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From potato salad and coleslaw to dipping sauces, pasta salads, and pimento cheese, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite side dishes that will ensure that you get invited to every barbecue this summer!
Southern Potato Salad
This is the potato salad I bring to every cookout, since it disappears faster than anything else on the table.
Southern Potato Salad
This Southern Potato Salad is made with Hard-Boiled Eggs and Pickles and is a summertime favorite. It has a creamy, flavorful mayonnaise dressing and is topped with Creole Seasoning for a perfect finishing touch. It’s the star of every cookout.
This is the coleslaw I make when I want that tangy, creamy crunch without a drive-thru run.
Creamy Southern Coleslaw
This Creamy Southern Coleslaw recipe is one of my favorite side dishes. The sweet, tangy dressing combined with the fresh, crunchy cabbage is so simple yet so flavorful. It reminds me of the coleslaw from Raising Cane’s or KFC!
This is the dipping sauce I keep a jar of in the fridge for chicken tenders, fries, and pretty much everything else.
Copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce Recipe
This Copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce Recipe tastes JUST LIKE the original and is perfect for chicken tenders, fries, and burgers. It is tangy, creamy, peppery, and so addicting.
This is the dip I bring when I need something that can sit out on the table all afternoon without any worry.
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy Caviar is a Southern Dip and Side Dish made with fresh vegetables, flavorful beans, and a delicious vinegar dressing. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a party because it can sit out at room temperature (at least for a little while) without spoiling.
This is the pasta salad that takes me straight back to summer cookouts with my parents.
Pasta Salad
This Pasta Salad is a bite from my childhood. It is overflowing with vegetables and reminds me of summer and grilling with my parents. It is light enough for a hot day and goes great with burgers.
This is the deviled egg recipe I make when I need something quick that always disappears first.
Easy Deviled Egg Recipe
With fluffy, tangy, and creamy filling in perfectly-cooked hard-boiled eggs, this Easy Deviled Egg Recipe will be your new favorite side or appetizer. These deviled eggs are quick and easy to make and are a crowd-pleaser.
This is the pasta salad I make when I want something a little lighter and packed with fresh vegetables.
Whole Wheat Pasta Salad Recipe
This Whole Wheat Pasta Salad Recipe is loaded with fresh summer vegetables like cucumber and tomatoes and is coated in a deliciously zesty Italian dressing. Made with whole wheat pasta, it is a filling summer side dish.
This is the salad I make when I want something crunchy and a little more grown-up on the table.
Royal Street Salad
With crispy romaine lettuce, crunchy bacon, and blue cheese in a flavorful, zesty homemade dressing, this Royal Street Salad is a great summer side dish!
This is the fried okra I make when I want that Southern popcorn crunch as a snack or a side.
Fried Okra
This Fried Okra is dredged in buttermilk and breaded in a flour and cornmeal coating that’s loaded with flavor. This Southern Popcorn is fried until crispy in peanut oil to make an addictive Southern appetizer, snack, or side dish.
This is the sauce I keep on hand for burger night, since a squeeze bottle in the fridge beats a drive-thru trip.
Big Mac Sauce
Big Mac Sauce is a tangy, creamy, and slightly sweet condiment. It’s the secret behind McDonald’s iconic Big Mac, and now you can make a homemade version in your own kitchen.
This is the corn on the cob I make when I want to turn a summer side into something worth talking about.
Deep-Fried Corn on the Cob
Deep-Fried Corn on the Cob is a delicious twist on a classic summer favorite. This Southern-style dish is made by coating fresh corn on the cob in a Cajun-seasoned batter and then deep-frying it to golden perfection.
This is the macaroni salad I bring when I want something a little different from the usual potluck lineup.
Rancharoni Macaroni Salad
This Rancharoni Macaroni Salad mashes up a classic macaroni dish with Ranch flavor to bring something a little different to your next potluck or picnic.
This is the side dish I make when I need something everyone will eat without any convincing.
Slow Cooker Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes
Crockpot Hash Browns cooked in creamy chicken soup, sour cream, and a shredded cheese mixture are slow-cooked to perfection. These Slow Cooker Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes are a great side to any dish!
This is the pimento cheese I keep in the fridge all summer for sandwiches, crackers, and burger toppings.
Homemade Pimento Cheese
This creamy, peppery, Homemade Pimento Cheese is a classic Southern recipe made with shredded cheddar cheese, mayo, and diced pimentos. It’s a delicious sandwich filling, a crowd-pleasing dip for crackers and veggies, or a flavorful topping for burgers.
This is the collard greens recipe I make when I want that slow-cooked, savory side on the table.
Best Collard Greens Recipe
This classic southern side dish features tender collard greens, cooked southern style, with savory bacon, onions, a ham hock, and garlic. Once you try these greens, you’ll never need another recipe again.
This is the snack I make when I know one bowl is never going to be enough.
“Crack” Pretzels
“Crack” Pretzels are aptly named for their addictive quality. You can’t have just one! They have a ton of ranch flavor but also have a little spice, a little garlic, and a subtly warm cinnamon undertone.
This is the fried squash I make when the garden is overflowing with zucchini and yellow squash.
Southern Fried Squash
Southern Fried Squash is a summer favorite. Fresh yellow squash and zucchini are dredged in buttermilk, breaded with flour and cornmeal, and fried until golden brown and crispy.
This is the cornbread I bake in a cast iron skillet for pretty much every Southern meal.
Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe
This Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe combines simple yellow cornmeal and buttermilk, bringing out the naturally sweet flavor of corn without adding sugar. Cooked in a cast iron skillet with bacon drippings or butter, it will please even the toughest critics.
This is the snack mix I bring to every picnic, since a big bowl of it never lasts long.
Ranchy Chex Party Mix
Ranchy Chex Party Mix is a delicious twist on a family favorite called Crack Pretzels that covers all the bases: salty, crunchy, cheesy, and addicting. It’s a great party snack, so bring a bowl to your next picnic.
This is the topping I keep a jar of ready to go, since it takes almost no effort and improves everything it touches.
Quick Pickled Red Onions
Quick Pickled Red Onions are the perfect finishing touch for so many recipes. They balance out a salty or spicy dish and are a great top for a burger, and a bonus, they are quick and easy to make!
This is the snack I bring to every party, since a little bourbon and spice makes plain pecans disappear fast.
Sweet and Spicy Candied Bourbon Pecans
Sweet and Spicy Candied Bourbon Pecans are salty, sweet, and just a little bit spicy. The taste of bourbon is subtle, but it gives these pecans a little something extra.
This is the garlic bread I make when dinner needs something warm and buttery on the side in ten minutes flat.
Super Simple Garlic Bread Recipe
This Super Simple Garlic Bread Recipe is packed with garlic flavor, rich buttery goodness, and crispy bread that is tender and fluffy inside. Best of all, it can be made in just 10 minutes!
This is the pickle recipe I make when I want something crunchy without any canning involved.
Dill Pickles
These Dill Pickles are salty, crunchy, and delicious. They’re quick to make and stored in the fridge, so there’s no canning required, and they’re great to bring to a barbeque for everyone to add to their burgers!
This is the corn pudding I make for holiday dinners, since it comes together faster than people expect.
Corn Pudding Recipe
Creamed corn, corn niblets, and sour cream baked into sweet, moist cornbread, this Corn Pudding Recipe is a Southern classic that’s quick and easy to whip up for any holiday dinner.
This is the deviled egg recipe I make when I want to dress up the classic for a summer party.
Deviled Egg Star Pops
Surprise your party guests by serving these Deviled Egg Star Pops. Each bite-sized, star-shaped, hard-boiled egg is decorated with a creamy egg yolk filling and served on a lollipop stick.
This is the cornbread I make when I want it a little sweeter alongside a summer meal.
Sweet Cornbread
Sweet Cornbread made in a cast iron skillet is a great accompaniment to any summer meal. This cornbread is sweet, crumbly, buttery, and has a perfect crisp to the edges, making it a great side for a picnic.
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sesame Poppyseed Dressing
This is the salad I make when I want something fresh and a little sweet next to a heavier main dish.
Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
This Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe is loaded with fresh summer strawberries and topped with a delicious Sesame Poppyseed dressing. It’s great for a healthy lunch or a side salad for dinner, and it also makes a great dish to take to a party.
This is the salsa I make when the garden tomatoes are coming in faster than we can eat them.
Cherry Tomato Salsa
Cherry Tomato Salsa is naturally sweet with tons of fresh garden flavors. With fresh tomatoes and cilantro, it’s great for serving with tacos and tortilla chips, and it could not be easier to make.
This is the salsa I make when I want something bright and a little tropical on the table.
Mango & Avocado Salsa
Made with juicy ripe mangoes, creamy avocados, and a little bit of bell pepper crunch, this Mango & Avocado Salsa is sweet, tangy, and refreshing. It’s a great dip for tortilla chips, a topping on salads, or a filling in burritos.
This is the cucumber salad I make all summer long, since it barely takes any effort and always gets eaten.
Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe
This Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe is a frequent summer side dish at our house. Thinly sliced cucumbers and red onion are quickly pickled to make an easy salad that is a little sweet and a little tangy.
This is the corn side I make when I want that classic Cajun flavor without any extra work.
Corn Maque Choux
Corn Maque Choux is a classic Cajun side dish that is creamy, flavorful, and has a little bit of heat. The smoky bacon grease softens the corn as it mixes with the Cajun spices for a delicious Southern side dish.
Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Feta and Fresh Mint
This is the salad I make when strawberries are at their best and I want something to show them off.
Strawberry Cucumber Salad
Sweet, juicy strawberries, cool cucumber slices, tangy red onion, and zesty feta crumbles come together with a hint of fresh mint in this Strawberry Cucumber Salad. It’s everything you love about summer in one bowl.
This is the pimento cheese I make when I want a little more heat than the classic version.
Spicy Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Recipe
This Spicy Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Recipe adds a little kick to the traditional recipe. It’s a super easy recipe to make, and it’s really, really delicious. It’s a Southern favorite and an easy dip to serve as an appetizer or a snack.
This is the salsa I make when I want that smoky, roasted flavor instead of the usual fresh version.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa
This Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa Recipe is packed with fire-roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, and a hint of smoky jalapeño heat. It’s ready in minutes and is a great summer snack!
The 4th of July BBQ Menu Everyone Will Be Talking About
4th of July BBQ Menu. Photo Credit: Southern Bytes.
If you’re already planning your next cookout, don’t stop at sides. I’ve also put together a full BBQ menu with all the mains, sauces, and sweets that make a summer party unforgettable. Get the Recipes: The 4th of July BBQ Menu
I’m the home cook and photographer at Southern Bytes. My love of cooking started in my mom’s kitchen more than 30 years ago and grew even stronger after I married into a Louisiana family that lives and breathes Southern food. These are the recipes that capture the heart of Southern tradition, from collard greens and gumbo to cornbread and red beans and rice.
