The best dishes to bring to a BBQ all in one place! Over 50 easy BBQ recipes include top-rated summer sides, salads, and sweet treats for any crowd.
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Table of Contents
- Best Sides for a BBQ
- Free Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Summer BBQ
- DOWNLOAD IT NOW
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Dense Bean Salad Recipe
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Easy Cornbread Salad Recipe
- Easy Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Caprese Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Rainbow Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Hawaiian Fruit Salad
- Coleslaw
- Grilled Fruit Kabobs
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
- Creamy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Crockpot Grape Jelly & BBQ Meatballs
- Vegetable Skewers
- Veggie Pizza
- Fresh Homemade Salsa
- Cowboy Caviar
- 7 Layer Dip Recipe
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Dill Pickle Dip
- Black Bean Salsa
- Fruit and Veggie Platter
- Dill Dip Recipe
- Best Guacamole Recipe
- BLT Dip
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Bruschetta Caprese
- Fruit Salsa
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Fruit Pizza Recipe
- Peach Dump Cake
- Frozen S’mores
- No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
- S’mores Bars
- Cherry Pie Bars
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oreo Dirt Cake Recipe
- No-Bake Banana Split Dessert
- No Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Easy Oreo Ice Cream Cake
- Mini S’mores Cups
- Recipe Card
Best Sides for a BBQ
Summer is all about warm weather, outdoor fun, and—let’s be honest—the food! From grilled meats to fresh fruit desserts and no-bake treats, you just can’t beat classic BBQ flavors.
I’ve rounded up 50 of the best recipes to bring to a BBQ, including summer pasta salads, easy side dishes, appetizers, and desserts. Whether you’re hosting or heading to a potluck, these are the best BBQ sides and crowd-pleasers for every summer cookout.
Free Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Summer BBQ
Broccoli Salad with Bacon
Broccoli salad with bacon is one of my favorite barbeque side dishes with broccoli, cranberries, sunflowers kernels and red onion tossed in a sweet and tangy dressing.
Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
This chicken pesto pasta salad is a favorite dish I love to bring to a BBQ! It always gets rave review with it’s delicious combination of tender pasta, shredded chicken and veggies tossed with basil pesto.
Easy Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
A potluck recipe that goes great with any cookout item! This pasta salad with Italian dressing is tossed with a zesty Italian dressing that gets rave reviews.
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Cucumber tomato salad is easy to make for any summer BBQ! It’s fresh taste goes well with everything.
Macaroni Salad Recipe
This macaroni salad is a staple at BBQs all summer long! The creamy mayo dressing combined with tender pasta and crisp veggies is easy to make even at the last minute.
Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad
I love this side dish idea for BBQs! Ramen noodle cabbage salad is full of textures and flavors that make it outstanding.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This dill pickle pasta salad is my answer to what to take to a barbeque potluck! It has plenty of dill pickle flavor that everyone loves.
Dense Bean Salad Recipe
This dense bean salad took social media by storm! Full of veggies, beans and tossed with a light dressing, it disappears at any BBQ.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
The BBQ potluck version of chicken wings! This buffalo chicken pasta salad is tangy, creamy and all around delicious for summer.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Cucumber salad is a favorite go-to side dish for last minute BBQ’s! It comes together in minutes with refreshing and creamy taste.
Easy Cornbread Salad Recipe
This cornbread salad has bold southwest flavors and is perfect for summer BBQs!
Easy Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
Tortellini pasta salad is always a hit at any summer BBQ! This side dish is ready in only 15 minutes, too!
Caprese Salad
I love to bring this caprese salad to a BBQ! Juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and garden basil tossed with a balsamic drizzle is a favorite.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Bacon ranch pasta salad is the ultimate food to bring to a BBQ! It’s loaded with bacon, cheese, pasta and a creamy dressing.
Rainbow Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Fresh fruit tossed with a honey lime dressing that keeps it fresh is great to serve at any BBQ! My kids always go for this side dish.
Hawaiian Fruit Salad
It’s a salad with dessert like taste! This Hawaiian fruit salad is an easy side dish for any BBQ this summer.
Coleslaw
An easy coleslaw for any BBQ potluck! It’s ready in 10 minutes with only 5 ingredients.
Grilled Fruit Kabobs
This is a hit at a summertime BBQs! Easy grilled fruit kabobs are brushed with a cinnamon glaze and can be served as an appetizer or side.
Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
An easy side dish to take to any BBQ! Mexican grilled corn is topped with a crema sauce and crumbled cotija cheese.
Creamy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese in the crockpot is one of the best food to take to a BBQ!
Crockpot Grape Jelly & BBQ Meatballs
A crowd pleaser for summertime! Crockpot BBQ meatballs can be served as an appetizer or side and never fail to please at a potluck.
Vegetable Skewers
Prep these vegetable skewers ahead of time to throw on the grill at your next BBQ!
Veggie Pizza
A favorite side dish or appetizer for BBQs all summer long! Veggie pizza is easy to make with crescent dough, creamy ranch with veggies and cheese.
Fresh Homemade Salsa
I love chips and dip and this homemade salsa is fresh and the perfect side dish for any cookout!
Cowboy Caviar
A hearty dip, cowboy caviar, is a cookout side dish crowd pleaser!
