From refreshing salads to easy dips, these 20 easy and delicious summer side dishes are perfect for any outdoor gathering or BBQ.
Summer cooking is all about keeping things simple, light, and fresh. This collection of 20 easy and delicious summer sides is designed for just that. You are looking at minimal time in the kitchen and maximum enjoyment in the sunshine. Many of these summer recipes are no-cook or require very little prep, so you can spend less time over a hot stove and more time relaxing with friends and family.
These dishes are our go-to for a reason. They’re vibrant, flavorful, and pair really well with all your favorite summer mains, from classic burgers and juicy grilled chicken to veggie burgers, brats, hot dogs, and ribs.
Our Favorite Summer Side Dishes
Since peaches came into season this year, I’ve been making this fresh peach salad on repeat. You know I love our salad recipes, but this peach and burrata salad has quickly become the salad of the summer, to the point where I’m begging you to stop what you are doing and get fresh peaches right now so you can make it!
Thanks to the dill and lemon vinaigrette, this chickpea salad has the most delicious Mediterranean vibe. It’s super fresh, incredibly flavorful, and perfectly filling as a healthy, speedy lunch or dinner (thanks to those hearty chickpeas!). Perfect for a summer picnic!
I’ve fallen so hard for this cabbage salad, and I think you will, too. I’m always on the hunt for super simple, quick-to-prepare sides, and this Napa cabbage salad with garlic and sesame is hitting it out of the park. For more of a classic summer cabbage recipe, see our favorite creamy coleslaw.
This is my favorite tomato salad recipe! Simply seasoned tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and olive oil. It doesn’t get much simpler than this fresh salad. I could eat this salad almost every day, especially when juicy summer tomatoes are in season! Use cherry tomatoes or larger tomatoes, cut into pieces.
I know I’m not the only one who gets weak at the knees at the sight of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. This authentic caprese salad, or “Insalata Caprese” as it’s known in Italy, is a classic summer dish that never disappoints. This salad is quick. All you need is about 15 minutes, and it’s ready to eat.
You’ll use fresh, raw corn to make it, which makes it quick and simple to prepare. Plus, the fresh corn stays crisp and sweet in the salad. It’s seriously delicious. I’ve served this salad to friends on a few occasions, and everyone is always amazed at how good it is. I also love this corn and black bean salad.
Briny Kalamata olives and a vinegar feta cheese dressing make this potato salad with green beans extra delicious. It’s perfect as a side dish or top it with some protein like grilled chicken or grilled halloumi cheese for a main meal.
The secret to my favorite cucumber salad is salting the cucumbers for 30 minutes before tossing them with our dressing. Cucumbers have a lot of water, and my salting step makes sure that your cucumber salad stays crisp and never soggy. No watery bowls of cucumber salad for you here!
We’ve been making this classic potato salad recipe for years, and honestly, I haven’t found anything that beats its perfect balance of creaminess and flavor. We love this dressing so much that we even use it for our more herby red potato salad!
Strawberries and other red fruit come together for what might be the prettiest fruit salad ever. I love this as a snack, summer side dish, or dessert. When feeling feisty, I love making a batch of whipped cream or this vegan whipped cream to serve alongside it.
I’m not kidding when I say this homemade guacamole recipe does not last long in my house. The whole family loves it so much my teenage niece has even made it her special dish for years (and that’s how you know it’s good!). An absolute classic for cookouts! Don’t forget the homemade tortilla chips!
My favorite pasta salad is ready in under 20 minutes. Better yet, it actually gets better over time, making this a perfect make-ahead salad for cookouts, picnics, and summer gatherings.
When watermelons are at their peak in the summer, my family loves to buy as many as we can eat. Besides enjoying juicy watermelon wedges, we also love turning them into a refreshing salad with feta cheese and fresh parsley!
This broccoli salad recipe started with a faint memory of something my Mom would make when I was a child: raw broccoli, red onion, a mayo-based dressing, and bacon. I wasn’t the biggest fan of vegetables back then, but I remember loving her broccoli salad. For a slaw-style salad, try our easy broccoli slaw.
Try this recipe once, and I think you’ll be as obsessed with it as we are. The dressing for this couscous salad is SO GOOD that I use it all the time (see it used in our chickpea salad and this arugula couscous salad).
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
These bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are shockingly good. I’ll take a few of these over the store-bought fried poppers sold in grocery stores any day! Thin bacon is the secret to these incredible cream cheese stuffed poppers. Its fat renders down into the filling and over the peppers. So good!
Roasted Tomatoes with Ricotta and Mint
This is the kind of summer recipe we LOVE — easy, fast, and perfect to serve to friends or family. Start with a big oven-safe dish — assume this will be the same dish you’ll serve the tomatoes in, so if you have a pretty one, use it.
These easy stuffed peppers, bursting with juicy tomatoes, sweet garlic, and fresh basil, are perfect for a light, fresh, healthy meal. Just make sure you have something to soak up all the lovely, garlicky juices left inside each pepper (some goat cheese sprinkled over each pepper is a good idea, too). I always serve these with bread (try a country loaf or homemade focaccia bread).
Take full advantage of corn season with this incredibly tasty Cajun corn on the cob made with outrageously delicious Cajun butter. Once corn season hits, we jump at the chance to make this corn recipe. It’s easy and fast, and you can use the same Cajun butter to make other recipes like this Cajun shrimp!
Mounds of cheese melted into a velvety, creamy sauce and tossed with pasta. Yes, please! This incredible baked mac and cheese is high on my favorites list. I love the easy cheese sauce! Serve this alongside summer potluck favorites like slow cooker pulled pork, smash burgers, and grilled wings!
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