizable, I love these crowd-pleasing sides. Pasta salad gets better as it sits and goes with every backyard cookout or smoky plate of BBQ.

7. Air Fryer Bell Peppers

This is the easiest side dish ever: One ingredient, one step. You don’t even need oil or seasoning; just put them in the air fryer basket in one layer and roast. They come out soft and sweet, all in one bite. Nature’s finger food that goes with all grilled goodies.

8. Bacon Deviled Eggs

Is it cliche to say that bacon makes everything better? Well feast on one of the top make-ahead BBQ sides you can pull together, plate them on a chiller, then watch them disappear.

9. Carolina Coleslaw

Here’s a backyard bbq recipe that offers a crunch that complements smoky meats and burgers like crazy. You can chop your own head of cabbage or save a step with a bag of precut.

10. Grilled Tomatoes

It’s hard to beat this one. It sounds like an extra step, but I promise, the seasonings and heat create a char your guests will crow about later.

11. Grilled Pineapple

This is one of our most popular recipes on the site. The trick is to not move the pineapple rings, though you’ll be tempted to.

12. Marinated Tomatoes

Easy squeezy: Fresh, herb-infused tomatoes that marinate in tangy dressing, getting more flavorful by the hour while adding brightness to heavy plates.

13. Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese

Creamy, indulgent comfort food that’s ready in minutes and guaranteed to make both kids and adults absolutely ecstatic. It’s like the bacon of the pasta world: it makes every meal better.

14. Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Imagine a plate full of your favorite BBQ party sides and you walk up to a crock of warm mash potatoes piled high with bacon, cheese and tangy with sour cream and green onions. You’ll be making a lot of friends with this one on the table.

15. Skillet Creamed Corn

This isn’t the stuff in a can: Sweet, rich, and slightly smoky, this restaurant-quality creamed corn elevates humble corn into something truly special and memorable.

16. Air Fryer Green Beans

Perfectly crisp-tender green beans with amazing flavor that cook up quickly while keeping your kitchen cool all summer.

The bottom line

These 16 quick summer sides prove that the supporting cast can absolutely steal the show. Mix, match, and watch your guests come back for thirds of my easy potluck side dishes.

Want even more? Check these lists of more BBQ inspiration:

25 Cold Appetizers – https://cookingchew.com/cold-appetizers.html

45 Potluck Appetizers – https://cookingchew.com/potluck-appetizers.html

27 Hot Appetizers – https://cookingchew.com/hot-appetizers.html

What to Serve with BBQ Chicken – https://cookingchew.com/what-to-serve-with-bbq-chicken.html

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