You’ve got the main course, now what goes with it? These Cookout Side Dishes are perfect for your backyard barbecues and summer picnics. Or just serve them up for your next family dinner!
When you’re planning your next cookout, throw those hot dogs or juicy burgers on the grill and we’ve got you covered with summer salads and other delicious sides like pasta salads, fruit salads, and more!
How to Pair Cookout Sides with Main Dishes
Having the right side dish to compliment your cookout menu is crucial to the success of your meal. No one wants to have just a steak, they want a baked potato and corn on the Cob to go with it! That said, these summer cookout side dishes serve a few purposes:
Round out the nutrition. Having a plate full of grilled meat might taste delicious, but it isn’t the most nutritious way to eat. Sides, like vegetables, starches and grains, are a great place to bring in other nutritious elements that might not be part of the main dish recipe.
Balance the flavors. My grilled chicken marinade has an incredible flavor, but it can be tedious to eat the same flavors over and over. Pair hearty meats with something light, like a garden salad, or something spicy with something mild.
Balance the textures and colors. Yellow food can seem bland when that’s all that’s on your plate. Likewise when all the food is soft. Pair crunchy with creamy, green beans with yellow corn and more. I mean, who doesn’t love a good pairing like crispy grilled cheese and creamy tomato soup?
The Best Cookout Side Dishes
We’ve got these delicious sides labeled for summer, but they are perfect year round. Who says you can’t have a bbq side like Red Potato Salad in December or Baked Beans in January? Certainly not me, so enjoy these favorite outdoor cookout side dishes all year long, whether you’re cooking out or in!
Bonus, some of these recipes serve double duty as side dishes for outdoor cookouts or an appetizer, like this Cheese Board with my favorite herbed goat cheese or blue cheese!
Easy German Potato Salad
Authentic German Potato Salad is a cold salad made with an oil & vinegar dressing that is traditionally served in the Swabian region of Southern Germany.
This Lighter Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is made with Greek Yogurt for a super creamy pasta salad that skimps on calories, but not flavor. It's the perfect side dish for barbecues, picnics or just dinner with your family.
Grilled Zucchini, marinated in lemon juice and olive oil, is a healthy summer side dish that everyone loves! It's become a staple in our house and the only vegetable my kids actually beg for!
Ramen Chinese Chicken Salad
Ramen Chinese Chicken Salad has fresh cabbage, crunchy ramen noodles, almonds and a tangy dressing. It's great as a side or a main dish.
These Grilled Potatoes are flavored with a simple seasoning blend, par-boiled then grilled to perfection. They are so simple and easy – they will become your new favorite summer side dish!
This easy Greek-style Bean Salad is super simple and packed with both flavor and gorgeous color. Add some crispy lettuce and grilled chicken for a full meal, or serve it with warmed pita bread as an appetizer.
Cucumber Salad with Blueberries and a white balsamic dressing is a light and refreshing picnic side dish. It's perfect to bring to any summer gathering!
Mexican Street Corn Salad is super creamy with tons of flavor – it’s everything you love about the street corner classic roasted corn in a yummy salad. It’s a delicious side dish that just screams summer!
These Grilled Vegetables are coated with a balsamic vinegar reduction and grilled until tender and slightly charred. This is the ultimate summer side dish!
This simple carrot salad will be your new go-to quick salad. It's so easy to throw together with minimal ingredients and a killer vinaigrette – this is a total winner!
Easy Greek Pasta Salad, with lots of veggies and a flavorful dressing, is a quick & easy, full of flavor side dish, perfect for summer picnics & barbecues.
This Easy Vegetable Pasta Salad is one of my go-to summer recipes. It comes together in a snap and can be made ahead of time for a great menu addition!
Broccoli Salad is a cool, crisp side salad that’s perfect for summer cookouts. With a creamy, Greek yogurt and honey based dressing, crunchy sunflower seeds and juicy raisins, this salad is as delicious as it is light and healthy!
Spinach Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette is the best weekday salad! It's easy and fast, made with fresh spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers and crunchy walnuts.
My Creamy Walnut Coleslaw Recipe is a surefire winner for all your summer party side dish needs. It's crunchy and creamy with a tangy coleslaw dressing and so packed with flavor!
This refreshing fruit salad is perfect as a side dish or a healthy dessert…and it has a secret ingredient that might surprise you! Perfect for summer, this fruit salad will win your backyard barbecues and picnics.
What do you get when you combine all your favorite antipasto ingredients with pasta salad? Antipasto Pasta Salad, your new go-to summer side dish. Prepare to be the most popular person at the picnic!
Need a new side dish that will be welcome year round? This Broccoli Slaw with Apples and Dried Cherries definitely fits the bill! It's creamy and crunchy and a little bit sweet, making it the best side dish for summertime barbecues to Thanksgiving dinner.
Summer Spaghetti Salad is a simple twist on the classic pasta salad. Made with just a few simple ingredients, this will become your new go to summer side dish!
This Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad is a whole meal in itself, with tender chicken and pasta, sweet strawberries, and a tangy Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.
My Caprese Pasta Salad is simple and delicious, full of tender pasta, juicy tomatoes, chunks of fresh Mozzarella and a tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette. The perfect spring pasta salad!
Jello Salad is a vintage recipe that's part side dish & part dessert. This Green Jello Salad is deliciously creamy and perfect for sharing with friends!
Italian Pasta Salad is a potluck classic ready in under 15 minutes! Made with pantry ingredients and fresh veggies, this pasta salad is a family favorite.
7 Layer Salad is a classic potluck dish great for feeding a crowd. These layers of deliciousness can be made ahead of time for these easiest side dish ever!
Mexican Beans are cooked in the crock pot overnight for a truly authentic taste. These slow cooker pinto beans are the best side for all your favorite Mexican dishes.
Fresh Fruit Kabobs are an adorable way to serve a fruit as a side dish or a snack. Select your favorite fruits and thread them onto skewers for these easy kabobs served with a sweet and creamy dip.
Mediterranean Green Bean Salad is full of bright flavors and colors, with Feta cheese, Kalamata olives, chickpeas, tomatoes and a tangy Greek vinaigrette.
Velvety smooth avocados are charred and filled with salsa, then topped with melted cheese to make the perfect summer appetizer or side dish. Or, add them to your favorite guacamole recipe for a smoky dip!
Grilled Peaches are simple and rustic, and a perfect side dish or dessert for summer. Topped with a smoky honey butter, there's deliciousness in every bite!
Balsamic Chicken Tortellini Salad is a simple, Italian-inspired pasta salad full of chicken, veggies and a balsamic dressing. Delicious served warm or cold.
My Slow Cooker Baked Beans Recipe takes your old bbq standby side dish and adds a ton of flavor and texture. They are the perfect side dish for your BBQ!
Lemon Herb Red Potato Salad is full of tender potatoes and tons of flavor! Made with a delicious oil based lemon herb dressing and no mayo, it's perfect for summer parties.
My Oma’s Creamy Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat) is full of crisp, crunchy cucumbers, tangy vinegar and spicy garlic, all coated in smooth sour cream. It’s a perfectly refreshing side dish for spring and summer.
Frog Eye Salad is a potluck classic and a family favorite around here. This weird-sounding but delicious dessert salad is made with acini de pepe pasta, pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, and marshmallows!
Refreshing, sweet, and crowd-pleasing Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Mint. Enjoyed by kids and adults alike with 6 simple ingredients, this 10 minute salad is not to be missed!
This is an easy Summer Cheese Plate for any occasion! Perfect as a no cook appetizer for a cookout or grilling session, for picnic or just as a light dinner in the summer heat.
Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad is a fresh summer side that goes well with anything off the grill. Full of flavor and lots of crunch make this summer salad a nice change from the classics.
This Asian coleslaw is crispy, crunchy and tossed in the most flavorful Peanut Sesame Ginger Dressing. This Asian Slaw recipe is easy to make and great served as a side dish or main salad.
Pea salad is a classic cookout side dish that is easy to make. This cold side is also less common, so will stand out on the picnic table among all the potato and pasta salads.
Learn how to cut eggplant and how to roast eggplant slices in 2 EASY steps! This oven roasted eggplant recipe makes the perfect healthy low carb side dish.
This tart and tangy Mexican fruit cup is topped with tajin chili lime seasoning which makes the ripe fruit pop with unique and vibrant flavor. Tajin on fruit is great as a healthy snack that is kid friendly and adults love it too!
This fast & easy Fresh Pineapple Coleslaw adds tropical flair to the otherwise ordinary side, making it a great topping for everything from sliders to hot dogs!
Easy homemade dill pickles. This pickle recipe is full of flavor thanks to fresh dill and garlic, with red onion. No canning is required to get crunchy, and delicious refrigerator pickles!
Packed with corn, black beans, peppers, onion, a blend of spicy and savory seasonings, and of course crunchy Fritos, this corn salad is perfect to bring to any potluck or BBQ.
Crispy, golden and absolutely easy these Beer Battered Onion rings are the perfect appetizer or side dish to your dinnertime meal! Quick, tasty and crunchy!
Pesto Tortellini Salad is the easiest pasta salad you’ll make! Throw this quick and delicious pasta salad together in minutes and wow your friends and family!
The simplest, easy chopped Caprese salad recipe with 7 ingredients! Once you see how to make avocado Caprese salad with cherry tomatoes, you’ll make this naturally healthy, keto salad over and over… and over.
Perfect Tomato Salad is the most flavorful, using cherry tomatoes or any tomato you prefer! The dressing is irresistible and makes this salad the best fresh side!
Ranch pasta salad is an easy side dish that’s only 6 ingredients. Tri-color spiral pasta, cucumber, broccoli, tomatoes, parmesan cheese and ranch dressing.
Flavorful Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad, topped with roasted pine nuts for added crunch and toasty flavor for a delicious meal sized salad or side dish.
Orzo pasta is cooked with turmeric for wonderful color and flavor, then tossed with fresh asparagus and a lemon vinaigrette in this delicious spring time side dish.
Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad, made with cream cheese, bacon, and lots of jalapeno peppers, is a spicy and delicious twist on regular potato salad that is just what you need to heat up your next cookout or picnic.
Now you’ve got the cookout side dishes but need some ideas for the entree? Here are a few of our favorites, or check out our Summer Dinners and Grilling Recipes.
What are your or favorite sides to bring to a cookout? Let us know in the comments!
Kristin Maxwell
Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.