20+ Best Cookout Side Dishes

Updated with even more great side dish ideas for summer 2022!

Whether you're grilling on the weekend or hosting a casual backyard get-together you'll find plenty of classic southern cookout side dishes and expert tips to make it perfect!

A new favorite is this easy cornbread salad. Give it a try!

Closeup of the salad in a glass bowl. — For best results assemble this dish at least 8 hours before serving.

Jump to:

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
Classic Potato Salad
BBQ Macaroni Salad
Pea and Cheese Salad
Grilled Pear Salad
Italian Pasta Salad with Vinaigrette
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Italian Green Bean Salad
Brazilian Grilled Pineapple
Grilled Potato Packets
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Broccoli Salad
Fruit Salad
Dr Pepper Baked Beans
More summer side dishes
💭 Tips
📚 Related recipes
🍽 Equipment
💬 Comments

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

Over head view of macaroni salad with a spoon in it for the feature image.

Recipe: Macaroni Salad

Let's start with everyone's favorite side dish - Mom's macaroni salad! Creamy, tangy, and wonderfully make ahead!

It's the classic recipe that Mom no doubt got from the back of the Hellmann's mayonnaise jar and welcome at backyard barbecues all summer long.

Classic Potato Salad

Overhead shot of a bowl of potato salad.

Recipe: Potato Salad

Potato salad is definitely one of the best cookout side dishes ever! It goes together easy, everyone loves it because it's full of delicious flavors, and it can be made ahead of time!

Just make sure to keep it on ice if you're serving outside.

BBQ Macaroni Salad

Closeup overhead view of the macaroni salad in a bowl with a spoon in it for serving.

Recipe: BBQ Macaroni Salad

This quick side dish recipe is perfect for your next cookout! When you want to really make people take notice of the (usually) ignored side dishes serve this easy BBQ macaroni salad!

It's creamy like the original but this has some sweet heat and southwestern goodness!

Pea and Cheese Salad

Recipe: Pea & Cheese Salad

Use fresh or frozen peas for this luscious, southern style pea salad recipe! Sweet green peas, crispy bacon, and cheddar are mixed together with red onion and a yummy mayonnaise based dressing. A great side dish for any cookout!

Grilled Pear Salad

Recipe: Grilled Pear Salad

I've taken the southern classic pear salad and updated it by grilled the pears to perfect, caramelized sweetness and adding a sprinkle of bleu cheese and chopped pecans then drizzling with honey. Simple and delicious!

Italian Pasta Salad with Vinaigrette

Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad

This is the best of the summer salads! It makes it into the collection of best cookout side dishes because it tolerates heat! No worries about spoilage like with mayo based dressings. Fresh, bright flavors - it will disappear fast. It needs to be made the day before serving.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Recipe:Cucumber Salad

I grew up on this soothing summer side dish! Cucumbers are stirred together with a sour cream based dressing and some herbs to make a simple dish that's perfect on the hottest summer day.

Italian Green Bean Salad

Overhead view of a bowl of green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and red onions created for the feature image of this post.

Recipe: Green Bean Salad

This is the perfect side dish to take to potlucks and summer picnics because it can sit out at room temperature (or even the summer heat) for hours and not go bad. The dressing is a zesty Italian dressing that soaks into the potatoes, tomatoes, and green beans. SO good!

Brazilian Grilled Pineapple

Close up of grilled pineapple showing grill marks.

Recipe: Brazilian Grilled Pineapple

You've just got to love a recipe that works as either a side dish or a dessert! This easy grilled pineapple is brushed with a mixture of bourbon, brown sugar, and butter then grilled to caramelized perfection. It's one of those easy recipes that just hollers summer eating!

Grilled Potato Packets

Closeup of finished potatoes covered in melted cheese.

Recipe: Grilled Potato Packets

These are perfect for camping and cookouts because the foil packets can go right in the coals! Potatoes, Ranch seasoning, cheese... it's so good! Big plus? Since it's cooked in aluminum foil packets it's goes perfectly with all of your grilling recipes - juicy burgers, hot dogs (slightly charred, please), and crispy grilled chicken!

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Overhead view of Italian cheese tortellini salad with asparagus.

Recipe: Tortellini Pasta Salad

Cheese filled tortellini, olives, asparagus - it's all in this delicious summer side dish! Be sure to let this one sit overnight before serving - it's so much better the second day!

Broccoli Salad

Overhead view of this recipe showing the onion garnish.

