10 Best BBQ Side Dishes for Your Next Backyard Cookout

Last Fourth of July, I had twelve people coming over, a brisket on the smoker since 5 a.m., and exactly one side dish planned. By the time I realized I’d forgotten sides entirely, guests were already parking in the driveway. I threw together a coleslaw with whatever was in the crisper drawer and a can of beans doctored up with bacon and brown sugar, and both disappeared before the meat even came off the smoker.

That’s when it clicked for me: good bbq side dishes aren’t an afterthought, they’re half the meal. Since then I’ve tested and retested a rotating lineup of ten sides that hold up to smoke, heat, and a hungry crowd, and this is the list I actually cook from every summer.

Why These BBQ Side Dishes Work

Every recipe here was chosen because it survives sitting out at a cookout, travels well if you’re bringing it to someone else’s yard, and doesn’t need last-minute babysitting while you’re managing the grill. I also aimed for balance: creamy against smoky, acidic against rich, cool against char-grilled. A table of ten sides that are all mayo-based gets boring fast, so I mixed textures and temperatures on purpose.

The 10 Recipes

1. Classic Creamy Coleslaw

This is the one I made in a panic that first July, and it’s stayed in permanent rotation. The vinegar cuts through fatty, smoky meat better than almost anything else on the table.

Ingredients:

• 1 small green cabbage, shredded (or a 14-oz bag of pre-shredded slaw mix, for speed)
• 2 carrots, grated
• ¾ cup mayonnaise (Greek yogurt works as a lighter substitute)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Add the cabbage and carrots, tossing until every strand is coated.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate at least 30 minutes so the cabbage softens slightly.

The first time I made this, I dressed it right before serving and the cabbage stayed too crunchy and bland. Letting it sit makes a real difference.

2. Loaded Baked Potato Salad

A step up from plain potato salad, with bacon and cheddar folded in so it eats more like a side dish and less like a mayo delivery vehicle.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ½ cup shredded cheddar
• 2 green onions, sliced

Steps:

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until just fork-tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
2. Mix sour cream and mayonnaise, then fold into the warm potatoes.
3. Stir in bacon, cheddar, and green onions. Serve warm or chilled.

Boiling the potatoes just past raw but well before mushy took me two batches to get right — pull them a minute early if you’re unsure, since they keep cooking in the residual heat.

3. Smoky Baked Beans with Bacon

If you only make one dish from this list, make this one. It’s the side that gets requested by name at every cookout I host.

Ingredients:

• 2 (15-oz) cans navy or pinto beans, drained
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• ½ small onion, diced
• ½ cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Steps:

1. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp, then sauté the onion in the rendered fat until soft.
2. Stir in beans, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, and smoked paprika.
3. Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy.

Beans are also one of the better nutritional picks on this table they’re a great source of fiber and vegetarian protein, which helps balance out a plate that’s otherwise heavy on smoked meat.

4. Buttery Skillet Cornbread

Slightly sweet, with a crisp golden crust from baking it in a hot cast-iron skillet.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup sugar (reduce to 2 tablespoons for a savory version)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup melted butter, plus more for the skillet

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a cast-iron skillet inside to heat up.
2. Whisk dry ingredients, then stir in buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter until just combined.
3. Pour into the hot, buttered skillet and bake 20–22 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Skipping the skillet preheat is the most common mistake here — without it, the bottom never gets that crackly crust that makes skillet cornbread worth making in the first place.

5. Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chili-Lime Butter

The char you get from the grill plus a spicy-sweet butter makes this one of the simplest, most crowd-pleasing bbq side dishes on the whole table.

Ingredients:

• 6 ears corn, husked
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• Cotija or feta for crumbling on top

Steps:

1. Grill corn over medium-high heat, turning every few minutes, until charred in spots, about 10–12 minutes.
2. Mix butter with chili powder and lime zest.
3. Brush the hot corn with the chili-lime butter, squeeze fresh lime juice over top, and crumble on cheese.

I used to soak the husks before grilling, thinking it kept the corn juicier, but removing some of the husk actually helps the corn cook faster and peel off more easily, and soaking mostly matters for older, off-season ears rather than fresh summer corn.

6. Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

Rich, custardy, and baked (not stovetop), so it holds its shape at a buffet table instead of turning into soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sour cream

Steps:

1. Cook macaroni to al dente, one minute less than the package suggests, since it bakes further in the oven.
2. Whisk milk, eggs, and sour cream, then fold in the pasta and 3 cups of the cheese.
3. Pour into a greased baking dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until bubbling and golden.

7. Tangy Cucumber and Onion Salad

A cool, crisp, no-cook side that cuts through the richness of everything else on the table.

Ingredients:

• 3 cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for pre-salting

Steps:

1. Toss the sliced cucumbers with a pinch of salt and let them sit in a colander for 15–20 minutes to draw out excess water, then pat dry.
2. Whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved.
3. Combine cucumbers, onion, and the vinegar mixture. Chill at least an hour before serving.

Skipping that first salting step is the difference between a crisp salad and a watery, diluted one by the time it hits the table.

8. Charred Green Beans with Garlic

A simple, fast vegetable side for anyone looking for something lighter next to heavier mains.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Red pepper flakes, optional

Steps:

1. Toss green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Grill in a grill basket or roast at 425°F for 12–15 minutes, until blistered and tender-crisp.
3. Toss with minced garlic and lemon juice while still hot, so the garlic softens slightly in the residual heat.

