48 Summer Side Dish Ideas
Here are 48 Summer Side Dish Ideas you can make this summer! If you’re heading to a potluck, picnic, or BBQ take one of these side dish recipes!
It’s summertime, and you need side dish recipe ideas for potlucks, picnics, and gatherings of all kinds!
I’ve got dozens of summer side dish ideas that are just wonderful!
Summer Side Dish Ideas
Fried Green Tomatoes
The best fried green tomatoes you will ever eat — stacked high with layers of pimento cheese, topped with a comeback dressing drizzle.
Talk about a summer side dish idea!!
Crispy cornmeal coats every nook and cranny of the tangy unripe tomatoes.
The cheese begins to melt once nestle between each tomato and the comeback dressing adds that spicy punch you need to make this an appetizer you won’t forget!
We used “boxed” pimento cheese — you know, the kind from our friends at Palmetto… it’s so dang good! Tastes so close to homemade, you won’t know the difference!
And if you’ve never had comeback dressing, you are missing out in life!
Reminiscent of Russian dressing, it combines ketchup and mayo, and this where you have creative liberty.
I usually add grated onions, relish, cayenne pepper, LOTS of Worcestershire sauce, and several grinds of the pepper mill.
For this dressing, you want it smooth, so I left out the onions and relish.
Skillet Grilled Green Bean
Another great and EASY summer side dish idea is Skillet Grilled Green Beans!
They are the perfect side dish for your upcoming summertime menus!
No need to roast in the oven on a hot day — just take your cast iron skillet out to the grill with you.
While you have your other “stuff” going, toss your green beans in…. It’s that simple! I made up a recipe, but it’s not really a recipe. So, prepare yourselves…
Summer Squash Casserole
You can’t have summer side dish ideas without a squash casserole!
Summer Squash Casserole is the classic you crave with cream and cheese, buttery crackers for a crunchy topping, and fresh produce from the garden.
If you’re like my family, we have so much squash come in that we don’t know what to do with it.
We love making Italian Zucchini Bake, but there are always ways needed to use it up.
Summer Squash Casserole is from Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup and it’s such a comforting classic southern recipe.
Summertime Side Dish Recipe Ideas
These healthy grilled Vegetable Kebabs are the best way to cook your veggies! Paleo/Whole30, easy to make + delicious – get ready to fire up your grill!
Roasting okra in the oven is a delicious way to enjoy this nutritious summer vegetable. All you need is a few kitchen staples and 30 minutes for this end of summer classic.
This Southern Squash Casserole is a fixture on any southern dining table. The buttery and flavorful yellow squash casserole is perfect for entertaining but easy enough to enjoy for a weeknight supper or any time you want to evoke the feelings of a Southern summer night.
Use fresh summer zucchini to make these easy feta-scallion zucchini fritters, perfect in a spicy tomato sauce!
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Jalapeno-Lime Aioli and Parmesan Cheese...
This Grilled Corn on the Cob with Jalapeno-Lime Aioli and Parmesan Cheese makes an easy, quick and quite tasty side for your cookouts and barbecues at summertime. They are easy to transport and pair well with your favorite meats.
Deliciously packed with flavors, Arroz de Tomate (Portuguese Tomato Rice) is so easy to prepare and goes so well with griiled meat, fish, and seafood. Experience a piece of Lisbon in the comfort of your home with this authentic dish from Portugal!
A refreshingly creamy potato side dish that's perfect all year-round. Excellent with roasted or grilled meat or fish -- and no mushy potatoes!
No carbs, no gluten, this classic ratatouille recipe has lots of flavour.
Perfect for all guests, this classic French recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan but bursting with flavour from fresh seasonal vegetables.
This Balsamic Oven Roasted Asparagus recipe is the perfect side dish for dinner! This easy asparagus is loaded with flavor and topped with tomatoes, cheese, and pesto.
Oven baked potato wedges are the perfect side dish for anything grilled! They're crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, plus they're deliciously seasoned with simple pantry ingredients.
This simple grilled baby bok choy recipe is an incredibly easy summer dish. You can have it ready in under ten minutes from start to finish. It has a delicious but mild flavor everyone loves. This makes a perfect healthy summer side dish to pair with marinated chicken or burgers and hot dogs.
This simple gluten-free mac and cheese is a crowd pleaser!
Smoked corn on the cob is the perfect summertime side dish that can be served with any meal. Healthy and delish.
Zucchini roasted in the oven and then topped with balsamic vinegar and hazelnuts is an easy dinner side for your favorite protein. When zucchini is baked in the oven, it becomes caramelized and never soggy pairing perfectly with tangy balsamic vinegar and crunchy hazelnuts.
Macho Peas - homemade macho peas recipe just like Nando's restaurant
During summer, fresh peas are at their prime. Nothing beats this Macho Peas as a side dish, which comprises peas, butter, mint, parsley, chilli and olive oil!
These Keto Green Beans with Crispy Bacon are the perfect easy green bean recipe to have any night of the week. One skillet is all you need! The green beans are perfectly seasoned, tender and so full of flavor. Plus, everything is better with bacon
Chilli Sweet Potato Cubes with Avocado Feta Dip is a relatively healthy yet fun snacking option. Serve them at your next party and delight your guests.
Easy Green Bean Broccoli Stir Fry – An easy vegetable side dish for any night of the week. Just a few ingredients are needed, but it brings lots of flavor and nutrients.
The best smoked sausage baked beans recipe you will find. A combination of sweet and savory is a real winner.
