Food and Recipes Side Dishes The Best Sides For Burgers To Serve At Your Next Cookout By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 14, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Once you've decided burgers are on the menu, the next decision to make is what side dishes you'll prepare to accompany them. While the possibilities for side dishes are practically endless, these are our favorite sides to serve alongside burgers. You'll find a variety of recipes on our list. From classics like baked beans and corn on the cob to new favorites like broccoli slaw and air fryer French fries, you can't go wrong with any of these side dishes for burgers. Whether you're having burger night for dinner at home with your family or need a side dish to take along to a cookout with friends, we're here to provide plenty of inspiration for your menu. After scrolling through this list of sides for burgers, we bet the hardest decision will be narrowing the list down to just a couple of recipes to make the next time you fire up the grill. 01 of 32 Homemade Baked Beans Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Canned beans help this classic cookout side come together with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. It's the bacon and sorghum or molasses that bring that homemade touch. Let the beans bake in the oven while you cook the burgers. 02 of 32 Air Fryer French Fries Caitlin Bensel We think these homemade fries rival restaurant ones. They aren't hard to pull together; just make sure you allow the fries to sit in cold water for an hour before you start the cooking process. This will help them crisp up. 03 of 32 Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese While sometimes boxed mac and cheese will do, we think this homemade version is the best choice when burgers are on the menu. This dish is familiar comfort food at its finest. Choose your favorite cheese or try our top choice, Cracker Barrel's Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese. 04 of 32 Potato Salad With Sweet Pickles Southern Living As classic as it gets. this potato salad is made with boiled eggs, sweet pickles, and of course plenty of mayonnaise. Serve warm or chilled according to your family's tastes. 05 of 32 Classic Deviled Eggs Hector Sanchez If you're looking to whip up another simple side at the last minute, you probably already have all of the ingredients to make classic deviled eggs in your refrigerator. This basic recipe uses a touch of sweet pickle relish and a sprinkle of paprika. 06 of 32 Creamy Broccoli Slaw Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Save yourself time with bagged broccoli slaw mix or use up leftover broccoli stems from your cooking. We've embellished this colorful slaw with a tart and creamy dressing, toasted pecans, and golden raisins. 07 of 32 Oven-Roasted Corn On The Cob Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Make the most of fresh corn any time of the year with this easy technique for corn on the cob that is bursting with flavor. We recommend slathering the ears with butter and fresh herbs before wrapping them in foil to roast. You can swap in your own favorite seasonings. 08 of 32 Potato Salad With Dijon And Scallions Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Multicolored potatoes in this lighter version of potato salad create a pretty finish. The ingredient list doesn't include mayonnaise, relying on mustard, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and honey for loads of flavor. Scallions and pickled red onions dress up the dish. 09 of 32 Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad With Field Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Here's a pasta salad for celebrating all that summer produce from the farmer's market. Our recipe calls for basil, chives, parsley, and dill, but you can adjust accordingly based on what fresh herbs you may already have on hand. With so many options, this one stays fresh all summer long. 10 of 32 Best-Ever Succotash Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely This colorful summer side is almost too pretty to eat. Sliced tomatoes, okra, and corn create a rainbow of color while bacon and fresh basil pack in the flavor. We're betting you'll clean your plate. 11 of 32 Macaroni Corn Casserole Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners You don't have to choose between serving corn or mac and cheese thanks to this 9x13 casserole recipe. White Cheddar and Gruyère pair up to create a gooey, melty base for the dish, while mustard, garlic, and cayenne add a kick. 12 of 32 Homemade Potato Chips With Fried Herbs Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Instead of reaching for bagged chips, make this homemade recipe that just requires five ingredients. Use a mandoline to achieve just the right thickness for crispy chips. Toss with fried herbs for an elegant touch. 13 of 32 Easy Grilled Asparagus Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford This asparagus recipe will allow you to prepare the whole meal on the grill. Make the sherry vinaigrette ahead of time, as the asparagus cooks up very quickly. After charring your jumbo asparagus, you'll dress it with the vinaigrette and crumbled bacon. 14 of 32 Broccoli, Grape, And Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick When burgers are on the menu for lunch, pasta salad is the perfect pairing. Especially one that satisfies all of your taste buds with sweet grapes, salty bacon and pecans, and a tart dressing. 