40 Sides for Hot Dogs to Serve at a Summer Cookout (original) (raw)

Poor hot dogs. They wait for their big moment on the grill all summer long, from the Memorial Day cookout to the July 4th potluck to the Labor Day picnic. So why do we always repay their loyalty with broken potato chips and watermelon wedges? This year, we’re making it up to ’em with 40 sides for hot dogs to whip up for every al fresco dinner of the season. We’re talking cauliflower potato salad, jalapeño mac and cheese and everything in between. (And in case you’re wondering which hot dog brands are actually worth buying, we ranked ’em.)

sides for hot dogs: bowl of classic macaroni salad atop a linen on a table

1. Classic Macaroni Salad

You can't go wrong with this picnic must-have, which is equal parts tangy, crunchy and comforting. Macaroni salad is easy enough to prepare right before a picnic, but it'll actually taste better if you make it a day ahead.

sides for hot dogs: bowl of ranch potato salad on a table, with plates, utensils and a glass of beer

2. Ranch Potato Salad

You love dipping fries in ranch dressing, so it's no surprise that it's a drool-worthy pairing for tender boiled potatoes. Better yet, this homemade version boasts tangy buttermilk, zingy vinegar and four types of fresh herbs, so the bottled stuff doesn't come close.

sides for hot dogs: bowl of sweet chili peach napa slaw, next to two wooden spoons for serving

3. Sweet Chili Peach Napa Slaw

Try this ten-minute slaw once and you'll never lean on the store-bought kind again. The napa cabbage soaks up the duck sauce-inspired dressing like a charm, so every bite is bursting with sweet-and-spicy summer flavor.

sides for hot dogs: latke-style smashed potatoes with caramelized apples and dilly creme fraiche, on a plate

4. Latke-Style Smashed Potatoes with Dilly Crème Fraîche

Tangy crème fraîche may sound too fancy a pairing, but it's actually a stellar foil for sweet, smoky hot dogs. It's loaded with dill, chives and horseradish for an herbaceous, slightly spicy spin.

sides for hot dogs: bowl of spicy crunchy sesame cucumber salad, made with cucumber ribbons

5. Spicy, Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad

This crisp, refreshing salad is inspired by pai huang gua, a Chinese dish made with cukes, rice vinegar, chili oil and soy sauce. Slice them thinly using a vegetable peeler or mandoline for an Insta-worthy presentation.

sides for hot dogs roasted mediterranean vegetables recipe

7. Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

Pick and choose your favorite veggies for this one—whatever looks best at the farmers market (or whatever your kids will actually eat). We're partial to tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant.

sides for hot dogs zesty chargrilled broccolini recipe

8. Zesty Chargrilled Broccolini

If the grill is already hot, why not cook the entire meal on it? This side takes ten minutes to prepare, so the broccolini will be ready just as the hot dogs are sizzling.

sides for hot dogs corn and tomato salad recipe

9. Corn and Tomato Salad with Feta and Lime

Corn on the cob is delicious and all, but sometimes we don’t want to deal with butter and salt dribbling down our chin (or corn kernels stuck in our teeth). This summer salad is for those times.

sides for hot dogs summer millet salad recipe

10. Summer Millet Salad

Lettuce need not apply. The best part about a grain salad like this one is that it can be made ahead—we’d argue it tastes better that way.

sides for hot dogs avocado and black bean pasta salad recipe

11. Avocado and Black Bean Pasta Salad

Buttery avocado, spiced black beans, al dente pasta. What more could you ask for? Add minced jalapeños for heat or crumbled cotija for creaminess.

sides for hot dogs cold soba noodle salad with strawberries recipe

13. Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Strawberries

Putting strawberries in a savory noodle side dish sounds like a wild idea, but it totally works. Their tart-sweet flavor complements the salty miso dressing just right.

sides for hot dogs pearl couscous with chickpeas eggplant peaches recipe

14. Pearl Couscous with Chickpeas, Eggplant and Peaches

Honestly, we’ll use any excuse to eat peaches while they’re in season. This dish is great cold, warm or at room temperature, plus you can prepare it up to one day ahead so there's one less task on your to-do list the day of the barbecue.

sides for hot dogs watermelon feta skewers recipe

16. Grilled Watermelon-Feta Skewers

Tomato and fresh mozzarella? We don’t know them. The watermelon holds up great against the tangy cheese, and don’t even get us started on those smoky char marks.

sides for hot dogs chilled cucumber salad recipe

17. Chilled Cucumber Salad

Even picky kids won’t mind cooling off with a bowl on a blazing hot day. And with only five ingredients, it’s as easy to make as, well, a hot dog. Did we mention it pairs wonderfully with pinot grigio?

sides for hot dogs cauliflower potato salad recipe

18. Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad

Cauliflower stars in this light take on a summer staple. We traded mayo for Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard and sour cream, plus added a bunch of crunchy surprises like celery, scallions and cornichons.

sides for hot dogs rainbow vegetable skewers recipe

19. Rainbow Vegetable Skewers

We’re big fans of skewer season. You will be too, once you taste these fresh off the grill. Each skewer has a different veggie, so you won’t have to worry about the smaller ingredients cooking faster than the rest. Color Roy G. Biv impressed.

sides for hot dogs slow cooker baked beans recipe

20. Slow Cooker Baked Beans

One cookout essential, coming right up. A pound of navy beans turns soft, savory and sweet after six hours in the Crockpot. It wouldn’t be a BBQ without them.

