Healthy Braai and BBQ Side Dish Ideas for a Crowd
Healthy Braai and BBQ Side Dish Ideas for a Crowd. Easy salads, fresh vegetable sides, make-ahead recipes, and crowd pleasing favorites.
Healthy Braai and BBQ Side Dish Ideas for a Crowd
Planning a braai or backyard BBQ? The right side dishes can take your meal from simple to unforgettable. Whether you’re serving burgers, ribs, steaks, chicken, or boerewors, these easy braai and BBQ side dishes pair perfectly with all your grilled favorites.
From healthy salads and cold make-ahead recipes to warm roasted vegetables, finger foods, and hearty comfort-food classics, you’ll find plenty of ideas for feeding family and friends. Whether you’re hosting a summer cookout or a cozy winter braai, these delicious side dishes are sure to be a hit. Find more ideas in Side Dishes recipes.
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Warm Side Dishes
Winter braai or barbecue can be done under cover or standing around the fire to keep warm, adding some warm or hot casseroles dishes to compliment the meats grilled.
Grilled Sliced Button Mushroom Kebabs
Grilled Sliced Button Mushroom Kebabs recipe idea for a braai or barbecue. A healthy and tasty side dish or appetizer on skewers for a meal.
Baked Potato in Foil on Coals recipe for a braai or a barbecue on hot grill. Potato with skin on in foil baked on coals as a side dish idea. A sweet potato recipe –> Foiled Sweet Potato on Coals
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower Steaks
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower Steaks with Cheese on top recipe. Easy vegetable side dish flavored with turmeric and parmesan oven baked.
Braai or Grill Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
How to Braai or Grill Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms recipe on a fire. Easy appetizer or starter idea, or warm side dish with cheese and herbs.
Grilled Corn on a Braai or Barbecue
Grilled Corn on a Braai or Barbecue recipe idea for a side dish. Mielies is what the traditional South African call it eaten with butter.
Homemade Garlic Braai Loaf recipe. Easy idea of a loaf, sliced stuffed with garlic, butter and parmesan cheese for starters, grilled in foil.
Toasted Braai Grilled Sandwiches
Toasted Braai Grilled Sandwiches recipe ideas. The Best South African grilled cheese, tomato and onion filling on coals or barbecue idea.
Creamy Garlic Potato Casserole
Creamy Garlic Potato Casserole recipe. Best easy 3 ingredient warm side dish idea for a braai, dinner or lunch, oven baked budget meal.
The Tasty Vegetable Dish recipe oven baked. An easy healthy vegetable casserole that can be made ahead with veggies as a side dish.
Cold Salads as a side dish
Salads are summer side dishes or winter dishes. They include pasta and vegetables with herbs and leaves, with sauces and dressings. These may be created in large quantities. Great to make ahead so you can socialize with the guests at your outdoor braai or barbecue to go with meats and other dishes.
Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe idea for a cold side dish. Contains apple cider vinegar and mayo with sour cream, mustard. Quick and popular dish.
Fresh Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe idea for a full meal in the summer. Protein and pasta with fresh salad for a side dish or complete meal.
Healthy Cucumber Kimchi Salad recipe. A traditional Korean fermented vegetable side dish and is always served with meals as a side dish.
Creamy Sour Cream Cucumber Salad
Creamy Sour Cream Cucumber Salad recipe with Feta and fresh Mint for a cold side dish. Healthy and lemon juice brings the tangy flavors.
Simple Pasta Salad and Dressing
Simple Pasta Salad and Dressing recipe idea. An easy cold salad side dish to put together for braai or meals with a vinaigrette dressing.
A Fresh Pomegranate Feta Salad recipe with grilled peaches and spinach leaves. A side dish or breakfast meal drizzled with a honey dressing.
Crunchy Coleslaw Salad and Sauce recipe idea to add to braai’s, barbecue meals as a cold side dish. Healthy summer salad with dressings.
Creamy Potato Salad Recipe for a summer braai or barbecue grill side dish. Easy healthy potato salad mustard, mayo dressing grandma made.
The best Tasty Curry Beetroot Chutney recipe bottled to store. Easy South African salad, canned for a side dish, with apple cider vinegar.
Tasty Beetroot Salad Recipe idea for a side dish. Healthy dressing with honey mustard and bite size veggies to plate with meals or grills.
Beetroot Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Beetroot Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing recipe idea. Healthy roasted beet sides for main meals with honey, dijon, cider dressing.
Simple Tomato and Onion Salad recipe with spiced balsamic dressing. Easy side dish idea for a braai, barbecue, healthy South African recipe.
Best Greek Salad Recipe with a dressing, tossed together with lettuce. An easy and crunchy cold side dish in a bowl for braai, barbecue meals.
Three Bean Salad and Dressing recipe is quick an easy side dish. The three beans with onion, celery, and parsley and best salad and dressing.
Mustard Curry Green Beans Salad recipe. A cold side dish or pickled salad, easily bottled for storage and served with braai or main meals.
Corn and Black Bean Salad recipe with avocado and lime dressing. A healthy vegan or vegetarian cold side dish for braai or barbecue meals.
FAQ’s for Side Dishes
A braai is the South African tradition of cooking food over an open flame, while a BBQ typically refers to grilling or barbecuing in the United States. Both are social gatherings centered around delicious grilled food and great side dishes.
Popular BBQ side dishes include potato salad, pasta salad, coleslaw, garlic bread, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, bean salads, and fresh green salads.
Vegetables that work well on the braai include corn, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, asparagus, and vegetable skewers.
For a family braai, 3 to 4 side dishes are usually enough. For larger gatherings, consider offering 5 to 7 side dishes with a mix of hot, cold, healthy, and hearty options.
Warm potato bakes, roasted vegetables, creamy mac and cheese, baked beans, butternut dishes, and warm bread are excellent choices for winter braais.
Braai Side Dish Tips
- Include a mix of hot and cold side dishes for variety.
- Prepare salads a day ahead to save time on braai day.
- Offer at least one healthy vegetable-based option.
- Choose side dishes that can serve a crowd if you’re entertaining.
- Keep finger foods available for guests while the meat is cooking.
- Seasonal vegetables are often the freshest and most affordable choice.
- For winter braais, balance fresh salads with warm comfort-food sides.
Recommendations
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Fathers day braai or barbecue
Side dish recipe ideas for a BBQ or Braai
- Make Ahead Summer Side Dishes for BBQs
- 10 Best Braai Salad Side Dishes
- Warm Side Dishes for Meals and
- 25 Vegetarian Braai or Barbecue Recipes
- 24 Easy Veggie Side Dish Recipes
- 27 Thanksgiving Side Dishes
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