Grilling season is in full swing, and while the meats are easy, the keto side dishes for BBQ can be a bit more difficult to figure out.
Even though sides are often the most exciting part of a meal, a lot of the tastiest traditional favorites, like potato salad and rolls, are loaded with too many carbs to fit into a keto diet.
No need to worry, though, we’ve got you covered!
We put together some our favorite easy keto recipes for when the weather is hot and the grill is hotter. From cauliflower mac and cheese to bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, we’ve got 15 delicious keto side dishes to bring your BBQ to the next level.
Can you eat BBQ on keto?
Absolutely! Sometimes it takes a few smart swaps, like making sure your dry rubs are made without sugars and choosing a low carb BBQ Sauce, but keto-friendly barbecue is as delicious as it is doable.
Make sure you’re reading your nutrition and ingredient labels. You might come across a product at the grocery store that looks totally keto-friendly on the surface, but when it comes to hidden sugars and harsh oils pre-seasoned and pre-sauced meats can be especially tricky.
Sure, those BBQ options are convenient, but creating something at home that you can trust and feel good about is always worth the extra time, especially when your goal is ketosis.
Did you know that the most popular grilling holidays in the U.S. are the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day? We plan on firing up the grill, and keeping it keto, for every single one!
But you don’t even need a grill. There are plenty of ways to get that delicious BBQ flavor in your dishes using your oven, slow cooker, or even your air fryer.
What low carb recipes do you like to bring to your barbecues? Let us know in the comments after you check out our delicious keto side dish ideas!
The Best Keto Side Dishes for BBQ
Here’s our top picks for keto friendly BBQ side dishes.
Low Carb Cornbread
If you’re looking for a gluten free recipe that’s easy to make and tastes like the real thing, this tried and true keto cornbread is copycat recipe perfection. Made with a low carb secret ingredient, it’s the only keto recipe out there that truly delivers on the classic cornbread flavor we all know and love.
Plus the combination of coconut flour and almond flour gives our cornbread the perfect consistency. With this easy keto recipe, you might even fool your friends who aren’t following a low carb diet.
Keto Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is an amazing, often overlooked, ingredient to have in your arsenal for easy keto cooking. It has only 10 grams of net carbs per 100 grams, and it can be flavored savory or sweet in no time at all.
Our recipe features a blend of cinnamon and brown “sugar” that make this squash a great low carb substitute for sweet potatoes.
We bring the sweetness with Brown Sugar Swerve to serve up a mouthwatering side dish that pairs perfectly with grilled steak.
Keto Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are always a treat. Sometimes they make a great entrée, other times they are the perfect side dish. Depending on what you stuff them with they can have a wide range of flavors and are perfect for any occasion.
To make these keto stuffed peppers more filling we use a combination of ground beef and cauliflower, plus a bunch of delicious seasonings.
Keto Coleslaw
Every family cookout needs a few refreshing side dishes to stand out against all of the rich and fatty meats you will be eating. Our personal go to side dish for BBQ’s is coleslaw.
We love it because it takes just a handful of ingredients and a little bit of time to create something truly amazing. This is one of those recipes that you never want to buy from the store. Homemade keto coleslaw is way better than the soggy store bought stuff.
Keto Bread
Who doesn’t love bread? It’s one of the greatest side dishes, keto or not. And we’ve perfected the low carb, gluten free version to bring you another easy idea.
This is undeniably the best keto bread recipe on the internet. It cooks up into a fluffy, sliceable loaf, all without an overly eggy taste.
Did you know that a slice of traditional bread has 14 grams of carbs? With only 1 net carbs in our recipe, go ahead and grab another slice!
Keto Hamburger Buns
Are you tired of bunless burgers and lettuce wraps? Don’t get us wrong, those are both great low carb options, but fresh off the grill nothing beats sinking your teeth into a juicy burger complete with a fluffy bun.
Our fathead buns are exactly what you need to enjoy a traditional hamburger, low carb style. They’re also freezer-friendly and cook up in just 15 minutes.
Try them with grilled chicken too for the perfect keto chicken sandwich.
Keto Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs make for an excellent low carb snack, but they also belong right next to the main dishes at your keto BBQ.
This dish is definitive proof of the classic side dishes’ staying power, but you know we had to innovate. From the traditional recipe to curry deviled eggs, we’ve brought you four variations on one of the easiest low carb sides you’ll ever make.
And by low carb, we mean very low. The average net carbs for these eggs is only 0.5 grams!
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
This casserole is a savory dream. When we say it’s LOADED, we’re not messing around.
You might associate casseroles with the holiday season because they’re one of the ultimate warm and filling comfort foods, but they’ve certainly earned their spot at the cookout. They’re crowd pleasing, easy to make and wonderfully creamy.
With three different kinds of cheeses and the perfect blend of seasonings, this will be one of the hottest side dishes at the BBQ.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese is another one of the most satisfying comfort foods, and the barbecue is a great place to enjoy it! But high carb macaroni is a big no-go when it comes to the keto diet.
