33 Backyard BBQ Party Food Ideas That Go Way Beyond Burgers
Hosting a BBQ party is one of the best ways to enjoy good food, fresh air, and great company.
And when it comes to cookouts, there’s nothing as important as gathering with friends and family around a grill, enjoying the fresh air, and indulging in delicious food.
Burgers might be the default, but they’re far from the only option when it comes to grilling greatness.
And when the grill’s fired up, the sides are what really bring the cookout together.
These easy cookout food ideas include main dishes, grilling sides, salads, desserts, and more, with flavor-packed backyard BBQ food ideas that aren’t your typical burgers and crowd-pleasing recipes that are perfect for your backyard bash, family cookouts, and any summer gathering.
The Veggie Kabobs That Made My Meat-Eating Cousins Fight Over the Last Skewer
These kabobs completely changed how I think about vegetables at a cookout.
The ingredients include: red onion, multi-colored bell peppers, zucchini, baby bella mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, all threaded up and hit with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried oregano before they ever touch the grill.
25 minutes total.
That’s it.
Sonja’s version is 9 ingredients, and the only optional one is a squeeze of lemon at the end, which honestly you should not skip because it wakes everything up.
This is the kind of thing you make when half your guests don’t eat meat and you want them to feel like they got the real thing, not some sad afterthought on the corner of the grill.
Pair it with something saucy and rich from the crockpot party food spread and honestly, your table’s basically perfect.
Old School Potato Salad Done So Right You’ll Be Making It Every Single Reunion
You know that potato salad that shows up at every family cookout, and it’s just right, every time, and somehow nobody can explain why it works so well?
Yukon Golds, hard-boiled eggs, fresh dill, pickles, dijon mustard, and a little pickle juice in the dressing because Sam Hu at Ahead of Thyme knows that acid is the secret nobody talks about.
12 ingredients, 6 steps, 30 minutes, and then you chill it.
Don’t skip the chill, that’s where it all comes together.
The fresh dill is non-negotiable by the way, the kind of ingredient that makes people go “what IS that” in the best possible way.
Cowboy Caviar That Costs Almost Nothing and Still Disappears Before Anything Else Does
No cook, 20 minutes, 14 ingredients, done.
The ingredients include: black beans, black-eyed peas, bell pepper, lime, balsamic vinegar, chili powder, and cumin all tossed in a dressing that Beth built from scratch and yea, it’s the kind of thing you make once and then just know by heart.
101 reviews and a 4.5 star rating tell the full story, but honestly the comments from people like Brittney and Ranee saying the flavors are straight up addictive pretty much confirm what you already suspect.
Serve it with chips, spoon it over grilled chicken, eat it standing at the counter at midnight.
All valid options.
If you’re building out a full spread and want something even lower effort for the table, the easy crockpot appetizers list has ideas that run themselves while you finish this.
Honey Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil That Has No Business Being This Easy for How Good It Tastes
Butter, honey, garlic, lemon juice, a whole side of salmon, salt, cracked pepper, and fifteen minutes in the oven wrapped in foil.
That’s genuinely the whole thing.
Karina’s recipe feeds eight people and takes twenty-five minutes from fridge to table, and I keep waiting for the catch, and there isn’t one.
The sauce caramelizes in the foil packet and coats every single piece with this sticky, savory-sweet glaze that makes guests think you’ve been cooking for hours.
Emily left a review saying she makes this on repeat, and Kristi said it changed how her whole family does salmon nights, and yeah, that tracks completely.
Honestly, this works just as well at a backyard BBQ as it does on a random Tuesday, and the cleanup is just crumpling up the foil, so.
Korean BBQ Short Ribs That Will Permanently Ruin Every Other Backyard Rib for You
Amy Dong puts a whole kiwi in the marinade, and it sounds weird and it is 100% the reason these ribs taste the way they do.
Beef short ribs soaked in brown sugar, soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, garlic, fresh ginger, rice cooking wine and that kiwi, then grilled for seven minutes.
Seven…
100 reviews and a perfect 5-star rating, and reviewers like Anh and Janet Moir are calling them crowd-pleasers they make on repeat…
…which checks out because once you’ve had kalbi this way, you’re basically not interested in standard BBQ ribs anymore.
The marinade caramelizes on the grill, and you get these sticky, lacquered, impossibly tender flanken-cut ribs that look like something from a restaurant menu and cost a fraction of what that would run you.
The Homemade BBQ Sauce With Sriracha in It That Tastes Like You Actually Put in Effort
Stop buying bottled sauce for your cookout.
I said what I said.
Mike Hultquist builds this in 15 minutes with ketchup, spicy mustard, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar and it comes out tasting like something a pitmaster spent the afternoon on.
8 ingredients, 15 minutes, and the heat from the sriracha sits just right, not too much, not a ghost pepper situation, just enough to make it interesting.
Diana called it the best BBQ sauce she’s ever made, and Patrick said it was easy and perfect, both of which are very fair assessments.
Make a big batch on Friday, keep it in the fridge, and use it on everything you grill all weekend.
The Jalapeno Popper Dip Nobody at the Party Ever Stops Eating
Picture every single thing that makes a jalapeno popper good, then multiply it by a whole dishful.
That cheesy, creamy, spicy, slightly crispy situation you get in every bite of a real popper, now you’re just scooping it with chips or crackers instead of eating it by the piece.
Kevin at Closet Cooking has been sharing this recipe for years, and it’s still one of the first things to go at any summer spread.
If you want a low-fuss version, you can prep ahead and keep warm all afternoon; the crockpot dips for parties section has you fully covered on that front.
But honestly, baked in the oven until it’s bubbly and golden is the move, and it’s worth the ten extra steps.
Sweet Potato and Quinoa Veggie Burgers That Actually Hold Together on a Real Grill
How many veggie burgers have you had that just kind of… fell apart and turned into a sad pile of stuff inside the bun?
This one doesn’t do that.
Cookie and Kate built these around sweet potatoes, quinoa, black beans, red onion, cilantro, adobo sauce, and smoked paprika, and then they get roasted and baked before hitting the grill so they’re actually sturdy.
8 steps, an hour and twenty minutes total, including some roasting time, but fifteen ingredients and you end up with eight burger patties that even the meat eaters at the table will want to try.
Jean, Rachel, and Siobhan all left reviews saying these were their go-to veggie burger and that they customized them in all kinds of directions and they held up every time.
Prep the patties the night before, keep them in the fridge, and grill them fresh the day of.
That’s the move.
Soy Lime Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs That Come Out Juicy Every Single Time
Boneless skinless chicken thighs, olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper into a marinade, and then you just let them sit.
Sara Welch’s recipe has you marinating them for at least an hour, and that time in the fridge is doing serious work because when they hit the grill at twenty minutes, they come out with this caramelized, slightly sweet, deeply savory crust that makes everyone at the table go quiet.
Five stars, 27 reviews, and Kathleen and Heather both said these are a regular weeknight staple, which tells you everything about how reliably good they are.
And if you want chicken thighs with zero grill time involved, the crockpot chicken thigh recipes list has a whole separate world of options for slower days.
But for the cookout, this marinade on the grill is what you want.
Greek Chicken Kabobs with a Lemon Oregano Marinade That Make Your Whole Backyard Smell Like a Vacation
The moment the marinade hits the grill, you’re going to close your eyes for a second, that’s just how it goes.
Lisa built this around olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, and dried oregano as the marinade, and then you thread chicken breast chunks with red bell pepper and other vegetables onto skewers and grill for about twenty-five minutes.
13 ingredients, 15 minutes total, 5 stars across 43 reviews.
Karen and Vicky both said they make this constantly, and Jillian called it one of her absolute favorites, which is the kind of endorsement that doesn’t come from a mediocre kabob.
Serve it over rice, with warm pita, or just straight off the skewer standing at the grill because you can’t wait.
All three are reasonable choices.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad You’ll Be Scooping Straight From the Serving Bowl Before It Even Gets to the Table
Elote off the cob, tossed through farfalle pasta, dressed in mayo and Mexican crema with lime juice, garlic, paprika, and a hit of cayenne, then topped with cotija.
London put 17 ingredients into this thing, and somehow it still comes together in 30 minutes and it has no business hitting this hard at a cookout.