sides for hot dogs grilled corn with spicy aioli recipe

21. Grilled Corn with Spicy Aioli

Make some space on the grill, husk a few cobs and whip up a delectable spicy mayo you’ll want to slather on everything. Those hot dogs are in good company, promise.

sides for hot dogs blt pasta salad recipe hero

22. BLT Pasta Salad

Here’s a side even salad haters can get behind. That’s what happens when you dress tomato, romaine and avocado up with crispy black pepper bacon and mayo-mustard dressing. You won’t miss the bread, friend.

sides for hot dogs caprese salad with grilled zucchini recipe

23. Zucchini Caprese Salad

The combo of mozzarella, tomato, basil and balsamic vinaigrette is traditional for a reason. Assemble it atop grilled zucchini with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and you’ve got an app for the books.

sides for hot dogs loaded baked potato chips recipe

24. Loaded Baked Potato Chips

Mashed, roasted, fried: We’ll take taters however they come. But this ingenious starter is at the top of our list because it gives us all the fixings—bacon! cheddar! sour cream!—while still leaving room for everything else on the table.

sides for hot dogs light and tangy coleslaw recipe

25. Light and Tangy Coleslaw

No cookout is complete without a batch. Shred your own cabbage and carrot, or save time by using a pre-shredded mix. Then, substitute mayo for rice vinegar, Dijon mustard and Greek yogurt.

sides for hot dogs roasted cauliflower sliders recipe

26. Roasted Cauliflower Sliders

For us, hot dogs are usually an appetizer for our cheeseburger. Save more room for dessert (and cocktails) by trading beef and cheese for golden-brown cauliflower steaks, sandwiched between layers of spicy yogurt and your favorite hummus.

sides for hot dogs jalapeno avocado mac and cheese recipe1

27. Jalapeño-Avocado Mac and Cheese

She’s spicy. She’s buttery. She’s super cheesy. What’s not to love about pretty gemelli pasta, swimming in ooey-gooey white cheddar sauce? That’s right, nothing.

sides for hot dogs portobello avocado quesadillas recipe

28. Portobello and Avocado Quesadillas with Magic Green Sauce

Is there a better way to get your daily veggies? We think not. These are filled with mushrooms, black beans, avocado, cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt. Just wait until you taste the citrusy sauce, which is rich with herbs, capers and lime juice.

sides for hot dogs zucchini fries recipe

29. Zucchini “Fries”

Fries are a no-brainer, but these have a twist. Not only do we use zucchini in place of potatoes, but we also skip messy frying and cook them in the oven instead. The kids may turn up their noses at first, but it’ll only take one bite to convert them.

sides for hot dogs chopped italian salad pizza hero

30. Chopped Italian Salad Pizza

How do we like our greens, you ask? On golden-brown pizza crust, of course. It’s thin and crispy, so you can double-fist a hot dog and a slice without getting too full. We’ll take extra pepperoncini, please.

sides for hot dogs zucchini salad with lemon and parmesan recipe

31. Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Parmesan

Three words: No. Cooking. Required. This beauty comes together in minutes, and all you need is a peeler (because zucchini just tastes better in ribbons), fresh herbs and a few pantry staples. Don’t skimp on the Parm.

sides for hot dogs salami artichoke and ricotta pasta salad recipe

32. Salami, Artichoke and Ricotta Pasta Salad

Red sauce wasn’t invited to the picnic. Instead, we’re bringing bowties with briny artichoke hearts, salami, dollops of ricotta and a ridiculously simple mustard vinaigrette.

sides for hot dogs one ingredient watermelon sorbet recipe

33. One-Ingredient Watermelon Sorbet

We’re picturing you in the pool with a hot dog in one hand and a cup of this in the other. It’s so sweet and refreshing that no one will guess it’s just straight-up watermelon. We won’t tell if you let it melt and drink it with a straw...or spike it with vodka.

sides for hot dogs asian ramen salad

34. Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad

Liven up your picnic spread with a sweet, tangy and crispy salad doused in a simple sesame vinaigrette. You won't need to boil water to prepare the ramen noodles; simply toast them in the oven until golden and crispy.

sides for hot dogs caesar pasta salad recipe

36. Caesar Pasta Salad

The dressing uses buttery, creamy avocado in place of traditional egg yolks. Make a second batch for dipping vegetables, pita bread and pretzels in before the grilled dogs hit the table.

sides for hot dogs caramelized kimchi baked potatoes recipe

37. Caramelized Kimchi Baked Potatoes

Sugar, sesame oil and a hot pan curb the intense zing of kimchi, turning it fragrant and slightly sweet. Even picky eaters may enjoy this savory, inventive take on baked spuds.

sides for hot dogs celery salad with walnuts and pecorino recipe

38. Celery Salad with Walnuts and Pecorino

This simple side proves that celery deserves a spot in the limelight. Once the walnuts are toasted, most of your work is done—the rest is all assembly.

sides for hot dogs kale brussels sprouts caesar slaw recipe

39. Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Slaw

Thanks to sunflower seeds and blanched almonds, the dressing is totally vegan. Feel free to skip the blue cheese if you want the dish to be dairy-free to boot.

sides for hot dogs cauliflower tater tots recipe1

40. Cauliflower “Tater” Tots

Trust us: Your kids will have no idea that these tots are totally devoid of potatoes. Cauliflower rice and gooey cheddar cheese will keep them happy nonetheless.

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.

Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.

taryn pire

Food Editor

headshot

Former Senior Food Editor