7 Layer Dip Recipe
When I don’t know what to bring to a BBQ, I make this 7 layer dip! It never fails to get scooped up.
Pigs in a Blanket
I love bringing a basket of these pigs in a blanket to summer cookouts where I know there will be kids! They are a favorite.
Dill Pickle Dip
Dill pickle dip is easy to make for a BBQ side dish! Serve on a platter with fresh veggies and chips.
Black Bean Salsa
Black bean salsa is a staple summertime BBQ side! It stays well when left out and perfect with chips or to serve over salmon or chicken.
Fruit and Veggie Platter
A fruit and veggie platter is always the answer of what to bring to a BBQ! It’s always a crowd pleaser and can be customized with your favorites.
Dill Dip Recipe
You can never have too many dips when it comes to summer BBQ sides! This dill dip is light, fresh and perfect for a veggie tray.
Best Guacamole Recipe
The best guacamole recipe for any potluck!
BLT Dip
This BLT dip is great for any BBQ party! A side dish with fresh and savory flavors that goes great with chips.
Jalapeno Poppers
I always get asked to bring these bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers to potlucks!
Bruschetta Caprese
Bruschetta caprese is a great appetizer to serve at any potluck all summer long!
Fruit Salsa
This fruit salsa is perfect with cinnamon tortilla chips for a light summer side! It’s one of my go-to recipes to bring to a barbeque.
Chocolate Lasagna
A layered dessert that everyone will rave about during your summer potluck! This chocolate lasagna is cool, creamy and a favorite.
Fruit Pizza Recipe
This is the best fruit pizza recipe with a soft sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, and fresh fruit on top. It makes a great 4th of July dessert when decorated with berries.
Peach Dump Cake
This 3-ingredient peach dump cake is easy to make in one dish with cake mix, peaches and butter! A summer potluck favorite.
Frozen S’mores
An easy way to serve s’mores to a crowd! Everyone loves this frozen s’mores version.
No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
This strawberry icebox cake is an easy no bake dessert recipe layered with graham crackers, a fluffy whipped cream cheese filling and sliced strawberries
S’mores Bars
These gooey s’mores bars have all the flavor of the classic campfire treat with a graham cracker crust, chocolate bar pieces and marshmallows in a soft chewy cookie bar!=
Cherry Pie Bars
A summertime favorite. These cherry pie bars are a crowd pleasing dessert for any potluck!
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ultra soft, thick, chewy and perfectly crisp around the edges. This is the perfect classic cookie recipe that everyone always asks for every time I bring it to a BBQ!
Oreo Dirt Cake Recipe
Dirt cake is a delicious summertime dessert that is a great way to end a cookout!
No-Bake Banana Split Dessert
A slice of this no-bake banana split dessert is even better than a banana split!
No Bake Cookies
No bake cookies are an easy to make dessert with only a few simple ingredients. Soft, chewy and fudgy with a classic chocolate and peanut butter taste!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Delicious peanut butter taste makes these peanut butter rice krispies a favorite or BBQ’s and pinics!
Easy Oreo Ice Cream Cake
This Oreo ice cream cake is absolutely delicious and so easy to make! The layers of hot fudge, cool whip and crushed Oreo’s are the perfect combination of chocolaty goodness.
Mini S’mores Cups
These mini s’mores cups are made with a buttery graham cracker crust, gooey toasted marshmallows and a rich chocolate kiss.
Enjoy all your summer BBQ’s this summer and always know what to bring with this list!
Cowboy Caviar – What to Bring to a BBQ
Video
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can black beans , rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can blackeyed peas or white beans , rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can white shoepeg or sweet corn , drained
- 3-4 diced tomatoes , 1 cup
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 2 avocados , seeded and diced
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- ¾ cup cilantro
- lime juice , to taste
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar , optional
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine beans in a bowl. Combine drained canned corn, black beans and black eyed peas into a medium-sized bowl.
- Dice veggies and herbs. Dice 1/2 cup green onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 avocados and 3-4 tomatoes, then mix them in the bowl. Then chop 3/4 cup cilantro finely and mix that in.
- Taste and add lime. Add salt and lime to taste and gently stir together.
- Dressing. Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic, 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Then pour about half of the dressing over the bean salad. Stir gently and add more as needed.
- Serve. Serve with tortilla chips, over a salad with grilled chicken or rolled up in a tortilla. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up 2-3 days.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Viola Horton
These salad recipes look fabulous!
Sharon
Love the recipes
I Heart Naptime
I’m so happy to hear that, Sharon!
Hanna Krauland
Can you use gluten-free pasta in the “Creamy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese” recipe?
Jamielyn Nye
I’m not too familiar with gluten free pasta, so I’m not sure how long it would take to cook!
Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie
Thanks SO much for including our Skinny Corn! This roundup is awesome…those Garlic Pigs in a Blanket…YUM!
Mia
I loved reading your recipes.
Joann Woolley
This is a fabulous resource to help for all those summer gatherings! Thanks for sharing it on the link party palooza!
Elizabeth @ Pineapples and Polka Dots
Thank you so much for this list! I will certainly put it to good use this summer. :) The kabobs with pineapple were a good reminder for me to include that when we grill!