The crema dressing is the real star because it’s creamy and tangy and a little spicy all at once and it clings to every piece of pasta and every charred kernel of corn in the bowl.
Joanne tried it and basically couldn’t stop talking about the flavor, which honestly is the only review you need to read.
This serves eight, and the bowl will still come back empty.
Grilled Shrimp Salad with a Honey Lime Yogurt Dressing That Actually Slaps at a Summer Cookout
Not your average cookout salad at all.
Yumna has you seasoning large shrimp with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then grilling them in 8 minutes while you whisk together a dressing from Greek yogurt, lime, honey, chili powder, and a handful of other things that turn into something genuinely special.
21 total ingredients, 28 minutes, 5 stars, and reviewers like Jenna and rogue1 are calling it repeat-worthy, which, for a salad, is honestly the highest praise.
It’s light but still filling enough to count as a real plate at the table, and it looks like something you ordered somewhere expensive.
David Gerrol even noted he customized it, and it held up, so you’ve got some flexibility with whatever you’ve got on hand.
Ali Put Dill Pickle Relish in the Dressing and That’s Why This Is the Best Potato Salad
There’s a reason this one has 4.9 stars, and it’s that the dressing has dill pickle relish in it.
Also apple cider vinegar, celery salt, dijon mustard, and mayo, but the pickle relish is doing the most important work here because it adds this bright, briny, slightly sweet thing that makes the salad taste alive instead of just…mayo-y.
Yukon Golds or red potatoes cut into cubes, boiled until just tender, hard-boiled eggs diced in, celery, red onion, toss it all together, and give it time to chill.
It needs that full hour, and honestly closer to two if you can manage it.
Peggy and Tina both left reviews saying they’ve made it multiple times and it gets requested at every gathering, and Mary said it was the best potato salad she’d ever had, which is a big statement, but I believe it.
Six-Ingredient Southern Baked Beans That Taste Like They’ve Been in Somebody’s Family for Generations
6 ingredients and I need you to not let that number fool you.
Vegetarian baked beans, light brown sugar, very finely diced onion, very finely diced green pepper, barbecue sauce, and yellow mustard go into a baking dish and come out an hour later smelling like everything good about summer.
Jocelyn from Grandbaby Cakes named this one after her mama and that alone tells you this recipe has some real weight behind it.
23 reviews, nearly a 4.7 star rating, and reviewers like Beth and Sue keep coming back to say how easy it was and how their whole crowd lost it over the dish.
This is the side you bring when you want to look like you’ve been cooking from scratch all morning without actually having been cooking from scratch all morning.
For a full party food table, pair it with anything from the crockpot cookout spread, and just let everything keep warm together.
Beer BBQ Chicken Skewers with Avocado Corn Feta Salsa That Look Like You Spent All Day on Them
Beer in the sauce, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, honey, ketchup, dijon, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and chunks of chicken breast threaded onto skewers and grilled for twenty minutes.
Tieghan built the whole thing in thirty minutes and then added an avocado, corn and feta salsa on top that is genuinely the move because it’s cool and creamy against the smoky, sticky chicken.
126 reviews and a 4.6 rating, and both Becky and Darria said it was a total crowd pleaser that came together faster than expected.
Honestly, this is the recipe that looks like you have your life together at the grill even when you absolutely do not.
The sauce is nineteen ingredients total but half of them are spices so it’s less intense than it sounds.
Gerard’s stuff always shows up looking beautiful and tasting even better and this one is no exception.
Italian Pasta Salad with Genoa Salami and Fresh Mozzarella That Feeds the Whole Block and Then Some
This is a ten-serving pasta salad and it will still run out.
Uncooked pasta, red onion, grape tomatoes, black olives, fresh mozzarella, genoa salami, pepperoncini, Italian dressing, parmesan, parsley, twenty-five minutes, and you’re done.
The pepperoncini is kind of the secret ingredient nobody ever talks about, but it’s what gives the whole thing that peppery, briny bite that makes it so different from the plain versions you’ve had at other cookouts.
Serene’s recipe is the kind of thing you make in the morning, stick in the fridge to chill, and pull out right when people start to arrive, and it’s already at peak flavor by then.
10 ingredients, five minutes of prep, and the pasta does most of the work while it chills.
