30 4th Of July Side Dishes You Will Want To Make All Summer

On the 4th of July, you should gather together family and friends to celebrate some great weather and the most patriotic of occasions.

That should mean a barbecue and you will need the grill to create some of these delicious side dishes.

For your next Independence Day, think of what meat and vegetables to grill but also what should go with them. That could be Baked Beans, Mac and Cheese, or some fresh salads.

In this guide, we will detail 30 4th of July side dishes you will want to make all summer. We will also include a bonus section specifically for potato salads.

1. Mac And Cheese

The side dish to rule them all, Mac And Cheese. Cook macaroni until just firmer than al dente then drain and set aside.

Whisk together butter and flour to create a roux then gradually add mustard and milk while whisking and pour around a quarter of the mixture into a beaten egg, still while whisking. 

Add shredded cheese to melt with salt and pepper then combine with the macaroni. You can either serve it from the pot or transfer it to a baking dish to top with cheese and bake until the cheese has melted.  

2. Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

This Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad is so simple and fresh that you will want to serve it immediately. Half some cherry tomatoes, then mix with mozzarella balls, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir in basil leaves and serve.

3. Caprese Salad

For some red, white, and blue, try this Caprese Salad. The red is from bright cherry tomatoes, the blue comes from blueberries, and the white is mozzarella cheese that you can cut up into stars with a cookie cutter. 

Half the cherry tomatoes and add to a mixing bowl with the blueberries, freshly torn basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Top the Caprese Salad with the mozzarella stars and then season.   

4. Watermelon Blueberry Salad

Yes, this Watermelon Blueberry Salad also represents the red, white, and blue. Start by cutting the watermelon into small pieces then adding them to rinsed blueberries.

Heat up the honey and balsamic vinegar in a pan until bubbling and reduced then leave to cool. Once ready to serve, crumble over the feta cheese and pour over the balsamic glaze or leave it on the side.

5. Red, White, And Blue Fruit Salad

Another version of the red, white, and blue (maybe yellow as it is banana) is this fruit salad which is ideal for the 4th of July. You could even try serving it as a light dessert after all the meat and vegetables have been served.

Wash the blueberries and strawberries then chop the latter in half while slicing the banana into chunks. Whisk together honey and freshly squeezed lime juice then pour it over to coat and serve immediately. 

6. Grilled Asparagus

Ensure that the grill is nice and hot to create some excellent char marks on your asparagus spears.

Coat the spears with olive oil and then sprinkle on some salt before grilling directly. The spears should only take between two and four minutes. 

7. Grilled Corn On The Cob

When you have the barbecue on, you would be rude not to grill some corn on the cob. Make sure that the grill is nice and hot then brush with avocado oil if you are grilling the corn ears without the husk.

Grill with the lid closed but rotate the corn to create even charring. Remove from the grill and top with butter and seasoning.

8. Grilled Watermelon

You can find refreshment for your 4th of July celebration from some Grilled Watermelon which may be a relief from meat and vegetables.

Oil your grill grates and wait for them to hit a high heat, something between 450 and 500°F is ideal. Combine salt, sugar, and lime zest then sprinkle the mixture over the watermelon wedges to cover both sides.

Press in paper towels to remove any excess moisture then grill until marked, which should take around three minutes per side. 

9. Broccoli Salad

Make sure you chop the broccoli into small florets and smoke up the almonds for this interesting salad. The dressing is also worth looking out for as mayonnaise combines with apple cider vinegar, sugar, and black pepper.

10. Wedge Salad With Blue Cheese

You can guarantee that there will be some iceberg lettuce at a 4th of July gathering so you should treat it properly.

Cut the head of iceberg lettuce into four wedges and place them on a plate with crumbled blue cheese, salt, pepper, diced red onion, and quartered cherry tomatoes.

You will need some more crumbled blue cheese for the dressing which is whisked with sour cream, lemon juice, plain yogurt, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over the dressing and serve straight away.  

11. Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

For a warming side dish, create a Cheesy Zucchini Casserole. There is a welcome crunch from Panko breadcrumbs, tang from sharp Cheddar cheese, and a creamy sauce from heavy cream and eggs. 

12. BLT Pasta Salad

Yes, a BLT Pasta Salad. You can use ranch seasoning mix for a lot of the flavor with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Crisp up the bacon, thinly slice Romaine lettuce, and serve with halved grape tomatoes for this indulgent salad.

13. Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

With a creamy Ranch dressing, this pasta salad goes really well with grilled meat at a summer barbecue. Boil the pasta until al dente, drain, rinse, and set aside.

Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch mix, milk, and garlic powder in a separate bowl for your dressing.

Place the pasta in a bowl with cooked and chopped bacon, diced tomato, sliced olives, and shredded Cheddar cheese, pour on the dressing, and toss to combine.

14. Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta salads should be quick and easy, especially when you are using pesto. Cook the fusilli pasta in salted water, drain, and rinse with cold water then place in a bowl to stir in the pesto.

Fold in halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cubes, and add some seasoning. If the mixture seems a little dry, add some olive oil before covering it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

15. Chipotle Pasta Salad

This is a tangy and filling side dish which makes great use of adobo sauce. Cook the pasta and then drain, rinse, and set aside.

Combine whole milk with mayonnaise then add white vinegar, stirring until smooth before adding the adobo sauce, salt, and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the pasta then add English cucumber, halved cherry or yellow grape tomatoes, with cubed mozzarella, stir to combine, and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

16. Fireworks Pasta Salad

Another pasta salad is this Fireworks Pasta Salad which uses tubetti pasta that needs to be cooked and then drained. In a bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, freshly squeezed lime juice, sugar, cayenne pepper, and paprika.

Chop up some spicy dill pickles, and celery, mince some red onion, slice up green onions and roasted peppers from a jar then add the dressing to the pasta.

Throw on some chopped cilantro, season to taste, and refrigerate well before serving. 

17. Classic Macaroni Salad

To be more specific on pasta, try this Classic Macaroni Salad. Cook and drain the macaroni pasta as you would normally, then mix in a bowl with chopped celery, onion, as well as red and green bell pepper.

For your dressing, whisk together apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, salt, pepper, and mustard. Pour it over the pasta and vegetables, mix it up and then refrigerate for at least four hours for the flavors to combine.

18. Corn And Black Bean Salsa

You can use cans of black beans and tomatoes for this salsa though fresh corn kernels can make a big difference.

A lot of the flavor comes from freshly squeezed lime juice, a jalapeño pepper, cumin, and garlic. Use some tortilla chips for guests to snack on.

19. Colorful Coleslaw

Of course, a bowl of Coleslaw is pretty much a staple at a 4th of July gathering. Thinly slice up green and purple cabbage, sweet peppers, and carrots then combine them in a bowl.

In a bowl, combine whole milk, mayonnaise, sugar, white vinegar, salt, and hot sauce then pour over the vegetables and toss about. Add cilantro leaves then refrigerate for a couple of hours before seasoning and serving. 

20. Ranch Chopped Salad

For a simple salad, cook bacon until crispy then drain on paper towels. Create a dressing from parsley, mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, buttermilk, and garlic then season.

In a bowl, combine scallions, grape tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, bacon, and shredded Cheddar cheese. Pour over the dressing, stir to combine then sprinkle with more cheese.

21. Rotisserie Chicken Salad

If you are grilling up some chicken as part of your 4th of July celebration then you can use it up in this salad.

Whip up some heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form then combine with the diced chicken, sliced grapes, almonds, chopped celery, mayonnaise, and salt, and top it off with chopped parsley. 

22. Poblano Potato Bundles

Poblano Potato Bundles are a side dish you can cook on the grill with the rest of your grilled treats.

Toss potato chunks in chopped onion, thinly sliced poblano chile peppers, melted butter, heavy cream, garlic granules, paprika, chopped parsley, kosher salt, and pepper.

Divide the mixture and place into foil packets then seal up and grill until tender. 

23. Grilled Hasselback Potatoes

Grilled Hasselback Potatoes look great, are easy to do, and provide an interesting side dish for a 4th of July celebration.

You can also prepare these ahead of time so slice the potatoes crosswise, about a quarter of an inch apart but not completely through the skin.

Rinse, dry, and fan them apart then stuff in some butter between the slices and brush the bottom of the potatoes with olive oil.

Once you are ready to make them, wrap them in a foil packet and grill until crispy, you may want to open the foil up for the final 15 to 20 minutes.  

24. Barbecue Baked Beans

Barbecue Baked Beans is a dreamy and versatile side dish as it goes so well with burgers and pasta salads.