9. Watermelon Feta Salad

Sweet, salty, and refreshing — this is the side that disappears fastest on a hot afternoon.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
• Pinch of flaky salt

Steps:

1. Arrange watermelon cubes on a platter.
2. Scatter feta and mint over top.
3. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and a pinch of flaky salt just before serving.

Assemble this one last, right before guests sit down — watermelon releases liquid fast once it’s cut and dressed, so it doesn’t hold well for hours.

10. Garlic Herb Grilled Potatoes (Foil Packets)

Set these on the grill and forget about them while you handle the main course — no separate pot, no extra dishes.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs baby potatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary or thyme
• Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Toss potatoes with oil, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper.
2. Divide between two large sheets of foil and seal into packets.
3. Grill over medium heat for 25–30 minutes, flipping once, until fork-tender.

Pro Tips & Common Mistakes

• Don’t dress cold slaws too early or too late. I’ve made coleslaw both ways — dressed right before serving (too crunchy, bland) and dressed a day ahead (soggy). Thirty minutes to two hours ahead is the sweet spot.
• Undercook starches slightly. Potato salad and mac and cheese both keep cooking after you pull them off the heat; slightly underdone is safer than mushy.
• Salt watery vegetables first. Cucumbers and zucchini both benefit from a quick pre-salt and drain before they go into any dressing.
• Don’t overcrowd the grill. I learned this the hard way trying to grill corn and green beans at the same time as burgers — everything steams instead of charring when the grate is packed.
• Taste before you add extra sugar or vinegar. Store-bought ketchup and cider vinegar vary a lot in sweetness and acidity between brands, so treat the amounts here as a starting point and adjust to your own taste.
• Warm the mac and cheese base before combining with pasta. Cold milk and eggs added straight to hot pasta can make the sauce look slightly curdled; letting everything come closer to room temperature first smooths this out.
• Give grilled vegetables room to actually char. Crowding green beans or corn in a basket traps steam and leaves you with soft, pale vegetables instead of the blistered, smoky ones you’re after.

Variations & Substitutions

• Swap mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt in coleslaw or potato salad for a lighter, tangier version.
• Make the baked beans vegetarian by skipping the bacon and using a tablespoon of liquid smoke instead.
• Turn the cornbread savory by cutting the sugar to 2 tablespoons and folding in a cup of shredded cheddar and diced jalapeño.
• Use plant-based butter and dairy-free cheese in the mac and cheese for a dairy-free version; it won’t be quite as rich, but it holds together well.

Storage, Reheating & Make-Ahead

Most of these bbq side dishes hold up well in the fridge for 3–4 days in an airtight container. Baked beans and mac and cheese reheat best in the oven at 325°F, covered with foil, for about 15 minutes; the microwave works in a pinch but dries out the mac and cheese. Coleslaw and cucumber salad actually improve after a few hours in the fridge, so they’re good make-ahead options a day before a party. Watermelon feta salad is the one exception — assemble it no more than an hour before serving, since it doesn’t hold well once dressed.

If you’re serving any of these outdoors on a hot day, keep food safety in mind: keep cold foods chilled at or below 40°F by placing them on bowls of ice or in a cooler, and keep hot foods at or above 140°F, especially if the sides will sit out for more than an hour or two.

Serving Suggestions

For a full backyard spread, I usually pair these sides with something smoky off the grill or smoker — our beef ribs recipe is a favorite for a weekend cookout, and the baked beans and coleslaw both go especially well alongside it. If you’re feeding a crowd on a weeknight instead of a full weekend cookout, our chicken and sausage recipes pair nicely with the lighter sides like the cucumber salad or charred green beans. For dessert after all that smoke and char, something cool works best — a scoop of ice cream or a slice of fruit pie balances the meal out.

When I’m plating a full table, I try to give people at least one cold side, one starchy side, and one vegetable side, so the plate doesn’t end up all one texture. A typical spread at my house looks like the coleslaw, the loaded potato salad, the baked beans, and either the corn or the green beans, with the cornbread on the side for anyone who wants something to soak up sauce. That combination has never once come back to the kitchen with leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these bbq side dishes ahead of time? Yes, most of them. Coleslaw, cucumber salad, and baked beans can all be made 1–2 days ahead and reheated or served cold. Watermelon salad and grilled corn are best made same-day.

How long do baked beans last in the fridge? Stored in an airtight container, baked beans keep for about 4–5 days in the refrigerator and reheat well on the stovetop or in the oven.

What’s the difference between potato salad and loaded baked potato salad? Classic potato salad usually sticks to potatoes, mayo, and mustard. Loaded baked potato salad adds bacon, cheddar, and sour cream, making it richer and closer in flavor to an actual baked potato.

Can I grill corn without husks? Yes — husked corn grilled directly on the grate gets more char and smoky flavor, while husk-on corn steams more and stays juicier. Both methods work well; it comes down to preference.

How do I keep coleslaw from getting watery? Salt the cabbage lightly and let it drain for 15–20 minutes before dressing it, and avoid dressing it more than a couple hours before serving.

Are baked beans a good side for a smaller cookout? Absolutely — the recipe here scales down easily by halving the ingredients, and leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day.

Final Thoughts

These ten bbq side dishes have earned their place at my table through actual trial and error, not just a single good batch. Start with the coleslaw and the baked beans if you’re new to hosting a cookout — they’re the two that get requested again and again in my house — then build out from there as you get more comfortable. However many people show up, there will be enough, and probably leftovers for lunch the next day.

Written by Oussama Ij , home cook and food writer.