55 Easy Memorial Day Side Dishes for Your BBQ Cookout Party
The best Memorial Day side dishes for a crowd! These amazing cookout side dishes are easy recipes – perfect for your BBQ party or potluck!
One of the very best parts of any holiday gathering are the side dishes!
And summer BBQ side dishes feel especially fun and delicious.
Filling your plate with various cold salads, summer comfort foods, and bright veggie dishes, just turns the meal into a celebration!
I put together a list of the best Memorial Day side dishes, so you have tons of inspiration for what to make for your barbecue or a potluck party.
These amazing Memorial Day sides includes ideas for:
- Bright, fresh summer salads
- Delicious pasta and potato salads
- Veggie dishes
- Unique fruit salad recipes
- Hearty and unique pasta and potato dishes
There are so many unique recipes that are all proven crowd-pleasers.
Let’s check ‘em out!
(🇺🇸 Looking for more tasty Memorial Day recipes? Try these delicious Memorial Day appetizers, festive red white and blue cocktails, easy no-bake patriotic desserts, or fun summer charcuterie boards!)
Memorial Day Side Dishes
Red, White & Blue Caprese Salad
This red, white and blue Patriotic Caprese Salad is full of fresh tomatoes, blueberries, mozzarella and basil.
A completely unexpected twist on classic caprese salad and totally perfect for celebrating your favorite patriotic holiday.
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
The perfect combination of tangy deviled eggs and macaroni salad, this Deviled Egg Pasta Salad is a quick and easy side dish for all of your summer BBQs.
This creamy macaroni salad is ready in just 30 minutes and pairs well with summer favorites like pulled pork and burgers.
Patriotic Berry Salad
Prepare this healthy and refreshing Berry Salad with a lemon poppy seed dressing in just 15 minutes.
It is no-cook, so it won't heat up your kitchen, and makes the perfect festive side for your BBQ!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad is an off-the-cob version of the popular Mexican street food, Elotes.
With roasted corn, fresh vegetables and herbs, creamy mayonnaise, and Mexican-style spices is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Homemade biscuits, made completely from scratch are so much better than store-bought and are actually easy to make.
This recipe uses 6-ingredients and yields soft, flaky, layers of goodness that are ready in less than 30 minutes!
The Best Coleslaw
Crisp and colorful shredded cabbage is tossed in a very simple creamy dressing with a hint of sweetness for the Best Coleslaw ever.
With some cabbage (or coleslaw mix) and a few basic ingredients, this will be a go-to side dish for almost any occasion.
Easy Grilled Veggie Skewers
Easy Grilled Veggie Skewers, made with zucchini, red onion, and bell peppers, are grilled to perfection and drizzled with tangy balsamic vinegar and brushed with a fresh garlic herb sauce.
Yes, they’re healthy, but they also taste FANTASTIC.
Ultimate Homemade Mac and Cheese
Outrageously cheesy, incredibly creamy, and topped with a crunchy breadcrumb topping, this Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe is definitely a keeper.
Rich and creamy cheese sauce melted over tender noodles, for the ultimate in cheesy deliciousness!
Old Fashioned Baked Beans
Old Fashioned Baked Beans have a sweet and savory sauce, made with molasses, bacon, and yellow mustard.
They’re slow-baked to perfection for a rich and satisfying side dish and always a crowd favorite.
Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad
A red, white, and blue potato salad is the perfect dish to add a touch of ‘patriotism’ to any meal.
It’s perfect for Memorial day, Labor Day, or your Fourth of July celebration!
Spicy Watermelon Jalapeno Salad
This spicy take on Watermelon Salad includes juicy chunks of fresh watermelon, charred corn, lots of herbs, and a spicy jalapeño-lime dressing.
It's a quick, fresh, and flavorful side dish on a hot summer day.
Easy Corn Riblets
Seasoned to perfection, Corn on the Cob Ribs are fun and easy to make! They are gone so fast and everyone always wants more.
Simple, inexpensive ingredients - and healthy too!
Grilled Rosemary Garlic Potatoes
Rosemary and Garlic Grilled Potatoes are one of the most delicious side dishes you can make over a campfire or on your grill.
They’re also incredibly simple to make, but let’s just keep that our little secret.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is loaded with corn and a tangy, creamy dressing that will keep you coming back for more.
It’s quick and easy to throw together and the flavors are out of this world.
Easy Cowboy Caviar
This easy Cowboy Caviar is a colorful bean salad made with a mix of black beans, black-eyed peas, fresh veggies, and a tangy lime dressing.
Eat it with a spoon or scoop it onto a chip for the perfect bite!
