This article was updated on 1/8/2023 for clarity and freshness.
If you’re wondering what to serve at your pig roast, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for a pig roast.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve at a pig roast are apple slaw, four-cheese mac and cheese, arroz congri, roasted potato salad, and elotes. You can also serve lumpia, chicken skewers, cornbread, and baked beans. Try serving Caprese salad, baked yuca fries, and balsamic grilled veggies for healthier options.
Traditional Southern fare
These dishes are the backbone of any pig roast in the southern parts of the United States. They’re comforting, hearty, and can easily stand up to the richness of the pig. Although you might find yourself in need of a nap right after enjoying your pork with these side dishes.
You can’t go wrong with mac and cheese but a traditional squash casserole is equally delicious if you want something with veggies but still decadent.
Four-cheese mac and cheese
Pig roasts are the time to let loose and have fun, so it would be a huge oversight if you won’t serve decadent food like mac and cheese.
Everyone has their own recipe for this classic dish, but Dude That Cookz’ version features a béchamel sauce made with four different kinds of cheese – sharp cheddar, white cheddar, gouda, and mozzarella. This cheese combination makes the sauce amazingly rich.
Everyone will be lining up for seconds for this dish before you know it.
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Four cheese mac and cheese
Add veg
Broccoli mac and cheese
Add heat
Jalapeno popper mac and cheese
Slow-cooker baked beans
No outdoor party is complete without some saucy baked beans. They have the right balance of sweetness and spice that will leave you craving for more.
They’re traditionally made in the oven (as the name suggests), but Ambitious Kitchen takes a different route by using the slow-cooker.
It takes more time, but this method eliminates most of the hands-on cooking. You only need to cook the bacon, add everything into the slow cooker, then leave it to cook until it’s time to serve.
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Homemade slow cooker baked beans
Add a fruity twist
Apple butter bourbon baked beans
Make it different
Pan-fried black eyed peas
Baked potato foil packs
These baked potato foil packs are great for outdoor parties like pig roasts. You can prepare the foil packs in advance and start grilling them as your guests arrive.
And since they’re already pre-portioned, your guests can grab a foil pack and go. It’s an instant plate for your guests and less mess for you to clean. Yay!
Psst… Set up a toppings bar with fixings such as bacon, sour cream, and jalapenos so your guests can customize their loaded baked potato foil packs.
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Loaded baked potato foil packs
Skip the grill
Baked potatoes
Make it indulgent
Cheesy funeral potatoes
Old-fashioned peach cobbler
End your pig roast on a sweet note with a serving of this old-fashioned peach cobbler.
Oh Sweet Basil’s version includes a homemade biscuit topping. If you’re in a rush, you can skip this and use Bisquick to make the topping instead.
But if you have the time to spare, I highly recommend making it from scratch — it’s extra buttery and way better than the ready-made stuff.
Pro-tip: making this ahead of time? This dessert is best enjoyed straight out of the oven, so make sure to reheat it before serving.
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Old fashioned peach cobbler
Another classic
Peach pie
Skip the peaches
Blueberry cobbler
Light sides
These dishes offer a refreshing contrast to the robust, smoky flavors of a pig roast. Good old coleslaw is always a solid choice, bringing a fresh bite and a light creaminess that’ll help cleanse your palate. You can also grill some veggies to jazz them up and add something nourishing to your pig roast.
Apple slaw
Coleslaw is a staple at any outdoor party like pig roast. But if you want to try something a bit different, why not prepare an apple slaw instead?
The apples bring an added layer of tart-sweet notes that perfectly contrast with the fattiness of the pork roast. But Salt & Lavender takes it a step further by dressing the slaw with a mayo-sour cream combo, making this extra creamy and tangy.
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Apple slaw
Make it basic
Classic coleslaw
Make it dairy-free
Apple cider vinegar slaw
Bocconcino caprese salad
Looking for a fresh dish to serve at your pig roast?
Try this bocconcino Caprese salad. Unlike the usual recipe, this version features small mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes instead of slices.
This version is superb for outdoor parties because your guests can easily scoop a serving into their plates. It’s also perfect for undercutting the richness and indulgence of other dishes in your feast.
And the best part? You can get this salad whipped up in 10 minutes – no cooking involved.
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Bocconcino Caprese salad
Add more veg
Tomato cucumber salad
Add leafy greens
Arugula tomato salad
Balsamic grilled veggies
Every feast needs a serving of vegetables to complete the meal and these balsamic grilled veggies fit the bill.
Natasha’s Kitchen soaks the veggies in a zingy balsamic vinaigrette that infuses them with a zesty bite, making them an excellent contrast to your pork roast. They’re then cooked over a grill with the help of a grill basket, so you can work on them while your pork is still roasting. Easy peasy.
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Balsamic grilled vegetables
Skip the grill basket
Grilled veggie skewers
Skip the grill
Oven-roasted vegetables
International influences
Pig roasts are a celebration in several other cultures, so why not bring a little global twist to your feast?
Lumpia or Filipino spring rolls are a guaranteed hit at any gathering. Or you can take inspiration from Latin American cuisine and serve up some rice and beans to make your pig roast even heartier?
