35+ Delicious Summer Cookout Side Dishes {100% Crowdpleasers}
If you need some amazing summer dishes to go along with your burgers or dogs or cookout main dish, give these a look! There are 35+ amazing choices that will please any guest or be welcome at any BBQ or party you attend! And, they aren’t just for summer and they aren’t just for get-togethers: they are perfect any time of the year.
The Unsung Star of the Cookout: Side Dishes
Did you ever see a movie where the supporting actor or actress totally up-staged the main star?
That’s how I feel about side dishes.
Side dishes are usually thought to fulfill a supporting role, but when done right, they can totally be the star of the show.
When we are preparing meals or preparing for parties, we usually spend a lot of time thinking about the main dish and gloss over the side dishes.
But having amazing side dishes will only compliment all the time you’ve spent on the main meal – in the same way that the supporting actor can help the star of the show shine.
With summer cookouts and BBQs, you really can host a bang-up get together and rely on amazing side dishes to compliment a simple, uncomplicated main dish.
Usually, you have your burger and hot dogs, so having side-dishes that knock it out of the park can really go a long way.
The Ideal Side Dish
When you’re thinking about summer cookouts or BBQ, there are a few things that make a side dish an ideal choice.
1| You want a dish that’s uncomplicated and easy to make. Nobody wants the stress of a complex dish.
2| You want something that travels easily, if you’re the one attending someone else’s get together.
3| You don’t want something that will require full-on cooking before serving. Ideally, it should be something, if it needs to be cooked, it can be cooked ahead of time.
Then, it just needs a quick reheat. Or, something that can be served in a crockpot could work as well.
4| It’s something you can make ahead of time. It’s stressful if you need to put a dish together while guest or there, or if you need to make it at the host’s house.
5| When you’re thinking summer, you want something that is refreshing, but not something that will go bad in the heat.
It’s OK to have some dishes with mayo, but I’d reserve that for the host, who knows the serving environment, versus bringing something with mayo.
Delicious Summer Side Dishes that Check Off All the Boxes
As you go through this list, you’ll see that most of these dishes check off most of these boxes.
Of course, not every single dish on the list fulfills every single requirement, but most dishes fulfill most requirements.
And, I have to say – don’t limit yourself to just summer cookouts to make these sides -these are great all year long, even for a regular family dinner!
h Table of Contents (Sort of)
Below, I tried to group the side dishes into categories – it’s a loose grouping and there’s some overlap, but you’ll catch on.
- Salads with Grains or Pasta
- Vegetable Salads
- Salads with Starch (beans, potato)
- Cole Slaws
- Fruit Sides
- Dips & Salsas
- Hot Sides
OK! On to the sides!
35+ Delicious Side Dishes to Bring to a Cookout This Summer
This salad is a delicious mix of orzo, chick peas, feta and summer vegetables! Perfect as a summer side dish! Quinoa is my grain of choice lately, and this combination of avocados, mangos, peppers and a lime dressing, well...that sounds just amazing. This is a hearty take on a pasta salad, made with tortellini, pepperoni, cheese cubes, and other summer vegetables! This is a side dish that is filling enough as a stand-alone dish! This is such a fun spin on traditional macaroni salad. It's made with half and half, mayo, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. An absolutely delicious combination of flavors! Couscous is another one of those forgotten grains that is so good! Here, it's mixed with spinach, tomatoes, and sweetened with a light orange dressing. Soooo good. This is a pasta salad you might not want to share! Made with ground beef, veggies, creamy chipotle dressing and topped with tortilla chips and cheese, well, you probably don't even need the burgers and hot dogs. Here's another variety of pasta salad that is sure to please. This one is made with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, spinach, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Wow. Just wow. This shell pasta salad is served with basil, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. Easy to put together and just delicious. This delicious salad has summer squash and corn mixed with a chili-lime vinegarette, Cojita cheese, and cilantro. This is a unique and fantastic way to serve those vegetables. If you love Chicken Salad Chick, this one is one to try! Guests will love this copycat version of a familiar and filling favorite! You can't go wrong with a tomato and cucumber salad! This one is made with a tangy red wine vinaigrette that is sure to please! Basil is one of my favorite summer flavors, and this salad mixes it with zucchini and tomatoes. It is made with a lemon vinaigrette that adds that citrus zest. So many flavorful ingredients! If you are looking for another option for a green salad, this spinach salad is paired with strawberries and served with a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. Outstanding. I love this as a light option for a cookout! Much more fun than a standard garden salad, this easy salad with walnut and pears is simple to make and delicious to eat! This one looks so fancy, but it's just so good and so easy to make! Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, with a balsamic vinegarette is just amazing. Every time. Chickpea salads are one of my favorite summertime dishes. Made with cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives, you can easily serve this dish with lots of flavor combinations! This is a fantastic spin on a summer taco salad! All the crunch from Fritos mixed with corn, crunchy peppers, taco seasoning, and sour cream. This will definitely be a fan favorite! Is there anything more American for a BBQ side than potato salad? This old-fashioned recipe is a stand-by favorite! Mayo free! If your crowd includes those who are doing Whole30, paleo, or dairy-free, this is a fantastic alternative! Made with avocado and cashew yogurt as opposed to mayo, this will definitely wow the crowd, no matter what diet they eating these days! What's a cookout with cole slaw? This is a unique spin on an old favorite with orzo, citrus dressing, almond slices, and dried cranberries! This crunchy coleslaw is made with cabbage, carrots, apples and tossed in a sweet apple cider vinegar dressing. This is another mayo-free version which is great for an outdoor get-together! Fruit salads are cool, refreshing side for a summer get-together. This recipe mixes apples, oranges, blueberries, bananas along with a coconut milk and Greek yogurt-based dressing. A lovely mixture of flavors! Watermelon + mint + feta... there's so many amazing flavors here that compliment each other in such a unique way. Brilliant. This tropical mix of flavors is perfect for a cookout. Fruit is an amazing side dish in the summer. /The recipe includes mangos, pineapples, papayas, and watermelon, mixed with lime juice and chili lime seasoning. Sooo good. This mango peach salsa is a light and fruity alternative, as opposed to a salty choice, to serve with chips. You can even eat this one as is as a salad. This is another fruity version of salsa that's made with pineapples! Mixed in lime juice, this is an absolutely delicious choice to go with chips or serve as a side! I LOVE this one as a sweet side dish. Key lime is perfect for summer and just 5 ingredients later, here you go. Wonderful with graham crackers, pita chips or even fruit. Please, PLEASE, do not forget the seven-layer dip or under-estimate its importance at a cookout! You can never, ever go wrong serving chips and dip. And this one, well, make sure you take your serving early. This is a personal favorite, and I bring this to almost every summer get-together (or any time of year, actually). It works great as a side by itself, but you can also serve it with chips. A filling dish with black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, red onions, cilantro, served with a lime balsamic vinegarette. Here's another unique dip that your crew will love. This one is made with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, ham, and pineapple! Wow. Great combination of flavors! This take corn up a few levels with mayo, queso fresco, lime juice and garlic. I love that combo for summer! Grilled vegetable kabobs are an excellent side for a cookout! This is easily customized to your favorite veggies as well! This is a nice change from a typical salad side dish. These beef sweet potato bites, made with an avocado cream topping, are surprisingly easy to make and feel more like an appetizer or even a meal in itself! I guarantee you'll have no leftovers. Crockpot beans are a perfect side dish! This one is made with bacon, molasses, spices and so many other ingredients that take this one over the top. This is a delicious side dish for any occasion and it's super easy to make. It's one of those throw-together dishes that is just perfect. This is a flavorful version of black beans and rice that is a perfect accompaniment to any main dish for any occasion!
Summer Orzo Pasta Salad
EASY Fiesta Quinoa Salad
Quick And Easy Tuscan Tortellini Pasta Salad
Classic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Israeli Couscous Salad
Taco Pasta Salad
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Chilled Italian Pasta Salad
20-Minute Summer Squash and Corn Fiesta Salad
Copycat Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad Recipe
Heirloom Tomato & Cucumber Summer Salad
Zucchini Tomato Basil Salad (with Lemon Vinaigrette)
Summer Strawberry Spinach Salad
Easy Pear and Walnut Salad
Caprese Salad
Lunchbox Chickpea Salad
Frito Corn Salad
Potato Salad Recipe (Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Large-Batch!)
Dairy Free Coleslaw
Coleslaw Orzo Salad
Red Cabbage Coleslaw with Apple & Carrot
Zesty Fruit Salad with Coconut Milk and Basil
Watermelon Feta Mint Salad
Mexican Fruit Salad
Mango Peach Salsa
Pineapple Salsa Recipe
Key Lime Pie Fruit Dip
Chunky 7-Layer Dip
Ultimate Cowboy Caviar Recipe - Healthy, Clean, & Delicious
Easy Hawaiian Dip
Mexican Street Corn | Elote Recipe
Vegetable Kebabs
BBQ Beef Sweet Potato Bites with Avocado-Cilantro Cream
Crockpot Bourbon Baked Beans
Cornbread Casserole
Guatemalan Black Beans and Rice – Arroz Negro
You definitely don’t need a get-together or party to make them. They would really add some fun to a regular weeknight or weekend dinner.
All summer long.
For more sides, try this whole list of healthy salads, most of them green salads but other types mixed in.
Getting Backyard Ready
As you’re planning your backyard get together, you may want to consider how to clean up your backyard deck and patio! If so, take a look here!
Cozy Backyard Decorating Ideas on a Budget
Purple Leaf Pergola Review: Everything You Want to Know First
More Summer Party Food Ideas
40 Summer Appetizers and Outdoor Party Foods
35 Easy Summer Desserts for a Crowd (Perfect for Cookouts!)
30 Single-Serving Desserts for Parties (Easy, Safe, Classy!)
60+ of the Best Trifle Recipes
25 Delicious Summertime Strawberry Desserts & Treats
25 Easy & Healthy Summer Desserts
If you try this, I’d love to hear how it came out or any suggestions you have (always a work in progress here!). Please tag me on Instagram@100affections or leave a comment on Pinterest!
Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
