Memorial Day weekend is the official beginning of the summer grilling season and a barbecue is the perfect way to kick it off. To make it fun and easy to plan, here are 25 Amazing BBQ Side Dishes!
From potato salads, to coleslaws and grilled fruits to vegetable salads, there are a ton of recipes that will spark your imagination and may just become new family favorites!
from Home Cooking Memories
This potato salad originated years ago with my husband’s sister who started making potato salad with bacon and cheese. I took it from there and ever since, I’ve been making my version of it for my family.
from Flavor Mosaic
With the warmer weather, we are eating more barbecue and having picnics, and this Cajun Honey Lime Jalapeño Slaw is a perfect side dish for both. It is cool, light, and refreshing, yet has a little kick. There is no mayonnaise so it is perfect for a picnic.
Cheesy Pull-Apart Pesto Bread (4 ingredients)
from Shockingly Delicious
This bread is so simple that you don’t even have to make anything from scratch . . . it’s the ultimate cheat! It’s got everything you want in a garlic bread and more. First drizzle with butter, then stuff it with cheese, and slather it with tangy pesto. It’s like garlic knots gone wild!
from Peas and Crayons
Here’s an easy peasy recipe for the Summer I can’t get enough of! It’s light, refreshing, and goes with pretty much everything from falafel stuffed pitas to marinated chicken fresh off the grill! You can even put this salad ON a salad and use it as a topping for a leafy bed of greens or pasta salad. No matter how you serve it, it’s sure to be a hit!
Ranch-Flavored Coleslaw (Gluten Free)
from The Heritage Cook
I like many variations of ingredients for my coleslaw but I seem to come back to a fairly classic blend of cabbage, carrots, and bell peppers. Today’s version uses a homemade Ranch-style dressing – one of my favorites. I love the creamy goodness blended with thyme and dill, shallots and green onions, and kissed with a touch of fresh lemon juice. I could eat this every day!
Citrus and Celery Salad with Kalamata Olives
from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
The fresh picked citrus in this salad is super juicy. Combined with the olive oil and vinegar, the oranges and tangelos are so bright. While citrus is the star of this salad, celery is the secret crispy ingredient.
from Food Faith Fitness
This (paleo and whole30 compliant!) potato salad, my friends, is going to be the side-dish star of the show.
from Miss in the Kitchen
Creamy Dill Potato Salad is a classic side dish for summer cookouts, potlucks and holiday dinners. With less than 10- ingredients, you will love how easy this potato salad recipe is to make.
Creamy Poppy Seed Kale Slaw with Pears, Pepitas, and Raisins
from An Edible Mosaic
I paired sweetness from pear and golden raisins with the nutty crunch from toasted pepitas and earthiness from kale. A creamy sour cream-based poppy seed dressing pulls everything together for a bit of decadence.
Garden Veggie Tortellini Pasta Salad
from Peas and Crayons
Boasting an impressive 4 cups of veggies, this gorgeous garden salad is a delicious way to amp up your veggie intake for the day! This salad is easily doubled or tripled as needed and makes a fantastic party/potluck/picnic dish that comes together with very little effort. It’s my go-to for Spring and Summer barbecues!
Gluten Free Easy Grilled Polenta with Fresh Mozzarella and Balsamic Tomatoes
from Two Healthy Kitchens
Summer just begs for games of wiffle ball and badminton. And grilling. This an amazing appetizer or side for any meal, or it can be a nice, light lunch.
Gluten Free Grilled Zucchini and Squash Flatbread
from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
I grilled the zucchini, yellow squash, and a red onion I had and them on homemade pizza dough (made with King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour) and pulled it thin on a baking sheet and lightly sprinkled it with cheese. It was delicious and we really didn’t miss the sauce on it! The thin crust got crispy and the grilled veggies had enough flavor to carry the flatbread.
Grilled Asparagus with Tahini Lemon Sauce
from The Lemon Bowl
A fast and easy summer side dish recipe, asparagus is grilled until slightly charred then drizzled with a creamy tahini lemon sauce.
Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction
from Unsophisticook
These grilled Brussels sprouts definitely aren’t your run-of-the-mill grilled veggies. Finished off with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, these Brussels sprouts have tons of flavor, without tons of added calories!
