Easy BBQ Side Dishes and Salads

Today we're sharing tons of delicious BBQ side dishes! Our favorite recipes for picnics and potlucks, potato side dishes, pasta salads, veggies, fruit salads and more!

Nothing says summer like a good backyard BBQ!! While the meat is the star of the show, bbq side dishes can make or break your shindig. Whether you're the hosting, or you've been asked to bring a dish to share, any one of these great recipes are sure to be a winner.

Potato Side Dishes

You definitely need potatoes for a bbq! Check out these potato salads, easy mashed potatoes, or our favorite - potatoes wrapped in bacon!

Boardwalk Fry Potato Salad is a DELICIOUS variation on a classic. With the flavors of malt vinegar and onions, you will feel like you're on the boardwalk in Ocean City!
Everything is better wrapped in Bacon. You won't believe how delish these Bacon Wrapped Potatoes with Dill Sauce are and they'd make such a great addition to BBQ goodness.
Classic Potato Salad is always a great choice. This recipe is quick, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser.
I love cooking in my crock-pot in the summer, it's not only less work, but it's not going to heat up the house like running the oven! These Crock-Pot Ranch Potatoes are super simple and scrumptious to boot.
One more Crock-pot recipe, I can't resist. If you're feeling a more mashed vibe try these Slow Cooker Loaded Mashed Potatoes.

Pasta Salads for BBQ

Pasta Salad is a BBQ essential, and there are so many different variations on it!

We'll start with one of our favorite recipes, The Best Ever Pasta Salad . This is a classic and is sure to be a crowd pleasure.
This Bruschetta Pasta Salad is full of veggies and a variety of flavors that meld together perfectly to create a delicious dish that everyone will enjoy!
Nothing is more American than a good RANCH side dish! We love this World's Best Ranch Bowtie Salad to complement any party.
I LOVE a good caesar salad, and a pasta salad is a great way to bulk it up a bit! Check out our Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad.
How does this Roasted Tomato Caprese Pasta Salad sound? This is a salad that will be sure to complement any BBQ.
This Tomato Basil Pasta Salad recipe from My Name is Snickerdoodle is calling my name! It looks so fresh and delicious!

Summer Salads

A good summer salad is always on the menu for our BBQ's and picnics.

This Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad with Crispy Onions would be so easy to throw together once you have some deliciously prepped chicken to go with.
One of the best things about a barbecue is that delicious grilled meat can be used for so many things! If you have a few guests looking for a healthier option, you can take some of your grilled chicken and add it to this BBQ Chicken Salad for a quick mix up!
We just can't get away from this my Favorite Green Salad and Dressing. It's a classic and sure to make anyone at the BBQ happy.
This Creamy Tomato Cucumber Salad is a little bit different than your average salad, but still full of delicious veggies and a great complement to your classic BBQ foods.
If I had to choose one salad to eat for the rest of my life, it would be this Spiralized Greek Salad . So versatile and good for you, not to mention delicious!
This Spinach Poppyseed Salad is such a classic, and one of our longest standing recipes, it's sure to be a hit.
This Easy Pea Salad from Your Home Based Mom looks incredible and like it would be perfect on a BBQ plate!
Chinese Chicken Salad is one of my go-to salads to bring to potlucks and BBQs - everyone raves about it!

Veggies

Eating vegetables is easier in the summer. There are so many fresh veggies in-season, and my favorite way to eat them is grilled! Who's with me?!

Once the grill is fired up anyway, a great way to simplify your barbecue is to whack on a few delicious veggies as well! These amazing Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce look so delicious.
Easiest way to serve veggies at your BBQ? A simple platter with some DELISH Healthy Vegetable Dip . A veggie platter is so easy to put together, (or pick up from the grocery store....) and a great way to balance off some of the heavier side dishes you might also have. This dip is a super easy way to keep the health factor strong, but make those veggies more and more attractive on your spread.
Best Broccoli Seasoning Ever
If you've not tried Elote yet, you haven't really lived. I think it's our responsibility to spread the goodness of this Elote: Mexican Grilled Corn recipe world wide.
We love this Roasted Balsamic and Brown Sugar Carrots recipe. It's super simple, and who doesn't love carrots?

Fruit Salad Recipes

No BBQ table is complete without a fruit salad or fluff salad! These are our favorites, in no particular order.

The best place to start is the basics! This Easy Fruit Salad is the simplest fruit salad you could think of and would be so easy to whip up last minute! It's a great way to show off whatever fruits are in season and go great with legitimately anything.
Take your simple fruit salad up just a notch and you'll land on this Honey and Mint Fruit Salad . It's got just enough flavor to enhance those delicious fruits but nothing complicated or over the top.
This Pomegranate Apple Salad is a slightly unlikely duo, but you won't believe how amazing it tastes once everything is mixed in together.
Pistachio Fluff Salad is my biggest weakness. I say, GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT. Or maybe I could make a batch and "accidentally" leave it at home and eat the entire thing myself...
This Raspberry Fluff only has three ingredients, and could not be easier to put together.
Does anything sound more like summer than this Creamsicle Fluff recipe? what a delicious way to balance out all those other savory, salty, BBQ flavors.