Try these easy summer side dishes to highlight your backyard BBQ or picnic!

We’ve rounded up a few summer sides that will add flavor and appeal to grilling, potluck dinners, cookouts, and patio parties. 

There is nothing like enjoying a warm, sunny day with your friends and family, feasting on simple grilled tomatoes (heirlooms are lovely this time of year), and grilled corn on the cob. (More grilled recipes below.) My personal favorite is the first one in this list.

A picnic table full of vibrant summer sides, including grilled vegetables, fresh salads, and fruit bowls.

1. Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe

This may be the ultimate summer side dish. It is difficult to beat a salad that is served in a piece of carved-out watermelon. It is light, refreshing, and has some serious WOW to it.

A vibrant bowl of watermelon feta salad with fresh mint and a light drizzle of dressing

2. Easy Yukon Gold Potato Salad

Yukon gold potatoes have a naturally buttery flavor, making for an extra creamy flavored potato salad. I don’t know why I didn’t make this recipe sooner. It is just that good! This recipe will only take you about 10 minutes to prep.

A bowl of creamy Yukon Gold potato salad garnished with fresh herbs and served with a spoon

3. Hawaiian-Style Macaroni Salad

Choosing your mix-ins. Italian pasta salad can be made with hearty vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, olives, and artichokes. Add feta, pearl mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes. It’s hungry in here!

You can throw in some shredded chicken, black olive slices, hard-boiled eggs, or chickpeas for a complete meal or keep it simple with just a few ingredients and a flavorful dressing. Add your flair.

A bowl of creamy Hawaiian macaroni salad garnished with shredded carrots and green onions

4. Grilled Pineapple Slices

This is my favorite thing to put on the grill. Here’s our quick tip video on Facebook that will tell you our secret to that lovely crisp edge.

Add more brown sugar baste, and these become DESSERT.

Juicy, caramelized pineapple slices on a hot grill with golden grill marks

5. No-Mayo Carolina Slaw

You can use green cabbage, but the red cabbage adds a lovely pop of color. This Apple Carrot Slaw recipe cuts the mayo with sour cream.

A bowl of crunchy, colorful Carolina coleslaw with a light vinegar dressing

6. Grilled Whole Sweet Onions with Bacon

Made with RealSweet Vidalia Onions, these came out mouthwatering and fall-apart tender. Now, I will warn you that this recipe takes time and effort, but it is worth it. When I first made it, my friends literally stood on the porch and ate it; they just couldn’t wait.

Whole roasted Vidalia onions wrapped in crispy bacon with caramelized garlic cloves

7. Apple Carrot Slaw

One of our goals with cooking is to keep things as simple as possible. This is especially true in the summer. This recipe achieves that goal because I used a packaged coleslaw mix and made it delicious with my extra ingredients.

A vibrant bowl of apple carrot slaw with a light, tangy dressing, served fresh.

8. Smokey and Sweet Grilled Peaches

I tell you what. Just try them. You’ll be hooked. HOOKED. Use them to make Grilled Peach Salad, because as the great vegan chef Tabitha Brown would say, “That’s your business.”

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Juicy grilled peaches caramelized with honey, served on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

9. Marinated Tomatoes

This is such a delicious side dish for summer. It is simple and refreshing. You only need beautiful tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, vinegar, and herbs. You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs. Typically, when I make it, I use dried herbs because they are easy and in the pantry. 

Juicy marinated tomatoes in a garlic herb dressing, served in a bowl with fresh basil.

10. Grilled Peach Salad

Use some leftover grilled peaches from #7 above and you’re set for a luscious, slightly sweet summer side dish.

A vibrant summer salad with grilled peaches, greens, and champagne vinaigrette, served on a white plate.

11. Grilled Corn 4 Ways

They all come out amazing, and each recipe uses different tools and ingredients. 

Spoiler alert: My favorite grilled corn was the husked corn cooked directly on the grill. Andi’s fave was the kind wrapped in foil.

Freshly grilled corn on the cob with a golden char, topped with melted butter on a rustic wooden board.

12. Grilled Tomatoes

Lip-smacking spectacular, this is one of our most popular hits on the site. If you have tomatoes sitting around, toss them with some simple olive oil and a few spices. The grill will do the rest.

Juicy grilled tomatoes with a slight char, garnished with fresh herbs and olive oil, served on a rustic plate.

13. Rice And Fruit Salad

This summer side is a bit unusual. We made it for a group, and everyone had extreme reactions. At first, everyone was shy about trying it, but most of the group LOVED it! A few didn’t! I hope that you try it and let us know what you think.

A colorful rice and fruit salad in a bowl, featuring fresh berries, citrus, and herbs for a refreshing summer dish.

14. Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

When you serve these mashed potatoes at your next summer bash, everyone will ask you what you put in them. It can be our little secret, or you can brag about it to your friends. I like to keep everyone guessing. Sour cream makes the mashed potatoes taste richer.

A bowl of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes with sour cream, garnished with fresh herbs for a classic comfort food dish.

15. Caprese Salad Skewers

This recipe is perfect for summer because it is served on individual skewer sticks. You can prep them in advance and drizzle the balsamic glaze over top before serving them. I love mixing it up and serving it with varying tomato colors, but it always depends on what I can find at the store.

Fresh Caprese skewers with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil, drizzled with balsamic glaze on a serving platter.

16. Cilantro Lime Rice

My secret to this recipe is to use fresh lime juice. I always thought this was a complicated recipe, but it isn’t. You only need some cooked rice, limes, and fresh cilantro.

 A bowl of fluffy cilantro lime rice garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
A table filled with vibrant summer salads, grilled corn, and fresh seasonal sides

16 BEST Summer Sides

Renee’ Groskreutz
Here are 16 summer side dishes that will add a burst of color and flavor to your table.
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Ingredients
  

  • Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe
  • Easy Yukon Gold Potato Salad
  • Hawaiian-Style Macaroni Salad
  • Grilled Pineapple Slices
  • No-Mayo Carolina Slaw
  • Grilled Whole Sweet Onions with Bacon
  • Apple Carrot Slaw
  • Smokey and Sweet Grilled Peaches
  • Marinated Tomatoes
  • Grilled Peach Salad
  • Grilled Corn 4 Ways
  • Grilled Tomatoes
  • Rice And Fruit Salad
  • Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
  • Caprese Salad Skewers
  • Cilantro Lime Rice

Instructions
 

  • Choose a favorite summer side dish recipe to make for your next summer cookout or barbecue.
  • How did it come out? Snap a pic, share, and tag us with #cookingchew and let us know!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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