The 4th of July is nearly here, and while you may already know what’s going on the grill, have you thought about what side dishes you’re going to be serving? Some will say that the success of any meal depends on the side dishes. With that in mind, we’ve collected 30 delicious side dish recipes that are sure to please everyone at your dinner table.
We’ve got everything in here from traditional baked beans to red, white, and blue potato salad and deviled eggs. Whether you are planning a huge barbecue or just a small gathering, you are sure to find the perfect sides to complement your meal, and most of these contain very few ingredients and take very little time to prepare. There are also some great dips and other dishes that you could serve as appetizers before your main dish.
Before you complete your 4th of July menu, take a look at some of our delicious side dishes. You are sure to find the perfect side for your burgers, ribs, or whatever you are planning to cook.
Jump to:
- 1. Red, White, and Blue Salad
- 2. Layered Bean Salad with Feta Cheese
- 3. Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad
- 4. Firework Crudites with Parmesan Dip
- 5. Patriotic Berry and Apple Salad
- 6. Red, White, and Blue Deviled Eggs
- 7. Tomato Mozzarella Skewers
- 8. Jalapeno Popper Pulls
- 9. Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter
- 10. Classic Waldorf Salad
- 11. Red, White, and Blue Berry Green Salad
- 12. Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Pesto Vinaigrette
- 13. Patriotic Dip
- 14. Sassy Baked Beans
- 15. Red Cabbage Cherry Apple Slaw
- 16. Mississippi Cornbread Salad
- 17. Watermelon Feta Flag
- 18. Decorated Dip with Red and Blue Cracker Crumb Stars
- 19. Spinach and Berry Salad
- 20. Patriotic Taco Salad
- 21. Red, White, and Black Bean Salad
- 22. Red, White, and Blue Baked Potato Chips
- 23. Patriotic Pasta Salad
- 24. Star-Shaped Homemade Tortilla Chips
- 25. Red, White, and Blue Slaw Salad
- 26. Bean Tomato Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
- 27. BLT Pasta Salad
- 28. Grilled Beet Salad with Almonds and Cranberries
- 29. Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
- 30. Broccoli Grape Salad
1. Red, White, and Blue Salad
This salad is not only patriotic, but it’s also a side dish that only takes 15 minutes to prepare. It’s got tomatoes for the red, yogurt for the white, and edible flowers for the blue. It also has Vidalia onions, cucumbers, fresh dill, and other ingredients to make it delicious. It’s a great side dish choice for any barbecue type foods like burgers, hot dogs, or ribs, or have it with steak or chicken. It’s also a very versatile recipe, and you can customize it by adding or subtracting ingredients. It would look great as the centerpiece for your July 4th cookout.
2. Layered Bean Salad with Feta Cheese
This bean salad recipe is not red, white, and blue per se, but it is very colorful and really easy to make. It takes about half an hour from start to finish and has ingredients like yellow and green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, and feta cheese. It’s also got a great Italian dressing to blend it all together, and it will quickly become one of your favorite sides for any occasion. A great way to serve this is individually in small mason jars, or you could layer it in one large bowl if you prefer. However you serve it up, it’s going to be a hit at your 4th celebration.
3. Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad
Add a colorful twist to your 4th of July spread with this Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad. Tender red potatoes are tossed with tangy blue cheese crumbles, crispy bacon, and fresh green onions, all coated in a creamy mix of sour cream and mayonnaise. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, this indulgent, crowd-pleasing salad is the perfect patriotic side dish for your barbecue or cookout.
4. Firework Crudites with Parmesan Dip
This is a great yogurt dip that is quick and easy to put together. What makes it Independence Day worthy is the scallion garnishes on top that resemble fireworks. The dip has plain yogurt, sour cream, onion powder, parmesan cheese, mustard, scallions, and parsley. You can also add salt and pepper to taste. Serve it with fresh veggies like broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, or you could serve it with crackers or chips if you prefer. Make sure to keep back enough scallions to create the firework garnish. It’s a relatively healthy dip, particularly if you use fat-free yogurt and sour cream, and it goes well with just about anything you may want to serve.
5. Patriotic Berry and Apple Salad
This is a beautiful salad that is delicious with fresh fruits that are in season for the 4th of July. It’s got raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, along with chopped Gala apples to give it a wonderful sweetness. Not too sweet, mind you. This could work as a dessert, but we love it as a side dish, and it will go wonderfully with ribs or chicken. You mix the fruits all together with a tablespoon of sugar, or if you want to make it really special, omit the sugar and mix it all together with just a smidgen of brandy.
