35 Labor Day Side Dishes for an Epic End of Summer Cookout

From coleslaw and cucumber salad to pasta salads and pimento cheese, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite side dishes that are sure to be the perfect addition to your Labor Day Cookout!

Southern Fried Squash

Southern Fried Squash is a summer delicacy. Fresh yellow squash and zucchini are dredged in buttermilk, breaded with flour and cornmeal, and fried until they are golden brown and crispy. It is such a delicious way to cook summer squash and is the perfect summer side dish.
Get the Recipe: Southern Fried Squash

Zucchini Cornbread

Zucchini Cornbread is a delightful twist on a classic cornbread recipe. Made with cornmeal and shredded zucchini, it is moist, fluffy, and slightly sweet.
Get the Recipe: Zucchini Cornbread Recipe

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.
Get the Recipe: Southern Potato Salad

Southern Style 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!
Get the Recipe: Coleslaw Recipe

Cowboy Caviar

Cowboy Caviar is a Southern Dip and Side Dish made with fresh vegetables, flavorful beans, & 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.
Get the Recipe: Cowboy Caviar Recipe

Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

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, goes great with burgers, and is bursting with so much flavor.
Get the Recipe: Pasta Salad Recipe

Deviled Eggs with Diced Pickles

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. Perfect for a party, these deviled eggs are quick and easy to make and are a crowd-pleaser.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Eggs with Diced Pickles

Tomato & Cucumber Pasta Salad

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.
Get the Recipe: Tomato & Cucumber Pasta Salad

Blue Cheese & Bacon Salad

With crispy romaine lettuce, crunchy bacon, and blue cheese in a flavorful, zesty homemade dressing, this Royal Street Salad is a perfect summer side dish!
Get the Recipe: Blue Cheese & Bacon Salad

Crispy Fried Okra

This Fried Okra is dredged in buttermilk and breaded in a flour & 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.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Fried Okra

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.
Get the Recipe: Fried Corn on the Cob

Crockpot Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

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 the perfect side to any dish!
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Classic Pimento Cheese

This creamy, peppery, Homemade Pimento Cheese is a classic Southern recipe that’s perfect for any occasion. With its blend of shredded cheddar cheese, mayo, and diced pimentos, this versatile spread is not only a delicious sandwich filling but it’s also a crowd-pleasing dip for crackers and veggies or a flavorful topping for burgers.
Get the Recipe: Pimento Cheese

Southern Style Collard Greens

If you’re looking for the Best Collard Greens Recipe, look no further. This classic southern side dish features tender collard greens, cooked to perfection, southern style, with savory bacon, onions, a ham hock, and garlic. Trust me – once you try these greens, you’ll never need another recipe again.
Get the Recipe: Southern Style Collard Greens

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. They are the perfect snack for a party!
Get the Recipe: Crack Pretzels

Southern Cornbread

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.
Get the Recipe: Southern Cornbread Recipe

Ranch 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 the perfect party snack so bring a bowl to your next picnic.
Get the Recipe: Ranch Chex Party Mix

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Quick Pickled Red Onions are the perfect finishing touch for so many recipes. They can perfectly balance out a salty or spicy dish – and are the perfect top for a burger. And a bonus, they are so quick and easy to make!
Get the Recipe: Quick Pickled Red Onions

Bourbon Candied Pecans

Sweet and Spicy Candied Bourbon Pecans are salty, sweet, and, well, just a little bit spicy. The taste of bourbon is very subtle, but it gives these pecans the perfect amount of something extra to make them so delicious and addicting. I bring them to every party!
Get the Recipe: Candied Bourbon Pecans

Garlic Toast

This Super Simple Garlic Bread Recipe is packed with garlic flavor, rich buttery goodness, and perfectly crispy bread that is tender and fluffy inside. Best of all, it can be whipped up in just 10 minutes!
Get the Recipe: Garlic Toast Recipe

Crispy Dill Fridge Pickles

These Dill Pickles are salty, crunchy, and perfectly delicious. They are quick to make and are stored in the fridge, so there’s no canning required. They are perfect to bring to a barbeque for everyone to add to their burgers!
Get the Recipe: Dill Fridge Pickles