The Creamy Coleslaw That Needs a Full Hour to Chill and Is Absolutely Worth Every Minute of the Wait
Green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, red onion, mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, celery salt, and fifteen minutes of actual hands-on time, then into the fridge for an hour minimum.
Joanna is very clear about the chill time and she is correct, the texture and the dressing coming together properly depend on it.
Five stars across seven reviews, and Janice and Susan both said this is a repeat recipe they make for every single gathering.
The dual cabbage gives you this really satisfying color in the bowl; that deep purple-green combo looks so good next to a plate of grilled chicken or ribs.
Maria left a note that she skips the sugar sometimes, and it still works, so you’ve got a little flexibility if that’s your thing.
Grilled Corn Salad with Hazelnuts and Fresh Mint That Nobody Else at the Cookout Will Have Thought Of
Hazelnuts.
In a corn salad…
With fresh orange juice and tarragon in the vinaigrette.
Kevin is doing something completely different here and it works in a way that will make people stop mid-bite and try to figure out exactly what they’re tasting.
Grilled corn kernels, toasted hazelnuts, a garlic and orange juice and rice vinegar dressing, lemon zest, fresh mint, and fresh tarragon all in one bowl, twenty-two minutes total, four servings, 5 stars.
Natasha and Cynthia both said the flavor combination was genuinely unexpected, and the salad got strong praise every time they brought it out.
This is the dish you bring when you want to look like you know things other people don’t know about food.
Because you do now.
The Mexican Street Corn Salad With 219 Fans That Gets Requested at Every Single Summer Cookout
Jeanine and Phoebe kept this one to 11 ingredients and it’s essentially everything that makes elote perfect, just off the cob and into a bowl you can actually share.
Fresh corn grilled or charred, extra-virgin olive oil, a little mayo, garlic, lime zest and juice, scallions, cotija, fresh cilantro, smoked paprika, and jalapeño.
Nearly 5 stars from 219 reviewers is not a fluke; that’s a recipe that genuinely delivers every single time.
Lisa Seale and Denyse both said they’ve been making it for years, and it gets requested constantly, and ANN called it one of the best salads she’s ever made.
It’s also gluten-free and vegetarian, so it genuinely works for almost any table.
If you’re planning a full vegetarian spread this is the outdoor dish that holds everything together.
Walnut and Black Bean Veggie Burgers That Actually Survive the Grill Confirmed by 513 Real People
513 reviews…
Nearly 5 stars.
Gluten-free, vegan, and they actually work on a grill which is the thing that disqualifies most veggie burgers from being a real cookout option.
Minimalist Baker built these from cooked brown rice, raw walnuts, black beans, white onion, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coconut sugar, panko breadcrumbs and vegan BBQ sauce and they come out with this smoky, slightly caramelized exterior and a dense, satisfying inside.
Madalyn said she makes these on repeat, and Danielle left a whole note about how she customized them and they held together perfectly every time.
Ten ingredients, thirty minutes, five burgers, basically zero disappointment.
Creamed Corn That Cooks Low and Slow All Afternoon and Tastes Like Somebody’s Grandma Made It From Memory
Frozen corn, half and half, sugar, salt, pepper, butter, and cream cheese.
Seven ingredients and three hours of cook time because Trish is not rushing this, and she’s right not to.
The slow cook is what makes everything break down into this incredibly thick, creamy, sweet-savory situation that looks like it came from a holiday table, even when it’s a backyard July situation.
Brenda Derouen said she makes it every holiday and Kate called it a total crowd pleaser, and Rocky said his whole family requests it constantly.
This is basically a set it up before anyone arrives and forget about it situation, which is honestly the best energy for a cookout side dish.
For more dump-and-go side dishes that take care of themselves while you’re grilling, the crockpot side dishes list is worth bookmarking too.
The Hamburger Recipe That Has a 4.99 Star Rating From 152 People and Is Called Perfect for a Reason
Ground chuck, fine sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and then you grill them.
That’s the patty and Natasha Kravchuk will tell you that when you start with good ground chuck and season it right you don’t need a bunch of extras messing with the beef.
Cheddar cheese, tomato, green leaf lettuce, red onion, dill pickle slices on a good bun, six hamburgers in thirty minutes, and a rating of 4.99 from 152 people who presumably know what a good burger tastes like.