Recipe: Keto Broccoli Salad

This crunchy broccoli salad recipe has a creamy, sweet-tangy dressing and it's so easy to make! Sunflower seeds, cheese, and red onions make is nutritious, delicious, and it's keto-friendly!

Fruit Salad

Closeup overhead view of this recipe showing the different components in detail.

Recipe: Summer Fruit Salad

This is beautiful for the summer holidays and just as yummy as it is pretty!

Picky eaters, even the pickiest eaters, will have a hard time saying no to the sweet, ripe summer fruit in a sweet lime and honey dressing. It's one of the most kid-friendly side dishes I make!

Dr Pepper Baked Beans

Overhead view of a skillet of baked beans with a spoon in it.

Recipe: Dr Pepper Baked Beans

Easy baked beans are spiced up with the flavor of Dr Pepper! This easy recipe starts with canned pork and beans to save time.

More summer side dishes

Here are more delicious sides for summer cookouts that the whole family will love!

Broccoli cauliflower salad is similar to the broccoli salad above but has a generous amount of cauliflower which adds a beautiful color contrast.
Tex-mex salad is a creamy pasta salad made with fun pasta shapes that kids love.
Talk about kid friendly! They'll love this easy Frito Corn Salad.
Easy Mexican cole slaw goes with anything but I love it with fajitas! (from Bowl-Me-Over.com)
Italian marinated grilled vegetables are quick and easy! (from Allourway.com)
If you've never tried Cajun potato salad you're in for a real treat! (from Caglediaries.com)
Healthy eating is easy when you put this mediterranean chickpea salad on the table! Plus it's vegan! (from Amiraspantry.com

💭 Tips

We love a summer cookout - and I consider Memorial Day a practice run for 4th of July and Labor Day!

Expert Tip: Keep cookout side dishes made with mayonnaise on ice during serving. You can do this by putting the serving bowl in a bigger bowl filled with ice and checking it often.

Some people bring good side dishes to potlucks and summer parties - while others bring bowls of magic that disappear fast and have people lining up to get the recipe.

Here are some tips to make sure you're in the second bunch.

Most summer sides are best if made a day ahead and allowed to chill overnight.
You can usually get away with making these recipes two days ahead of time and keeping them tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Pastas are best if they are overcooked a little bit before they're added to the rest of the ingredients in pasta salads. Tender pasta soaks up more of the dressing that way.
Make sure you bring all the ingredients to room temperature before mixing - hot pasta or potatoes will quickly cook the celery in a dish and make it limp.
Keep salad with a creamy dressing cold in a cooler or by setting the serving bowl in a big bowl of ice.
Put away leftovers quickly and throw away anything that you're not sure stayed cool enough. A little food is not worth the possibility of an ER visit!
A sliced tomato salad is one of those super easy side dishes for a cookout when you make it with those vine ripe tomatoes that are abundant now. If you're in a hurry just wash, slice thick, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with balsamic vinegar or a zesty Italian dressing. Voila! (Plus leftovers make a great tomato sandwich!
Fresh salads with simple seasonings are quick and easy sides for summer dinners. The in-season produce just doesn't need much to make it delicious!

Here are more of my favorite cookout side dish ideas.

Frito Corn Salad is quick and easy - and who doesn't love Fritos?
I usually don't like to heat up the kitchen in the summer but this southern style baked macaroni and cheese it totally worth it - plus you can do it on the grill if you use the iron skillet.
Don't save green bean casserole for Thanksgiving! It's a great addition to your cookout menu.
Pretty Red White and Blue Fruit Salad is perfect for a side dish or a dessert!
Black Eyed Pea Salad is sometimes called Cowboy Caviar. I could eat my weight in this stuff!
Green Beans with Potatoes is a classic southern side dish any time of the year!

🍽 Equipment

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Here are a few tools to make your summer cookouts safer and easier!

Chilled Serving Bowl keeps cold foods safely cold! The stainless steel serving bowl fits into another container that holds plenty of ice.
Surface thermometer is perfect for checking the surface temperatures of side dishes to make sure they are in the safe zone of 40 degrees F or cooler. You can also use it as a family thermometer to check kids' temperatures while they sleep.
Mesh covers keep the flies and other bugs off of your cookout side dishes while you're grilling -- and you don't have to keep covering and uncovering with plastic wrap! I love these things.

You'll find more great recipes in the side dish category. Now, go fire up that grill and get cooking!

First published June 13, 2020. Last updated June 4, 2021 to add more side dish recipes and more tips and inspiration.