22 Summery Dishes That Belong at Every Backyard BBQ
Sun’s out, grill’s on, and the backyard is calling! Whether you’re hosting a full-blown cookout or just throwing together a casual summer hangout, the right spread makes all the difference. From juicy mains to refreshing sides and sweet, sunny desserts, these 22 summery dishes are guaranteed to impress. Grab your tongs (and maybe a cold drink)—it’s BBQ season!
BBQ Cauliflower Bites
BBQ Cauliflower Bites are a healthy alternative to many of the calorie packed appetizers and side dishes we love and crave.
Uncle Richard’s Brown Sugar & Honey Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Tender and juicy, my Uncle Richard’s Brown Sugar & Honey Smoked Baby Back Ribs don’t need any BBQ sauce at all! They are amazing just the way they are when they come off the smoker and will have everybody licking their fingers and reaching for more!
Italian Pasta Salad
This Italian Pasta Salad Recipe is delightful! It has so much built-in flavor from the rotini being cooked in Italian Dressing. The pasta salad is then stocked full of salami, feta cheese, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Did someone say lunch?!
Blue Cheese Burgers
Simply the ultimate homemade juicy beef burger server with crispy pancetta, easy blue cheese sauce, onion chutney and homemade brioche buns.
Southern Pecan Pie
Ooey-gooey, crunchy, sticky and sweet, classic Southern Pecan Pie is one of my all-time favorite desserts! Perfect for Thanksgiving, BBQ’s, Pi Day, or any day in between!
Keto Fruit Pizza
This keto fruit pizza will be a perfect addition to those summer parties, bbq’s, or pool gatherings. It is light and refreshing with a sugar free cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, and topped with fresh summer berries!
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
This delicious Loaded Baked Potato Salad has all the flavors of a cheesy baked potato topped with bacon bits and fresh green onions! It’s perfect for your next game day, BBQ, potluck, and it’s simple to make and serve!
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
This homemade macaroni and cheese recipe is the ultimate comfort food. The cheese sauce is thick and creamy, and perfect for transporting you to a cheesy bliss. Plus it comes together in about 25-30 minutes from start to finish on the stovetop, and under 10 minutes in the Instant Pot!
Homemade Fries Recipe
These homemade fries are unlike any fries you’ve ever tasted. Soft on the inside, impossibly crispy on the outside, and so crunchy you can hear each bite from across the room.
CAST IRON SKILLET CORNBREAD RECIPE
Dense and moist with just a touch sweetness, this Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread is an old-fashioned recipe that’s the best of the best! Serve it alongside your favorite BBQ pulled pork or by itself with pats of softened butter and a drizzle of honey.
The Best Low Carb Coleslaw Recipe
Looking for the best coleslaw recipe? This low carb coleslaw recipe has a crunchy texture and has the perfect amount of dressing. Originally called Copycat Coleslaw recipe because it mimics the tastes you love from your favorite restaurants only made with healthier, real food ingredients.
Gouda Mac and Cheese
This super easy gouda mac and cheese recipe is super creamy, rich, and packed with flavors. It’s super delicious, quick, and easy to make in just under 30 minutes!
Classic Diner Burger
This Classic Diner Burger is a juicy cheeseburger slathered with thousand island dressing that runs down your arm. The kind of burger that comes wrapped in white paper with french fries and a chocolate shake!
Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
These Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries are perfectly seasoned and awesome for serving alongside burgers, grilled chicken, or fish, or just enjoying with your favorite dipping sauce as an appetizer or snack! A couple of easy tricks will have you enjoying the best sweet potato fries in no-time!
Beer Battered Onion Rings
These Beer Battered Onion Rings are the best appetizer to serve with an ice-cold beer! The beer batter helps to create a SUPER crispy, light and fluffy exterior while adding another layer of flavor. They result is a sweet, savory, salty, crunchy bite of heaven.
German Potato Salad Recipe
Potatoes are mixed with cut up onions, bacon, and herbs and then covered in a vinegar-based dressing. Serve this alongside sausage for a great German meal!
EASY MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN BURGERS
I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like my grilled chicken burgers. Juicy, tender, and infused with a sweet and spicy marinade, these burgers make the perfect weeknight meal or summer BBQ food.
BLACK BEAN COUSCOUS SALAD
Packed with seasonal bell peppers and charred grilled corn and held together with a homemade dressing, this Black Bean Couscous Salad is a little sweet, a little spicy, and super delicious! It’s perfect for a family barbecue.
BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos
BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos are made up of a giant pile of layered tortilla chips that are loaded with juicy shredded meat, filling black beans, all our favorite toppings, and of course lots of melty cheese!
Southern Baked Beans with BBQ and Bacon
BBQ Baked Beans is an irresistible sweet, savory, and smoky, side dish that is great at potlucks, BBQs, picnics, and breakfast too!
Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
This Carolina-style Smoked Pulled Pork recipe is made with a pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) in a wood smoker or pellet grill using a homemade, easy barbecue spice rub made from pantry ingredients you already have on hand. Smoked low and slow with apple, cherry, or hickory wood, and slathered with Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, this recipe makes the best pulled pork sandwiches ever!
Homemade Baked Beans Recipe
This homemade baked beans recipe is easy, and tasty. have always been a favorite at our house! Although we made our baked beans over the years with canned beans, recently we started making our baked beans with dry beans. We soak the beans overnight. The next day, we do a quick cook, and then add in all the seasonings for the baked beans.
