Daylight Savings BBQ: 24 Side Dishes to Celebrate More Sunlight
Daylight Savings BBQ: 24 Side Dishes To Celebrate More Sunlight
We all love the taste of a sizzling steak fresh off the grill or chicken wings with a tangy marinade. However, if we’re going to be honest about what makes the difference between a good BBQ dinner and a GREAT one, it is all about the BBQ side dishes. Now that we have an extra hour in our day, thanks to daylight savings, we can focus more energy on these side dishes for BBQ.
Below we highlight 24 of our favorite sides to make any meal a mouthwatering hit.
Table of Contents
- Corn On The Cob
- Baked Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Caesar Salad
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Caprese Salad
- Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash
- Cornbread
- Coleslaw
- Baked Beans
- Potato Salad
- Green Beans
- Pasta Salads
- Bacon-Pea Salads
- Baking Powder Biscuits
- Pickles
- Ambrosia Fruit Salads
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Grilled Veggie Kabobs
- Guacamole and Chips
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Garlic Bread
- Apple Pie
- Root Beer Floats
- Join The Kick Ash Crew for All Things BBQ
The 24 Best BBQ Side Dish Ideas
#1 Corn On The Cob
If you’re looking for some easy side dishes for BBQ, look no further. Corn on the cob is a great addition to any meal and can be grilled in its husk. Just make sure you have plenty of butter ready to slather on. Wondering how to cook corn on the grill? Look no further, we’ve got you covered.
#2. Baked Potatoes
These are always a hit with a sizzling steak and are an easy side dish for any BBQ feast.
Pro Tip: Prepare a toppings bar with both meaty and vegetarian options to up the flavor and offer kick ash customizations.
#3 Mashed Potatoes
There’s nothing quite like a plate of smooth, fluffy, and flavorful mashed potatoes. Wouldn’t you agree? Sidebar: We personally believe that mashed potatoes are one of the best side dishes for BBQ chicken.
#4 Caesar Salad
Who doesn’t love a traditional BBQ favorite that can be paired with a lot of different main courses? Well, with caesar salad, you’re in luck. It’s another one on our list that’s considered a great side dish for Kick Ash BBQ chicken. For the best Caesar salad, make sure you purchase crispy lettuce and a tasty dressing (preferably homemade).
#5. Scalloped Potatoes
These may not be as popular as some of the other potato options out there, but that doesn’t mean these are any less delicious. This cheesy side dish pairs great with grilled ham. It is also a great side dish to pair with BBQ ribs.
#6. Caprese Salad
This light Mediterranean salad that combines mozzarella, tomatoes, and a splash of balsamic is loved by nearly everyone.
Pro Tip: Your Caprese salad will be even tastier if you lightly grill your tomatoes before adding them to your salad.
#7 Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash
Zucchini and squash are some of our favorite late-summer side dishes. Each year, we sign up for a vegetable share at a local farm, and we always get a heaping delivery of squash. Of course, you’ll love it even more if you grill it up with a dash of oregano.
#8 Cornbread
While cornbread may not be as healthy as some of the other options on this list, it is undoubtedly delicious. Plus, if you have any gluten-free friends, there are plenty of gluten-free cornbread recipes out there that you can whip up just for them.
#9 Coleslaw
As a child, coleslaw was a definite must-have at all of our family BBQs. We tended to love creamy slaws. However, I’ve branched out and tried some tangy slaw options as I've gotten older. Coleslaw is a flavorsome low-carb side dish for BBQs, and there are tons of different recipes to try out.
#10 Baked Beans
Baked beans are always a wise choice for any barbecue. Personally, we love pairing our baked beans with hot dogs or brats. There are many awesome baked bean recipes, but our favorites always have bacon in them for some extra flavor!
#11 Potato Salad
Potato salad is another great potato side dish to go along with your main dish. One of the good things about potato salad is that you can prepare it ahead of time, saving you same-day fuss and muss.
#12 Green Beans
These summer classics are some of our kids’ favorite veggies. They especially love the ones that are picked from plants in our own backyard. The key, in our opinion, to yummy green beans is butter—lots of it. We also love to add jalapeños to ours for that spicy kick.
#13 Pasta Salads
Pasta salads represent a worldwide barbecue staple. You can use any pasta shape that you like for your salad, but we usually make ours with macaroni-shaped noodles and add in the cubed ham and some fresh peas. Add in some fresh veggies to add a refreshing crunch to the savory goodness.
#14 Bacon-Pea Salad
This BBQ classic is easier to make than you might think. All you need to do is toss together some fresh peas, cubed-up cheese (cheddar is best, in our opinion), and some bacon with a light creamy dressing. Delicious.
#15 Baking Powder Biscuits
Baking powder biscuits are not the easiest side dish to make, but it is one of the yummiest and is sure to please both kid and adult guests at your BBQ. Experimentation is the key to unlocking fantastic BBQ results—so if you haven’t yet tried these, we encourage you to give it a go and expand your grill master repertoire.
#16 Pickles
Everybody, okay, almost everybody, loves a nice crisp pickle with their BBQ hamburger. A trip to the grocery store will show you how many pickle options are out there. If you are especially ambitious, you can also make homemade pickles.
#17 Ambrosia Fruit Salad
Summer is great for many things, but one of the best things about summer is all of the fresh fruit that is available and in-season. This fruit can be eaten on its own or used to make a delicious and decadent ambrosia fruit salad. If you don’t have fresh fruit available, you can easily substitute it with frozen or canned alternatives.
#18 Sweet Potato Fries
This traditional southern BBQ side dish favorite is commonly served across the country. But, if you’re trying to watch what you eat, sweet potatoes pack even more nutrients than traditional potatoes.
Pro Tip: Everybody appreciates options at the barbecue. Serve these next to traditional fries and observe how many people choose sweet potato fries vs. classic ones. The results may surprise you!
#19 Grilled Veggie Kabobs
These vegetable skewers take a little bit of pre-planning, but we believe grilled veggie kabobs are definitely worth the effort. You can use any of your favorite veggies on these skewers. We really like to grill sweet onions, along with bell peppers.
#20 Guacamole and Chips
Guacamole is definitely a BBQ favorite that works great for both kids and adults. Even though it is relatively high in calories, it is also full of great fats and nutrients. You can also pick chips that work for a variety of dietary restrictions.
#21 Buffalo Chicken Dip
Since we are on the topic of dips as great BBQ side dishes, we cannot forget about how great buffalo chicken dip actually is. The key ingredients in this dip are chicken, of course, cream cheese, and bleu cheese. Considering the chicken is cooked to perfection using your Kick Ash Basket, you really can’t go wrong here.
#22 Garlic Bread
You can make this bread in the oven, but we prefer to perfect this bread on our outdoor grill. Slather on the butter before putting the bread on the grill, and make sure to add some garlic cloves for flavoring.
#23 Apple Pie
What BBQ is complete without desserts? There are hundreds of delicious dessert choices, but what is more American than apple pie? Personally, we vote that apple pie should always be served a la mode.
#24 Root Beer Floats
This is one of my personal favorites. For the best floats, make sure to choose both a high-quality vanilla ice cream and a great frosty root beer. Great for the kids, great for the adults… root beer floats are just a fantastic treat for everyone.
Join Our Kick Ash Crew For All Things BBQ
Part of the fun of experimenting with your BBQ side dishes is sharing your successes. So make sure to head over to the Kick Ash Crew Facebook group and join our members-only community for exclusive product giveaways, deals, recipes, and more! Here you will also access some of our best tips and participate in a community of other BBQ lovers.