Top 15 BBQ Side Ideas

Written in 2023
by Toni Costa

    We've all been there, you've spent all that time on perfecting the meat for your guests and getting that main course ready, but you can't have a meal of just meat, you need balance. We went out and experimented to try and find the best sides to pair with your BBQ to impress and satisfy your guests, there's something for everyone.

    Corn on the Cob

    A classic dish you can serve with anything, boil them or chuck them on the BBQ for a couple of minutes and serve lightly salted and with lots of butter! They don't stay warm long though, so leave it until near the end!

    Roasted Veggie Skewers

    Another side that makes use of that BBQ, skewer a long line of vegetables and roast them to perfection! Some nice ideas for vegetables to use are zucchini, mushrooms, onions, bell pepper and tomatoes. Another couple of nice things are pineapple and squash! Remember to glaze lightly with a marinade before you cook.

    Broccoli Salad

    Broccoli can make its way into quite a few different salads and is a very versatile meal that you can do in a bunch of different ways, like a broccoli slaw, a broccoli pasta salad or a broccoli and bacon salad to mention just a few!

    Creamy Coleslaw

    Coleslaw is obviously a vital side of any BBQ, but there's a million and one ways to do it, and something for everyone. You'll need to have a little experiment yourself, but a bacon coleslaw goes perfectly with a BBQ!

    Grilled Corn Salad

    A lovely beautiful looking dish, with a ton of colour thats sure to impress absolutely any of your guests. The usual components of the dish are corn, tomatoes, avocados, peppers, cilantro and green onions.

    Macaroni and Cheese

    Mac and Cheese is lovely rich and indulgent thing, another absolute classic, you can make it with the traditional macaroni pasta, or experiment with some different pastas and variety of cheeses! Another way to impress your guests is to try and add in some new ingredients, bacon is an excellent one!

    Avocado and Watermelon Salad

    This salad will be great over the summer, and is a lovely bright addition to your table. Have a little bit of experiment with some different spices to add like tajin and paprika to find the best option for you.

    Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad

    A slightly different salad you won't see very often, but it only takes about five minutes to make! Just a few simple toppings over your salad, and a little chilli powder to determine how hot you want it!

    Bacon Feta Beans

    Make the most of this lovely summer vegetable with tangy feta and crispy bacon, it really brings out the flavour from a really humble vegetable, turns it into something else!

    Grilled Garlic Bread

    An easy to thing to pick up from the shop but there is a multitude of different ways to serve it. You can cook it on the BBQ for that extra bit of flavour, serve it with fresh basil from the oven or maybe melt some cheese on it! Its a really easy dish to present in lots of different ways that'll impress your guests.

    Air Fryer Asparagus

    This dish is super easy to make and healthier too! It only consists of about four ingredients and is vegan, low-carb and keto! Add some parmesan if your looking to spice it up a little, but it won't be as healthy.

    Baked Beans

    A simple addition to a BBQ that you can get straight out of a can to easily provide another side to your table, its a guarantee to fill your guests.

    Fruit Salsa

    A bright option to bring that table up a level, that's healthy and kid-friendly! The best options for it are pineapple, kiwi, strawberry and other summer fruits, adding some cinnamon chips just bring a little bit extra too! A more refreshing option.

    Collard Greens

    The best way to serve collard greens is to be sauteed with garlic, spices, seasonings and a little bit of salt. It only takes around fifteen minutes and is chock full of protein!

    Fried Rice

    Its an easy thing to do simply but there is a lot of different things you can add to it, it can be egg-fried or you could introduce some of the meats from your main BBQ, but regardless its a great side to any table.

    Written by Toni Costa

    I'm Antonio! I'm a university student based in Leeds, UK. My passions, are sports and food! The less said about the teams I support the better...

    Working on the SmokeGuys site has allowed me to improve my writing and of course, provide you with awesome reviews and guides!

    Top linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram