The Best Sides for Your Favourite BBQ Dishes

Whether you’re new to barbecue or a seasoned vet like us, it can be hard to come up with side dishes for the main event! We’ve come up with some of our favourite sides for your next barbecue.

Ribs

• Creamy coleslaw: This is a classic, and arguably goes with any kind of meat. But we especially love coleslaw with ribs.
• Corn on the cob: Another classic! With corn on the cob, you can go traditional by slathering it with butter or switch it up and sprinkle it with tarragon. Either way, the freshness of the corn is a great complement to those smokey ribs.
• BBQ baked beans: The best beans to go with your barbecue will be smokey, sweet and just a little bit spicey. Because what goes better with the best barbecue flavours than more barbecue flavours?
• Cornbread muffins: Whether you go with sweet or jalapeno cornbread muffins, it’s really hard to go wrong. Cornbreads are slightly crunchy, adding texture to your meal.

Chicken

• Potato salad: Potato salad is one of the ultimate comfort foods, so it’s fitting that it would be a great side for barbecue chicken. Keep it simple with mayo, spice it up with curry spices, or make it lighter with veggies.
• Buttermilk biscuits: These are a staple in kitchens in the American south. And they’re perfect for mopping up barbecue sauce!
• Green beans: Go to any barbecue restaurant, and you’ll see green beans on the menu. While most restaurants serve the overcooked kind, we prefer them stir fried. Or boost your culinary prowess with a green bean casserole, topped with crispy onions!
• Asian coleslaw: Asian coleslaw is a great variation on the traditional creamy or vinegar coleslaws most of us are familiar with. And we think it goes great with chicken!

Pulled pork

• Hushpuppies: If you’ve ever been to the Carolinas (or any good barbecue restaurant!), you’ve inevitably come across those little pockets of heaven called hush puppies. Essentially deep fried pieces of cornmeal batter, usually with pieces of jalapenos in them, we’d honestly eat a whole plate of these by themselves. But they also make a great accompaniment to pulled pork.
• Mustard coleslaw: If you thought we’d covered all the bases with coleslaw, you’re dead wrong. Any kind of coleslaw is a great barbecue side, we love the sharpness of mustard as a companion to the richness of pulled pork.
• Pickled okra: Similarly, pickled okra is sharp and vinegar-y and a great addition to a pulled pork dinner. If you haven’t had pickled okra, it may take a while to get used to the texture. But it’s totally worth it!

Of course, we wouldn’t blame you if you skipped the sides all together!