Best Barbecue Sides for Your Iowa Summer Cookout

Summer in Iowa means community gatherings, church potlucks, and backyard cookouts celebrating the values that bring families together. With the Fourth of July approaching and corn standing tall across the state, there is no better time to fire up the grill and share a table with neighbors. We have rounded up the best barbecue side dishes that highlight Iowa's agricultural bounty, from sweet corn and pork to garden-fresh vegetables, so your next potluck is one to remember.

Why Iowa-Grown Ingredients Make the Best Cookout Sides

Iowa farmers feed the world, and our local produce and livestock make the foundation for incredible summer food. When you build your potluck dishes around fresh Iowa corn, locally raised pork, and vegetables from your garden or the farmers market, you are supporting the community and serving something truly delicious. These recipes celebrate what grows best right here at home.

Iowa Corn Takes Center Stage at Summer Cookouts

Corn is king in Iowa, and these recipes put it front and center. Whether you are grilling it, tossing it into salads, or baking it into comforting casseroles, sweet corn is the backbone of a great barbecue spread.

Jalapeno Popper Corn Salad

This chilled creamy salad combines all the best flavors of jalapeno poppers with the delicate sweetness of fresh corn. Recipe creator Amanda Miller says she originally made it for a wedding she was catering, and it was such a hit she could not stop eating it. With bits of bacon and plenty of cheese, this portable dish tastes amazing at room temperature, making it perfect for a potluck where the serving line stays open for hours.

Corn Pudding

Corn pudding is not a dessert. It is a light, creamy celebration of corn and one of the most comforting barbecue foods you will find. P. Lauren Fay-Neri calls it real comfort food. The recipe uses cornbread mix and canned corn for convenience, but swapping in fresh Iowa sweet corn takes it to another level entirely. The loose, jiggly texture bakes up soft and perfect for scooping onto a plate next to grilled ribs or chicken.

Summer Corn Salad

Recipe creator Priscilla Yee says this beautiful salad truly captures the summer season. It is chock-full of fresh veggies and basil, and feta cheese gives it a rich, tangy flavor the whole family will love. Lightly cooking the corn kernels enhances their sweetness and removes excess starch before tossing with a lime juice vinaigrette, crisp vegetables and crumbled feta.

Buttery Horseradish Corn on the Cob

Trish Loewen whipped up a butter and horseradish topping for grilled corn at a July Fourth barbecue, and people actually formed a line to get seconds. The horseradish has a fiery kick that mellows when cooked, bringing out natural sweetness. Even if you think you do not love horseradish, this recipe is worth trying on fresh Iowa sweet corn.

Pork and Bacon Dishes That Honor Iowa's Heritage

Iowa is the number one pork producing state in the country, and these recipes pay tribute to that tradition. From smoky baked beans to crispy bacon toppings, pork belongs on every potluck table.

Barbecue Baked Beans

Wendy Hodorowski's family always chooses this recipe for the Fourth of July because it is a meaty twist on everyday baked beans. Barbecue sauce slowly bakes into canned beans along with ketchup, mustard, molasses, sugar and spices. With ground beef and crumbled bacon mixed in, these beans are hearty enough to stand alongside any main course. You can leave the meat out for a vegetarian version, but a few dashes of liquid smoke help replace the umami flavors.

Cowboy Beans

These saucy beans are like a mashup of chili and baked beans. The recipe includes browned ground beef, a tangy ketchup-based sauce and four different kinds of beans simmering for hours in a slow cooker. Julie Butsch says it is tradition when her girlfriends get together for a weekend away. It is an easy barbecue side that needs little attention while you get everything else ready for your guests.

Patio Pinto Beans

Joan Hallford says her mom always made these pinto beans when she had the gang over for dinner. Once, her cousin ate the entire batch at his own birthday party. These baked beans are sweet from brown sugar, tangy from tomato sauce and smoky from crumbled bacon. A Dutch oven works best because the pan's heft prevents the sauce from burning.

Recipes from Iowa Kitchens

Two of the standout recipes in this collection come right from Iowa cooks, proving that some of the best potluck food is created right here at home.

Broccoli Cranberry Salad from Cedar Rapids

Jessica Conrey from Cedar Rapids says she never liked broccoli growing up, but she is hooked on this salad's light, sweet taste. Raw broccoli is the star, coated in a tangy and slightly sweet dressing that softens it just a little while keeping the crunch. Toss in sunflower seeds and crispy bacon right before serving so they stay crisp. It is a refreshing change of pace that belongs on every Iowa potluck table.