Patriotic Deviled Eggs

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 is served on a lollipop stick.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Egg Star Pops

Corn Pico de Gallo

This Sweet Corn Pico de Gallo Recipe is the perfect dip to bring to a party. Grilled or roasted corn adds a tasty twist to this corn salsa!
Get the Recipe: Corn Pico de Gallo

Sweet Cornbread

Sweet Cornbread made in a cast iron skillet is the perfect accompaniment to any summer meal. This cornbread is sweet, crumbly, buttery, and has a perfect crisp to the edges – it is the perfect side for a picnic.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Cornbread

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sesame Poppyseed Dressing

This Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe is loaded with fresh summer strawberries and is topped with a delicious Sesame Poppyseed dressing. It is perfect for a healthy lunch or a side salad for dinner. It also makes a great salad to take to a party.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Spinach Salad

Cherry Tomato Salsa

Cherry Tomato Salsa is naturally sweet with tons of fresh garden flavors. With fresh tomatoes and cilantro, it’s perfect for serving with tacos and tortilla chips, and it could not be easier to make.
Get the Recipe: Cherry Tomato Salsa

Mango and 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 so refreshing. It is a great dip for tortilla chips, a perfect topping on salads, or a filling in burritos.
Get the Recipe: Mango Avocado Salsa

Easy Oven Baked French Fries

Easy Oven Baked French Fries are coated in olive oil, tossed in delicious seasoning, and baked until crispy. They are so easy to make, and when served with a burger and delicious dipping sauce – they are so good.
Get the Recipe: Easy Oven Baked French Fries

Cucumber Salad

This Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe is a frequent summer side dish at our house and is one of our favorite recipes. Thinly sliced cucumbers and red onion are quickly pickled to make an easy salad that is a little sweet and a little tangy.
Get the Recipe: Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe

Cajun Corn Maque Choux

Corn Maque Choux is a classic Cajun side dish that is creamy, flavorful, and has just a little bit of heat. The smoky bacon grease softens the corn as it mixes with the Cajun spices, and the end result is a delicious Southern side dish.
Get the Recipe: Cajun Corn Maque Choux

Quick Korean Pickles

Spicy Korean Pickles are the perfect crunchy side dish and are a quick way to add a kick to any meal! Korean Cucumber Pickles are crisp and zesty.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Korean Pickles

Orzo Caprese Salad

This Orzo Caprese Salad is a delicious twist on a classic caprese salad! Cooked orzo pasta is combined with juicy tomatoes, cucumber, and creamy mozzarella. Ready on the table in less than 30 minutes! Serve it for lunch, light dinner, or as a side dish.
Get the Recipe: Orzo Caprese Salad

Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Feta and Fresh Mint

What says fresh and flavorful like a Strawberry Cucumber Salad? Sweet, juicy strawberries, cool cucumber slices, tangy red onion, and zesty feta crumbles are all made even more flavorful with a hint of fresh mint. This salad recipe is everything you love about summer in one beautiful bowl. 
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cucumber Salad

Spicy Jalapeño Pimento Cheese

If you’re a fan of pimento cheese but want to add a little kick to your traditional recipe, then you’ll love this Spicy Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Recipe! Not only is it a super easy recipe to make, but it’s also really, really delicious. It’s a Southern favorite and an easy dip to serve as an appetizer or a snack.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Jalapeño Pimento Cheese

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 the perfect summer snack!
Get the Recipe: Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa

Pickle de Gallo Recipe

Homemade salsa meets garlicky dill pickles with this unique Pickle de Gallo Recipe. You’ll want to eat this flavorful dip with a spoon. And you can if you want because it’s chock full of healthy veggies and yummy seasonings.
Get the Recipe: Pickle de Gallo Recipe

Homemade Ketchup

Homemade Ketchup is easy to make and superior to what you’d buy in the store. This recipe uses fresh tomatoes making it extra delicious! Experiment with the tomatoes you have on hand for varied flavor in every batch!
Get the Recipe: Homemade Ketchup

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