Japanese Potato Salad with Yukon Gold Potatoes
from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
This Japanese Potato Salad with Yukon Gold Potatoes is creamy, acidic, and sweet at the same time. This version uses Yukon Gold potatoes. In addition, the potatoes are partially mashed instead of riced. You kind of get the texture of American potato salads combined with mashed potatoes.
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Butter (Elote)
from Muy Bueno Cookbook
Corn on the cob is one of the great joys of summertime! I especially love grilled corn on the cob when it’s slathered with layers of Mexican flavors like crema, chile powder, and lime.
Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini, and Gouda Stacks
from Meals, Heels, and Cocktails
If you are a lover of eggplant you’re gonna want to make my recipe for Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini and Gouda Stacks. If you’re not a lover, no worries, you can skip the eggplant and use zucchini only. And if you’ve never tried it….you don’t know what you’re missing.
from We’re Parents
This zesty summer pasta salad is the perfect dish to take to all your upcoming summer get-togethers and outings. It’s a cold pasta salad with zesty Italian dressing and sure to be a big hit!
from Cooking on the Front Burners
I can’t get enough of these juicy peaches and today’s recipe, Grilled Peaches with Honey, will be one you will fall in love with too! It’s a quick and easy dessert perfect for summer.
Grilled Potatoes with Rosemary and Smoked Paprika
from Cookin’ Canuck
This is the side dish recipe to beat all side dishes. Grilled potatoes are golden brown and tender, and steeped in the flavors of grilled onions, garlic, rosemary and smoked paprika.
Mediterranean Low Carb Broccoli Salad
from Food, Faith, Fitness
This Mediterranean Low Carb Broccoli Salad is a super easy, healthy and protein packed side dish for dinner or a potluck! It’s made with Greek yogurt and you won’t even miss the mayo!
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Elote Deconstructed)
from Flavor Mosaic
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe is deconstructed Elote or Mexican Street Corn, a popular Mexican street food, sold by street vendors, and served in a bowl, instead of as corn on the cob, and covered with a fantastic chili lime cream sauce and cotija cheese.
from Namely Marly
This homemade Vegan Potato Salad is perfect for summer gatherings. It’s a southern-themed recipe, combining vegan mayo and yellow mustard, tofu egg scramble, onions, and pickles. This Potato Salad is a lightly sweet summer salad that’s also rich and creamy.
Watermelon Salad with Sweet and Spicy Vinaigrette
from An Edible Mosaic
Sweet and salty pair perfectly in this Watermelon Salad Recipe with Feta! It’s a delicious refreshing side dish for a hot summer day.
Potato Salad with Spring Vegetables, Bacon, and Lemon Vinaigrette (Gluten Free)
from The Heritage Cook
This Potato, Spring Vegetable, and Bacon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is refreshing and delicious! It is an interesting interpretation of potato salad and a delightful favorite of mine. No mayonnaise here, it has an invigorating and bright lemon vinaigrette dressing!
I hope you enjoy these 25 Amazing BBQ Side Dishes and your holiday parties. I’ll be with you all in spirit while we celebrate in our home! Happy Memorial Day!
Gluten-Free Tips:
Weighing your dry ingredients improves your results and gives you recipes that are easy to replicate. It is much more accurate and faster than using measuring cups. If you are using a kitchen scale, spoon your GF flour blend into a cup with straight sides and no spout, until mounded and then use a knife to even the top and scrape off the excess. Weigh the flour left in the cup and use that as your base weight for the flour measurements.
You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices, but weigh each one as described above to get the weight for each on you use. Add 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum or 1/2 tsp of psyllium husk powder per cup of flour if your blend doesn’t already contain it. They both help avoid crumbly baked goods.
Let the mixed doughs rest for about 30 minutes before baking, if possible, to let the flours fully absorb all the liquids. If you have questions, you can find a lot of information by clicking on the “Gluten-Free” tab at the top of the page.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
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Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Wonderful collection of delicious recipes! Thanks for including my Pull-Apart Pesto Bread…I have printed several of these recipes and I am guaranteed a yummy holiday weekend!
Jane Bonacci
Isn’t it a fun collection Dorothy! Your pesto bread looks amazing and I know everyone will love having it at any event!!