BBQ Sides You Need To Make
How good are your BBQ sides? When you think of a barbecue, what are you thinking about? Brisket, ribs, burgers, buffalo wings, pork belly? We’d argue the humble BBQ side is seriously underrated. We’ve picked out our favourite side dishes for your next BBQ, from potato salads to slaw and corn ribs.
Turning up with some ready-to-go BBQ sides is sure to impress. You know what else will impress? Taking a load of good quality flavour-packed BBQ sauces with you – shop our full range here, featuring Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce and more.
These side suggestions are in no particular order. Let’s get started!
BBQ Salads
Who doesn’t love a salad with BBQ food? Salad doesn’t just mean lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber though! We’d suggest you put together a potato salad with crispy potatoes, or an easy, fresh pasta salad. If you’re in need of a mayonnaise for your BBQ salad, then you’re in the right place. Our range covers everything from traditional mayo to our herby, garlicky Ranch Mayo, and our spicy, smoky Chipotle and Lime Aioli.
Chunky Salsa
For when a standard salsa just doesn’t cut it. A chunky salsa is almost between a standard salsa and a salad – perfect for serving as a BBQ side alongside meats. We love a fresh, fruity chunky salsa with pineapple, especially with tacos. Plus its quick and easy to make, a perfect solution and a great addition to a last-minute BBQ.
Homemade Slaw
Our favourite thing about slaw? It’s infinitely versatile, making it one of the best BBQ sides around. What you put in depends on what style of food you’re cooking. If you’ve cooked up some koftas, make a Turkish inspired slaw. If you’ve done some satay chicken, pair it with an Asian-style slaw.
Vegetable Skewers
If your BBQ is packed with lots of different meats, you’ll probably be looking for something lighter to sit alongside all that. You can’t go far wrong with some vegetable skewers, just pop your favourite veggies on a skewer, drizzle over olive oil and stick it on the BBQ until charred. We’d recommend peppers, courgette, onion, corn or mushroom! The beauty of this side dish is you can basically just use what you’ve got leftover in the fridge making it easy and cheap.
Mac and Cheese
Pasta and loads of cheese – what’s not to love. Traditionally more of a winter warmer, Mac and Cheese makes an epic barbecue side. You could go traditional, make it spicy (recipe for our Chilli Jam Mac N Cheese here) or drop in some bits of smoked, pulled pork or beef for a full-on BBQ version.
Corn Ribs
There’s a big argument to be had whether these strips of corn should be called ‘ribs’ or not. There’s less of an argument to be had about how good they are. They’re super easy to make, and if space is an issue on the grill, you can cook them in an air fryer or oven. What makes them a really good BBQ side is their versatility; coat them with BBQ seasoning before cooking and you’ll end up with smoky corn ribs. Another option would be to make Mexican-inspired corn, by glazing with hot sauce and topping with jalapenos, coriander and more of your favourite Mexican toppings.
You can find our very own Buffalo Corn Ribs recipe here, featuring Sauce Shop Buffalo Hot Sauce.
BBQ Pit Beans
Beans, but not as you know them. If you’ve never tried BBQ Pit Beans before, you’re missing out – they’re usually cooked slowly over a long period of time, and with some form of meat whether that be sausages or bacon. You’re left with a smoky, rich, thick bowl of beans that make the ideal barbecue side item. Our recipe features streaky bacon, onions and our Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce, give it a try.
Want more BBQ recipes? Click here to see all of them or check out our favourites below.