The famous sandwich meat can live a happy life outside a bun if it gets a companion! If you’re wondering what pulled pork sides to serve, we’re not lacking choices! From delicious carbs to light and refreshing veggie-based sides, there’s an abundance of sides dishes to serve with pulled pork.
To be honest, most BBQ sides are an excellent match for the saucy meat. This includes classic dishes such as cornbread, mac & cheese, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and many others.
We’re going to explore some variations just to keep things interesting.
You’ll be hard pressed to go to a summer bbq and not see smoked pork butt that is smothered in an mouthwatering pulled pork rub as one of the main dishes being served. And why not? It’s packed with flavor, anyone can make it and it feeds a crowd with no problem. Neighborhood block party? Challenge accepted.
When you’re on the side dish duty for this cookout and you don’t want to bring what everyone else is going to bring or you want to level up and show your culinary muscle, these 17 sides are for you!
1. Garlic Parmesan Herb Butter Polenta Fries
Consider skipping the cornbread this time and give these amazing polenta fries a try!
They’re really easy to make and you’ll soon find they’re just as easy to eat.
2. Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
Can anyone refuse some warm and flaky biscuits next to their pulled pork? Heck, bring these to make pulled pork sandwiches that will blow away everyone at the table.
The biscuits are brushed with garlic butter after baking, which means they’re extra tasty.
3. Oven Roasted Honey Gold Potatoes
Pair your pulled pork with these buttery gold potatoes and a simple green salad for an elegant dinner.
A super easy recipe like this one is great for when you’re having guests and you’d rather spend most of the time with them instead of cooking.
4. Greek Rice
A light and flavorful pilaf recipe with a lemony kick and plenty of fresh herbs!
You can easily scale it to feed a crowd, and it goes well with many other meat-based mains.
5. Baby Red Potato Salad
Baby potatoes are scrumptious and, as a salad, they make a wonderful side dish for pulled pork. You know everyone else is bringing a traditional potato salad, so this mixes it up.
I appreciate this recipe being light on the mayo and I’m sure it would be yummy even with regular potatoes.
It tastes way better if you make it the night ahead, which means it’s a wonderful dish to prepare for picnics and potlucks.
6. Chipotle Pinto Beans
Pinto beans and pulled pork are my kind of comfort meal!
A one-pot recipe like this can be a lifesaver on busy days, especially since you don’t need to pre-soak the beans.
7. Baked Pasta With Spinach & Ricotta
This is a hearty side I would totally eat on its own as a meatless side.
Served with pulled pork, it makes a satisfying meal not even the pickiest eaters will able to refuse.
8. Air Fryer Blooming Onion
The Air Fryer makes blooming onion a far healthier snack and it will definitely add some enthusiasm to your pulled pork.
As impressive as it looks, it’s ready in 30 minutes from start to finish. I promise you’ll be making this over and over!
Cook a couple of these as your guests are arriving so that the piping hot onion just keeps being served fresh and hot.
9. Oven-Roasted Corn On The Cob
Don’t have a grill? Corn on the cob turns out amazing in the oven too!
Be generous when slathering your corn with garlic butter. It doesn’t just add tons of flavor, it will also prevent the corn from drying in the oven.
10. Slow Cooker Collard Greens
The Slow Cooker will not just do most of the work for this delicious Southern recipe.
It will also remove all the bitterness from the collard greens and make them perfectly tender. If you’re in the south, you know this is coming to the bbq!.
11. Avocado Tomato Salad
Looking for a refreshing salad to serve next to pulled pork? Don’t have the time to make a side that takes a ton of time?
In just 10 minutes, this avocado tomato salad will be on the table. It’s light but also filling and you can even eat it on its own.
12. Smoked Cornbread
Cornbread is a classic, sure. But smoked cornbread? It’s a special treat, trust me.
It’s moist, it’s flavorful, and it soaks up all those smoky BBQ juices like a sponge. Seriously, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried it alongside a pile of pulled pork.
13. Roasted Cabbage Wedges With Onion Dijon Sauce
These roasted cabbage wedges look so tempting!
Don’t skip the onion Dijon sauce. It’s what makes those cabbage wedges extra delicious. You will want to eat this sauce all on its own.
Even if you don’t like cabbage too much, there’s a chance this recipe will turn you into a fan.
14. Spicy Creole Coleslaw
This coleslaw recipe’s got a kick – a real New Orleans vibe. It’s creamy, it’s crunchy, and it’s got a little something-something that’ll have folks asking for the recipe. Trust me, it’s the perfect counterpoint to all that rich pulled pork.
15. Creamy Cucumber Salad
Despite the limited number of ingredients in this salad, I promise they merge into perfection. Sweet and simple is the key here. This one gives you the memories of a church potluck and a lot of old fashioned Tupperware.
Cucumbers, onion, lemon juice, dill, yogurt, and garlic make this salad a wonderful companion for meat.
You won’t believe how fast it will come together!
16. Zucchini & Fresh Corn Succotash
Succotash is a veggie-rich summery meal, and this variation combines the sweetness of the corn with the delicate flavor of zucchini and savory onion.
If you’re growing zucchini in your garden, and you have too much of it, this recipe is a wonderful way to use it. If you don’t have enough, substitute yellow squash in its place or add other crunch veggies like red peppers, sweet onions or green beans.
17. Masala Corn Salad
The saucy pulled pork makes a splendid pair with this crunchy grilled corn salad.
Be aware, though! This recipe packs a little heat so you might need to adjust it.
No need to make the salad ahead. You can serve it right away!
18. Lebanese Slaw (Salatet Malfouf)
Bring some Middle Easter flavors into your kitchen with this super easy, refreshing slaw.
Mint, parsley, dill, and a simple lemon and olive oil dressing make the perfect combination that’s unbelievably scrumptious!
There’s always the option to make a larger batch, since you can store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Final Thoughts
Pulled pork is one versatile dish that can be cooked using different methods and accompanied by numerous sides.
We’re fans of grilling pork shoulder to make pulled pork for that delicious smoky flavor. It can also be cooked on the stovetop, in the oven, Instant Pot, or slow cooker.
Whatever method you use, this free printable Pulled Pork Temperature Chart can help you get the perfect tender meat every time.
Chances are there won’t be any leftovers but if there is, expand your taste buds with these 15 Pulled Pork Leftover Recipes. There’s so much more to do with the meat than make sandwiches that you will smoke a pork butt just to make these leftover recipes.
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
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