57 Best Summer Salad Side Dishes for a BBQ Cookout Party
Summer salads for BBQ cookouts! These cold, make ahead summer picnic salads are fun to make and serve at cookouts, summer parties, potlucks, and family reunions.
Nothing beats a refreshing cold summer salad at a BBQ cookout.
The potato salads, coleslaws, and pasta salads just pair so perfectly with grilled meat!
They balance the rich, smoky flavor, and add some much needed crunch and brightness.
There are so many unique cold summer salads recipes out there …
… so don’t feel like you need to pick up a tub of bland potato salad from the store anymore.
I put together a list of the very best BBQ summer salads, so you have tons of ideas to choose from!
There are so many fun and unique dishes here (like, have you ever heard of cornbread salad?!).
Most of them can be made ahead of time, which makes summer entertaining even easier!
Bring them to your next potluck, picnic, or summer holiday party – and watch everyone go back for seconds and thirds.
Okay, let’s dive into these amazing summer salads!
(☀️ Looking for more delicious summer recipes? Check out these unique kabob recipes, easy and quick summer dinners, summer veggie side dishes, and super easy summer dump cakes!)
Cookout Salad Side Dishes
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad has all the flavors of deviled eggs and pasta salad in an ideal summer party dish.
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad roasted corn, fresh vegetables and herbs, creamy mayonnaise, and Mexican-style spices has all the festive taste of Elote.
Easy Creamy Coleslaw
This Easy Coleslaw recipe uses honey rather than sugar to balance the vinegar, and gives the dressing a bit of thickness without being overly sweet.
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy Caviar is a colorful bean salad made with a mix of black beans, black-eyed peas, fresh veggies, and a tangy lime dressing.
Ultimate Potato Salad
Ultimate Potato Salad is a classic potato salad that includes hard boiled eggs, crunchy celery, onion, and more tossed in a creamy, tangy dressing.
Mexican Orzo Pasta Salad
Mexican Orzo Pasta Salad features corn, onion, avocado, and tomatoes in a light vinaigrette sauce for a perfect refreshing grilling side.
Spicy Watermelon Jalapeno Salad
Quick, fresh, and flavorful Watermelon Salad includes juicy chunks of fresh watermelon, charred corn, lots of herbs, and a spicy jalapeño-lime dressing.
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad takes just 20 minutes of hands-on time to prep for an easy-to-make authentic Hawaiian side dish that’s cool and creamy with a tangy..
Olivier Salad
Olivier Salad is made with ham (or chicken, or sausage), hard boiled eggs, peas, potatoes, carrots, and pickles, tossed in a simple mayo dressing with dill.
Italian Pasta Salad
Italian Pasta Salad features simple ingredients like vegetables, cheese, and pepperoni, and a homemade Italian dressing.
Fiesta Corn Salad with Avocado
Fiesta Corn Salad with Avocado is bright, tangy and filled with fresh summer vegetables.
It’s a delicious way to serve a healthy and colorful, light side dish to a crowd.
Dill Pickle Chopped Salad
Dill Pickle Chopped Salad is briny, citrusy, and bursting with pickle flavor!
Cornbread Salad
Cornbread Salad has crumbled jalapeno cheddar cornbread layered with bacon, beans, and veggies for a delicious southern favorite.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Pure summer in every bite, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is a classic you might make on repeat throughout the summer months.
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
Easy 5-ingredient Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make and is totally packed with unique flavor.
Carrot Ribbon Salad with Arugula
Carrot Ribbon Salad has the peppery flavor of the arugula and crunchy, sweet flavor of the carrots and sliced almonds paired with the creamy goat cheese.
No Mayo Potato Salad with Bacon
This No Mayo Potato Salad has bacon and a tangy mustard dressing, so you won't miss the mayonnaise.
Pickled Watermelon Rind
Unique, fun, and healthy Watermelon Pickles are so colorful, and will definitely be a conversation starter at your gathering.
Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad
Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad has fresh cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, and cilantro mixed with cavatappi pasta and a fresh lemon dressing.
Mango Corn Salsa
Quick and easy Mango Corn Salsa is a flavorful, fresh, and healthy salsa that is the perfect combination of sweet and savory with a little kick.
Greek Yogurt Potato Salad
When you're looking for a healthier potato salad option this quick Greek yogurt dressing version is it!
Strawberry Cucumber Salad
With a beautiful medley of sweet and savory flavors, Strawberry Cucumber Salad features pickled onions and fresh dill for a robust flavor.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Tangy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is made with pasta, dill pickles, and a bright creamy dressing.
Old Fashioned Creamy Fruit Salad
Old-fashioned Fruit Salad with Cool Whip has fresh sweet and juicy fruit folded with creamy whipped topping.
House Salad
Everyone needs a good House Salad recipe in their back pocket, and this one tastes like restaurant quality.
Mediterranean Orzo Pesto Salad
Easy and delicious Mediterranean Orzo Pesto Salad is made with juicy cherry tomatoes, briny black olives, orzo pasta, red onions, feta cheese, cucumber and pesto.
Mango Avocado Salad
Sweet and salty, with a touch of heat and citrus flavor, Mango Avocado Salad is healthy, incredibly satisfying, and ready in 15 minutes.
