Get inspired with all the best sides for burgers from potato sides to salads and more. You’ll find appetizers, sauces, drinks, and desserts too to complete your next BBQ. Burgers are one of our favorite meals, so you’ll find easy weeknight suggestions as well.
Is there anything better than a juicy burger loaded with sauce and toppings? Maybe pizza… but that depends on my mood. And nothing makes a burger like the sides!
So today I have some recipe inspiration for you to go with your next BBQ or family dinner. You’ll also find our personal favorites below, plus menus as well.
Potato Side Dishes
- Grilled Potatoes
- Potato Salad (no egg option)
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Pan Fried Potatoes
- Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes
Potatoes make the perfect side dish to burgers! In the summer months, we make the Grilled Potatoes and Potato Salad the most.
In the winter, we lean towards the Crispy Potatoes which are like mini French fries. But the roasted sweet potatoes are a close second.
Any of these recipes are guaranteed to be perfect paired with your favorite burger meal!
Salads
- Broccoli Salad
- No Mayo Broccoli Salad
- Easy Green Salad
- Cilantro Lime Slaw (like a zesty coleslaw)
- Summer Chopped Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Watermelon Feta Basil Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Farmer’s Market Chopped Salad
I like to make these salads for BBQs or entertaining because they really round out a meal with burgers. I don’t make them often for weeknight meals because we usually make my Burger Bowls which are basically a salad already. But these recipes are essential for any entertaining!
Pasta Salads
- Creamy Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Italian Antipasto Salad
- Grilled Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
Just like my veggie salads, these pasta salads are perfect for any BBQ, picnic or potluck with burgers as the main dish. These pasta salads are flavor-packed and pair better with burgers than the classic macaroni salad (in my opinion!).
Sides from the Grill
- Grilled Vegetables
- Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
- Grilled Potatoes
If you already have the grill fired up, why not add some potatoes, veggies, etc and make it a meal?!
We make my grilled potatoes around the clock in the summer to go with burgers, and it makes it simple to throw on a few extra veggies. Grilling corn is also one of my favorite ways to make corn on the cob.
My grilled veggies have options for a wide variety that go well with burgers: tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. Some of these can also be sliced up and piled onto your burger.
Drinks & Appetizers
- Deviled Eggs + 10 Toppings
- Marinated Cheese
- Summer Charcuterie
- Marinated Mozzarella
- Strawberry Kombucha Mocktail
- Mango Blackberry Kombucha Mocktail
- 5 Kombucha Mocktails
- Watermelon Juice
- Best Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
Any grilling occasion needs a few appetizers and drinks. My favorite way to entertain is to make something to snack on, like marinated cheese or summer charcuterie. This takes the pressure off getting the burgers and sides together!
Desserts
- Grilled Pineapple
- Raspberry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Death by Chocolate
- Flag Cake (almond flour)
- Peach Sorbet
- Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Funfetti Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Peach Crisp
- No-Bake Cheesecake
We love all these dessert recipes, but over and over I come back to the Death by Chocolate or No Bake Cheesecake because they can be made ahead and are always a hit. Any recipe with ice cream is also a hit for any burger dinner.
Burger Menu Ideas
- In & Out Burger Lettuce Wraps + Potato Salad + Watermelon Feta Salad + No-Bake Cheesecake
- Summer Cookout: Marinated Cheese + Strawberry Mocktails + Burger Bowls + Grilled Potatoes or Potato Salad + Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Smash Burger Tacos + Cilantro Lime Slaw + Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Teriyaki Burger Bowls + Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Grilled Veggies
- Weeknight Dinner: Burger Bowls + Grilled Potatoes , Potato Salad , or Sweet Potatoes
Dipping Sauce for Burgers
- Chipotle Aioli
- Cilantro Chimichurri
- Basil Aioli
- Blender Ranch Dressing
- Sriracha Aioli
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Basil Vinaigrette
- Greek Yogurt Dressing
More Burger Recipe Inspiration
- Burger Bowls
- In & Out Burger Lettuce Wraps
- Caprese Turkey Burgers (bunless)
- Smash Burger Tacos
- Teriyaki Burger Bowls
- Banh Mi Burger Bowls
With 55+ sides for Tri Tip to choose from, you can create endless yummy dinners. All these side dish recipes are naturally gluten-free, with plenty of dairy-free options available as well. You’ll also find my entertaining menus for all four seasons.
Tri-tip roast is a family favorite, and we especially love this Smoked Tri Tip roast . So I wanted to share all our favorite side dishes that will complete your next family dinner.
Tri-tip is a great family dinner option that’s reasonably priced, easy to cook, and both juicy and tender.
This beef roast pairs well with just about any side dish you can think of. And I’ve included some of my favorite sauces below, too, for extra special dinners.
Potato Sides
- Grilled Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Salad (no egg option)
- Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potato
- Roasted Sweet Potato
- Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes
- Pan-Fried Rosemary Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato
Potatoes are the perfect pairing to tri-tip for our family. Don’t get me wrong… we love the pasta options below, we just really love potatoes.
The grilled potatoes and my mom’s potato salad are my favorites for the summer. In the winter, you’ll find me making any of the mashed potatoes or the roasted potatoes and carrots for a 2-for-1 side dish.
Pasta Side Dishes
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- One Pot Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- One Pot Caprese Pasta
- Lemon Cream Sauce tossed w/1 pound of pasta
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Grilled Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
- Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad
In the winter months, creamy pasta is so good with tri-tip, and in the summer, try any of my pasta salads for outdoor cookouts.
Try my BBQ version of tri tip with the mac and cheese, or the Garlic Rosemary version with the Lemon Cream Sauce Pasta.
Salads
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Apple Spinach Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Easy Green Salad
- Caesar Salad (made w/o the chicken)
- Best of Summer Salad
- Bacon Kale Caesar Salad
- Citrus Spinach Salad
- Cilantro Lime Slaw
You can’t go wrong with any of these fresh flavorful salads, choose whichever one fits the season you’re in. My favorite meals include a salad and cooked vegetables. I love the combination of fresh and cooked that brings so much depth of satisfaction to a meal.
Vegetables
- Roasted Broccoli
- Prosciutto Asparagus
- Garlic Roasted Carrots
- Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
- Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
- Prosciutto Asparagus
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Maple Sage Carrots
- Roasted Green Beans
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Lemon Herb Zucchini
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Roasted Asparagus
- Sautéed Spinach
- Mashed Butternut Squash
One of my favorite ways to add veggies is after I’ve removed the tri tip from the smoker, is Grilled Veggies . I increase the temperature, then I load it up with veggies to grill while the tri tip is resting.
But any of these stovetop and roasted veggie options work great too, especially in the colder months. Choose 1-2 depending on whether you’re serving a salad with your roast.
Sauces
- Cilantro Chimichurri
- Lemon Cream Sauce
- Garlic Butter Sauce
- Garlic Cream Sauce
- Mushroom Cream Sauce
- Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Garlic Butter Sauce
Fresh flavored cilantro chimichurri is perfect to pair with summer tri tips. My Garlic Butter Sauce bridges the gap of any season, and the cream sauce options are my favorite for winter roasts.
Entertaining Menus for Tri Tip
- Spring: Rosemary Smoked Tri Tip + Lemon Cream Sauce + Roasted Asparagus + Strawberry Spinach Salad and/or add my Creamy Mashed Cauliflower + Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Honey Ice Cream for dessert.
- Summer: BBQ Smoked Tri Tip + Cilantro Chimichurri + Grilled Potatoes + Watermelon Feta Salad + Peach Crisp with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for dessert.
- Fall: Rosemary Smoked Tri Tip + Garlic Parmesan Pasta + Honey Glazed Carrots + Broccoli Salad + Apple Crisp and Maple Ice Cream for dessert.
- Winter: Rosemary Smoked Tri Tip + Mushroom Cream Sauce + Mashed Potatoes + Roasted Broccoli + Apple Spinach Salad with Death by Chocolate for dessert.
Griddle-seared leftover Smoked tri-tip on my back patio with the lilies in full bloom!
Bonus tip for reheating
- I like to thinly slice the tri-tip against the grain and pan-fry it in a skillet or on my Blackstone outdoor griddle over fairly high heat.
- This method quickly sears the leftover tri-tip, reheating it without way overcooking it.
- In the above photo, I cooked some potatoes and shishito peppers on the griddle, then quickly seared the tri-tip and served it all up with Basil Aioli . It’s a quick leftover remake that tastes so good!