Aromatic cilantro, fresh lime juice, garlic and cracked black pepper bring out the explosive flavors to the earthy brown-rice. End result is refreshingly yummy Cilantro Lime Brown-Rice!! This Mexican-inspired recipe couldn’t be any easier and tastier.
Veggie Skewers aka Grilled Vegetable Kabobs are the easiest way to eat a rainbow of delicious veggies during summer. The perfect side dish for your weekend bbq or grill party.
This delicious Cowboy Caviar recipe has the right combination of southern ingredients to make your taste buds sing! And this Texas Caviar is quick and easy to make thanks to a little help from your Instant Pot!
Creamy Confetti Corn is a beautiful, yummy side dish that is perfect for any summertime meal! It's easy to make and you can make this ahead of time, refrigerate, and then serve at room temperature when ready
Cowboy Homemade Baked Beans are smoky, spicy and sweet. The perfect side dish recipe for BBQ, potlucks and parties.
This Vegan Chilled Strawberry Cucumber Soup is a delicious fruity twist on cold soup but made dairy-free and healthy using strawberries, cucumbers, coconut cream, lime juice, and vanilla.
You’re going to love this recipe!Roasted poblano peppers fresh off the grill mixed with potatoes and topped with ooey gooey cheese. Delicious.
Authentic Fried corn made with lots of butter, getting every last drop of corn milk from the corn. This is my most popular southern recipe and beloved by my family.
Easy and delicious masala toast made with sweet corn, cheese, chili and masala powders.Enjoy it for breakfast, as an evening snack or as an appetizer
Cilantro lime rice is an easy side dish that will spice up just about any main. I absolutely love jazzing up some rice with the delicious fresh flavors of cilantro and lime for burritos, tacos, or tacos. It’s the perfect side dish!
This Mexican Street Corn Zucchini Dip is going to be your new favorite dip. Made with cotija cheese, spices and veggies, this cheesy corn dip is sure to be a hit at any party!
Immensely flavourful cowboy caviar is perfect for your summertime cookouts. It pairs perfectly with bbq, or use it as a dip with chips. It's fresh and tangy, incredibly delicious, and super simple to whip up.
Zucchini in any form is yummy and this Oven Roasted Zucchini is the best summer side dish
Calling all Trader Joe’s fans! This simple elote creamed corn recipe makes a yummy side dish using TJ’s Everything But The Elote seasoning, cream cheese, and canned corn. It's perfect for your next cookout or BBQ!
Lemon Roasted Potatoes are an incredible potato side dish recipe. Fresh citrus flavors soak into the potatoes so each bite is bursting with delicious flavor.
This sugar-free mango chutney is naturally sweet, tangy, slightly spicy and so easy to make! Made with fresh ingredients and fragrant spices, it's the perfect Indian dipping sauce or vegan appetizer. Serve with fresh cornbread, naan, or on a nut cheese platter!
An easy recipe for baked beans in the Instant Pot. A perfect side dish for the summer, potlucks and BBQs. A mix of kidney beans, pinto beans and northern beans with brown sugar and maple bacon.
This baked feta cheese with tomatoes is a deliciously simple appetizer. Salty feta pairs perfectly with sweet, juicy summer tomatoes. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of herbs and you’re ready to serve this delicious dish!
This Sweet & Spicy Corn on the Cob is the perfect summertime side dish! A delicious spin on a standard!
These Crispy Asparagus Fries are easy to make and delicious! A perfect side for any barbecue or gathering!
This delicious Italian Zucchini Bake is made from scratch and features Parmesan and Romano cheeses. You’ll make it again and again!
20 Minute Risotto with Peas, Asparagus & Spinach | Easy Vegetarian Meal
This 20-minute risotto recipe is perfect for the lazy chef who wants to look like a pro! Made in a pressure cooker and packed with vegetables. Enjoy this easy vegetarian risotto recipe with lemon pepper shrimp or your favorite protein on top!
Easy Mexican Corn on the Cob recipe, also known as elote! This Mexican street corn is made with mayonnaise, lime juice, cotija cheese (or queso fresco) and garlic.
Asparagus is the erchetypal early summer ingredient, one of my favourite ways to cook it is to stir fry it in a little soy sauce with some garlic and chilli. It takes 10 minutes from start to finish and is perfect alongside everything from fish to chicken!
This sweet and sour salad is a delicious side dish with crunchy green apples, marshmallows, and Snickers candy bars as the main ingredients. Whether this Apple Snickers Salad Recipe is indeed a salad is up to you. It is, however, delicious and simple to prepare.
This homemade Easy Cheesy Hashbrown is so cheesy and so easy to make at home. Great for breakfast or even a dinner side. Plus it’s perfect for potlucks or anytime you are needing to feed a crowd.
WOW! What a great post full of delicious recipes. I have always wanted to try fried green tomatoes!
To make the fried green tomatoes low carb, just use pork rinds! They make them *extra* crispy!
I am so glad I’ve found this post. This is exactly what I have been looking for and so timely! Can’t wait to try these recipes out… all of them! 🙂
Oh yeah!!
Love all of these – especially the roasted okra! I have never tried it that way, only in gumbo! Sounds so good!
Yay!!
This collection is perfect! helps with meal planning.
Yeah!! I didn’t even think about the meal planning part!
Wow, so many delicious options! I always love finding more ways to get some veggies in, especially in the summer when so many of them are in season. The okra and zucchini fritters are the first two going on my must-make list this summer 😉
Don’t those look amazing?!