Top 10 barbecue side recipes

by Charlotte Morgan | 04 September 2012 | 0 comments

Meat, buns and ketchup - you've got the staples, but what about the sides? Pick three or four of our favourite BBQ accompaniment dishes.

Sweetcorn with smoky butter

Chargrilled, sweet, and oozing with buttery goodness, corn on the cob must be one of the best ever barbecue sides. Make a stick of smoky butter with paprika, red chilli, garlic and coriander, then chill in the fridge, and dot all over freshly barbecued cobs.

Roast potato salad

potato Chef Shaun Rankin chooses Jersey Royal ‘Pearl’ potatoes for his hearty potato salad, which combines olive oil roasties with red onions, garlic, thyme, and crispy strips of pancetta. Remember to add a dash of maple syrup just before the end of cooking time for sweetness.

Chorizo with apple cider vinegar

chorizo A heaped bowl of these beauties next to the barbie will go in minutes. It’s very simple to execute such a tasty dish – just toss your chorizo in olive oil, cook until crispy, then pour the vinegar over them as they sizzle. A green salad and crusty bread will go well with this.

Broccoli with hollandaise

A rather posh BBQ side, but a great way to get in the greens all the same. You can even cook your purple sprouting broccoli on the barbecue. Make the hollandaise from scratch, using egg yolks, lemon juice and cayenne pepper, then drizzle over the stalks.

Crunchy coleslaw

An absolute must, if your barbecue is to be a success. Everyone has their favourite coleslaw recipe – ours features coarsely grated carrot, thinly sliced red and white cabbage, a handful of sultanas, another of mixed seeds, and a great big dollop of mayonnaise.

Pomegranate kasha

kasha ‘Kasha’ – a mix of bulgur wheat, fresh herbs and seasoning – makes a great BBQ side, because it’s light, healthy, and goes with pretty much everything. The pomegranate arils add a ruby colour and crunchy texture, so don’t forget to include them.

Chunky guacamole

Guacamole is the perfect dip for tortilla chips, but is also beautiful with barbecued meats or fish. Peruvian Hass avocados give the best results - remember to drizzle in lime juice to prevent browning. Coriander, finely chopped red onion, chopped tomatoes and chilli are a must.

Peach and mozzarella salad

peach A refreshing summer salad, which will cut through all that fatty meat perfectly. When it’s made with milky fresh mozzarella and chin-dribblingly ripe peaches, it’s hard to imagine a more blissful – and blissfully simple – accompaniment. Finish with fresh mint.

Indian salsa

salsa This dish is called a ‘Cachumber’, which is a bit like an Indian Salsa and it goes very well with meat. In this recipe, the white, green and pink of the ingredients is very pretty and refreshing – you could even try adding a spoonful to your burger bap, for a bit of a change.

Cajun spiced potato wedges

cajun This peppery dish was developed by the French settlers of Louisiana in the US. Serve your wedges with a barbecued steak, or on their own with a soured cream dip. Be sure to make at least double what you think – they’ll go very quickly indeed.