See the 12 best BBQ side dishes

Discover the 12 best BBQ side dishes

Grilling is an event: the grill master always wants to have everything prepared and please everyone who gathers around the grill, things that are not always easy to do.

Creating that respectable gastronomic experience requires varying the flavors, which further enhance the richness of the meat and provide an opportunity to harmonize the most diverse dishes. It sounds like a lot of responsibility, doesn't it?

But don't worry! In this Cutelaria CIMO post, you will find 12 side dishes that are a hit at different types of barbecue. These are practical and delicious recipes for all tastes and types of meat. Enjoy your reading!

How to choose the ideal BBQ side dish?

It's worth investing in more than one side dish for your barbecue. Meat is, naturally, a food with a lot of flavor complexity, presenting, in addition to great juiciness (umami), many possibilities for flavor profiles as it can be seasoned with elements ranging from savory to acidic, according to the ingredients.

And the best way to explore all these flavor possibilities is by adding different textures and flavors as side dishes for the barbecue. They can make all the difference because they offer contrasts to make the flavors more varied and elaborate, whet the appetite, or "line" the stomach. The list of possibilities is enormous, so we have already separated 12 of the best options for you to explore:

1. Garlic bread

We need to start with the most famous of all BBQ side dishes. It's not uncommon for garlic bread to run out even before the meat during a barbecue — and it couldn't be otherwise: it's a barbecue side dish with a light and crispy dough, with a creamy, flavorful filling and a tangy touch that is ideal for pairing with fattier cuts.

Garlic bread already has many versions: with cheese, with Calabrian pepper, onion cream, cream cheese, and much more. It's easy to find in various versions and so practical that it can be prepared at home, every day. The chef's creativity is the limit when seasoning the filling.

2. Coalho cheese

Another barbecue favorite is the coalho cheese skewer. It's mild for all palates, has a delicious texture, and is good at all doneness levels. Not surprisingly, it reaches its greatest potential precisely on the grill, acquiring that characteristic smoky taste along with the unmistakable golden crust.

In addition to pairing very well with all kinds of condiments, such as molasses, honey, and even spicy and sour condiments, it is a very easy-to-find delicacy and even easier to prepare, another great option for vegetarian guests who consume dairy products.

3. Potato salad

Ideal for contrasting the flavors of the meat, potato salad is a traditional delicacy in all Brazilian grandmothers' homes. The recipe only requires a little goodwill to mash the potatoes together with the widest variety of vegetables you can imagine.

The result is a colorful barbecue side dish with a creamy base, but which brings together a diversity of flavors and textures. Not by chance, this side dish is the best friend of Gaucho barbecue, one of the most traditional types of barbecue in the country.

4. Seasoned farofa

Another great companion of Brazilian cuisine that allows you to go beyond ready-made farofas and create your own combination, with chopped sausages, chives, pepper, and whatever you have on hand. Most families have their own flour recipe.

Regardless of the variations, seasonings, and proteins added to the farofa, it is always a great accompaniment for very juicy meats, pairing very well when preparing picanha, for example.

5. Pickles

Pickles are great snacks, especially with a classic beer. The prolonged flavor is an invitation to harmonize with meats, especially those more well-done, with more smoke, or fattier — considering the acidic notes presented by many pickles. Here is a brief list of pickles you can explore:

• Cucumber;

• Onions;

• Quail eggs;

• Palm heart;

• Potato;

• Carrot;

• Milder peppers, like biquinho.

All these alternatives bring, in addition to their own flavor, new textures and different notes to highlight all the good things that meat has to offer. Find your favorite pickles and always have a true trump card on hand!

6. Cassava (Mandioca)

And speaking of trump cards, one of the main wild cards of Brazilian cuisine is cassava, consumed in the most diverse ways. If you haven't yet had the great idea of grilling some pieces of cassava, don't waste any more time! The textures offered combine with the slightly sweet flavor to beautifully accompany rarer and more fibrous meats.

The main tip from Cutelaria CIMO for this iconic barbecue side dish is to explore using olive oil or even seasoned butter to brush on the root before taking it to the grill. This is because, in addition to adding even more flavor to the cassava, this option helps to create a crispy, golden, and very tasty crust!

7. Pineapple and honey jam

Now we come to the most radical part of mixing flavors that seem so different. The texture of the jam on the meat, along with the intervals of spiciness from the pepper, will addict your palate.

Thicker cuts, such as rib-eye, demand a good accompaniment to provide favorable flavor complexity and are good bases for jams, considering that these larger pieces with distinct flavors are not overshadowed by the equally present sweetness and spiciness of the compote. It's a sweet and sour proposal ideal for those who like potent flavors.

8. Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette is another immortal tradition, especially in São Paulo barbecue, which goes very well with a well-seasoned farofa and, once again, with fatty meats — ideal for balancing with the acidity proposed by the vinegar.

Choose very crunchy vegetables and chop them into easy-to-chew pieces; using cold water preserves this crunchiness more. Also, prefer to use the freshest ingredients possible to bring a light and refreshing aspect to the meal.

9. Vegetable skewers

Taking advantage of the vegetables you bought for the vinaigrette, you will also please the vegans at the barbecue with a special selection of vegetables, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions.

Alternating pieces of cut vegetables with cubes of firmer and less fatty meats — often cheaper — is an excellent way to add flavor and juiciness to these less utilized pieces, as the liquid from the vegetables will come into contact with the meat fibers and give the meat much more flavor!

10. Salpicão (Chicken salad)

Salpicão, similar to mayonnaise, is another classic Sunday barbecue side dish across Brazil. The dish combines creaminess, variety of textures, and flavors that appeal to palates from children to the most seasoned!

You know that leaner, milder-flavored cut? Well, it can be the ideal partner to pair with salpicão, considering that despite the flavors of the chicken and other seasonings present, the cream ends up balancing and bringing lightness to the dish. The result is a partnership with contrasting tastes that remain balanced and pleasant.

11. Greek-style rice (Arroz à grega)

Greek-style rice is a barbecue side dish that, on its own, can bring together enough tastes, textures, and ingredients to accompany a good piece of meat. This recipe can combine a variety of vegetables — the most traditional being broccoli, corn, carrots, and yellow bell peppers — seasonings like herbs and even butter, cream cheese, and/or grated Parmesan cheese to add flavor and creaminess to the dish.

Such a wide range of possibilities gathered in a single recipe ends up making Greek-style rice another possible wild card for your barbecue, going well with basically every type of meat.

12. BBQ sauces

Finally, we have the unforgettable barbecue sauces. A good sauce is the grill master's darling, a guaranteed success to accompany meats. Among the many options available, three unforgettable homemade options stand out:

• Garlic sauce: a base with cold milk and oil combined with minced garlic cloves results in classic, creamy sauces with unforgettable flavors;

• Red sauce: tomato, ketchup, and other seasonings and condiments are brought together to make a refreshing, light sauce that fluctuates between acidic and sweet;

• Spicy sauce: this is the next step from the red sauce, where peppers with flavor and heat level to the cook's taste are incorporated into the recipe to bring another layer of flavors and sensations to the palate.

So, did we save your barbecue? Tell us your favorite barbecue side dishes and your secret preparation in the comments! And now that you know all about the best barbecue side dishes, how about also specializing in the best seasonings for meat? Explore and master many more flavors in your preparations!

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