Everyday Cooking Seasonal Summer Side Dishes 20 Easy Summer Side Dishes to Make With 5 Ingredients or Fewer When the days get hot and our will to cook wears out, use these recipes to whip up easy sides for your summer meals. By Hannah Klinger Hannah Klinger Hannah Klinger is a writer, editor, and content manager at Savory Magazine. She has a passion for helping home cooks build their confidence in the kitchen with hacks, how-tos, and guides to inspire them to try something new. She's contributed to America's Test Kitchen, Cooking Light, Food & Wine, EatingWell, and more. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on July 31, 2024 Close Photo: lutzflcat Summer cooking is all about keeping it simple so you can spend less time in a hot kitchen and more time having fun. These fuss-free side dishes make it easy to enjoy every moment of the summer season, from your weeknight dinner to your cookout, potluck, or picnic. All use just five ingredients or fewer (salt, pepper, and cooking oil are considered freebies). You'll find several dishes that celebrate produce at its peak (like stone fruit, tomatoes, basil, and corn), as well as staple dishes like potato fries and deviled eggs. Summer doesn't get much simpler or more delicious. 01 of 21 Oven-Baked Potato Fries Baking Nana If frozen French fries are your cookout go-to, give these homemade, oven-baked fries a try. The golden, crispy spuds are seasoned with thyme and grated Cheddar. We love recipe creator Denise's suggestion to make these with your kids. View Recipe 02 of 21 Grilled Green Beans While the brats and burgers are on the grill, why not grill your veggie side as well? Here, garlic-marinated green beans pick up fantastic charred flavor as they cook. Serve as a simple side, toss into a pasta salad, or use for dunking into a cool, creamy dip. View Recipe 03 of 21 Parmesan-Roasted Tomatoes Butch Chandler When summer tomatoes are at their peak, this five-ingredient recipe is the perfect way to show them off. They roast whole under a blanket of Parmesan cheese until just shy of fall-apart tender, so you can eat them with a knife and fork. Serve with any meat or vegetarian main. View Recipe 04 of 21 Grilled Romaine Trusted Brands Lettuce on the grill? Of course! Crisp romaine gets fantastic smokiness from just five minutes on the grill. Steak seasoning bumps up the savory flavor. Drizzle with your favorite Caesar dressing, and this side is ready for the table. View Recipe 05 of 21 Brazilian Grilled Pineapple dotdash meredith food studios "These grilled pineapple slices are a favorite at a Brazilian steakhouse in Dallas. Not sure if this is the exact recipe they use but it tastes very close. Great side for kabobs and steak." —SoccerNut View Recipe 06 of 21 Mexican Style Corn Kim's Cooking Now You'll never go back to plain buttered corn cobs after trying this Mexican street food–inspired version. The combo of creamy, salty, and smoky comes from mayo, Parmesan, and chili powder. Sweet corn is the perfect canvas for all three. View Recipe 07 of 21 Summer Squash Sauté with Bacon A bumper crop of zucchini and summer squash calls for a simple, versatile side, and this five-ingredient recipe fits the bill. The squash sautés with bacon and onion until crispy and tender. Serve with any summer main from fancier fish to grilled drumsticks. View Recipe 08 of 21 Quick and Easy Grilled Potatoes abbaple Over 170 five-star ratings can't be wrong. This simple recipe is a winner. We include it as a five-ingredient recipe, though it really counts as one (oil, salt, and pepper are freebies), so feel free to toss with crispy bacon, scallions, herbs, or cheese. View Recipe 09 of 21 Oven Baked Zucchini Fries Scotdog These zucchini fries might just give potatoes a run for their money. They bake with a cheesy breadcrumb coating until tender but still sturdy enough to dip. Keep the Italian theme going and dip the fries in warm marinara sauce. View Recipe 10 of 21 Watermelon and Blue Cheese Salad Christina Swap your usual watermelon wedges for this beautiful, refreshing salad. Tart balsamic, fresh mint, and funky blue cheese all complement the juicy-sweet melon. It might just become your new summer staple. View Recipe 11 of 21 Baba Ghanoush LYNNINMA Escape to the Mediterranean with this traditional eggplant-based dip. While this recipe calls to roast the eggplant, you could also grill it whole for added smokiness. Serve with your favorite veggie dippers or pita chips. View Recipe 12 of 21 Broccoli Slaw SML Nana Cabbage slaw has met its match with this broccoli-based version. Here, raisins are upgraded to dried cranberries and almonds to pistachios. Store-bought slaw mix and bottled dressing mean you just need to toss it all together. View Recipe 13 of 21 Quick Savory Grilled Peaches Jennifer Baker Grilled peaches straddle the line between sweet and savory: Reviewers have paired them with pork chops or with vanilla ice cream. Juicy and caramelized from the grill, this stone fruit needs just a sprinkle of fresh herbs to shine. View Recipe 14 of 21 BLT Pasta Salad lutzflcat "I'm always asked to bring this recipe to potlucks," says creator Kristy Hopkins. If only they knew it had just five ingredients and was so simple to make! She tosses pasta with the classic sandwich components and a zesty ranch dressing. View Recipe 15 of 21 Classic Savory Deviled Eggs naples34102 No picnic or potluck is complete without deviled eggs. This five-ingredient recipe keeps it classic with a little garlic powder for savoriness and an optional dill garnish. You might want to make extra, as a dozen will disappear in a flash. View Recipe 16 of 21 Grilled Corn Salad Corn goes from cob to side salad in this five-ingredient dish. Grilling softens the kernels slightly and adds lots of smoky char. Red, yellow, purple, green...this recipe brings a rainbow of color to your cookout plate. View Recipe 17 of 21 Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad ALLRECIPES This salad is almost too beautiful to eat. Ripe peaches go so well with basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomato (a classic Italian trio). The hardest part of this recipe? Trying not to eat it all before you've finished assembling everything on the platter. View Recipe 18 of 21 Refrigerator Dill Pickles DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS You won't believe how easy it is to make pickle spears at home and how great they taste. This refrigerated version uses dill and whole garlic cloves to flavor the cucumbers. Serve with burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches all summer long. View Recipe 19 of 21 Glazed Carrots Allrecipes A simple side dish that offers some sweetness and pop to your plate, these glazed carrots are made with butter, brown sugar, salt, and white pepper. "These caramelized carrots are a definite kid-pleaser, but they're elegant enough to impress the adults as well," says recipe creator Tricia McTamaney. View Recipe 20 of 21 Easy Fried Zucchini Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Using buttery crackers like ritz and two eggs, the dredge for this recipe is surprisingly simple. The side dish can pair with almost any meal, comes together quick and can be served with marinara sauce or ranch dressing. View Recipe 21 of 21 Find More Summer Side Dishes LatinaCook See our complete collection of Summer Side Dish Recipes. 25 Fourth of July Side Dishes for Your Cookout 16 Quick, Healthy Sides for Perfect Summer Picnics & BBQs Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit