Food Meanderings

15 Summer BBQ Side Dishes

Published: by Terri Gilson · Modified: · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

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It's grilling season and that means backyard BBQ's, summer potlucks and summer cookouts! In light of this, I've put together my best bbq side dishes, all in one place, so they are easy to find! These 15 Summer BBQ Side Dishes include a variety of summer salads, with everything from pasta salad to potato salad to Caesar salad, along with grilled corn and baked potatoes for the grill. There are lighter side dishes, including Weight Watchers friendly, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options.

Collage of 3 photos of summer BBQ sides

Whether you are barbecuing at home or simply wanting to take along a healthy side dish and/or WW friendly side dish to a backyard BBQ, there are lots of easy BBQ sides, with something for everyone!

Jump to:

📋Pierogi Potato Salad Recipe
If you love perogies and are looking for potluck ideas, you will love this gluten-free Pierogi Potato salad. This Ukrainian Potato Salad is an award-winning potato salad that's perfect for a summer BBQ, a potluck, cookout or even when you are camping/glamping this summer! 
Check out this recipe
Pierogi Potato salad in a Ukrainian print dish with wooden spoon and checkered red and white towel in the background
Macaroni Salad with Tuna (4 Ingredients)
A simple 4 ingredient Healthy Macaroni Salad with tuna that can be thrown together last minute or made ahead. It's served cold so is perfect for feeding a crowd or bringing along to a potluck, picnic or BBQ! It's also Weight Watchers friendly!
Check out this recipe
Close up of Tuna Macaroni salad in a yellow bowl
Healthy Artichoke and Red Pepper Coleslaw Recipe
This quick and easy Healthy Artichoke and Red Pepper Coleslaw, a unique and tangy coleslaw, with apple cider vinegar, caraway and healthy broccoli slaw, is gluten-free and Weight Watchers friendly and is sure to spruce up your plate!
Check out this recipe
Healthy coleslaw in a black and white patterned bowl with a spoon sticking out of the coleslaw
Strawberry Spinach & Pecan Salad (with Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing)
This Honey, Lime Cilantro Dressing is divine trio of fresh flavors that goes so well with any salad. It's perfect on this Strawberry, Spinach and Pecan salad, which make a an ideal light summer meal, a side salad or potluck salad.
Check out this recipe
honey lime cilantro vinaigrette being poured over a strawberry spinach salad
Dinner Buns (Granny buns)
These homemade dinner buns (aka Granny buns) are light, fluffy and soft. They are the perfect side to your summer potluck or BBQ!
Check out this recipe
dinner bun on a black plate with a bowl of turkey noodle soup, a small white dish of butter and a basket of more buns in the background
Healthy Potato Salad
This Healthy Potato Salad is a classic BBQ side, but this one is the best potato salad recipe because it's easy to make and chock-full of healthy ingredients like potatoes, eggs and vegetables. It's also gluten-free, made with light/low-fat mayonnaise to lower the calories, low-fat and Weight Watchers points.
Check out this recipe
potato salad on plate with ribs
Easy Bean Salad
This 5 minute healthy bean salad is the easiest and quickest BBQ side dish! Made with canned beans, it only has 6 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to make. It's my go-to summer salad recipe and it's Weight Watchers friendly, vegan and gluten-free.
Check out this recipe
Easy (vegan) mixed bean salad in a large bowl with a dark brown wooden spoon
Skinny Coleslaw Recipe
This Skinny Coleslaw Recipe has a light coleslaw dressing and is Weight Watchers friendly (@ 0 WW points on most plans), dairy-free and loaded with fresh flavors! It makes a great side, topping on sandwiches, hot dogs or burgers and is easy to make!
Check out this recipe
bowl of skinny coleslaw with limes in the background
📋 Onion Baked Potatoes in Foil Recipe
These 3 Ingredient Onion Baked Potatoes in Foil (with onion soup mix) are easy to make and unbelievably delicious! Adding the onion/butter mixture between the slices and baking in aluminum foil locks in the rich flavor, adding real pizzazz to your potatoes! They are perfect in the oven or on the grill.
Check out this recipe
cooked, sliced, onion baked potato on foil
Classic Fruit Salad (with Honey Lime Dressing)
This Classic Fruit Salad is easy to make and the crushed pineapple makes it unique, while the honey lime dressing elevates it to a whole other level of deliciousness! This old-fashioned fruit salad is made with lots of fresh fruit, like strawberries, pears, grapes, kiwi, oranges, cantaloupe, with fresh or canned peached and makes a great side brunch or breakfast fruit salad!
Check out this recipe
easy fruit salad in white bowl with honey lime dressing being poured over salad
Greek Pasta Salad
A delicious and refreshing Greek pasta salad recipe made with feta, cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh basil and mint in only 20 minutes! It's WW friendly and the perfect summer BBQ side or potluck idea!
Check out this recipe
Greek pasta salad in white bowl
Healthy Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
This summer staple is a healthier and lighter version of the classic Grilled Mexican Street corn loaded with a light creamy chili lime sauce, low-fat feta cheese, cilantro and crushed red pepper (ingredients that are easy to find.) It's a delicious summer recipe that not only takes corn on the cob to an entirely new level, it's Weight Watchers friendly, gluten-free, fast and easy to make!
Check out this recipe
Mexican Street Corn Recipe
Quick Cucumber Kimchi
This Quick Cucumber Kimchi recipe is an easy spicy side dish made with sliced cucumbers and a few pantry ingredients you already have on hand. If you're looking a healthy veggie side, this recipe is vegan, gluten-free and Weight Watchers friendly!
Check out this recipe
kimchi pickle in white bowl on grey marble counter surface with glass vinegar container in background
Caesar Salad
This Caesar salad boasts the best creamy Caesar salad dressing ever! And anyone that has tried it agrees. This recipe came from a restaurant (Clancy's) that no longer exists, but it has become a family favorite and always requested at dinners and potlucks! Skip the chicken if you're having it as a side or add grilled chicken for a meal!
Check out this recipe
📋 Easy Quinoa salad recipe
This healthy Easy Quinoa salad is a Moroccan variation on Tabouli, made with gluten-free quinoa. It's also Weight Watchers friendly, dairy-free and can be made in under 30 minutes. It's a cold salad that's the perfect side dish for a BBQ and makes a great lunch box meal too!
Check out this recipe
quinoa salad with spoon sticking out, in white bowl