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.
Prepare for everyone to ask you for the recipe, because it might just be the best potato salad they’ve ever had.
Mexican Orzo Pasta Salad
Mexican Orzo Pasta Salad combines the flavors of Mexican cuisine with the small, rice-shaped pasta called orzo.
The orzo is mixed with corn, onion, avocado, and tomatoes in a light vinaigrette sauce for a perfect pasta grilling side.
Crispy Homemade Potato Chips
It’s so fun to make your own Homemade potato chips, and they are SO GOOD!
They’re flavorful, crispy, salty, and better than the store-bought version. You'll never want to buy chips again after you try these.
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is an easy-to-make authentic Hawaiian side dish that’s cool and creamy with a tangy and subtly sweet taste!
It takes just 20 minutes of hands-on time to prep and is perfect for BBQs.
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.
Cornbread Salad
Cornbread Salad has crumbled jalapeno cheddar cornbread layered with bacon, beans, and veggies for a delicious southern favorite.
With just simple, easy-to-find ingredients, this crowd-pleasing salad is a no brainer. It looks impressive, and tastes even better.
Crisp Pickled Watermelon Rind
Transform your watermelon rinds into pickles!
This unique, fun, and healthy recipe looks so colorful, and will definitely be a conversation starter at your gathering.
BLT Pasta Salad
Bring on the Summer BBQss and serve loaded BLT Pasta Salad with a creamy ranch dressing!
This yummy easy cold pasta salad recipe is full of bacon, tomato, lettuce, pasta and more – one of my favorites!
Honey Cornbread
Honey Cornbread is slightly sweet, perfectly tender and absolutely delicious.
You can never go wrong with cornbread, especially when paired with grilled meats and smoky BBQ flavors.
Dill Pickle Chopped Salad
Dill Pickle Chopped Salad is the perfect healthy dish to satisfy those pickle cravings. It's briny, citrusy, and bursting with pickle flavor!
The secret is the light & refreshing dill pickle dressing.
Vintage Calico Beans
Loaded with 3 types of beans, this Calico Beans recipes has ground beef, bacon and a sweet & tangy sauce.
Your family will start requesting these for reunions, picnics, potlucks and even weeknight dinners!
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
Easy 5-ingredient Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make and is totally packed with flavor.
With minimal cooking time, it keeps well in the fridge, so you can even make it ahead of time.
Maple Bacon Bourbon Jam
Perhaps more a condiment than a side dish, Maple Bacon Bourbon Jam is the delicious addition to your BBQ that you didn’t know you needed.
Crisp, salty bacon combined with the sweet maple flavor we all love plus the subtle flavor of bourbon makes this such an excellent topping for grilled meats of all kinds.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Pure summer in every bite, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is a classic you might make on repeat throughout the summer months.
It’s perfect paired with simple proteins like grilled chicken or pork chops, and the Strawberry Vinaigrette gives you a double strawberry hit.
Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese
Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese is a delicious homemade macaroni and cheese highlighting the popular roasted peppers in a white cheese sauce.
It's a Southern comfort food side dish at its finest, and perfect for your BBQ cookout this summer.
Easy Southern Grape Salad
This family favorite Southern Grape Salad requires only 10 minutes of prep and a few ingredients to whip up!
It's a creamy, crunchy and crowd-pleasing side dish.
Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad
This easy Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad has fresh cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, and cilantro mixed with cavatappi pasta and a fresh lemon dressing.
It lends the perfect pop of summertime to any potluck or picnic.
Easy Grilled Vegetables (with 5 easy sauces)
Simply the best way to enjoy your veggies in the summer, these Grilled Vegetables are so easy to make!
They’re perfect served on their own, lightly scented with garlic and seasoned with sea salt, but they’re also incredible with any of the tasty sauce recipes included.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is made with pasta, dill pickles, and a bright creamy dressing.
The tangy flavor of the dill pickles pairs perfectly with the creamy dressing - it’s always a crowd favorite!
Strawberry Cucumber Salad
With a beautiful medley of sweet and savory flavors, Strawberry Cucumber Salad is a fresh take on traditional BBQ sides.
The addition of pickled onions and fresh dill really make for a robust flavor!
Amish Potato Salad
Liven up your picnic side dishes with sweet and creamy Amish Potato Salad.
Better than Walmart’s Amish Potato Salad, it has a deliciously tangy dressing made of mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and smoked paprika.
House Salad
Everyone needs a good House Salad recipe in their back pocket.
You know when you go to a restaurant and enjoy a delicious tossed salad that you devour because it is so good?
This is that easy salad recipe to make in your own home.
Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans
Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans have a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, and loaded with smoky, crispy bacon.
With only 15 minutes of prep, this unique take on baked beans will be a huge hit at your summer party.
Tex-Mex Cucumber and Corn Salad
This simple and refreshing Tex-Mex Cucumber Corn Salad is so easy to prepare and packed with flavor!
A refreshing twist on a Mexican elote corn salad, this dish combines cucumbers and corn with jalapenos, red onion, cilantro and a sour cream dressing you will love.
Green Bean Potato Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Easy Green Bean Potato Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto makes an outstanding side dish to take to a summer picnic or potluck because it has no mayo and only 5 ingredients.
Plus, it has amazing, bold flavor compared to traditional potato salad.
Grilled Corn with Cilantro Lime Butter
Fresh sweet summer corn slathered in a garlicky cilantro lime butter is the perfect grilled side dish to any meal.
It's incredibly easy to make, well-seasoned, and always a crowd pleaser!
Crack Green Beans
Crack Green Beans are rich, and incredibly addicting. They're cooked in a sweet and savory sauce with brown sugar and crispy bacon.
You only need simple ingredients to transform boring canned green beans to a whole new level.
Lemon Dill Rice
Lemon Dill Rice is about turning easy ingredients into big flavors.
It’s light and aromatic, and a fun twist to traditional BBQ sides.
Coleslaw Pasta Salad
Coleslaw Pasta Salad has all the crunch and flavor of coleslaw in a delicious pasta salad.
With celery, green bell pepper, cucumber, and a coleslaw dressing, it creates a substantial side dish that makes enough to feed a crowd.
Grilled Romaine
If you’ve never tried grilled romaine lettuce, you’re in for a treat!
Crisp romaine hearts are grilled just enough to give the edges a little char (don’t cook them!) and drizzled in an easy Dijon vinaigrette.
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Loaded Potato Salad is made with creamy gold potatoes, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, mayonnaise, seasoned salt, and pepper.
It tastes like your favorite loaded baked potato, in summer salad form.
Sausage and Summer Squash Casserole
Easy Sausage Squash Casserole is a tasty vegetable side dish to serve at your summer holiday potluck, family reunion, or backyard bbq!
The sausage is optional, but it sets it apart from all other squash and zucchini casseroles.
Make it with yellow or zucchini squash or a mixture of both!
Carrot Raisin Salad
Shredded Carrot Salad is so delicious, with crunchy shredded carrots mingling with sweet raisins and tangy dressing.
Whip up this shredded carrot salad that’s not just good for you, but is also packed with flavor.
Quick Pickled Red Onions
Quick Pickled Red Onions is a no cook recipe that can be made in minutes and ready to eat in 1 hour!
Add them to salads, burgers, brats and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches for a bit of crunch and tanginess.
4 Bean Salad
4 Bean Salad is a fresh, easy, and nutritious salad that is perfect for summer potlucks or barbecues.
It is filled with a variety of fiber filled beans, crunchy vegetables and a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
Crack Corn Salad
Crack Corn Salad is crunchy, creamy, sweet, sour, and savory all at the same time!
Make it with fresh or frozen corn, Ranch dressing, bacon, and cheddar cheese, it’s ready to serve in just about 15 minutes.
Old-Fashioned Ambrosia Salad
Old Fashioned Ambrosia Salad is a vintage marshmallow fruit salad made with Cool Whip, coconut, and canned fruit.
It’s sweet, creamy, light, and fluffy, just like Grandma used to make!
Broccoli Salad
Crunchy, tangy, and subtly sweet, the lovely thing about this Broccoli Salad is how easy it is to throw together.
Four main ingredients, a quick dressing, toss it in the fridge, and you're ready to serve!
Panzanella Toscana Caprese
Panzanella Toscana is a Tuscan-inspired, bread and vegetable salad with a strong nod to the southern Italian island of Capri.
With fresh mozzarella, extra tomatoes and extra basil, it’s extra-delicious and just screams summer.
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Vibrant and fresh Mexican quinoa salad is essentially a party in a bowl.
Loaded with quinoa, bell peppers, red onions, black beans, and combined with a fresh cilantro lime dressing for tons of bold flavor.
Ready to try some easy Memorial Day sides?
I hope this list of crowd-pleasing Memorial Day side dishes has given you tons of inspiration for new recipes to try.
Whether you’re hosting a cookout or attending a BBQ potluck party, there are so many fun options to consider!
You may also like:
50 Easy Vacation Meals for Stress-Free Travel
55 Unique Watermelon Recipes for Summer
65 Fun Pool Snacks for Hot Days