10 Side Dishes To Bring To Your Next BBQ

A side dish is just as important as the main dish. It complements and adds to the whole meal. BBQ season is coming up and you don’t want to show up empty-handed. You also don’t want to bring anything that doesn’t compliment a BBQ. Not to worry, we did all the hard work for you! Here are some awesome side dishes to bring to your next BBQ.

1. Potato Salad

Whenever you go to a BBQ, potato salad is always present. It is a classic BBQ staple and never disappoints. Potato salads vary in taste and ingredients, but overall they are pretty similar. Here is a basic one, that is also a classic favorite. Here is what you need:

6 medium white potatoes
3 tablespoons of white vinegar
2 celery stalks (diced)
6 green onions (diced)
5 hard-boiled eggs (peeled)
1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Paprika for garnish

Start by boiling the potatoes for about 20-25 minutes. Peel the potatoes and cut into medium-sized squares. Put the squared potatoes in a large mixing bowl, pour the vinegar over them, and set to cool. Add the celery, onions, and eggs (sliced) to the potatoes. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper. Garnish with paprika and chill until ready to serve. Yum!

2. Baked Beans

Beans are the perfect side dish for a BBQ because it compliments the sweetness of the sauce that is one main dishes like chicken, ribs, hamburgers, and more. Don’t just show up with heated up beans from a can. Perfecting the thick, hardiness of baked beans is also easier than you think. You can make these in your very own crockpot! Homemade is always better. Here’s what you’ll need:

16 oz of dried navy beans any small white bean
1 medium white onion (diced)
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup of molasses
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon of dry mustard
5 cups of water
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by rinsing the beans thoroughly and picking out any “bad beans” that blacken or cracked. Combine the beans, onion, sugar, molasses, vinegar, mustard, water, and black pepper into your slow cooker or crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 12 hours while stirring occasionally. Add extra salt and pepper to taste before serving. It’s as easy as that!

3. Pasta Salad

Similar to potato salad, pasta salad is a BBQ side dish staple. These also come in many different varieties, flavors, and ingredients. However, here is a popular version that is the Italian pasta salad. Here is what you’ll need:

1 lb of bowties, rotini, shells, or penne pasta
1-pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 (6 oz) can whole olives (halved)
8 oz mini mozzarella balls
1/4 cup grated parmesan
3 oz of salami (cut in thirds or quartered)
3 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup vinaigrette (your favorite)

Begin by boiling and cooking the pasta. Rinse with cold water, place in a bowl, and chill in the fridge. Next, combine all the ingredients and toss while pouring in the dressing. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

4. Corn On The Cob

Corn on the cob is the vegetable that no one can get enough of a BBQ. It might have to do with all the butter, salt, and spices that some add on top, but still, it’s a real crowd-pleaser. These are super easy to make and can be done right there at the BBQ in minutes. Here’s what you’ll need:

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of butter (softened)
2 tablespoons of paprika
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
4 pieces of corn on the cob (shucked)

Combine all the ingredients together and later the mix onto the corn. Wrap the corn individually in aluminum foil. You can cook these in your oven or over your BBQ for about 10-20 minutes. It’s mouth-watering!

5. Asparagus

Another popular BBQ vegetable dish is asparagus. Again, it could be because of the butter, salt, lemon, and other spices that are added to it. Nevertheless, it still is such a great dish that is super easy to cook. Here is what you’ll need:

Asparagus
2-3 large lemons
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 pinches of salt
2 pinches of pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Start by spreading and sprinkling the lemon, oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes over the asparagus. You can cook your asparagus in the over or over tour BBQ. These will take about 10 minutes so be sure to turn them over about halfway.

6. Watermelon

Now, this one you don’t need to “make” necessarily. You can easily chop it up and serve it just like that and people will rave about it. Or if you’re feeling a little extra, you can always change it up with a Strawberry Watermelon Feta Salad. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 cups of strawberries (sliced)
2 cups of watermelon (cubed)
2 cups of semi-thick cucumber (sliced and cut in half)
A handful of fresh mint leaves (or basil)
3/4 cup of crumbled goat’s cheese (or feta)
1 tsp of sumac

Mix all of these in a large bowl and serve. Easy as that!

7. Garlic Bread

Bread is always a great side dish for any meal. It compliments every single food item as well as being a great way to mop up and enjoy all the leftovers and juices on your plate. So, how do we bring the best garlic bread to the BBQ? With a few simple ingredients and steps. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 loaf of French bread
1/2cup of salted butter (softened)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon of dried (optional)
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh basil, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried (optional)
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, or you can always wrap your bread in aluminum foil and cook on the grill. Next, slice the bread in half (longways). Then, in a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Spread the mix over the top of both halves. Cook for about 5 minutes or until it browns slightly.

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8. Caesar Salad

I know. Salad doesn’t sound that appealing when you’re at a BBQ. However, you might miss something green and a little healthy to balance out all the other rich and yummy food out there believe it or not. So, if you’re going to make a salad, make it one that is a classic favorite like a caesar salad. Here’s what you’ll need for the salad:

8 cups romaine lettuce hearts (rinsed and dried)
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese cut into ribbons (optional)
1 cup of croutons
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Here’s what you’ll need for the dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 ½ ofteaspoonWorcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of mashed anchovies (or anchovy paste)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper

Start by combining all the dressing ingredients into a jar or a container with a lid and shake it up until it is well-mixed. Then, chop or tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place them into a serving bowl. Drizzle the lettuce with the dressing and mix well. Add the grated cheese, croutons, and pepper and mix again. Top with the parmesan ribbons and serve.

9. Onion Dip

This may seem like an appetizer dish but I’ve seen people add this to their plate when they’re enjoying the main course to compliment them. This is a dish people will be eating before, during, and after the BBQ. Don’t just mix sour cream and a packet into a bowl. Put a little love into such a universal dish. Here’s what you’ll need:

3 tablespoons of butter
2 1/2 cups of diced onions
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
4 oz /120 g cream cheese (cold, cut into cubes)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

Start by melting the butter in a pan. Add and fry the onions, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne powder. Cook on low for 20-25 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream. Add the caramelized onions and mix them together well. Refrigerate until you serve.

10. Green Beans

Before you say gross, this recipe has caramelized onions and bacon in it! Plus, you can make this all in your slow-cooker or crockpot so it’s easy peasy. Here’s what you’ll need:

8slices of thick-cut bacon
1/2cup of chopped onion
1/2cup of ketchup
1/3cup of packed light brown sugar
1/4cup of BBQ sauce
1tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/4teaspoon of salt
1/4teaspoon of black pepper
1/4teaspoon of cayenne pepper
4(14.5-ounce) canned green beans (drained)

First, chop up and cook the bacon and remove from pan. Then, cook the onions in the bacon grease until soft. In a medium bowl , mix together the ketchup, sugar, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the green beans to your crockpot and the bacon, onions, and the leftover bacon grease. Pour in the ketchup mixture and stir. Cook for about 4-5 hours. Enjoy!