Lumpia
Add a fun Filipino flair to your pig roasts by making a tray (or two) of crispy lumpia.
If you’re not familiar, lumpia are the Filipino version of egg rolls. They’re filled with vegetables and ground pork, and are often smaller than traditional egg rolls.
In the Philippines, lumpia and roasted pig are often served during special occasions. So why not give these spring rolls a shot at your own pig roast? They’re easy to prepare and are bite-sized, making them the perfect party food.
Serve your crispy lumpia with a sweet and sour sauce (the bottled ones go superbly with these), and I guarantee they will run out quickly.
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Lumpia
Skip the pork
Mung bean sprouts spring rolls
Make it familiar
Homemade spring rolls
Arroz congri
Pig roasts are also a popular tradition in Cuba, and one of the dishes usually served during the occasion is arroz congri (Cuban black beans and rice).
This traditional dish features rice and beans cooked together with bacon and sofrito. It results in a fragrant and flavorful rice dish that pairs nicely with your roasted pig for a complete, satisfying meal.
Take A Sassy Spoon’s lead and use dried beans to achieve that distinct dark color of arroz congri.
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Arroz congri
Keep it simple
Cilantro lime rice
Make it low-carb
Cauliflower congri
Hawaiian teriyaki chicken skewers
Hosting a tropical-themed pig roast?
It’s impossible to go wrong serving these Hawaiian teriyaki chicken skewers. Aside from pineapple and chicken, these skewers are made with bell peppers, red onions, and jalapeno. Then, they’re finally glazed with a tasty, sweet teriyaki sauce.
You can prepare the skewers in advance so you can grill them as your pig is roasting. Plus, they cook quickly, so your guests can grab them and go as you finish grilling.
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Hawaiian teriyaki chicken skewers
Make it surf-and-turf
Teriyaki grilled shrimp and pineapple
Make it meatless
Grilled balsamic mushrooms
Baked yuca fries
Yuca fries are another dish usually served in Cuban pig roasts. They’re crisp on the outside and soft inside, like your regular potato fries.
Take a cue from The Healthy Maven and season your yuca fries with dried chili powder for a spicy kick. But don’t forget to serve them at your pig roast with a side of ketchup… Or with a bright Mojo Verde sauce.
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Baked yuca fries
Back to basics
Oven-roasted fries
Add a hint of sweetness
Sweet potato fries
Elotes
Have some extra space on the grill? Take the opportunity and make some elotes for your pig roast.
Elotes, also known as Mexican street corn, are grilled corn on the cobs slathered with sour cream, mayonnaise, and chili powder and topped with cheese.
A Couple Cooks’ recipe include instructions for turning the husks into handles you can use while eating this corn, but you can skip this if you prefer.
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Elotes
Keep it straightforward
Grilled corn on the cob
Skip the grill
Butter bath corn on the cob
Jazzed-up classics
These side dishes are a great way to freshen up your pig roast feast. They provide the familiarity of your favorite comfort food, but with a fun surprise that doesn’t stray too far from the classic.
For example, you still get that hearty, creamy bite with a roasted potato salad, but with an added layer of crispiness.
Roasted potato salad
Potato salad is another staple dish at summer parties and barbecues. But if you want to take your usual side dish to another level, make this roasted potato salad instead.
Roasting the spuds gives them crisped edges and fluffy interiors, a step above boiled potatoes. The potatoes are then dressed with a bright and herby garlic dill dressing that will leave your guests licking their fingers.
You won’t ever go back to basic potato salads once you get a taste of this easy jazzed-up version.
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Roasted potato salad
Make it Greek-style
Tzatziki potato salad
Skip the dairy
French potato salad
Jalapeno cheddar cornbread
This isn’t your traditional cornbread. Instead, it’s a more savory version loaded to the brim with jalapenos, cheddar, and corn kernels.
You’re guaranteed a flavorful, spicy kick in every bite. Who could say no to that?
Serve a skillet of this jalapeno cheddar cornbread at your pig roast and watch your guests go crazy for it.
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Jalapeno cheddar cornbread
Make it basic
Homemade cornbread
Make it handy
Honey cornbread muffins
Lemon basil pasta salad
Instead of serving up a creamy macaroni salad at your pig roast, why not go with this lighter lemon basil pasta salad?
It requires far less ingredients to make, and is ready in no time.
The hero of this side dish is its refreshing lemonade vinaigrette. It’s simple, but it brings a refreshingly bright flavor to cut through the fattiness of your pork roast.
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Lemony basil pasta salad
Make it Tex-Mex inspired
Southwestern pasta salad
Make it Italian-inspired
Pesto pasta salad
What To Serve At A Pig Roast (45 Ideas)
Ingredients
- 1 portion four-cheese mac and cheese
- 1 portion lumpia
- 1 portion apple slaw
- 1 portion southern peach cobbler
- 1 portion elotes
- 1 portion lemon basil pasta salad
- … and more
Instructions
- Prepare your pig roast according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: apple slaw, four-cheese mac and cheese, lumpia, arroz congri, baked potato foil packs, elotes, Hawaiian teriyaki chicken skewers, bocconcino Caprese salad, baked yuca fries, slow-cooker baked beans, balsamic grilled veggies, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, and roasted potato salad.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
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