These BBQ sides will be the highlight of any summer cookout! They include easy, fresh, and delicious recipes for grilled veggies, salads, slaws, and more.

These BBQ sides will steal the show at any summer cookout. They range from creamy potato salad to summery slaws to herb-flecked pasta salad and smoky grilled watermelon.

Even with this variety, these BBQ side dishes all have a few things in common. They’re easy to prepare, they spotlight summer produce, and they’re fresh and delicious. Make one for your next summer gathering. I promise it’ll be a hit!

Our Best BBQ Sides

Easy Pasta Salad

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

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

Broccoli Salad

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!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

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.

Watermelon Salad with Feta

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.

Best Potato Salad

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.

Orzo Salad

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

Grilled Asparagus

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!

Creamy Coleslaw

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.

Summer Fruit Salad

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 zingy citrus-ginger dressing brightens up the colorful summer fruit.

Cowboy Caviar

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!

Macaroni Salad

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.

Grilled Vegetables

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

Grilled Potatoes

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.

Pesto Pasta Salad

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.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

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

Homemade Salsa

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!

Guacamole

Pass the tortilla chips!

Grilled Eggplant

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.

BLT Pasta Salad

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.

Vinegar Coleslaw

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.

Ultimate Crudité Platter

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.

Strawberry Salad with Balsamic

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.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

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.

Vegan Pasta Salad

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.

Jalapeño Cornbread

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

Broccoli Slaw

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.

Black Bean & Corn Salad

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 Skewers

Caprese salad, but make it bite-sized.

Grilled Watermelon

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.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

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!

Summer Fruit Platter

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!

Dill Pickles

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.

Best BBQ Sides: Grilled Corn

Ingredients

• 4 to 8 ears fresh corn

Topping options:

• Butter, sea salt, lemon or lime wedges, red pepper flakes
• Cilantro Lime Butter, recipe below
• Vegan Ranch

Instructions

Husk-on method

• Pull back the husks of the corn leaving them attached at the base. Remove the silks (as much as you can) and close the husks back over the corn cob. Soak the corn in a large pot of cold water for 10 minutes. This will prevent the husks from burning too much on the grill. Drain and pat dry.
• Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn on the grill and cook, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until all sides of the corn are cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove from the grill, tie back the husks and use them as a handle. Serve with desired toppings.

Husked method

• Remove the corn husk and silks and preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn on the grill and cook, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until all sides of the corn are cooked and light char marks form, about 15 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve with desired toppings.

Notes

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