Easy to make Sides for Ribs for all seasons, so you can enjoy dinners with ribs year-round! There’s a little something for everyone with 40+ recipes, from potato and pasta side dishes to fresh salads and veggies. You’ll also find my menus for all four seasons, plus appetizers and dessert options too!
Ribs are pure comfort food year-round in my book! Tender meat with caramelized BBQ sauce is always welcome!
Everyone has they’re favorite ribs that take a full day to make. But the ones I make the most often are my Oven Baked BBQ Ribs . They’re super easy to make, way faster, and perfect for all your favorite simple side dishes.
Today, I have all my favorite sides in one place, plus menus for four seasons so you can enjoy ribs all year long.
From potato and pasta side dishes to veggies and fresh salads, these easy side dishes for ribs are all you need for your next feast.
Potato Sides for Ribs
- Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Salad (no egg option)
- Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes
- Pan-Fried Rosemary Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Mashed Sweet Potato
- Roasted Sweet Potato
Both sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are perfect partners with ribs. In the summer months, I love to serve ribs with my Grilled Potatoes (below) or my Mom’s Potato Salad .
In the winter months, any kind of mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes is perfect. My cheesy mashed potatoes are a special favorite because they can be made ahead, and no one ever complains about anything cheesy with ribs.
Pasta Side Dishes for Ribs
- Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- Gluten Free Mac & Cheese
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- One Pot Caprese Pasta
- Lemon Cream Sauce tossed with/1 pound of pasta
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Creamy Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
If you don’t go with the above potatoes, pasta is also pretty hard to beat. I lean towards creamy/cheesy options like Garlic Parmesan Pasta and Mac & Cheese in the winter months.
But in the summer, any of the pasta salads are incredible with ribs and full of fresh flavor. And they’re a fun departure from the classic American-style macaroni salad.
Fresh Salads
- Apple Spinach Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Easy Green Salad
- Caesar Salad (made w/o the chicken)
- Best of Summer Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Bacon Kale Caesar Salad
- Citrus Spinach Salad
- Cilantro Lime Slaw
A fresh salad is the perfect backdrop to decadent barbecue pork ribs. Choose whatever salad works for the season you’re in.
I love every single salad in this section and just choose whatever is in season. My Cilantro Lime Slaw is a flavorful version to replace the coleslaw I grew up with.
From the Grill
- Grilled Vegetables
- Grilled Potatoes
- Prosciutto Asparagus
In the height of summer, I like to make side dishes from the grill. Pick any veggie that works with the season to grill along with some grilled potatoes for an understated but no less impressive dinner with ribs.
In the spring, I grill asparagus and onions. In the height of summer, I love grilling peppers, corn, zucchini, and eggplant.
Assorted Sauces & Snacks
- Deviled Eggs + 10 Toppings
- Marinated Mozzarella Balls
- Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
- Cilantro Chimichurri
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Basil Aioli
- Strawberry Mango Salsa
- Caramelized Pineapple Salsa
- Summer Antipasto
- Antipasto Platter
- Summer Charcuterie Board
If you’re entertaining, it’s fun to have some snacks and/or sauces as well. Deviled Eggs are always a hit at any gathering, and the 10 toppings make them extra special.
Instead of BBQ sauce to glaze the ribs, try using my Honey Mustard Sauce. Or serve my BBQ ribs with a drizzle of cilantro chimichurri for something different. Both the strawberry salsa and pineapple salsa are so good with ribs.
And of course, if you want the ultimate easy appetizer, try my antipasto or charcuterie boards. There’s no cooking needed, and everyone can snack until dinner is ready.
Or go with the classic ranch and veggies I grew up with. Sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and broccoli are all great on a platter with fresh zesty ranch to dip in.
Both carbs and veggies go well with ribs. In the summer, we serve ribs with pasta salad, salads, and a veggie. In the winter, we serve creamy pastas or potatoes, roasted veggies, and a seasonal salad.
A combination of cooking ribs low and slow while keeping them moist, then finishing over higher heat with a brush of BBQ sauce.
Ribs for Dinner Ideas
- Start with: Antipasto – Summer Antipasto – Charcuterie – Deviled Eggs
- Enjoy while snacking: Strawberry Mocktails – Mango Blackberry Mocktails – Cranberry Mocktails – 5 Easy Kombucha Mocktails
- Spring – Oven Baked Ribs + Prosciutto Asparagus + Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Summer – Oven Baked Ribs + Grilled Veggies + Grilled Potatoes + Watermelon Feta Salad
- Fall – Oven Baked Ribs + Mac & Cheese + Easy Green Salad
- Winter – Oven Baked Ribs + Cheesy Mashed Potatoes + Apple Spinach Salad
- Add dessert: Death by Chocolate – Raspberry Ice Cream – Gluten Free Chocolate Cake – Funfetti Cupcakes – Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
These gluten-free dairy-free dinner recipes are perfect for anyone with dietary restrictions. If you’re cooking for a family or entertaining with guests, these dinner recipes are perfect for everyone at the table. With flavorful recipes that don’t sacrifice on texture, there’s no need to make anything separate for dietary restrictions. You’ll find a wide variety of recipes from Asian & Mexican inspired dinners to creamy comfort foods and Sunday roast dinners.
With over 10 years of developing gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, I’ve come up with so many good options. Today, I have all of our tried and true favorites that have been the most popular here on the blog as well as with our family and friends.
So the next time you need to cook gluten-free and dairy-free for anyone, these recipes are the perfect option that your whole table will love!
