Food and Recipes Meat Beef 25 Side Dishes To Serve With BBQ Brisket By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on July 3, 2024 Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox If you know you'll be serving brisket for dinner, but you have no clue what to make to go with it, you've come to the right place. We have ideas for all kinds of brisket sides, from light and refreshing salads to comforting fried sides like Corn Fritters. We have recipes for classic Southern dishes like coleslaw and corn on the cob, but also fresh takes on familiar favorites, like a new spin on a tomato salad. Read on to see 25 tasty sides for brisket. 01 of 25 Classic Coleslaw Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Tangy and refreshing, a homemade coleslaw cuts through the fatty richness of brisket for a balanced meal. Get The Recipe 02 of 25 Best Homemade Macaroni And Cheese Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Mac and cheese is our favorite side to go with practically anything, but especially smoky brisket. Get The Recipe 03 of 25 Homemade Baked Beans Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman Never turn to store-bought baked beans again. This homemade version couldn't be easier and tastes 10 times better. Get The Recipe 04 of 25 Oven-Roasted Corn On The Cob PHOTOGRAPHER: FRED HARDY II, FOOD STYLIST: EMILY NABORS HALL, PROPS STYLIST: CHRISTINA BROCKMAN No matter the time of year, this oven-roasted corn hits the spot, especially when served alongside brisket and other classic barbecue sides. Get The Recipe 05 of 25 Creamy Broccoli Slaw Will Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee This easy slaw starts with a mix, but is dressed up with toasted pecans, golden raisins, and cider vinegar for nutty, sweet, and tangy flavor throughout. Get The Recipe 06 of 25 Creamy Cucumber Salad Hannah Zimmerman/Southern Living The combination of sour cream, mayonnaise, crunchy cucumbers, and sweet Vidalias makes for a super simple but flavorful side dish that goes perfectly with brisket. Get The Recipe 07 of 25 Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, And Onion Salad HANNAH ZIMMERMAN/SOUTHERN LIVING Sherry vinegar lightly pickles the onions, cucumber, and tomatoes in this zingy side salad that has the perfect fresh flavor to contrast and complement brisket. Get The Recipe 08 of 25 Heirloom Tomato Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox When heirloom tomatoes are at their best, you must make this salad. Simply dressed in a honey-Dijon vinaigrette, this salad lets the beautiful summer tomatoes shine. Get The Recipe 09 of 25 Corn And Tomato Salad Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox A creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing spiked with tart lime juice coats the fresh corn kernels and cherry tomatoes in this salad. It's the ideal refreshing side for serving with any type of hearty protein, like brisket. Get The Recipe 10 of 25 Smashed Oven-Fried Okra Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Crispy fried okra can double as an appetizer or side. No matter how you serve it, the Speedy Creole Comeback Sauce must be included for dipping. Get The Recipe 11 of 25 Cucumber-Tomato-Avocado Salad Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Creamy avocado and salty feta put a fresh spin on a classic cucumber and tomato salad that happens to go wonderfully with brisket. Get The Recipe 12 of 25 Southern Skillet Cornbread Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall A good pan of cornbread really goes with anything, but we love serving a steaming hot skillet of it alongside brisket. Get The Recipe 13 of 25 Broccoli Salad Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Broccoli salad shows up at most Southern potlucks and picnics, and for a good reason. The all-purpose side dish offers just the right amount of crunch and tang to cut through rich dishes, including brisket. Get The Recipe 14 of 25 Zesty Corn-And-Squash Salad Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray This just might be our favorite way to use up a bunch of extra summer squash. It requires no cooking and only takes 20 minutes of active hands-on work. Get The Recipe 15 of 25 Southern-Style Potato Salad Dotdash Meredith Tangy, creamy, crunchy, and rich, this potato salad has it all. It's the perfect complement to smoky brisket. Get The Recipe 16 of 25 7-Layer Salad Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Don't let the 7 layers intimidate you. It only takes 25 minutes to assemble this super simple salad. So grab your trifle dish, and start building! Get The Recipe 17 of 25 Grilled Corn Ribs Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Daley For a fun new way to enjoy corn on the cob, try these Grilled Corn Ribs. Although they don't contain any meat, their curled shape makes them an ideal finger food reminiscent of baby back ribs. Get The Recipe 18 of 25 Cowboy Pasta Salad VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLIST: EMILY NABORS HALL; PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINA DAILEY We think a loaded Cowboy Pasta Salad seems like a natural fit for brisket (especially when prepared Texas-style). It has a little bit of everything it, and includes a nice spicy kick. Get The Recipe 19 of 25 Texas-Style Baked Beans Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely What makes Texas baked beans different than your average baked beans? Well, it comes down to a little bit (or a lotta bit) of heat and using pinto beans rather than navy beans. Texas-Style Baked Beans 20 of 25 Three-Pickle Potato Salad Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Although some people don't even like a little bit of pickle relish in their potato salad, we have not only double, but tripled down on the pickle in this potato salad recipe. This version contains relish, chopped dill pickles, and spicy pickled okra too. Get The Recipe 21 of 25 Corn Fritters Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Serve these fritters hot and with a few dipping sauces like ranch, honey mustard, and barbecue. Get The Recipe 22 of 25 Tomato-And-Watermelon Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Two of the South's favorite summer fruits unite in this refreshing salad perfect for lightening up a heavy plate loaded with brisket. Get The Recipe 23 of 25 Cowboy Fried Corn Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Smoked paprika, a poblano pepper, and the heat of chili powder make this a zesty side dish perfect for serving with fatty brisket. Get The Recipe 24 of 25 Roasted Pepper-Tomato Salad With Crispy Black-Eyed Peas Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray You've likely made plenty of tomato salads in your life, but we bet none like this. Topped with crispy black-eyed peas, this new spin on a familiar format is a light and bright side dish perfect for enjoying with brisket. Get The Recipe 25 of 25 Classic Macaroni Salad With Ham Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to chill. Make it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge until the brisket is ready to serve. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit