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The best side dishes to serve at your next BBQ

Every BBQ needs a tasty accompaniment and these sides definitely won't disappoint.

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best bbq sides

If you're planning on having a barbecue, you'll need to get ahead and think about the menu in great detail. All the best burgers, sausages, ribs, veggie burgers and veggie sausages to serve that caters for meat lovers and vegetarians.

It's easy to forget about the side dishes to accompany - something light and tasty to off-set the BBQ meat, but we think this shouldn't be overlooked and can really finish of a BBQ with great success.

Some of our favourites include our griddled nectarine and feta salad, tomato and couscous salad and our Mexican BBQ corn. These are our perfect bbq sides. If you're in the market for a new gas BBQ - check out our tried and test review of the best on the market.

1

Herby Cucumber Salad

herby cucumber salad

Simple to make and full of refreshing cucumber, pomegranate seeds and briny feta.

Recipe: Herby Cucumber Salad

2

Bacon-Wrapped Chilli Poppers

bacon wrapped chilli poppers

If you love padron peppers, you'll love this jazzed up version with goat's cheese and crispy bacon.

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Chilli Poppers

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3

Charred Broccoli with Coriander Hummus

charred broccoli with coriander lime hummus

Charring broccoli gives it a subtly smoky taste which pairs nicely with the zingy lime and coriander hummus.

Recipe: Charred Broccoli with Coriander Hummus

4

Corn Salsa

corn salsa

Delicious when paired with a juicy steak and warm flatbreads.

Recipe: Corn Salsa

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5

Griddled New Potatoes with Satay Sauce

best bbq sides

New potatoes are par-boiled first, and finished off on the BBQ for a smoky, slightly charred taste and served with an addictive satay sauce.

Recipe: Griddled new potatoes with satay sauce

6

Griddled Nectarines and Feta Salad

best bbq sides

A grilled stone fruit is one of our favourite ways to eat these summer fruits and this nectarine and feta salad is the perfect BBQ accompaniment.

Recipe: Griddled nectarines and feta salad

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7

Tomato and Giant Couscous Salad

best bbq sides

Whip this easy couscous salad up in a flash. Serve with flatbreads and dips to go alongside your barbecued meat.

Recipe: Tomato and giant couscous salad

8

Mexican BBQ Corn

best bbq sides
Myles New

It wouldn't be a BBQ without corn on the cob and this recipe is Mexican-inspired with flavours of chipotle and chilli.

Recipe: Mexican bbq corn

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9

Dill Pickled Cucumber with Avocado and Apple

best bbq sides
Good Housekeeping

This salad deserves a spot at your table for your next BBQ. The tangy pickled cucumbers help to cut through the fatty flavours from your BBQ'd meats.

Recipe: Dill pickled cucumber with avocado and apple

10

Courgette Mezze with Chickpea Flatbread

best bbq sides

This is our favourite 2-ingredient flatbread recipe, served with crispy chickpeas and a lemony courgette topping.

Recipe: Courgette mezze with chickpea flatbread

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11

Puy Lentil Salad

best bbq sides

This easy Puy lentil salad has loads of flavour and stands up against grilled BBQ foods. We use a pouch of pre-cooked Puy lentils for speed.

Recipe: Puy lentil salad

12

Barbecued Spicy Squash

best bbq sides
Oscar Hather

Learn how to master barbecued squash - which can be harder than it looks. We're serving ours with a garlic and pepper steak seasoning.

Recipe: Barbecued spicy squash

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13

Watermelon and Smoky Chickpea Salad

best vegan bbq recipes

Make sure you pick a blemish-free and hollow sounding watermelon before trying this salad. Our trick when buying a watermelon? There should be a field spot on the spot - the more yellow it is, the riper it will be.

Recipe: Watermelon and smoky chickpea salad

14

Caribbean Rice Salad

best bbq sides
Good Housekeeping

Rice in a salad is a great way to bulk it out, and this has loads of flavour from the BBQ sauce, jerk spice mix, lime and mango.

Recipe: Caribbean rice salad

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15

BBQ Courgettes

best bbq sides
Oscar Hather

A fail-safe at a BBQ but easy to mess up. Follow our recipe to perfect grilling this tasty veg. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil for a peppery finish.

Recipe: BBQ courgettes

16

Barbecued Fruit with Mint Sugar and Boozy Mascarpone

best bbq sides
Myles New

And to finish - why not try using the residual heat from your BBQ to grill up some of your favourite fruits? Perfect when served alongside mint sugar and boozy mascarpone.

Recipe: Barbecued fruit with mint sugar and boozy mascarpone

Headshot of Melanie Giandzi
Melanie Giandzi
Senior Food & Drink Writer

Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.

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