Healthy BBQ Sides
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These healthy BBQ sides are what you need for your next backyard barbecue, outdoor cookout, or potluck dinner with friends and family. You'll find fresh salads, pasta salads, potato dishes, grilled vegetables, and more!
While we all love grilled chicken and juicy burgers, it's these healthy BBQ sides that will be the real stars of the show. They're full of flavor and will leave you feeling great after dinner.
What makes a good summer side dish?
On a hot summer evening, we crave sides that are light and fresh and full of a variety of colors and textures. As we tend to eat a bit lighter in the summer, sides follow suit and are full of seasonal vegetables. Also, most of the best summer side dishes are delicious eaten either cold or at room temperature.
What do these healthy BBQ sides go well with?
We have lots of side dishes to choose from here. From creamy cucumber salad to sweet corn to tangy noodle salads, you'll find all the side dishes you need.
- Need a side dish for ribs? Try our stir-fried okra!
- Looking for pulled pork sides? Try classic broccoli coleslaw!
- Want the best brisket sides? This loaded baked potato salad is our favorite!
- Search for healthy sides for BBQ chicken? Make this corn and tomato salad!
Light and fresh healthy BBQ side salads
Grilled Vegetable Salad Recipe
This grilled vegetable salad is perfectly charred vegetables and giant warm croutons all tossed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette. All it takes is 2 bowls, 1 whisk, and 30 minutes to make. Throw some protein on the grill with the veggies and call it dinner!
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Cucumber Salad Recipe
This is the creamy cucumber salad recipe we've been making forever. It's the perfect balance of creamy and crunchy and it goes well with nearly every main dish. It's super simple to make and is always a hit!
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Grilled Peach Salad Recipe
Grilled peach salad is the ultimate summer side dish recipe. The peaches are grilled until smoky and extra sweet and served with arugula, blueberries, candied curry pecans, and a honey vinaigrette. Add some goat cheese or diced avocado and you've just made the best salad ever.
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Greek Salad Recipe
This is the Greek Salad Recipe we've been making for years and it is still the best one ever. It's the perfect healthy recipe to indulge in fresh summer veggies. You will LOVE it!
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Mexican Cucumber Salad Recipe
This simple Mexican cucumber salad is inspired by our favorite street food, Mexican street corn. With crunchy cucumbers, sweet corn, cotija cheese, and a creamy dressing, it's an easy side dish with a bit of kick to complement any Mexican-style meal. Buen provecho!
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Asian Salad Recipe
This super easy to make Asian salad recipe is packed full of healthy veggies and tossed in a tasty sesame ginger salad dressing. It's fresh and crunchy and a crazy delicious side dish
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Heartier BBQ sides
Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing Recipe
This pasta salad with Italian dressing is easy to make and has the most incredible flavors. Crispy prosciutto, tender bocconcini balls, tangy banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, olives, basil, and parmesan cheese get tossed with your favorite pasta and delicious Italian dressing. It's irresistible!
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Grilled Potato Salad Recipe
This mayo-free grilled potato salad is tossed in a homemade scallion pesto. It's herby, full of flavor, and perfect for the summer grilling season. It's easy to make and it's ready in just 45 minutes!
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Mango Thai Noodle Salad Recipe
This Thai noodle salad is full of sweet mangos, snow peas, red pepper, loads of fresh herbs, and the most delicious creamy sesame ginger dressing. It's a cold pasta salad that keeps well for quick lunches or to take on a picnic. You'll love it!Ā
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Summer Quinoa Salad Recipe
This light and fresh Summer Quinoa Salad is perfect for a hot sunny day or dinner on the patio. It's loaded with sweet cherries, toasted almonds, feta cheese, and fresh herbs and tossed with a lemony dressing. Leftovers make a healthy and delicious lunch. It's a healthy vegetarian + gluten-free side dish that can easily be made vegan, too.
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Healthy Asian Noodle Salad Recipe
This Asian noodle salad is fresh, fast, and full of flavor. It's chewy noodles, colorful vegetables, and crunchy peanuts, all tossed in a tasty Asian-inspired dressing. It's perfect for making ahead and feeding a crowd, and it's ready in just 30 minutes!
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Black Rice Salad with Mango and Cashews Recipe
This black rice salad is absolutely delicious. It's made with forbidden rice, sweet mangoes and oranges, toasted or spicy cashews, and an incredible citrus salad dressing.Ā
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Healthy vegetable BBQ sides
Roasted Broccoli Salad Recipe
This roasted broccoli salad has both roasted and raw broccoli, toasted almonds, sweet cranberries, and tiny pieces of tart lemon. It's delicious!
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Chili Lime Grilled Corn on the Cob Recipe
When corn makes its short seasonal appearance, you'll find us in our backyard making this chili lime grilled corn on the cob on repeat. It's smoky and sweet, with a little heat, and dripping with the flavors of chili-infused butter, fresh lime, and cilantro. It's easy, delicious, and takes only 20 minutes to make!
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Curried Carrots with Tandoori Sauce Recipe
We're dressing up the humble carrot with these curried carrots in tandoori sauce! Tender grilled carrots are tossed in a creamy spiced yogurt sauce with slivered almonds, raisins, and cilantro. It's an easy and super flavorful side dish and it's ready in just 40 minutes!
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Grilled Corn Salad Recipe with BBQ Sausage
This grilled corn salad with farmer's sausage is an easy and summer delicious side dish. It's fresh crunchy veggies, grilled corn, smoky sausage, and creamy avocado all tossed in a tangy dressing. It's perfect for BBQ parties and picnics, and it's ready in just 20 minutes!
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Grilled Mini Peppers Recipe
These grilled mini peppers are a quick and easy BBQ side dish. Next time you have a party, serve them as an appetizer. We promise that theyāll disappear fast!
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Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Recipe
Garlic parmesan zucchini is a quick, easy, and delicious side dish that's one of our favorite ways to enjoy zucchini. A generous amount of fresh garlic and parmesan adds tons of flavor and the zucchini takes on a wonderful caramel quality as it pan-fries. It's ready in just 10 minutes and makes the perfect healthy side for serving with a main meal.
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Healthy BBQ Sides Recipe Index
Recipe Index
Light and fresh healthy BBQ side salads
- Grilled Vegetable Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Grilled Peach Salad
- Greek Salad
- Mexican Cucumber Salad
- Asian Carrot Salad
- Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
- Grilled Potato Salad
- Mango Thai Noodle Salad
- Summer Quinoa Salad
- Healthy Asian Noodle Salad
- Black Rice Salad with Mango
For more inspiration, check out all of our summer recipes!