Keri said the instructions were perfect, Alan called it easy and delicious, and Robin said she’s made it multiple times.
This is the recipe for when you want to be the person at the cookout who just handles the burgers, no drama, just results.
Black Bean and Corn Salad with Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette That Has 558 Reviews and Every One of Them Is Deserved
Nearly 5 stars…
558 people…
That kind of consensus doesn’t happen by accident.
Jennifer built this around fresh corn, black beans, red bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, red onion, and a chipotle honey vinaigrette that has red wine vinegar, fresh lime juice, and honey all working together with the chipotle heat to make a dressing that you will want to put on everything.
30 minutes, six servings, sixteen ingredients, and Fio and Annie LaFarge both said they’ve made it more times than they can count.
Fio’s review called it a flavor bomb, and Annie said it was the salad that ended debates at her house, which, yeah, that tracks for a dish with this kind of community behind it.
Kanell’s Macaroni Salad Has Pickle Juice in the Dressing and You Won’t Understand Why Until You Taste It
Dry elbow macaroni, celery, bell pepper, red onion, pickles, hard-boiled eggs, sour cream, mayo, pickle juice, dijon mustard, and a handful of other things that come together into a dressing that tastes like it’s been made this way forever.
John Kanell’s recipe has a 4.99-star average from 57 people, and the pickle juice in the dressing is the detail that keeps making people say they can’t quite figure out why it’s so good and then they look at the ingredient list.
Prep in 10 minutes, then let it chill for a full hour because the pasta keeps absorbing the dressing as it sits, and it needs that time.
Sam and Emily both called it a crowd-pleaser they make every cookout season, and Janet said it was easy and better than any version she’d made before.
This is the mac salad that earns the recipe card spot in your folder.
Nagi’s Potato Salad Has Bacon and Horseradish Cream in It and That’s Really All You Need to Hear
20 ingredients.
I know how that sounds, but stay with me because the list includes streaky bacon, horseradish cream, cucumber, celery, white onion, French dressing, and a sour cream and mayo base that together make a potato salad that tastes like a whole different category of thing compared to the usual version.
Nagi built this with two and a half pounds of potatoes, and it takes about 150 minutes total because you chill it after combining, and that chill time is doing serious work.
116 reviews at a 4.98 star rating, and Niki said she’s made this twice already in the same month, and Marika said it was the best potato salad she’d ever eaten.
Honestly, with bacon and horseradish in the mix, how could it not be?
Blueberry Pie Bars with a Lemon Oat Crust That Require Zero Pie Skills and All the Credit
On this one, Sally uses all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter for the crust and base, then fills it with blueberries, granulated sugar, and a couple more things before it goes into the oven for fifty minutes.
The lemon zest in the crust is the quiet genius of this recipe because it keeps everything from tasting too sweet and heavy.
4.8 stars, and Kris called these absolutely perfect while Mary Caldwell said they were one of the best things she’s baked all summer.
Kristie noted she made them for a party and they were gone immediately, which is the only dessert review that actually means anything.
Make these the morning of the cookout and let them cool in the pan, they cut cleanly and travel well.
Sour Cream and Dill Cucumber Salad That Cools Down the Whole Table on a Hot Afternoon
8 ingredients and forty minutes, and this salad is the one everyone reaches for between heavier plates because it’s so cold and clean and bright.
English cucumber, sour cream, white vinegar, a little white sugar, fresh dill, red onion, salt, and pepper, tossed together and chilled for thirty minutes to let the cucumber release some of its water and let the dressing settle in.
Five stars, and Kimberly Kerr and Allysa both said they make this all summer long because it’s a repeat recipe they keep coming back to.
It’s the kind of salad that doesn’t fight with anything on the table; it just sits next to the smoky grilled stuff and makes everything feel more balanced.
Lisa said the flavor was exactly what she was looking for, and I believe her because there is nothing complicated about this, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Three Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad That Shows Up as a Side Dish and Quietly Becomes the Main Event
You tell people it’s a pasta salad side dish, and then they keep going back for second helpings until it’s basically a main.
That’s a Gina Homolka thing, the recipe looks light and simple and then delivers in a way that surprises people.
