29 Summer BBQ Side Dishes to Elevate Your Grill Game

Nothing beats a good barbecue in the summer! With the sun out, not a cloud in the sky, and your loved ones all gathered together in your backyard, it’s the perfect time to enjoy and bond over some grilled food. And what goes best with barbecue? Lots of side dishes! Fries, succotash, coleslaw, corn on the cob, fruit salad– all of these dishes, combined with some grilled steak and skewers, make the perfect menu. Take your pick from these recipes of different kinds of salads, potatoes, casseroles, and more that are sure to go well with your summer BBQ!

Cucumber Salad

Summer in a bowl! This cucumber salad is light, refreshing and so easy to make. It’s perfect for meal prep, picnics, cookouts, and potlucks.
Get the Recipe: Cucumber Salad

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This easy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is a cinch to make for your next barbecue. Using lots of herbs really fills it with flavor!
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Pasta Salad

This Pasta Salad will easily become your favorite summer side dish. It’s full of summer’s seasonal bounty. Bring it to your next barbecue and watch it disappear!
Get the Recipe: Pasta Salad

Watermelon And Cucumber Salad

This Watermelon and Cucumber Salad is a great way to celebrate a warm summer day. This salad is full of watermelon, cucumber, feta, avocados, and mint. It’s perfect for a summer party or neighborhood get-together.
Get the Recipe: Watermelon And Cucumber Salad

Tomato Cucumber Salad

A bowl of tomato salad with a wooden spoon. — Cucumber Tomato Salad {Keto, Gluten Free}. Photo credit: Seasonal Cravings.

The simple perfection of summer ripe tomatoes and crunchy garden fresh cucumbers come together in this easy Tomato Cucumber Salad. The combination of cucumbers and tomatoes need little more than a bit of garlic, chopped basil, vinegar, olive oil and seasoning to highlight their fresh flavors.
Get the Recipe: Tomato Cucumber Salad

Quinoa Salad With Greens

A healthy lunch option, this high protein quinoa salad is packed with nutritious nuts and almonds. — The Best Quinoa Salad With Greens. Photo credit: Seasonal Cravings.

This Quinoa Salad with Greens is packed with sauteed zucchini, cucumber, greens, almonds and feta cheese. A delicious lunch or dinner side dish to pair with some grilled BBQ!
Get the Recipe: Quinoa Salad With Greens

Simple Corn Succotash

A skillet full of vegetables and corn. — Simple Corn Succotash. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

Simple Corn Succotash is made with fresh sweet corn and frozen lima beans or edamame. Check out this simple 20-minute veggie side dish for your next summer get together!
Get the Recipe: Simple Corn Succotash

Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Casserole

Cheesy corn casserole with bacon and cheese in a white dish. — Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Casserole. Photo credit: Olive And Mango.

Bacon cheddar jalapeno corn casserole – easy to make and irresistible! It makes for a great side to just about anything or even on its own. It’s easy to whip up and a great casserole dish to take along with you to a summer barbecue.
Get the Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Casserole

Macaroni Salad With Greek Yogurt

A bowl of pasta salad with tomatoes and peas. — Greek Yogurt Cucumber Salad. Photo credit: Foolproof Living .

This Macaroni Salad With Greek Yogurt is made with cheddar and loads of garden fresh vegetables. Bring it to your next potluck and watch it disappear in a flash!
Get the Recipe: Macaroni Salad With Greek Yogurt

Cowboy Caviar

A white bowl with black beans, corn, tomatoes and avocado. — Cowboy Caviar. Photo credit: Olive And Mango.

This easy Cowboy Caviar is a colorful dip made with a mix of black beans, black-eyed peas, fresh veggies, creamy avocado, fresh herbs, feta, and a tangy lemony dressing. A perfect side for a summer meal!
Get the Recipe: Cowboy Caviar

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Quinoa salad in a white bowl with wooden spoons. — Southwest Quinoa Salad. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

This Southwest Quinoa Salad is hearty and delicious! It has fresh mango, avocado, lime and black beans. It’s the perfect salad for summertime picnics.
Get the Recipe: Southwest Quinoa Salad

Mediterranean White Bean Salad With Feta

A white bean salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese. — Mediterranean White Bean Salad With Feta. Photo credit: Olive And Mango.

This Mediterranean White Bean Salad with Feta is so simple to make, with a few fresh veggies and a handful of pantry staples. If you’re assigned to bring a side dish to your friend’s summer lunch, this is the one!
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean White Bean Salad With Feta

Easy Sauteed Zucchini

Zucchini with dill in a pan with a fork. — Easy Sauteed Zucchini. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

This Easy Sauteed Zucchini recipe is the best way to turn a favorite summer squash into a tasty side dish in just 12 minutes! It only requires a few basic ingredients but the flavor of the fresh herbs and garlic really make it taste special.
Get the Recipe: Easy Sauteed Zucchini

Mixed Bean Salad

A bowl of bean and bean salad with dill. — Mixed Bean Salad. Photo credit: Olive And Mango.