Enter one of the most versatile of all veggies: our hero, cauliflower!
The cauliflower acts as the perfect noodle replacement, soaking up all the amazing flavor and giving the dish nutritious substance.
Our low carb mac and cheese is perfectly seasoned, creamy, and topped with pork rinds to give it an irresistible crunch. It’s also a veggie-packed side dish that kids actually WANT to eat. A win-win for sure!
Cauliflower Potato Salad
Potato salad is one of those side dishes that you can easily find yourself scooping onto a plate and devouring a heaping amount within minutes. That’s why the traditional stuff can be dangerous when you’re following a low carb diet.
The good news is our fresh and flavorful, bacon loaded cauliflower “potato” salad is even better than the high carb traditional version, AND it will let you indulge a little with only 2.5 net carbs per serving.
Broccoli Salad
Don’t underestimate the cold sides at the cookout. This broccoli salad is a refreshing low carb side dish whose star ingredient is another one of the best keto vegetable options.
One cup of broccoli has only 3.5 net carbs, making this salad one of those keto side dishes that you can pile high on your plate guilt free. Not to mention, it’s topped with crunchy sunflower seeds and a ton of savory bacon.
It doesn’t get much better than that!
Low Carb BBQ Sauce
There’s nothing better to slather on your meat than BBQ sauce. The store-bought stuff can be good in a pinch, but we bring all the delicious, smoky flavors in our rich and thick homemade version.
What makes our recipe stand out is the sugar free
Our low carb version only takes 8 simple ingredients and will have you feeling better about knowing exactly what’s in your food.
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Even if you’re not typically a fan of mushrooms, the sausage stuffed variety is definitely worth trying. It might just change your mind!
Packed with protein, these cheesy, bite-sized mushrooms are perfect for popping in your mouth, and at only 1 net carb per serving, they fit comfortably in a keto diet.
You may want to double the recipe though, especially if you’re bringing them to a potluck BBQ. Our sausage stuffed mushrooms are so delectable, it might be hard to slow down once you get started!
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeño poppers are one of the most classic keto recipes. Preparing them for the first time almost feels like an initiation into the keto lifestyle.
With this recipe we stepped up the flavor, protein, and fat content by wrapping the meaty, creamy poppers in glorious strips of bacon.
These poppers are a fantastic complement to your BBQ main dishes. And you can even make jalapeño poppers in the air fryer!
Just make sure you wear disposable gloves when preparing them…the chemical in peppers that makes them spicy is nothing you want to deal with barehanded!
Easy Cauliflower Hummus
Keto Hummus? That’s right! Tasty dips always belong at the barbecue, and hummus is no exception!
Again we utilize the ever versatile, low carb cauliflower to give us a keto side dish that would otherwise seem too high carb to be possible.
Even more important than the carbs is that most store-bought hummus brands use harmful oils like soybean, canola and sunflower oils. This recipe has none of that.
Elevate this side dish by roasting the veggies before blending the hummus. Can’t you just taste that roasted garlic now?
Another one of the best parts of this recipe is that it can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, so you can make it well in advance!
Keto Chips
As keto popularity grows, there are an increasing number of options for keto chips. That’s exciting because if you’re like us…or practically any human on earth, you can’t resist the undeniable crunch and convenience of chips.
The more quality, store-bought options that become readily available, the less likely you’ll find yourself reaching for a handful (or let’s be honest, six handfuls) of greasy, starchy potato chips at your next BBQ.
From pork rinds to Quest Chips, and even some easy homemade recipes that you might not have considered, this list is stacked with ideas that will even keep your snack game strong long after the BBQ is over!
Easy Pimento Cheese
If it’s easy and it’s cheesy, count us in! Who can resist a creamy, flavorful spread of pimento cheese?
This recipe, a Southern classic, is a super simple side dish made up of straightforward ingredients.
Like many other keto recipes, one major benefit of making pimento cheese yourself is the ability to skip all the unnecessary fillers the store-bought varieties might carry, like corn starch and sugar.
Not sure how to serve it? Pimento cheese is always great with pork rinds, fresh veggies, or low carb crackers.
More Keto BBQ Ideas
Looking for even more low carb, high fat recipes to add to your keto BBQ rotation? Try a few of these:
6 Style of Keto Chicken Marinades
Did this list get you ready to fire up the grill and put together some tasty sides? Be sure to comment below with your favorite low carb side dishes and share this article to inspire keto BBQ deliciousness!
Written by
Matt Gaedke
Matt is a former college basketball player turned computer engineer who discovered his passion for health and nutrition after cutting sugar from his diet in 2016. That year he founded KetoConnect with Megha in order to share their ketogenic lifestyle through recipes, videos, and educational content. Matt is always seeking to grow and try new things, a passion he shares with his wife and two amazing sons.
