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  • ร—
    Home ยป Recipes ยป Side Dishes ยป 21 Sides for Ribs (what to serve with ribs)

    LAST UPDATED: October 11, 2023 โ€ข FIRST PUBLISHED: June 11, 2022 By Toni Dash 8 Comments

    21 Sides for Ribs (what to serve with ribs)

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    sides for ribs photo collage.

    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!

    sides for ribs photo collage.
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    sides for ribs photo collage.

    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!

    Jump to:
    • Rib Recipes
    • Great Sides for Ribs
    • Salad recipes
    • Instant Pot recipes
    • Air Fryer recipes
    • Grilling recipes

    Rib Recipes

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

    • Oven Baked Ribs on a white plate (title image)
      How to Make the Best Ribs in the Oven
    • St Louis Ribs title image with homemade barbecue sauce
      Shortcut St. Louis Ribs + Blueberry Whiskey Barbecue Sauce Recipe
    • Instant Pot Short Ribs with Harvest Succotash in a white bowl
      Southwestern Instant Pot Short Ribs with Harvest Succotash
    • Red Wine Braised Short Ribs title image
      Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Garlic Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes
    • Metal baking sheet of Slow Cooker Sweet Sesame Baby Back Ribs with orange slices and sesame seeds
      Slow Cooker Sweet Sesame Baby Back Ribs
    • titled photo (and shown) - Slow Cooker Spicy Baby Back Ribs with Blackberry Preserves
      Slow Cooker Spicy Baby Back Ribs with Blackberry Preserves
    • Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs
      Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs
    • St Louis Style Ribs title image
      Grilled St. Louis-Style Ribs

    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.

    stacked cornbread on a plate
    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).
    Check out this recipe

    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.

    macaroni salad
    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!
    Check out this recipe
    broccoli salad with spoon
    Broccoli Salad
    Broccoli Salad is always a favorite thanks to a delicious mixture of simple ingredients giving a sweet-tangy flavor and perfect crunch!
    Check out this recipe
    Italian Pasta Salad
    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!
    Check out this recipe
    Easy Coleslaw recipe
    Homemade Slaw recipe
    This easy coleslaw recipe is fast and flavorful. It's a favorite summer side dish and perfect on sandwiches anytime.
    Check out this recipe
    three bean salad
    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.
    Check out this recipe

    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 Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese with Green Chilies
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    instant pot baked beans.
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    instant pot potato salad in a bowl
    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!
    Check out this recipe
    Instant Pot Sour Cream Garlic Mashed Potatoes
    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. 
    Check out this recipe
    instant pot chipotle mashed sweet potatoes
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    instant pot artichokes with lemon
    Instant Pot Artichokes
    Instant Pot Artichokes are fast, easy and delicious. A perfect way to cook globe artichokes.
    Check out this recipe

    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 sq
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    air fryer roasted vegetables closeup on spatula.
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    air fryer carrots in white bowl.
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    air fryer broccolini on plate close up.
    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
    Check out this recipe

    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!
    Check out this recipe
    side of bowl of corn salsa overhead sq
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    foil packet of cooked potatoes.
    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!
    Check out this recipe
    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.
    Check out this recipe
    grill smoked potato salad from above
    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!
    Check out this recipe
    « Homemade Waffles with Bananas Foster topping
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jess says

      June 13, 2022 at 10:54 am

      ive been looking for some good bbq side dishes, specifically a basic corn bread recipe, thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Agnes says

      June 13, 2022 at 10:50 am

      Okay that grilled watermelon totally caught my eye! Thank you for this round up. I’m always that person looking up side dishes for bbq or other entrees, so these lists are always so helpful!

      Reply
    3. Kristyn says

      June 13, 2022 at 10:39 am

      All these pics are making me hungry!! I agree with all of them! You can’t go wrong with beans, potatoes, salads!

      Reply
    4. Andrea says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:44 am

      This is a fantastic list of sides to go with ribs. I really like all the veggies on the list. Will be trying quite a few of these this summer.

      Reply
    5. Claudia Lamascolo says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:32 am

      What a fantastic collection so great to have so many sides to choose from I always get stumped! thanks

      Reply
    6. Emily Flint says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:31 am

      Even if I’m not making ribs I’m saving this list for summer! I seriously want to eat all of these dishes right now. YUM!

      Reply
    7. MJ says

      June 13, 2022 at 9:14 am

      LOVE this collection of recipes as it makes meal planning so much easier. Thanks! The potato salad dish was especially yummy with ribs!

      Reply
    8. Alisa Infanti says

      June 13, 2022 at 8:46 am

      Ribs may be my favourite summer time treat and having a world of sides to now try with them is fantastic!

      Reply

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    Welcome! Iโ€™m Toni Dash. Iโ€™m a Certified Nutrition Coach and the professional writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavoreยฎ. Iโ€™m so glad you are here!

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