Who doesn’t love a mixed bean salad? This recipe is a delicious salad of canned beans and fresh beans marinated in a tangy briny sweet vinaigrette. It is such a classic and staple dish for summer picnics and potlucks because it’s well loved and it doesn’t require refrigeration.
Get the Recipe: Mixed Bean Salad

Coleslaw

This ultra creamy coleslaw is super easy to stir together. It’s the perfect coleslaw recipe for your summer cookouts, barbecues, and picnics!
Get the Recipe: Coleslaw

Chickpea Salad

This Chickpea Salad is full of fresh flavors and herbs. It is light, travels well, and pairs perfectly with the heartier mains served during a summer barbecue party.
Get the Recipe: Chickpea Salad

Jennifer Aniston Salad

A bowl of chickpea salad with cucumbers and chickpeas. — Jennifer Aniston Salad. Photo credit: Foolproof Living.

The Jennifer Aniston Salad is a popular option for a side dish to bring to a BBQ. Made up of bulgur wheat (or quinoa), chickpeas, cucumbers, red onion, fresh herbs, feta cheese, and pistachios, it was thought to be a meal that Aniston ate every day for 10 years while filming Friends!
Get the Recipe: Jennifer Aniston Salad

Easy Tossed Garden Salad

A bowl of salad with croutons, tomatoes and cucumbers. — Easy Tossed Garden Salad. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

This easy 15-minute Garden Salad is made with your favorite toppings including carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and croutons. Serve it with a classic Italian dressing for a tossed green salad that can’t be beat!
Get the Recipe: Easy Tossed Garden Salad

Greek Yogurt Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad in a pink bowl with a fork. — Greek Yogurt Cucumber Salad. Photo credit: Foolproof Living .

Need a quick side dish to bring to a summer party? Try this Greek Yogurt Cucumber Salad, made with a tzatziki-inspired Greek yogurt dressing. Your friends and family will surely love this recipe!
Get the Recipe: Greek Yogurt Cucumber Salad

Cherry Tomato Penne Pasta Caprese

Penne with tomatoes and basil in a white bowl. — Cherry Tomato Penne Pasta Caprese. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

If summertime needed an official pasta dish, this Cherry Tomato Penne Pasta Caprese would be a worthy contender. It only takes 30 minutes to make, so give it a try the next time you’ve got a summer potluck to go to!
Get the Recipe: Cherry Tomato Penne Pasta Caprese

Black Eyed Pea Salad

This Black-Eyed Pea Salad recipe is incredibly easy to make. This makes it perfect for holidays, picnics, potlucks, and BBQ parties as a fresh and delicious side dish.
Get the Recipe: Black Eyed Pea Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

A bowl of pasta salad with tomatoes and olives. — Italian Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

This easy Italian Pasta Salad is loaded with artichoke hearts, basil, tomatoes, and black olives. It even comes with a bold garlic and red wine vinegar dressing to make it pop!
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad

Black Bean And Corn Salad

Black bean salad with tomatoes and corn in a white bowl. — Black Bean And Corn Salad. Photo credit: Foolproof Living .

This Black Bean and Corn Salad is loaded with vegetables and all the Mexican flavors we all love. Serve as a side dish, salsa, or just by itself!
Get the Recipe: Black Bean And Corn Salad

Mexican Pasta Salad

This Mexican Pasta Salad is so easy and flavorful. Make the creamy Greek yogurt and lime dressing as spicy as you like! It is loaded with veggies, black beans, and corn!
Get the Recipe: Mexican Pasta Salad

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican corn salad on a blue and white plate. — Mexican Street Corn Salad. Photo credit: Foolproof Living .

This Mexican Street Corn Salad (aka esquites) is fresh, tangy, and deliciously creamy. It’s an easy summer side dish that is great for any gathering.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Salad

Veggie Pesto Pasta

A bowl of pesto pasta with broccoli and parmesan cheese. — Veggie Pesto Pasta. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

If you have 30 minutes, then you have enough time to throw together this simple Veggie Pesto Pasta recipe. It is made with fresh cooked vegetables, tender pasta, and tossed with basil pesto.
Get the Recipe: Veggie Pesto Pasta

Kale Waldorf Salad

Kale salad with apples and grapes in a pink bowl. — Kale Waldorf Salad With Yogurt-Mayo Dressing. Photo credit: Foolproof Living .

Kale Waldorf Salad is a quick and lovely salad made of kale, apples, grapes, and walnuts. Pair it with a lightened-up mayo and yogurt-based salad dressing, then serve on a sunny summer day!
Get the Recipe: Kale Waldorf Salad

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Greek orzo salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. — Greek Orzo Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

This 30-minute recipe for Greek Orzo Pasta Salad has cucumbers, feta, olives, and tangy lemon dressing. It’s the perfect summer salad for cookouts!
Get the Recipe: Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Greek Yogurt Coleslaw With Dressing

A bowl of coleslaw with a spoon. — Greek Yogurt Coleslaw With Dressing. Photo credit: Foolproof Living .

This Greek Yogurt Coleslaw recipe is the classic coleslaw’s better sister. This side dish is made with creamy yogurt coleslaw dressing recipe, without the mayo. Ideal for anyone who prefers a lighter coleslaw, especially during the summer days.
Get the Recipe: Greek Yogurt Coleslaw With Dressing