Three cheese tortellini, broccoli florets, grape tomatoes, red onion, black olives, olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, garlic, garlic powder, dressed and chilled for an hour and a half before serving.
Fourteen servings from one batch, which is the other reason this one earns a spot at a larger cookout.
Kim and Charlene both called it an easy go-to and Jen said she made it for a potluck, and it was the first dish to disappear.
So yeah, “side dish” is a generous understatement.
The Coleslaw With 1607 Reviews and a Near Perfect Rating That Has Been Winning Cookouts for Years
1607 reviews at 4.97 stars is not a coincidence; that’s a recipe that has been tested by an enormous number of people and keeps delivering.
Holly Nilsson keeps it to nine ingredients: shredded green and red cabbage, shredded carrot, mayo, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, celery seed, salt, and black pepper.
The celery seed is the tiny detail that makes the whole thing taste more homemade and less like something out of a deli container, it adds this subtle earthy, faintly herby note that you can’t quite place but you’d definitely miss.
Two vinegars in the dressing is also the move, the white vinegar for clean sharpness and the apple cider for a little depth.
Mel called it the best coleslaw she’s ever had and Jean said she’s stopped making any other version, which is pretty much the final word on this one.
Tricolor Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes That Goes With Everything on the Grill Table
8 ingredients, 10 minutes of actual prep, then into the fridge for an hour.
Tricolor pasta, Italian dressing, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, red and green bell pepper, salt and pepper, toss it all together and let the pasta soak up the dressing while it chills.
Becky Hardin’s recipe is the kind of pasta salad that works alongside literally anything you’re grilling because it’s bright and tangy without being too heavy or too rich.
Jan said she’s made it multiple times, and Milica added that she swapped in different vegetables and it still came together beautifully, so there’s room to work with what you’ve got in the fridge.
Serves 12, which is another reason this one earns a permanent spot in the rotation for any larger cookout.
Greek Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts and Chickpeas That Actually Fills People Up Between Grill Rounds
Elaine put water-packed artichoke hearts and a whole can of chickpeas in here, along with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, Persian cucumber, red onion, parsley and dill, and a proper olive oil dressing with garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and dried oregano.
5 stars, 29 reviews, 17 ingredients, 25 minutes.
The chickpeas are what make this actually satisfying rather than just decorative on the plate, and the combination of parsley and fresh dill in the same bowl hits differently than either one alone.
Tara said this was an absolute winner, and she was right.
This is the pasta salad for when you want people to feel like they ate something real.
12 servings from one batch, so it’s built for a crowd.
Caprese Pasta Salad with Balsamic and Fresh Basil That Makes People Think You Put in Way More Effort Than You Did
Grape tomatoes, bocconcini, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, fresh basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, and pasta, 30 minutes, and it looks like something you ordered from a restaurant that cares about its ingredients.
Maria Lichty keeps this to eleven ingredients and the balsamic does the real work in the dressing because it coats everything with this glossy, tangy, slightly sweet layer that makes even the pasta taste fancy.
Jen said it was so easy and so good, Oriane called it a go-to summer dish, and Chris said the whole family loved it which at a cookout is basically the only metric that matters.
Thirty minutes total, six servings, no fuss, and it looks beautiful on the table next to anything you’re grilling.
The bocconcini is the thing you want to get right, fresh and good quality, because it’s getting a starring role here not just background texture.
Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Arugula That Eats Like Half a Main Dish and All of a Side Dish at Once
Erin Clarke puts arugula in this corn salad, and that alone separates it from everything else on the table.
Grilled fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and a whole handful of arugula, all tossed in a lime-based dressing with 17 total ingredients that come together in twenty-five minutes.
The arugula brings this peppery bite that keeps the creamy avocado and sweet grilled corn from being too rich, and it makes the whole bowl feel alive in a way that plain corn salads don’t.
88 reviews at 4.7 stars, and Shirley said it was a stunning salad that got raves from everyone at the table.
Kim said it was a crowd-pleaser, and Maddie noted the flavors worked beautifully together and that she’d be making it all summer.
Six generous servings, and it genuinely holds up at room temperature for a while, so you’re not racing to get it on the table the second it’s done.
