• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking Gorgeous
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact Us
    • Media Mentions
  • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cozy Soups
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cozy Soups
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Patatesli Tepsi Kebabı - Turkish Tray Kebab
    • A bowl of fried zucchini sticks with a side of ranch dressing
      Healthy Snacks For Kids
    • Healthy Family Dinners Ready in 30 Minutes or Less
    • Must Try Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
    • Spicy Dishes That Are Also Full of Flavor
    • Delicious and Healthy Lunch Ideas
    • Easy Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
    • tantuni wrap served with onions, pickled chillies and tomatoes
      Easy Turkish Street Food Recipes You Can Make at Home
    • Healthy Air Fryer Recipes That Aren’t Boring
    • Zeytoon Parvardeh - Persian Marinated Olive
    • Delicious BBQ Recipes You'll Love
    • Easy and Delicious No-Bake Desserts
    Cooking Gorgeous » MSN Posts

    12 Best BBQ Sides for a Summer Cookout

    Published: May 5, 2024 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Get ready to take your cookout to the next level this summer with these 12 amazingly delicious BBQ side dishes!

    Guaranteed to impress your family and friends, these easy and foolproof recipes will make your outdoor gathering unforgettable.

    From fresh salad to Mediterranean dips and grilled vegetables, these delightful side dishes are crowd-pleasers.

    Austrian Potato Salad

    austrian potato salad
    Ayla Clulee

    Austrian-style potato salad is a great side dish to serve with roasts, BBQ, or grilled meat along with some lamb lettuce, or rocket leaves. 

    This authentic Erdäpfelsalat recipe is much lighter and healthier than the American version as it doesn't contain any mayo.

    To learn more: Austrian Potato Salad - Erdäpfelsalat

    Roasted Greek Eggplant Dip

    Ayla Clulee

    Melitzanosalata (Roasted Greek Eggplant Dip) is a smokey and delicious Greek appetizer/meze made with fire-roasted eggplants, tangy lemon juice, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.

    This heavenly eggplant salad is a harmonious blend of smoky, zesty, and vibrant Mediterranean flavors.

    To learn more: Melitzanosalata (Roasted Greek Eggplant Dip)

    Orzo Pasta Salad

    orzo pasta salad served in a bowl with sliced lemons
    Ayla Clulee

    This Orzo Pasta Salad is fresh, healthy, and flavorful, easy to put together, and perfect for making ahead. 

    It is a great side dish for last-minute parties, small gatherings, or BBQs and the leftovers are perfect for picnics and packed lunches. 

    And the best part is that this Mediterranean salad is made with easy-to-find fresh ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes!

    To learn more: Orzo Pasta Salad

    Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad

    Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad) is served with lettuce leaves
    Ayla Clulee

    If you're looking for a delicious and flavorful salad recipe for your summer BBQ parties, look no further than the Traditional Kisir Recipe! 

    This spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad is the perfect dish to impress your guests and add some variety to your table.

    To learn more: Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Recipe)

    White Bean Salad - Turkish Piyaz

    garnish the piyaz with tomatoes and boiled eggs
    Ayla Clulee

    Fasulye Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad) is a healthy and nutritious side dish and a perfect accompaniment to your meals. 

    It is made of beans, onions, tomatoes, and parsley then dressed with tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil.

    Ready in just 15 minutes, Piyaz can be served as a perfect BBQ side dish to any meal or as a light lunch option.

    To learn more: Piyaz - Turkish White Bean Salad

    Crispy Courgette Fritters - Mucver

    12 pieces of mucver served on a plate with yogurt dip
    Ayla Clulee

    Mücver (Turkish Zucchini Fritters) are small vegetable pancakes that contain zucchini (or courgettes), egg, flour, spring onion, and fresh herbs. 

    These crispy, savory treats are easy to make and packed with flavor, making them a perfect addition to any meal or party.

    To learn more: Mucver (Turkish Zucchini Fritters)

    Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

    Ayla Clulee

    These delicious Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi) are filled with aromatic stuffing made of rice, onions, pine nuts, currants, and various herbs/spices.

    You can serve them as a BBQ side dish as well as the main meal or an appetizer. 

    The leftovers are great for a boxed lunch the next day or a picnic.

    To learn more: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi)

    Lavash Bread

    freshly made soft lavash bread on a plate
    Ayla Clulee

    Lavash bread is a thin and soft Middle Eastern flatbread that has been a staple in many countries for centuries. 

    Traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, this flatbread is perfect for dips and also enjoyed with a variety of dishes, such as kebabs, soups, and mezes. 

    To learn more: Middle Eastern Lavash Bread Recipe

    Lebanese Fattoush Salad

    Fattoush Salad in a glass bowl
    Ayla Clulee

    This traditional Lebanese Salad "Fattoush" is a colorful Mediterranean dish made with fresh vegetables, tangy lemon dressing, and crisp pita croutons. 

    It's a refreshing, delicious, and healthy side dish you can serve with your favorite summer meals, BBQs, or picnics.

    To learn more: Lebanese Fattoush Salad

    Mediterranean Hummus Dip

    Ayla Clulee

    Hummus Dip is a Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern spread made with chickpeas and tahini, then seasoned with lemon, garlic, and cumin. 

    This extremely creamy, smooth & fresh dip comes together in just 25 minutes!

    Hummus can be served warm or cold, as a dip, appetizer, or as a spread.

    To learn more: Mediterranean Hummus Dip

    Saksuka - Turkish Vegetable Meze

    saksuka is served in a bowl
    Ayla Clulee

    Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze) is a very much loved vegetarian/vegan dish made of shallow-fried vegetables and a simple tomato sauce.

    Just like Mutabal (Roasted Eggplant Dip), Şakşuka is such a great versatile dish that can be served as a part of a mezze spread, as a BBQ side dish, or as an appetizer.

    To learn more: Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze)

    Whipped Feta Dip

    feta dip served in a bowl with drizzled olive oil and pita bread pieces
    Ayla Clulee

    Tirokafteri is a spicy, salty, and tangy Whipped Feta Dip made with a handful of ingredients including roasted red peppers, feta cheese, vinegar, and olive oil. 

    It is ready in 15 minutes and is commonly served with warm freshly made Greek Pita Bread, or as part of a Mediterranean mezze platter.

    To learn more: Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feta Dip)

    « 15 Easy and Delicious Picnic Food Ideas
    15 Easy Casserole Recipes for Dinner »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious easy-to-follow recipes and culinary inspiration await you! My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. I am based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here.

    The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy.

    More about me →

    Soup Recipes

    • Greek Chicken Lemon Soup - Avgolemono

    • Arpa Şehriye Çorbası - Turkish Orzo Soup

    • Turkish Tarhana Soup - Tarhana Çorbası

    • Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe

    • Moroccan Harira Lamb and Chickpeas Soup

    • chicken and dumpling soup served in a bowl
      Easy Chicken and Dumpling Soup Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    • FAQs

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Cooking Gorgeous

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT