Barbecue ribs are downright delicious on their own, but don’t underestimate the power of sides. To round out your grilling feast, you’ll need at least two accompaniments. (We’re partial to macaroni and cheese and cornbread, but we’re not picky.) Wondering what to serve with ribs? Here are 32 simple recipes worthy of the tastiest cookout fare.
Wondering What to Serve with Ribs? Here Are 32 Quick and Easy Side Dishes for Your Barbecue
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Published Jul 20, 2023
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Tangy, creamy and timeless, this side is welcome at every barbecue, picnic and dinner party of the summer. If you have time, make it a day ahead so the pasta has extra time to soak up the punchy dressing.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
You're already cooking ribs—why not make it a Southern feast? Follow pitmaster Ed Mitchell's lead and serve the fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and bacon (or better yet, fried pork belly).
3. Sweet Chili Peach Napa Slaw
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
This recipe proves that coleslaw does not need mayonnaise to be delicious. Instead, this mix of napa cabbage, snow peas, scallions and bell peppers is tossed in a swicy dressing, starring honey, jalapeño jelly, rice vinegar and peach puree.
4. Silver Dollar Corn Cakes with Smoked Honey Butter
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Think of these tiny corn cakes as barbecue's tortilla chips. They're prime for scooping up mac and cheese, baked beans and any type of meat. If you don't have a smoker at home, add a few dashes of liquid smoke to the honey butter or use smoked sea salt in place of the kosher salt.
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook
When in doubt, lean on this ten-minute salad that's equal parts elegant and easy. It's the ultimate light, refreshing foil for rich, hearty ribs, but feel free to top it with marinated white beans, feta cheese or grilled chicken if you'd like.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
The vinegar base pairs beautifully with juicy meat. Instead of mayo, this slaw gets its creaminess from plain Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard, which make it extra tangy.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
This is what happens when summertime hits get wrapped up into one side dish. It calls for all the sandwich essentials (black pepper bacon! tomatoes! lettuce! mayo!), minus the bread.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
If the ribs aren’t already spicy enough, wait until you try this crispy-fluffy cornbread. A generous dose of honey rounds out the heat of the cayenne and Fresno chiles. Feel free to substitute jalapeños if you can't find any.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Each piece has a crispy exterior and a creamy interior, thanks to being baked in mini muffin pans. Plus, these mac and cheese bites are tiny, so go ahead, have two (or six...).
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead
The acidic bite of these vibrant onions is just what you'll want to cut through the richness of those smoky ribs. You can easily make them ahead; just be sure to toss them after about a week, since there's no jar sterilization involved. They've become our go-to topping for tacos, burgers and hot dogs.
12. Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread with Tomatoes and Scallions
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Cornbread, but make it fancy. The skillet beauty is crowned with summer cherry tomatoes, sliced scallions and a drizzle of olive oil for good measure. As for the bread, it's loaded with buttermilk for tang and tenderness.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
In case you prefer your cornbread plain, you can't go wrong with this timeless classic. The secret to this one's toasty, nutty flavor? Brown butter, or as we like to call it, liquid gold. We recommend serving it with extra butter and a drizzle of hot honey.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, one pot, <10 ingredients
This mac is as easy as can be, but it might just steal the ribs' spotlight. Chalk it up to the drool-worthy sauce, made with cheddar cheese, cream cheese, butter and whole milk. We developed this recipe to appease the picky eaters in our lives (ahem, our kids), but we love the fuss-free cleanup most of all.
15. 15-Minute Microwave Mashed Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We know the last thing you want to do on a hot summer's day is turn on the stove...so don't. While the ribs grill to perfection in the yard, whip up these five-ingredient spuds in the microwave in 15 minutes flat.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, beginner-friendly
It's important to eat your veggies—especially when they're topped with Parmesan curls. It'll balance out the heaviness of your rib dinner (as will a bottle of pinot grigio).
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
This side dish is light and zippy and won’t weigh you down. The rice vinegar dressing is key. For extra tang and a touch of creaminess, stir in a heaping spoonful of sour cream.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, vegan
We love how crispy these guys get—on a baking sheet instead of in a deep fryer, no less. The garlic-and-rosemary treatment fancies up this casual side just enough to impress your guests.
19. Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Chèvre Ranch
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Nothing beats this salad’s fresh crunch (or ranch-inspired dressing, TBH). The chèvre offers a salty je nais se quois to every bite, while the trio of minced herbs (chives, parsley and dill) make the dressing taste extra fresh and fancy.
20. Julia Turshen’s Skillet Cornbread with Cheddar and Scallions
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
Cornbread and cheese, a match made in heaven. The key to its stunning outer crust is getting the skillet piping hot in the oven before pouring the batter in. (Oh, and nearly a whole stick of butter.)
- Time Commitment: 48 hours (includes pickling time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
Is it really rib night if there aren't pickles on the table? Here, kirby cukes are transformed into a lip-smackingly delicious side with just a few pantry staples, fresh dill and garlic cloves.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
Once you try grilled corn on the cob, you’ll never go back to boiling it. And sure, butter and salt are tasty...but try this mix of mayo, lime juice, chili powder and Parmesan cheese instead and get back to us.
23. Make-Ahead Farro and Brussels Sprout Salad
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
If you’re hoping to class up your barbecue menu, look no further. Substitute agave or maple syrup for honey in the dressing to make this Insta-worthy salad vegan.
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd pleaser, slow cooker recipe, <10 ingredients
This one's a classic as is, but it'll become a regular part of your summer rotation once you realize that all you have to do is soak the beans and let your Crockpot handle the rest.
26. Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
You might shake your head at Brussels sprouts, but mark our words: This dish will be devoured before you can blink. Chalk it up to the honey-sriracha dressing.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, vegetarian
Consider these unconventional hors d'oeuvres a bar snack before the main course. Leave the lemon juice and hot sauce on the table for dousing your ribs.
28. Radicchio and Roasted Squash Salad
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
The bitterness of the radicchio will balance out any sweet barbecue sauce. Sub sweet potato for butternut squash if you're grilling ribs in the summer. (And use the leftover salad in a grilled cheese sandwich...trust us.)
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe, <10 ingredients
This chowder is irresistibly creamy without a ton of effort, thanks to your trusty slow cooker. If you want to make this soup in the off-season, feel free to use canned corn kernels.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Behold: mac and cheese, all grown up. But if you don't tell the kids it's cauliflower, they'll probably love it too. Don't be shy with the Pecorino, please.
31. Turnip Fries
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
They're a lot like steak fries, but a little bit healthier. (It's all about balance, right?) Even better, you'll only need four pantry staples—which are likely already in your kitchen—to make 'em.
32. Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low-carb, keto-friendly
It’s light on the mayo and starch, but still heavy on flavor. Tangy sour cream, acidic cornichons and fresh herbs will complement saucy ribs like a charm.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