6. Red, White, and Blue Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a staple side dish of many holidays and special occasions. The 4th of July is certainly no exception. These, however, have a little patriotic twist. After you peel the eggs, place the halved whites into the Easter egg dye. You could just use food coloring if you wanted. You can count out how many of each color (red, white, and blue) you will need to create a little egg flag, and then arrange the colored egg halves on a platter to make an edible flag after you have filled the centers. This is such a neat way to serve deviled eggs, and it makes a wonderful centerpiece for the dinner table.
7. Tomato Mozzarella Skewers
What could possibly be better as a side dish than skewers with delicious tomatoes and melty mozzarella cheese? If you are planning on grilling on the 4th, this is the perfect side to accompany any main dishes. They have cherry tomatoes and marinated cherry-sized mozzarella balls. Note that you can just use a melon baller and create your own mozzarella balls. Once you have threaded the cheese and tomatoes onto skewers, drizzle them with olive oil or Italian dressing (or the oil from the cheese if you buy marinated) and then sprinkle basil on top. Drizzle again with balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Jalapeno Popper Pulls
This bread makes an excellent side dish to accompany chicken or any other dish you are planning to cook. With a loaf of sourdough bread, you can create what will quickly become a favorite for any occasion. You have to slice the bread in multiple directions without actually cutting through the bottom crust. Then add cream cheese inside the cuts and top with pickled jalapeno pepper juice, garlic powder, pickled jalapeno peppers, bacon bits, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. It bakes into perfection and looks beautiful when it’s done. Just let everyone pull off what they want when it’s ready to serve.
9. Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter
Ok, so you have to have an American classic with your 4th of July food, right? This grilled corn on the cob is perfect for any cookout. You can either pull off the husks and wrap the corn in tin foil or leave the husks on when grilling (which is the preferred way). It cooks up perfectly on the grill, and when you serve it with herb butter, it’s even better. If you want a side dish that will literally go with any main course, this is definitely one to consider. After all, who doesn’t just love corn on the cob?
10. Classic Waldorf Salad
Here’s another great classic side dish that will go with just about any main course. Waldorf Salad has apples, walnuts, green grapes, celery, and mayonnaise to make it delicious. You can use store-bought mayonnaise, or if you want, make your own mayonnaise to make your recipe really special. The apples and celery are wonderful together, and the entire salad has a delicious crunch that is perfect for a hot summer day. You could also throw your own personal take into the mix and add whatever other ingredients you want, or substitute walnuts for almonds, etc. However you make it, it is sure to be a hit.
11. Red, White, and Blue Berry Green Salad
In about five minutes ,you can mix up this delicious and gorgeous berry and green salad that is the perfect complement to all of your main dishes. It has mixed salad greens, walnuts, strawberries, blueberries, feta cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and sour and is such a pretty color that you will definitely want it gracing your table. Plus, it goes perfectly with barbecue, so if you are serving up ribs or barbecue chicken, this is a definite must. It’s also really easy and quick to put together, so it’s great for a last-minute side dish idea.
12. Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Pesto Vinaigrette
A homemade pesto vinaigrette gives these veggie skewers a wonderful flavor. The skewers themselves have mushrooms (or okra), bell peppers, red onion, summer squash, and cherry or grape tomatoes. Once you brush the vinaigrette on the skewers and add salt and pepper to taste, you just lay them on the grill for three or four minutes, and they are cooked to perfection. They are so yummy and will go great with anything else that you are planning to put on the grill. You can replace any of the veggies with others to suit your own personal tastes.
13. Patriotic Dip
If you are serving up fresh veggies, you will surely want a patriotic dip to go along with them. This one is simply a mixture of mayonnaise, chunky salsa, and sour cream. Easy, right? We love easy, and this is also a delicious dip that you can serve with fresh vegetables or with tortilla chips if you prefer. It’s the perfect side dish to accompany burgers and hot dogs, so if that’s on your menu, you just have to have this dip, too. You can make it a bit healthier by using fat-free sour cream and mayonnaise. Salsa is already relatively healthy, and you get to choose the intensity of the salsa, so if you like it hot, go for hot.
14. Sassy Baked Beans
Baked beans should certainly be on your 4th of July menu, no matter what main dishes you are planning to serve. These sassy baked beans are a bit different than your normal baked beans, which is why we love them. With a mixture of great northern, red kidney, and pork and beans, they have loads of color. You can substitute pintos, butter beans, or cannellini for the great northern beans if you want. You also need brown sugar, barbecue sauce, sorghum, chipotle salsa, dry mustard, and chili powder, along with oregano and an onion. See, we told you these were sassy.
15. Red Cabbage Cherry Apple Slaw
This is certainly not your traditional coleslaw recipe. If you are planning to make slaw and you want something a bit different, give this recipe a try. It’s got red cabbage, cherries, and apples to give it a wonderfully sweet and sour taste. It takes less than half an hour to prepare and looks as good as it tastes. The best part is it’s low in fat and calories, so it’s a tasty side that you won’t feel guilty for eating. Plus, it will go with anything that traditional slaw goes with; it just goes with it a bit better.
16. Mississippi Cornbread Salad
Put a little southern twist on your sides with this wonderful Mississippi cornbread salad. It’s made with cornbread, ranch dressing mix, sour cream, mayonnaise, tomatoes, red or green bell peppers, green onions, pinto beans, cheddar cheese, whole kernel corn, and bacon. It only takes a few minutes to put together, and then you have to allow it to cool for about 3 hours, which lets all of the flavors combine and mix into the cornbread. This is the perfect side dish for anything you plan on barbecuing, and it goes well with burgers, too.
17. Watermelon Feta Flag
Yes, watermelon can be a side dish as opposed to a dessert, particularly when it has feta cheese in it. This one is a bit time-consuming, but it is the perfect appetizer or side dish because it looks like a flag. You will need a rectangular dish for serving to create the flag shape. You just cut the watermelon and feta cheese into cubes and arrange them on the platter like the stripes from the flag. Add blueberries in the corner for the blue starry part, and you’re all set. It’s a great side or appetizer that also doubles as a beautiful centerpiece.
18. Decorated Dip with Red and Blue Cracker Crumb Stars
If you plan on serving dip, this one has to be at the top of your consideration list. It’s a great cream cheese-based dip that is decorated with glittery stars made from cracker crumbs. The dip is chicken-flavored and contains a can of chunk chicken breast, and it’s got cream cheese, mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. You can make the cracker crumb stars from crackers with blue and red food coloring. Serve with additional crackers, chips, or even fresh-cut vegetables. It goes great with burgers and hot dogs, or you could serve it as a before-dinner appetizer or a snack for watching fireworks.
19. Spinach and Berry Salad
This delicious salad is the perfect side for chicken or ribs. It’s got baby spinach, blueberries, strawberries, and almonds and is topped off with a homemade dressing made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, sesame and poppy seeds, minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. You just whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and then allow it to chill for about an hour or so. When it’s ready, just mix your spinach, berries, and almonds in a large bowl and pour the dressing over. Toss, and you are ready to serve. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and crunchy.
20. Patriotic Taco Salad
Ok, so taco salad may not be your first thought when it comes to side dishes, but this one will go perfectly with those burgers and hot dogs. Plus, it looks like a flag, so it’s a great choice for your 4th of July cookouts. You basically layer the ingredients to create a flag, and you’ll need ground beef, onion, tomato paste, taco seasoning, shredded lettuce, large olives, shredded cheddar cheese, and tomatoes. You can use tortilla chips or corn chips. What’s so great about this one, aside from the fact that it’s a taco salad, is that it works well as a chip and dip dish, so you can use it as a side dish or an appetizer.
21. Red, White, and Black Bean Salad
If you love bean salads, this red, white, and black bean salad is perfect. It’s got black beans, cannellini beans, green onions, Roma tomatoes, and a great combination of red pepper, salsa, red wine vinegar, and cilantro. You just rinse the beans, chop and dice the fresh veggies, and then drizzle the salsa and red wine vinegar over the top. It’s a great dish to go along with any main dish that you are planning to serve, particularly chicken dishes. You can add salt and pepper to taste, and if you like other seasonings, try those as well.
22. Red, White, and Blue Baked Potato Chips
Imagine serving your guests red, white, and blue potato chips. Now imagine that they’re healthier than normal chips because you bake them yourself. Yes, you can. You make them from red, white, and blue potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, parsley, and a few other seasonings if you want, like rosemary, marjoram, or thyme. You could just play around with seasonings and create your own special flavor. You can serve these with any of your homemade dip choices or just mix together some sour cream and chives. They’re crispy and light, and because they’re baked, they don’t contain nearly the fat content of regular potato chips. Plus, they’re patriotic.
23. Patriotic Pasta Salad
Give your cookout a patriotic flair with this 4th of July Pasta Salad! Twists of rotini pasta are dyed red and blue, then tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, cubed mozzarella, savory pepperoni, and chopped black olives for a colorful, festive dish. Everything is coated in zesty Italian dressing, making each bite bright and flavorful. Optional extras like salami, red onion, red bell pepper, radish, or purple cabbage can take it even further. This fun, crowd-pleasing salad is the perfect side to complement burgers, grilled meats, or any summer feast.
24. Star-Shaped Homemade Tortilla Chips
These homemade star tortillas are perfect with hamburgers and hot dogs. You just need tortillas, and you can choose between corn and flour. You also need a star-shaped cookie cutter and a baking sheet. The toppings can vary, and the dip that goes along with them is absolutely divine. It’s got paprika, garbanzo beans (or chickpeas), tahini, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, and chopped leeks. You could also just serve your tortilla stars with salsa or any other homemade dip that you prefer. They’re great as an appetizer or to go along with your burgers and hot dogs, and they’re star-shaped, so they’re the perfect patriotic dish.
25. Red, White, and Blue Slaw Salad
Not only is this red, white, and blue slaw patriotic, but it’s also a wonderful twist on traditional coleslaw. It’s got shredded cabbage and coleslaw dressing just like your grandma used to make, but that’s where the similarities end. This one also has bacon bits, blue cheese, and halved cherry tomatoes, which make it pretty and delicious. You basically make the coleslaw like you normally would, but before you chill it, add the cheese, bacon, and tomatoes. You can even use the tomato halves to decorate it just a bit to make it really special. You may never go back to plain coleslaw again.
26. Bean Tomato Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
With summer comes so many wonderfully fresh vegetables, and you can use them to create this delicious bean and tomato salad. It’s got dried beans of whatever type you prefer, minced red onion, tomatoes, green beans, cider vinegar, honey, canola oil, basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. It’s a great combination of flavors that will go really well with chicken, beef, or pork, so you can serve it alongside any main course that you are planning to make. The honey and cider vinegar give it a great sweet and sour taste, and it takes literally only minutes to put together.
27. BLT Pasta Salad
This pasta salad recipe has a beautiful color and a wonderful crunch thanks to the crispy crumbled bacon. You can use bacon bits, but we recommend that you use real bacon bits and not those fake ones if you want the same flavor. It also has cheese tortellini, fresh garlic, dry ranch dip mix, baby spinach, and halved grape tomatoes. You just cook the pasta, mix it with the dressing ingredients, and then toss in the tomatoes and baby spinach before you top it all off with the bacon crumbles. This one will go great with any other foods, so it’s the perfect side dish no matter what you are planning to serve.
28. Grilled Beet Salad with Almonds and Cranberries
Grilled beets? Really? You may not think that beets are the perfect side dish, but we’re willing to bet that you’ll change your mind after you try this delicious salad. You need some fresh beets, olive oil, spring mix or lettuce, salt and pepper to taste, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and some balsamic dressing. Just slice the beets, brush them with olive oil, and then lay them on a hot grill for about 7 or 8 minutes. When they’re done, you just lay your chosen greens out on a plate, cover with the warm beets, and then top with dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and your favorite balsamic dressing.
29. Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
A little Parmesan and olive oil turn ordinary sliced tomatoes into the perfect side dish. You need slices of tomatoes (the number depends on how many people you are serving), freshly grated parmesan, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. You simply lay the tomatoes on a baking pan in a single file and then top with parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle each of them with olive oil and then bake for about 15 minutes. These are great to accompany chicken, ribs, steaks, or burgers and hot dogs, and are sure to become a favorite at your cookouts.
30. Broccoli Grape Salad
Bright, crunchy, and full of flavor, this Broccoli Grape Salad is the perfect patriotic side dish. Crisp broccoli florets and sweet halved grapes are tossed with diced red onion, creamy mayo and sour cream, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and a touch of sugar for the perfect balance. Crumbled feta cheese and roasted sunflower seeds add tang and crunch, making every bite irresistible. Quick to assemble and bursting with color, it’s a crowd-pleaser for any summer cookout or holiday feast.
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