Amish Potato Salad
Better than Walmart’s Amish Potato Salad, this has a tangy dressing made of mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and smoked paprika.
Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad
Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad is healthy and fresh, and a great way to use up extra summer produce.
TexMex Cucumber and Corn Salad
A refreshing twist on Mexican elote corn salad, TexMex Cucumber Corn Salad combines cucumbers and corn with jalapenos, red onion, cilantro and a sour cream dressing you will love.
Honey Lime Coleslaw
Honey Lime Coleslaw is the perfect balance of tang and sweetness. Ditch the pre-made coleslaw dressing, and have this on your table in under 10 minutes!
Green Bean Potato Salad with Sundried Tomato Pesto
Flavorful Green Bean Potato Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is the perfect side dish for a summer picnic or potluck because it has no mayo and only 5 ingredients.
4 Bean Salad
4 Bean Salad is a fresh, easy, and nutritious salad filled with a variety of beans, crunchy vegetables and a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
Crack Corn Salad
Crack Corn Salad is made with fresh or frozen corn, Ranch dressing, bacon, and cheddar cheese, it’s ready to serve in just about 15 minutes.
Ambrosia Salad
Creamy and light Old Fashioned Ambrosia Salad is a vintage fruit salad made with Cool Whip, coconut, and canned fruit.
Broccoli Salad
Crunchy, tangy, and subtly sweet, Broccoli Salad has 4 main ingredients and a quick dressing. Just toss it in the fridge until you're ready to serve!
Crudaiola Barese Pasta Salad
An authentic Southern Italian pasta salad, Crudaiola Barese combines the flavors of a caprese salad into a delicious cold pasta side dish.
Cajun Coleslaw
Cajun Coleslaw is fresh and crunchy with a creamy dressing. It has lots of bold flavor with jalapeños and a sweet and spicy cajun seasoning.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Parmesan Salad
Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Salad is fresh and crunchy, with shaved Brussels sprouts tossed with parmesan cheese and a light vinaigrette.
Amish Macaroni Salad
This Pennsylvania Dutch recipe is better than Walmart’s Amish Macaroni Salad with a tangy dressing made of mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and smoked paprika.
Panzanella Toscana Caprese
Panzanella Toscana is a Tuscan-inspired, bread and vegetable salad with fresh mozzarella, extra juicy and fresh basil.
Dill Pickle Potato Salad
Dill Pickle Potato Salad features red potatoes tossed in a creamy dressing, with a pleasant pop of texture from crunchy dill pickles.
Summer Cold Green Bean Salad
Summer Green Bean Salad features delicious green beans drizzled in a balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard sauce paired with greens, black eyed peas, squash and walnuts.
Coleslaw Pasta Salad
Coleslaw Pasta Salad has the crunch and flavor of coleslaw in a delicious pasta salad, with celery, green bell pepper, cucumber, and a coleslaw dressing.
Cucumber Pomegranate Salad
Light and refreshing, Cucumber Pomegranate Salad is full of flavor with sweet berries paired with fragrant mint and takes just 10 minutes.
BLT Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad is loaded with crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, fresh lettuce, and tender pasta, all tossed in a creamy dressing.
Tropical Mango Coleslaw
Tropical Mango Coleslaw is a fun and fruity no-mayo side dish perfect for summer picnics, BBQs and potlucks.
Lemon Basil Orzo Salad
Lemon Basil Orzo Salad is fresh, bright, and healthy. Orzo, Northern beans, and veggies get tossed in a delicious dressing.
Loaded Potato Salad
Loaded Potato Salad is made with creamy gold potatoes, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, mayo, and tasty seasonings.
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Vibrant and fresh Mexican quinoa salad is loaded with quinoa, bell peppers, red onions, black beans, and fresh cilantro lime dressing for tons of bold flavor.
Mango Cucumber Salad With Avocado
Light and refreshing Mango Cucumber Salad has ripe mangoes, crisp cucumbers, creamy avocados, and cooling mint for a colorful summer salad.
Avocado Black Bean Salad
Easy-to-make Avocado Black Bean Salad is loaded with fresh summer veggies and bright colors, and full of vitamins and nutrients.
Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken
Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad has it all. Quick and easy to make, with lots of fresh veggies and tons of flavor.
Chimichurri Potato Salad
Chimichurri Potato Salad is full of fresh herbs and garlic, a little heat from the red pepper, and it's delicious served warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad
Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad Salad has all the fresh summer flavors, with juicy tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella pearls, and a basic balsamic vinaigrette.
Lemony Chickpea Salad
Chickpea Salad with fresh lemon is packed with fresh flavors including juicy cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, and fresh mint and parsley.
Peach & Raspberry Fluff
Old-fashioned Peach & Raspberry Fluff is a fluffy jello fruit salad made with peaches, mangos, raspberry jello, shredded coconut, cottage cheese, marshmallows and whipped cream.
Shredded Carrot Salad
Shredded Carrot Salad features crunchy shredded carrots mingling with sweet raisins and tangy dressing
Ready to try some new summer cookout salads?
I hope this list of unique make ahead cold summer salads has given you tons of inspiration for what to make for your next BBQ party.
There’s truly something for everyone – and every kind of event – so it’s just a matter of deciding which to make first!
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