Plus, you can get it started early by combining beans, onion, brown sugar, yellow mustard, ketchup, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bake uncovered for around an hour then leave them to stand for 20 minutes. 

25. Three Bean Salad

For a fresh and refreshing side dish for the 4th of July, create a batch of this Three Bean Salad. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add some salt and cook the green beans until tender yet still with a crunch.

Drain, rinse, and chop into one-inch pieces before creating a dressing from whisked red wine vinegar, olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Throw in the green beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, red onion, celery, and parsley then toss to combine before serving. 

26. Asparagus Salad

With a zingy lemon vinaigrette, this Asparagus Salad should impress your guests. Steam the asparagus in boiling water then shock the spears in ice water once cooked then chop them into two-inch pieces.

With enough time, you can marinate the asparagus in a lemon vinaigrette which is simply lemon juice mixed with sugar then olive oil, salt, and pepper. Top with scallions, and radishes, then toss to combine. 

27. Grilled Corn Salad

For this tasty grilled salad, brush the corn ears and onion rings with olive oil then cover with seasoning before charring on the barbecue.

Leave to cool and then blitz freshly squeezed lime juice and cilantro while gradually adding some more olive oil to create a dressing.

Chop up with onion and shuck the corn before combining with yellow tomatoes, avocados, pinto beans, and pimientos then drizzle with the dressing.

28. Cucumber Tomato Salad

Occasionally, the best salads are the ones that are the simplest. This one is simply thinly sliced cucumbers and red onion mixed with wedges of Roma tomatoes and diced avocados.

Chopped parsley is added with a flavorful dressing of olive oil, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Mix together and leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

29. Zucchini Noodle Salad

You will want to get the spiralizer out for this delicious Zucchini Noodle Salad. Spiralize a few zucchinis then add to chopped bacon, fresh basil, and halved grape tomatoes.

Create your dressing from whisked together lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour it over, toss it about, and serve.

30. Caesar Salad Spears

If a full Caesar Salad is a bit much, simply stick with the spears. Create croutons from cubed French bread left to bake with olive oil, salted butter, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and pepper.

Create a dressing from blitzed olive oil and garlic with anchovies then add balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Once smooth add Parmesan cheese then drizzle over Romaine lettuce spears, top with croutons, and even more shaved Parmesan cheese.

Bonus Section: Potato Salad

To add some flavorful substance to your array of side dishes, throw in a potato salad. This could be a Red Potato Salad, a traditional Potato Salad, or a Jalapeño Pepper Potato Salad. 

Red Potato Salad

Let’s start with some color and a strictly Red Potato Salad for a bold side dish. Cook the red potatoes in hot water until fork tender then drain, leave to cool, and cut up into pieces.

In a bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper. Add in chopped celery, dill, and cooked bacon slices to toss with the red potatoes. 

Potato Salad

A Potato Salad is one of those great sides that can really bulk up a plate. Start by peeling and then dicing Russet Potatoes then boiling until al dente, you do not want to create mashed potatoes.

Drain and leave them to cool while you hard boil eggs and mix them with dill pickles, dill pickle juice, diced onion, and yellow mustard. Combine with the cooled potatoes, season to taste, and plate up. 

Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad

You will want to get some more Russet potatoes fork tender for this tasty potato salad.

Mash up the potatoes then place them into a bowl with pickled jalapeños and brine, mayonnaise, crisp bacon, shredded Cheddar cheese, hard-boiled eggs, yellow mustard, sweet gherkins, scallions, salt, and pepper.

Fold them together and you can either serve it warm or chilled with more chopped bacon and scallions.

Can any of the Holiday Dips be used as a 4th of July Side Dish?

Looking for a 4th of July side dish? Look no further! While most holiday dips are traditionally served on different occasions, there are versatile options that can suit your Independence Day celebrations too. Simply whip up some delicious holiday dips you won’t be able to resist, and they can definitely be used as a tasty addition to your backyard BBQ or picnic spread for the 4th of July.

Final Thoughts

Though you should focus on the barbecue for your 4th of July celebration, a few select side dishes can make a world of difference. This is especially true if some of your guests are vegetarians as you can still cater to their needs.

That may mean a filling potato or pasta salad, or maybe some warming Zucchini Casserole or Baked Beans. You can even use the grill for cooking potatoes or asparagus. 

Frequently Asked Questions