Grilled Mushrooms from Marshalltown

Melanie Knoll from Marshalltown says mushrooms cooked over hot coals always taste good, but this easy recipe makes them taste fantastic. As a mother of two, she loves cooking entire meals on the grill and spending time outdoors with the kids. Whole mushrooms are threaded onto skewers, brushed with flavored butter, and cooked until tender. It is a simple side that lets the grill do the work while you enjoy time with family.

Classic Potluck Favorites Every Iowan Will Recognize

Some dishes are potluck staples for a reason. They travel well, serve a crowd, and remind you of church suppers and family reunions.

Southern Potato Salad

Gene Pitts says this potato salad with a southern twist is perfect for a church supper or potluck. It has everything you would expect, including relish, mustard, hard-boiled eggs and a creamy mayonnaise dressing. The pickles add extra sweetness. Potato salad gets better as it sits because the potato chunks soak up the flavors, but it can dry out if all the dressing gets absorbed. Making extra dressing and tossing it in right before serving keeps it fresh.

Creamy Coleslaw

If you are not sure what to bring, coleslaw is always the answer. Renee Endress says a package of shredded cabbage and carrots really cuts down on prep time. It tastes better the longer it sits and goes with everything from hot dogs to grilled chicken. This recipe keeps things simple with a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing that hits all the classic flavor notes but leaves room for customization. Add chopped chiles or hot sauce if you want some heat.

Million-Dollar Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are one of the best barbecue side dishes, and these take a classic recipe to a new level. The filling has the ingredients you expect, like mayonnaise and mustard, but a surprise addition of softened butter makes the mashed yolks extra-silky without needing more mayonnaise. Garnish them with bacon and pickle for a special touch that will have neighbors asking for the recipe.

Watermelon Feta Flag Salad

Jan Whitworth's family celebrates the Fourth of July with a watermelon salad that resembles the American flag. Cubes of watermelon, feta and blueberries are arranged over arugula to create an all-American centerpiece that is truly red, white and blue. A tangy Dijon and red wine vinegar dressing ties it together. It is a patriotic dish that honors the country we love.

Fresh Garden Vegetables on the Grill

When your garden is overflowing with summer squash, zucchini, and tomatoes, these recipes turn your harvest into crowd-pleasing sides.

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Jonathan Lawler says this casserole is the perfect way to use up an abundance of summer squash. After briefly cooking the squash to evaporate some of the liquid, bread crumbs and cheese are mixed in to absorb any water that leaches out during baking. It bakes up bubbly and delicious in just 10 minutes in the oven.

Grilled Cabbage

Elizabeth Wheeler says the first time she made grilled cabbage, she could not believe how good it was, and she never thought she would skip dessert because she was full from too much cabbage. Wedges of cabbage are basted with butter, wrapped in foil, and grilled until silky, sweet and lightly charred. It turns an affordable, unassuming vegetable into something spectacular.

Veggie Kabobs

A garlic and lemon marinade adds flavor to skewered raw vegetables. The garlic is mashed into a paste rather than chopped so there are no chunky bits to scorch on the grill. Grilling is a delightful way to prepare the season's freshest produce, and the zesty Italian marinade adds just the right amount of spice.

What sides should I bring to an Iowa barbecue potluck?

Stick with classics like coleslaw, potato salad or baked beans that you know will be crowd-pleasers, or try something new that highlights fresh Iowa corn and produce. Think about the meal as a whole. If the host is grilling plenty of meat, bring vegetable sides as a counterbalance. Most importantly, choose dishes that hold up well as people graze throughout the afternoon.

What vegetables make the best barbecue side dishes?

The best vegetables for barbecue sides celebrate seasonal produce. Corn, squash, cucumbers and tomatoes are ideal in summer. They can be cooked on the grill, left raw in salads, or baked into casseroles. Choose what is freshest and most abundant, whether from your own garden or the local farmers market.

How can I make side dishes for a barbecue ahead of time?

Make dishes that reheat well, like baked macaroni and cheese, or cold recipes that can be made ahead and served right from the refrigerator, like dips and salsa. Slow cooker recipes are another great option because they bubble away while you get ready and can be served right from the pot. Salads that need time to meld, like overnight layered salad, actually taste better when made in advance.

This summer, gather your family, fire up the grill, and celebrate the traditions that make Iowa communities strong. With fresh ingredients from local farms and these time-tested recipes, your potluck table will be the one everyone remembers.