15 of 32 Simple Roasted Okra Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray Roasting okra softens and chars the skin to perfection. All you need for this recipe in addition to fresh okra is olive oil and some spices. Use smaller pods or slice larger ones through the middle. 16 of 32 Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Photography, and Food Styling: Karen Rankin If you usually serve regular fries on burger night, swap it up by serving sweet potato fries instead. The air fryer cooks them until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Use flaky sea salt for an extra crunch. 17 of 32 Southern Fried Corn Caitlin Bensel We think this recipe makes the shucking worth the hassle. Corn niblets sautee in a sizzling skillet with butter, onion, and garlic, releasing all their savory aromas. Choose the freshest corn cobs for the best flavor. 18 of 32 Easy Cauliflower Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer While this casserole makes use of a whole head of cauliflower, we've also included plenty of cheese, butter, and breadcrumbs. Both kids and adults will love eating their veggies in this form. 19 of 32 Fried Skillet Potatoes Caitlin Bensel No peeling is necessary with this potato recipe. We parboil the potatoes before crisping in a skillet. This reduces cooking time and amps up the flavor. 20 of 32 Marinated Tomato-And-Herb Salad Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Fresh summer tomatoes shine in this herby salad. We recommend using full-flavored heirloom tomatoes or really juicy beefsteak ones. You can toss in cherry tomatoes too for a range of colors and textures. 21 of 32 Zucchini, Squash, And Corn Casserole Hector Sanchez Celebrate summer's bounty with a mix of zucchini, yellow squash, and corn. You'll know this casserole is ready to come out of the oven once the top is golden brown. Just make sure to let it stand for 15 minutes before serving. 22 of 32 Grilled Endive-And-Halloumi Salad With Strawberries Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely We love the chance to throw something unexpected on the grill, like endive hearts and a firm Greek cheese. Combined with peppery arugula, juicy strawberries, and a vinaigrette, this dish will make any hamburger-eating occasion feel more special. 23 of 32 Crispy Fried Pickle Spears With Ranch Dipping Sauce Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely Serve the state fair favorite alongside your burgers with this simple recipe for fried pickle spears. We dredge them in a cornmeal mixture before frying in a Dutch oven. Then we serve them with a buttermilk ranch dipping sauce that keeps you coming back for more. 24 of 32 Watermelon, Cucumber, And Feta Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan This refreshing salad is just what you need at a sweltering barbecue. But it's more than a thirst quencher: Onion, lemon juice, and freshly torn mint leaves give the dish plenty of pizzazz. 25 of 32 Baked Zucchini Fries Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey Kids and adults alike will devour tender zucchini coated in crisped panko breadcrumbs. If your last attempt turned out soggy, we have a few tips for you to follow. We like serving them with marinara sauce, but standard ketchup or a creamy ranch make great dippers too. 26 of 32 Grilled Bell Pepper Caprese Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton We substituted grilled bell peppers here, which adds a sweet smokiness you don't usually find in a Caprese salad. Squeezed lime juice instead of vinegar makes it ultra-fresh. Provide crusty bread for soaking up the juices. 27 of 32 Classic Macaroni Salad With Ham This macaroni salad has a longer ingredient list than some, but that's what makes it so good. All you have to do is toss the ingredients with cooked macaroni elbows. Prepare a couple of hours ahead of time so it can chill in the fridge. 28 of 32 Creamy Cucumber Salad Hannah Zimmerman/Southern Living You can't go wrong with this Eastern European classic: cucumber, fresh dill, and onions dressed with tangy sour cream. We recommend using English cucumbers, which are slightly sweeter and have a thinner skin. But this is also a great way to use cucumbers from your kitchen garden. 29 of 32 Pineapple-Pepper Slaw Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Bring a tropical flair to your cook-out with this sweet and spicy slaw. This side dish is popping with flavor and color from the pineapple, bell pepper, jalapeño, red and green cabbage, and cilantro tossed in lime juice and honey. 30 of 32 Tomato, Peach, And Corn Salad Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele This one-step recipe may be simple, but the unexpected combination of tomatoes, peaches, and corn is anything but boring. The flavors marry well in a sweet and tangy honey vinaigrette. Make this salad right as you're plating your burgers so that the tomatoes stay firm. 31 of 32 Crispy Onion Rings With Kickin' Ranch Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely Getting the oil to the right temperature is the secret to crispy onion rings. We also use panko bread crumbs for an extra crispy coating. But the best part could be the homemade Kickin' Ranch, which just may bring a tear to your eye. 32 of 32 Quick Pickled Slaw Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos From start to finish, you need just 15 minutes to make this quick slaw recipe. Healthy veggies soak in a vinegar mixture in order to soften slightly, but still retain a crunch. Adventurous eaters might even enjoy this side on their burgers. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit