20 Crowd-Pleasing Side Dishes for Cookouts From creamy classics to grilled vegetables and bright summer salads, these recipes belong at your next summer get-together. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 18, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Christina Daley / Prop Styling by Torie Cox A great cookout spread needs more than burgers and hot dogs. These standout side dishes bring plenty of color, crunch, creaminess, and fresh summer flavor to the table, from tangy pineapple coleslaw and smoky-sweet baked beans to grilled corn ribs and refreshing watermelon salad. Whether you’re hosting a backyard gathering or heading to a picnic in the park, these recipes are made for warm-weather entertaining. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 20 Three Bean Salad Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood Fresh, smoky, and satisfying, this salad combines garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and green beans with corn, tomatoes, and roasted red bell peppers for a bold, colorful mix of flavors and textures. It's tied together with a sherry-honey vinaigrette. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 20 Classic Potato Salad Diana Chistruga This creamy, classic potato salad recipe includes all the traditional ingredients — tender potatoes in a mayonnaise-based dressing with herbs, onion, and celery — in just the right ratios. Served cold or at room temperature, it's cookout-ready in under an hour. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 20 Pineapple Coleslaw Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Barbecue expert and 2019 F&W Best New Chef Bryan Furman folds bite-size pieces of canned pineapple into his mayonnaise-based coleslaw, using the reserved pineapple syrup to add a touch of sweetness to the dressing. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 20 Spicy Maple Baked Beans Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Chef Kevin Sousa's modern spin on New England-style baked beans is made extra hearty with thinly sliced all-beef hot dogs — you'll need 10 for this recipe. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 20 Classic Macaroni Salad Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali Ready in just 20 minutes, this classic creamy macaroni salad is enlivened with zingy sriracha, salty-tangy pickle juice, and sharp Dijon mustard. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 20 Potato Chip Chopped Caesar Salad Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Renu Dhar / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Sour cream-and-onion kettle chips stand in for croutons in this cookout-friendly take on Caesar salad. Piled over crisp romaine tossed in a classic umami-rich dressing, they double as both topping and scoop for a salty crunch in every bite. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 20 Italian Grinder Pasta Salad Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Christina Daley / Prop Styling by Torie Cox With salami, pepperoni, provolone, and peperoncini, this zesty, easy-to-share pasta salad is a satisfying mix of textures and flavors, just like the sandwich on which it's based. Toss together a few hours before serving, then add the croutons at the very last minute to keep them crunchy. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 20 Grilled Flat Beans with Agrodolce Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Inspired by 2022 F&W Best New Chef Rob Rubba, this recipe drizzles sweet-sour Italian agrodolce spiced with Korean red pepper flakes over grilled romano beans — a broad, flat cousin of string beans — for a satisfying summer side. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 20 Mi Amá’s Ensalada de Papa (Potato Salad) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This tangy, ultra-creamy potato salad — made with Yukon Golds, Kewpie mayo, crema, mustard, and pickled jalapeños — comes from chef Claudette Zepeda’s mom. “Every potato salad that my brothers and I have eaten since childhood fails to measure up to [our mother’s]. I now make it for my kids — and the tradition of ruining them for any other potato salad continues,” she says. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 20 Mac and Corn Cheese Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Brightened with snappy kernels of sweet corn, pungent onion, and zippy jalapeño, food writer Eric Kim's stovetop macaroni and cheese is table-ready in just 40 minutes. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 20 Mini Kabob Potatoes Julia Stotz / Food Styling by Caroline K. Hwang / Prop Styling by Samantha Margherita A crisp exterior and soft, fluffy center make these quick-cooking fried potatoes fun to serve alongside kebabs, burgers, or whatever else you're throwing on the grill. Dusted with Aleppo pepper, they're just as good paired with ketchup as they are with hummus or eggplant dip. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 20 Grilled Halloumi and Zucchini Pasta Salad Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Props Styling by Prissy Montiel This modern pasta salad features a vibrant, thoughtful mix of flavors and textures. Planks of salty charred Halloumi are balanced by tender squash; crisp, tangy pickled shallots peek out through herb-laden pasta; and a topping of lemon-tinged panko provides a bright crunch. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 20 Grilled Corn Ribs with Honey Butter Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Inspired by a dish at Charleston's Basic Kitchen, this recipe amps up the sweetness of juicy grilled corn with a dry spice rub. The smoky-sweet vegetable side tastes like a cross between buttery corn on the cob and barbecue ribs. Finish the corn ribs with a silky honey-butter drizzle. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 20 Summer Squash with Pepita-Sesame Salsa Macha Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Salsa macha — a dynamic condiment of chiles, toasted seeds, oil, garlic, and salt — coats charred half-moons of summer squash. Serve more on the side for an extra boost of flavor. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 20 Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco Istanbul-based chef Defne Koryürek adds nutty, peppery flavor to this 30-minute salad by sprinkling crunchy little nigella seeds over dramatic watermelon chunks and creamy rounds of fresh goat cheese. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 20 Crushed Cucumber Salad with Tomatillo Dressing Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen With their craggy edges, lightly smashed cucumbers soak up a zippy jalapeño-tomatillo dressing and mingle with salted roasted pepitas, crumbled queso fresco, and plenty of cilantro for this crisp summer salad. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 20 Sweet Corn Succotash with Shiitakes and Sugar Snaps Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson Seasonal produce shines in this 15-minute side from 1998 F&W Best New Chef Katy Sparks. She swaps in sugar snap peas for the traditional lima beans and adds shiitake mushrooms for meaty depth of flavor. It pairs wonderfully with anything grilled. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 20 Salatet Malfouf (Lebanese Coleslaw) Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Culinary producer and recipe developer Khalil Hymore combines red and green cabbage, fresh mint, garlic, sumac, za’atar, and pistachios for a crisp, zesty, and herbaceous side that’s ideal for warm-weather gatherings. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 20 Bhutta Masala (Indian Spiced Corn on the Cob) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser Dip lime wedges in a tangy, savory blend of chaat masala, Kashmiri chile powder, smoked paprika, and black salt to rub over just-grilled corn, then serve with a garnish of cilantro plus extra lime and seasoning. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 20 Roasted Hot Honey Sweet Potato Salad Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood The standout element of this salad is the dressing, an inspired take on a classic honey-mustard. Paprika-dusted sweet potatoes hold their own paired with the bold hot-honey flavor, while homemade quick-pickled onions add pops of acid and crunch. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Recipes Side Dishes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit