Add these bbq chicken sides to your cookout, summer potlucks, or family dinner menus. These versatile recipes include everything from classic potato salad to fresh salads and hot options like baked macaroni and cheese. Make these delicious recipes to have the ultimate barbecue feast.
Why Share
- Best side dishes: this curated list of the best bbq side dishes includes classic side dish options like creamy macaroni salad, Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Canned Beans and my Bowtie Pasta Salad Recipe. You’ll also find some new ways to take your menu up a notch.
- Tried & tested, easy recipes: Most options require just a few minutes of hands-on time. Plus, they’ve been tried and tested, so you know they’ll turn out great.
- Easy sides year-round: though you’ll see me focus on summer, these recipes are perfect any time you would eat bbq chicken. They’d work perfectly for a game day or weeknight dinner.
More Chicken Dinner Side Dish Ideas:
- Best Side Dishes for Chicken Tenders
- Side Dishes for Fried Chicken
- Best Sides for Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Sandwich Sides
Below is a list of some of my best sides for barbecue chicken, plus other delectable options for regular days and special occasions.
Best BBQ Chicken Sides
Get ready to indulge in some seriously delicious BBQ chicken sides that will have you licking your fingers clean! From classic coleslaw to savory baked beans, these sides are the perfect complement to any BBQ chicken dish.
Hot Side Dishes
These hot side dishes are simple but insanely delicious! Patti LaBelle’s mac & cheese could become your next best thing.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Canned Beans
Cooked low and slow with bacon and a brown sugar Hennessy BBQ sauce, these beans are one of my favorite BBQ chicken side dishes. Perfect for summer BBQs, cookouts, and family dinners.
Southern Fried Okra
This comfort dish is worth every bite. Crunchy and packed with flavor, your fried okra will be ready in about 25 minutes.
Air Fryer Corn On The Cob (In Foil)
Corn on the cob is a summer bbq staple. This recipe features homemade cajun garlic butter and fresh corn. Then, it comes together in 15 minutes.
Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Collard greens with smoked turkey will pair perfectly with bbq chicken. They cook for 25 minutes in the pressure cooker.
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
You can’t have enough of these spicy sweet potato bites. They perfectly blend sweet and spicy and use only 7 ingredients.
Patti Labelle’s Mac and Cheese
LaBelle's version of this classic comfort dish is unmatched. She uses 4 kinds of cheeses to deliver extra goodness.
Southern Black Eyed Peas
This is one of the easiest bbq chicken sides. It's mostly dump-and-go and uses less than 10 simple ingredients.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Are you wondering what to serve with bbq chicken? Tangy tomatoes coated with cornbread are the ultimate accompaniment. They take 20 minutes from prep to plate.
Southern Mashed Potatoes
These creamy mashed potatoes scream comfort and Southern heritage. They use 8 simple ingredients, and the results are finger-licking good.
Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon
This cabbage dish is the real deal if you're looking for super easy classic sides for bbq chicken. You'll need 5 ingredients and less than 30 minutes to get it done.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Enjoy your mac & cheese without carb guilt. That sounds too good to be true, but it's what this dish offers–guilt-free comfort.
Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli
Don't like the taste of steamed broccoli? Air fryer roasted broccoli is delicious and will be ready in about 25 minutes.
Crockpot Fresh Green Beans With Bacon
You can never go wrong with green beans and bacon. This dish is easy to make and packed with bold flavors.
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
Do you need hassle-free classic side dishes for bbq chicken? Slow cooker creamed corn is mostly hands-off and uses only 6 ingredients.
Easy Keto Creamed Spinach
Keto creamed spinach—a low-carb version of what you’d find in your local steakhouse. It’s creamy, delicious and guilt-free.
KFC Copycat Potato Wedges (Air Fryer Method)
Satisfy your KFC potato wedges cravings without flour breading or deep frying. These are crispy and tasty.
Easy Air Fryer Crispy Crunchy Sweet Potato Fries
The perfect bbq chicken sides don’t have to be complicated. These toothsome sweet potato fries are easy to make with just 6 ingredients.
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
This gooey one-pot dish is all you need to make your family dinners special. It takes about 20 minutes from prep to plate and uses a handful of ingredients.
Seasoned Rice
Seasoned rice is an alternative to white rice and a perfect side dish for bbq chicken. It requires 8 basic ingredients.
Sweet Potato Tater Tots
These are easy to make and fun to eat. They are flavorful and healthier than classic white potato tater tots.
Best Ever Cowboy Baked Beans
Cowboy baked beans perfectly blend sweet, spicy, and smoky flavors resulting in a rich, mouthwatering dish your whole family will enjoy.
Cold Salads & Sides
As you prepare for summer cookouts, do you have adequate ideas for salads and cold sides for bbq chicken? If you need more, below are some worthy options:
Bowtie Pasta Salad Recipe
This pasta salad recipe takes just minutes to prepare with pre-cooked pasta. Enjoy it as a cold summer side dish or hassle-free lunch.
Keto Coleslaw
If you’re watching your carbs, consider this creamy coleslaw keto variation. The simple recipe takes about 5 minutes of prep.
Easy Macaroni Salad
This easy pasta salad is what you need to make summer barbecues more flavorful. It’s easy-to-make comfort food with different variations.
Patti LaBelle’s Potato Salad
LaBelle’s creamy potato salad is nutritious and full of flavor. The best part is that it’s easy to make and uses simple ingredients.
Pickled Okra
If you’re wondering what to serve with bbq chicken, try pickled okra—no sliminess, it’s crunchy and boldly flavored.
Southern Deviled Eggs
Southern deviled eggs are pleasure bites you shouldn’t miss in a bbq feast. They are creamy and flavor-packed and use just 6 ingredients.
Easy Creamy Cucumber Salad
Even the picky eaters will love this 8-ingredient cucumber salad. It’s creamy, packed with fresh flavors, and comes together in as little as 15 minutes.
Southern Corn Salad
Impress with a toothsome classic southern corn salad on your next cookout. This dish is a crowd-pleaser that requires a handful of simple ingredients.
Lemon Orzo Salad
Bright and tangy, this lemon orzo salad is a perfect side dish for bbq chicken. It uses only 8 ingredients and comes together in under 30 minutes.
Pickled Onions
If you need super easy bbq chicken sides, pickled onions are great. They will be ready in 10 minutes.
Southwest Pasta Salad With Chipotle Dressing
The goodness in this salad is unmatched. It’s rich in color, flavorful and easy to make with simple ingredients.
Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese, Cucumber, and Blueberries
A cold and bright salad is what you need to make a summer cookout soul-refreshing. This multi-flavored dish uses 7 ingredients and comes together in 20 minutes.
Corn Tomato Avocado Salad
Are you looking for healthy holiday-worthy salads to feed a small crowd? Corn tomato avocado salad is all that and much more. It takes about 25 minutes to make.
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Inspired by Mexican street food, this corn salad is fantastic. It oozes fresh vegetable flavors and comes together in about 30 minutes.
Greek Pasta Salad
You can’t go wrong with this greek pasta salad if you’re looking for exciting side dishes for bbq chicken. Everything will be ready in under 25 minutes.
Easy Blue Cheese Coleslaw (No Mayo)
If you don’t like mayo, this mayo-free blue cheese coleslaw dish is amazeballs. It uses 7 ingredients, and it’s worth every bite.
Cherry Tomato Salad
If you have less than 10 minutes to whip up a winning summer cookout or family dinner side, this 5-minute salad is a hit.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Mediterranean chickpea salad is a foolproof summer cookout side. You need 5 main ingredients and about 10 minutes to get it done.
Classic Wedge Salad
Make this easy classic salad at home in as little as 15 minutes. It will leave your guests asking for more.
Best Tossed Green Salad for a Crowd
Are you having guests over and wondering what to serve with bbq chicken? Well, this 10-minute green salad is the perfect crowd-pleaser.
Citrus Summer Salad
Summer is so much better with cold salad treats like this one. It’s easy to fix, flavorful and nutrient-rich.
FAQs
Adding herbs, spices, and other flavorful ingredients is a great way to make any dish more delicious! You won’t have to worry about that with these recipes since they’re easy and already packed with flavor.
Yes! Many of these dishes can be made ahead of time, which is great for busy hosts who want to prep as much as possible in advance. Just make sure to store your sides properly in the fridge or freezer, and reheat them thoroughly before serving.
Some options include grilled veggies, cornbread, sweet potato fries, or corn salad.
When choosing BBQ chicken sides for your event or party, consider the tastes and preferences of your guests. You may want to offer a mix of classic and more adventurous sides, and make sure to have options for vegetarians and people with dietary restrictions. It’s also a good idea to choose sides that can be made in large batches to feed a crowd. This list has plenty of options!