Barbecue Side Dishes - Cooking Light

1603 Sweet Pea and Avocado Dip with Baked Pita Chips

Photo: Jennifer Causey

We sped up these classic dishes to cover all your hot-weather eating needs: backyard grilling, picnicking, family reunioning, and potluck partying.

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Fresh and Summery

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese and Basil

When summer rolls around and the hot weather takes over, we want nothing but fresh, healthy, and hot-weather-appropriate food. These sides won’t weigh you down, and are the perfect accompaniment to grilled foods and outdoor parties.

First, our Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese and Basil is light and perfect as an outdoor summer side. Choose a variety of tomato colors to make the salad more beautiful without any additional work.

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Roasted Potato Salad With Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Roasted Potato Salad With Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette

Here's a new twist on potato salad—a warm dish of golden-brown potato wedges with a creamy-tangy dressing drizzled on top. You can also serve it at room temperature.

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Marinated English Cucumber and Onions

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Marinated English Cucumber and Onions

If marinating overnight, slice the cucumber a bit thicker so it retains some crunch.

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Summer Bean Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Summer Bean Salad

If you purchase whole fava bean pods, you'll need to shell them and then peel the beans: Blanch shelled beans in boiling water for a few seconds, remove to a bowl of ice water, drain, and slip off the opaque skins. You can also substitute shelled edamame.

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Mardi Gras Slaw

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Mardi Gras Slaw

The traditional colors of Fat Tuesday celebrations are purple, green, and yellow, and this vibrant slaw mimics that combo. Use a mandoline or very sharp knife to cut the cabbage, and you'll avoid the rather strong smell that often comes when you shred it.

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Quick Classic Baked Beans

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Quick Classic Baked Beans

Our baked beans are cooked mostly on the stovetop and then briefly broiled for crusty edges. If you want extra herby flavor, garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

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Haricots Verts with Shallots and Pine Nuts

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Haricots Verts with Shallots and Pine Nuts

This quick and easy side dish of French green beans, shallots, and pine nuts is perfect for weeknight dinners. Pair with pan-seared chicken or baked pork chops.

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Cheesy Potato Casserole

Photo: Brian Woodcock

View Recipe: Cheesy Potato Casserole

Rather than using sodium-loaded canned soup, we made our own creamy sauce to update this dish.

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Zesty Green Goddess Dip

Photo: John Autry

View Recipe: Zesty Green Goddess Dip

Because fresh herbs are increasingly available, you can make this tangy, peppery dip year-round.

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Tomato Salad with Herbed Ricotta and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Photo: Erin Kunkel

View Recipe: Tomato Salad with Herbed Ricotta and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Sliced heirloom tomatoes are wow-worthy on their own with just a small sprinkling of salt and pepper, but a simple balsamic vinaigrette and dollops of rich basil-flecked ricotta take them over the top. Visit your local farmers’ market to get a variety of heirlooms for a plethora of tastes and colors. Serve with toasted baguette slices to sop up any tomato juices.

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Andrew Zimmern's Grilled Corn and Snap Pea Salad

Photo: Christopher Testani

View Recipe: Grilled Corn and Snap Pea Salad

You can assemble this salad the day before you plan to serve it, but toss in dressing just before serving to keep Zimmern's salad as crisp as he intended.

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Baked Black Beans with Chorizo

Photo: Levi Brown

View Recipe: Baked Black Beans with Chorizo

Think of this warm, starchy concoction as the best version of bean dip you'll ever have. Canned black beans get kicked-up flavor from sautéed onion, garlic, cumin, and jalapeño and are then mashed and placed in a dish. On top go firm, cured, paprika-rich Spanish chorizo, chopped tomato, creamy Jack cheese, and green onions—then the whole thing is baked until gooey, warm, and irresistible. You'll be delighted to scoop it up with crunchy tortilla chips. It’s a versatile dish, too; you can also serve it as a side dish with fajitas, as a taco filling, or as a jalapeño popper or chile rellenos stuffing.

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Cheesy Sausage Roll-Ups

Photo: Greg Dupree

View Recipe: Cheesy Sausage Roll-Ups

Roll corn tortillas around a sausage and seal with creamy, melty cheese. Top with jalapeños, which add a spicy kick to this childhood classic. Ready in just under 15 minutes, this quick weekday snack is also perfect for parties, picnics, and barbecues.

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Grilled Baba Ghanoush

Photo: Erin Kunkel

View Recipe: Grilled Baba Ghanoush

Grilling the eggplant adds a charred note to this classic Middle Eastern dip. Let the slices steam after cooking so the flesh becomes even more tender. Serve with toasted pita, slices cucumber, or fennel.

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Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups

Photo: Johnny Miller

View Recipe: Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups

Turn a beloved side dish into a cute and savory appetizer. Frozen phyllo shells speed prep time, as does bagged baby spinach (rather than frozen). Toasting the phyllo cups keeps them crisp longer after being filled.

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Triple Onion Deviled Eggs

Photo: Randy Mayor

View Recipe: Triple Onion Deviled Eggs

Chopped green onion, pickled cocktail onion, and French-fried onion on one deviled egg equals layers of flavor.

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Spinach and Arugula Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Spinach and Arugula Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing

This light in calories but rich in taste dressing meets at the happy place between Caesar and ranch. Spinach, arugula, and matchstick turnips make it a hearty salad, but you can add grilled chicken or grilled shrimp for a Caesar salad dinner that the whole family will love.

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Thai Sesame Edamame

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Thai Sesame Edamame

Enjoy a favorite bar snack at home in a matter of minutes. Salty and satisfying, edamame is a nutrient-dense, between-meals bite you can feel good about. Look for whole edamame pods in the freezer section of your grocery store.

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Grilled Okra and Tomato Skewers

Photo: Howard L. Puckett

View Recipe: Grilled Okra and Tomato Skewers

Assemble skewers the night before; brush them with the oil mixture before grilling. Flavor oil mixture with dried ground herbs to suit your taste. Look for okra pods of similar size to assure even grilling.

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Sweet Pea and Avocado Dip with Baked Pita Chips

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Sweet Pea and Avocado Dip with Baked Pita Chips

Incorporating green peas into this tasty summer snack not only reduces the amount of fat but also adds sweetness and further brightens the green color.

Replay gallery

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Easy Barbecue Side Dishes

1 of 21

Fresh and Summery

2 of 21

Roasted Potato Salad With Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette

3 of 21

Marinated English Cucumber and Onions

4 of 21

Summer Bean Salad

5 of 21

Mardi Gras Slaw

6 of 21

Quick Classic Baked Beans

7 of 21

Haricots Verts with Shallots and Pine Nuts

8 of 21

Cheesy Potato Casserole

9 of 21

Zesty Green Goddess Dip

10 of 21

Tomato Salad with Herbed Ricotta and Balsamic Vinaigrette

11 of 21

Andrew Zimmern's Grilled Corn and Snap Pea Salad

12 of 21

Baked Black Beans with Chorizo

13 of 21

Cheesy Sausage Roll-Ups

14 of 21

Grilled Baba Ghanoush

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Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups

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Triple Onion Deviled Eggs

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Spinach and Arugula Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing

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Thai Sesame Edamame

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Grilled Okra and Tomato Skewers

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Sweet Pea and Avocado Dip with Baked Pita Chips

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