21 Sides for Ribs (what to serve with ribs)

Ribs are always a favorite main dish especially in the summer when grills are blazing. But if you aren’t sure what to eat with ribs, we’ve got you covered with best side dishes to make a complete meal!

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Whether you are making easy oven baked ribs, slow cooker ribs or bbq ribs picking the perfect side dish makes the meal memorable. A rib dinner is always perfect for summer gatherings too and there are plenty of delicious side dishes to choose from!

You don’t need to make time-consuming side dishes. Often it’s simple ingredients that taste the best on a hot summer day (think sweet fruit salad in contrast with smoky ribs). The best sides use an easy recipe that adds extra flavor to the meal without lots of effort for you.

At your next bbq choose one of these delicious options to find the perfect accompaniment for your beef or pork ribs. A great side dish truly can make the meal!

Rib Recipes

Before getting into the sides here are some of our favorite rib recipes:

Great Sides for Ribs

Hearty salads. Filling salads with great flavors and fresh ingredients that stand up the the substance of ribs are great. Classic picnic salads like potato salad, pasta salad or broccoli salad for instance. When it’s hot outside having more flavorful salads makes an appetizing combo with savory ribs.

Some sweetness. Contrasting flavors amplify the tangy flavors in the ribs. A little bit of sweetness adds perfect contrast in the side dish combing different flavors to excite the taste buds. Think about tangy smoky barbecue ribs; a cool sweet coleslaw recipe is a perfect classic side dish choice.

Fresh vegetables. Seasonal choices like green beans or sweet corn add color to the plate and a great texture. Serve them grilled or steamed or loaded into a perfect salad.

Substantial sides. Stick-to-your-ribs sides always work well with everything from baby back ribs to short ribs. Baked beans, sweet potato fries, french fries, mac and cheese are tasty side dishes that are always a popular choice.

Homemade Cornbread

Moist, slightly sweet Cornbread is fast and easy to make! Better than a mix but just as easy. Change it up in 6 different ways (variations included).

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Salad recipes

Classic, hearty salads stand up well to the flavors and textures of ribs no matter how they are prepared. These are not only perfect for summer but satisfying all year long.

Classic Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad is a summertime favorite recipe. This version is full of colorful vegetables, elbow pasta (regular or gluten-free) tossed in a creamy, tangy dressing you'll love!

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Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad is always a favorite thanks to a delicious mixture of simple ingredients giving a sweet-tangy flavor and perfect crunch!

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Italian Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad is a summer staple and a flavor-packed side dish everyone loves. It's easy to change it up with your favorite ingredients. The tangy herb Italian dressing makes it irresistibly good!

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Homemade Slaw recipe

This easy coleslaw recipe is fast and flavorful. It's a favorite summer side dish and perfect on sandwiches anytime.

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Three Bean Salad

This easy classic salad is perfect for summer gatherings. It's fast to make, can be made ahead and is full of sweet-tangy flavors.

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Instant Pot recipes

A great thing about Instant Pot recipes is that they are easy and take little effort from you! Using an instant pot can be the best way to whip up these comfort food favorites!

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Green Chilies

This macaroni and cheese recipe is creamy and luscious with a great blending of flavors. Adding the diced green chiles give just a bit of spiciness and tang. It can be made leaving those out too since they are added at the end of the recipe.

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Instant Pot Baked Beans

Soft white beans, loads of bacon in a sweet-tangy sauce make these baked beans a favorite. No soaking of the dried beans is required. The Instant Pot does all the work.

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Instant Pot Baked Potato Salad

Creamy Baked Potato Salad is fast and easy to make with the Instant Pot. Potatoes cook in just 5 minutes!

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Instant Pot Sour Cream Garlic Mashed Potatoes

For creamy mashed potatoes made fast, the Instant Pot pressure cooker can’t be beat.  These potatoes cook for 8 minutes, are drained and the other ingredients added in the Instant Pot insert. No extra bowls to clean up. 

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Instant Pot Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Sweet, smoky mashed sweet potatoes are irresistible with a bit of spice too. Fast and easy in the Instant Pot.

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Instant Pot Artichokes

Instant Pot Artichokes are fast, easy and delicious. A perfect way to cook globe artichokes.

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Air Fryer recipes

These recipes are fast and so easy using an air fryer! Wonderful crispy texture with very little oil and the flavors pair perfectly with ribs.

Air Fryer Potato Wedges

Crispy fried potato wedges only use a little bit of oil thanks to the air fryer. Fried crispness outside and soft potato inside. Fast and easy to satisfy any fried potato craving.

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Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables

Air Fryer roasted vegetables are cooked perfectly in less than 20 minutes. Change up this colorful mixture to include your favorite vegetables or what's seasonally available. The possibilities are endless.

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Maple Glazed Air Fryer Carrots

Easy Air Fryer Carrots are roasting with maple syrup and seasonings for a delicious side dish in 10 minutes cooking time! Oven method included too.

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Air Fryer Broccolini (baby broccoli)

Lightly sweet broccolini is perfectly cooked in the air fryer in just 5 minutes! This delicious delicate vegetable is fast and easy and pairs wonderfully with any main dish

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Grilling recipes

Great for summer outings or if you are already grilling ribs, grilled side dishes are a win! A little smoky flavor makes for delicious summer dining.

Grilled Watermelon with Smoked Salt and Jalapeno Rings

Grilled watermelon is a fun different summer treat. Grilling changes the flavor to be more like a vegetable than a sweet fruit!

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Grilled Sweet Corn Salsa Recipe

Sweet-and-Spicy Corn Salsa is full of fresh summer ingredients. Grilled corn is a delicious addition to this dip or relish for grilled meats.

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Grilled Garlic Parmesan Potato Foil Packets

Buttery red potatoes with garlic and parmesan cheese flavors are so easy to grill in foil packets. Add them to the grill with other foods and they are ready in 30 minutes with no work from you!

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Grilled Asparagus

Grilled asparagus is fast, easy and absolutely delicious. Grilling is an easy way to cook asparagus for sweet and smoky flavor. Goes with any main dish.

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Grill-Smoked Potato Salad

Potato Salad is an iconic summer dish and perfect for hot weather holidays. This version is jazzed up by smoking the potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and bacon on the grill in addition to grilling the red onion. It has a subtle smoky flavor and creamy texture thanks to the mayo, sour cream and mustard sauce. A perfect addition to your grill out!

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