Creamy Gluten Free Dairy Free Comfort Food Recipes
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Tuscan Chicken
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Creamy Taco Soup
- Easy Chicken Curry
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana
- Creamy Clam Chowder
- Coconut Lime Chicken
- Instant Pot Whole30 Tuscan Chicken
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Chorizo Pasta
- Slow Cooker Ham & Potato Soup
- Salmon Chowder
These recipes are my ultimate creamy recipes that don’t sacrifice flavor or texture. They’re my go-to for creamy comfort food that everyone will love.
My ‘most made’ fancier options are the Creamy Garlic Chicken and Tuscan Chicken, but you can’t go wrong with this list.
Comfort Food Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Pork Roast
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast
- Dutch Oven Pork Stew
- Dutch Oven Beef Stew
- Pork Sirloin Roast
- Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
- Lemon Chicken Thighs
- Ribeye Roast
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Classic Chicken Salad
- Pork Tenderloin
- Beef Tenderloin
- Oven Baked Pork Ribs
- Instant Pot Chicken & Rice
These comfort food dinners are also perfect Sunday dinner recipes if you, your family, or guests are gluten-free and dairy free. From classic roast dinners, to fancy filet mignon, there is something for every occasion.
Asian Inspired Dinners
- Mango Curry
- Hibachi at Home
- Pineapple Curry
- Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry
- Thai Lettuce Wraps
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Korean Ground Beef Bowls
- Ground Beef Stir Fry
- Ground Pork Stir Fry
- Thai Green Curry
- Thai Yellow Curry
- Banh Mi Burger Bowls
- Sweet and Sour Stir Fry
- Thai Meatballs with Mango Coconut Sauce
- California Sushi Bowls
- Sriracha Shrimp Sushi Bowls
- Instant Pot Egg Roll Bowl
Asian-inspired recipes are some of my favorite flavors to work with that lend themselves naturally to being both gluten-free and dairy-free.
A couple of easy recipe ingredient swaps and you are good to go! We use gluten free soy sauce/tamari or coconut aminos. And for any curry that traditionally uses heavy cream we use unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream.
Gluten Free Dairy Free Dinner Salads
- Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Chicken Fajita Salad
- Sweet Chili Mango Salad
- Turkey Taco Salad
- Curried Mango Chicken Salad
- Vietnamese Chicken Salad
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad
- Guacamole Salad with Chipotle Chicken
- Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
- Mandarin Chicken Salad
- Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
- Chicken BLAT Salad with Avocado Ranch
- Easy Thai Beef Salad
- Mediterranean Salad with Hummus Dressing
I grew up with the classic green salad with ranch dressing, so I love a great flavor packed salad inspired by different cuisines. I do of course have a dairy free ranch dressing recipe we love as well.
But these salads have every flavor from Asian to Mexican and Mediterranean. They’re anything but boring salads and the perfect way to add more veggies to your diet.
Mexican Inspired Recipes
- Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
- Instant Pot Carnitas
- Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa
- Taco Bowls
- Taco Meat
- Blackstone Fajitas
- Shrimp Fajitas
- Chipotle Chicken
- Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Barbacoa Burrito Bowls
- Carnitas Burrito Bowls
- Fish Taco Bowls
- Slow Cooker Salsa Beef
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
- Chipotle Honey Chicken Burrito Bowls
Mexican-inspired recipes are some of our favorites because they’re so easy to make gluten-free and dairy-free. You can make bowl dinners, fajitas, or tacos with the recipes listed above.
Instead of the usual cheese and sour cream, try my Chipotle Aioli , Cilantro Lime Dressing , or Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette . We find we prefer a flavorful sauce to dairy-free cheese or sour cream!
The burrito bowls recipes have lots of dairy free options listed for inspiration as well.
With these 85 gluten-free dairy-free dinner recipes to choose from, you’ll find creamy options, comfort food, Asian recipes, and Mexican recipes that are all perfect for gluten-free and dairy-free.
The best way to feed someone who is gluten-free and dairy-free is to check the labels of any packaged ingredient you buy. For instance Italian sausage isn’t always gluten free and dairy free, but some brands are. With my 85 gluten-free and dairy-free dinner recipes, there’s lots to choose from along with tips for what ingredients to buy.
Tips & Tricks
- We’ve found in over 10 years of cooking gluten-free & dairy-free that the best flavors are when you lean into cuisines that are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, or with minimal substitutions.
- Recipes that are pure gluten and dairy, like a fettuccine alfredo or pizza, are impossible to truly replicate with awesome results. However, if it’s creamy you’re looking for, I have lots of recipes that fit the bill and truly satisfy with both great flavor and texture!
- A few key ingredients will go a long way to making great gluten-free, dairy-free recipes. I use 100% brown rice gluten-free pasta from Jovial. To add extra creaminess, I will swirl in a bit of dairy-free cream cheese from Kite Hill. Unsweetened coconut cream also works really well with many recipes. But if you’re making a subtle dish, the Kite Hill cream cheese works better than coconut.
- Some of the recipes listed here today have butter as an ingredient. But these recipes also have dairy-free options listed for the butter. My favorite is ghee if tolerated, then olive oil, and finally dairy-free/vegan butter.
Bonus Sheet Pan Dinners
- Lemon Chicken & Asparagus
- Honey Dijon Salmon & Asparagus
- Sausage & Peppers Sheet Pan Dinner
- Double Ranch Pork Chop Dinner
- Sheet Pan Stir Fry
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Italian Chicken & Veggie Sheet Pan
- Sheet Pan Fajita Meal Prep
- Balsamic Chicken & Veggies
- Honey Mustard Chicken & Potatoes
Gluten Free & Dairy Free dinners don’t need to be hard by any means! These sheet pan dinners are recipes we make over and over again. They’re especially good for entertaining as well.
I really hope you find some new favorites with these Gluten Free Dairy Free Dinner Recipe ideas! If you do get a chance to make these recipes, I’d love to hear from you.