💭Top Tip

If you don't want to have to bug the host for salad servers, you'll love this salad bowl with its own removeable utensils built into the lid (affiliate link)! It's perfect for bringing along to family gatherings, potlucks and bbq's!

👪 Serving Sizes

These sides dish recipes for summer BBQ's serve anywhere from 4-10 people. However, all my recipes have adjustable serving sizes. You can cut the recipe in half (if you have a smaller group) or double or triple it for a larger group. Simply click on the blue serving size in the recipe card, select the number of servings and the recipe amounts will adjust accordingly.

🦺Food safety

  • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
  • Wash hands after touching raw meat
  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

🍖BBQ Main Courses

And if you're looking for a main course to go along with these delicious barbecue sides, check out my WW friendly BBQ Beer Can Chicken (shown), WW friendly Maple Cider Grilled Chicken Kabobs, WW friendly Banh Mi Turkey Hot Dogs, Guber Burgers (Peanut Butter Burger), WW friendly Marinated Grilled Maple Lemon Pork (shown) and don't forget my easy homemade barbecue sauce!

Maple lemon pork on a plate with broccoli and baked potato in foil

WW BBQ beer can chicken on a black serving plate with a knife and can of beer in the background

So, if you are looking for Summer BBQ side dishes for your next family gathering, outdoor meal, BBQ or cookout, you're sure to find the perfect dish here!

My Amazon Recommendations (affiliate links)

⭐ Reviews

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bernice

    Wooohoooo! Here comes prime BBQ season and I am ready now! Love all your unique twists on salad. I'm starting with the pierogi potato salad because my kids will be all over it.

    Reply

    • Terri Gilson

      Thanks, Bernice! Enjoy 🙂

      Reply

  2. Colleen

    Just in time for the long weekend! This is a great collection and I really want to try that cucumber kimchi!

    Reply

    • Terri Gilson

      You'll love it, Colleen - super easy!

      Reply

  3. Asha

    Such a great collection of summer BBQ sides. My favourite here is the Greek pasta salad. So tasty and refreshing, the bowl is always emptied.

    Reply

  4. nancy

    wow Terri - those are amazing choices for summer salads! I'm going through the list for a salad everyday!

    Reply

  5. Vanessa

    I love BBQ side dishes so much (sometimes more than the main dish lol). Lots of great ideas here! This will be perfect for summer!

    Reply

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