If you’re wondering what to serve with your kabobs, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 42 of the most popular side dishes for kabobs.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best side dishes to serve with kabobs are pita bread, fattoush salad, Persian rice pilaf, and spiced potatoes. You can also serve herbed smashed cucumbers, Mediterranean pasta salad, apricot couscous, or grilled pineapples. For condiments, try garlic sauce or pickled red onions.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Fattoush salad
The toasted pita chips add a satisfying crunch to this salad and its bright lemon vinaigrette brings a tangy flavor.
Psst… don’t skip the ground sumac in the dressing. It makes the salad with its uniquely floral notes.
For an extra sweet boost, add pomegranate molasses or fresh pomegranate seeds.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a tasty way to use up the veggies you have on hand.
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Fattoush salad
Make it Italian-style
Summer peach panzanella salad
Make it familiar
Caesar salad
Jeweled Persian rice pilaf
Level up your plain white rice with this rice pilaf.
The rice is cooked in a mixture of broth and warming spices, then dried fruit and nuts are mixed in.
The result is a delicious mixture of mellow flavors and textures that will go great with any kind of kabob.
Why we love this recipe: it’ll make your plate Insta-worthy.
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Jeweled Persian rice pilaf
Make it low-carb
Jeweled cauliflower rice
Make it Greek-style
Greek-stuffed tomatoes
Spicy Lebanese potatoes
Also known as batata harra, this is a Middle Eastern dish commonly seen in Lebanese restaurants.
It involves golden, fluffy potato cubes tossed in a spicy cilantro garlic sauce and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice.
These spuds’ crisp texture and zesty flavors pair superbly with smoky grilled kabobs.
Why we love this recipe: it transforms a simple ingredient into something amazing.
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Batata harra (spicy Lebanese potatoes)
Ditch the spuds
Baked sweet potato fries with za’atar and tahini
Make it low-carb
Mediterranean zucchini fries
Quick pickled red onions
These pickled red onions are the perfect side dish when you want your kabobs to be the star of the meal.
They’ll add a splash of color to the plate, and provide a fresh bite to cut through the heavy meat.
And the best part? There’s only 10 minutes of hands-on cooking time involved.
Why we love this recipe: it’s rated 4.98 stars from 189 votes.
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Pickled red onions
Make it Vietnamese-inspired
Quick carrots and daikon
Make it different
Marinated zucchini noodles
Pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots
Looking for something light but satisifying?
This couscous dish has your back.
The pearl couscous will fill you up without weighing you down. And the added spinach, butternut squash, and dried apricots makes the side super nourishing.
It’s not lacking in flavor either thanks to spices like smoked paprika, cumin, and cloves.
Why we love this recipe: it celebrates delicious Middle Eastern flavors.
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Pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots
Change the flavor
Israeli couscous with tomato and olives
Ditch the couscous
Apricot quinoa salad
Herbed smashed cucumbers
You might be thinking – “can I get away without smashing the cucumbers?”
The answer is no!
Smashing the cucumbers breaks them down and means they can soak in so much more of the creamy dressing.
The result is a cool and refreshing palate cleanser for your heavily spiced kabobs.
Why we love this recipe: it’s really fun to make.
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Herbed smashed cucumbers
Make it Indian-style
Spiralized cucumber raita
Make it familiar
Creamy coleslaw
Mediterranean pasta salad
You can’t go wrong with this Mediterranean pasta salad at a cookout.
It’s simple but flavorful, thanks to all the fresh veggies, feta cheese, and the homemade Greek salad dressing.
Pro tip: make it a few hours ahead of time to give all the flavors a chance to meld and develop.
Why we love this recipe: it’s completely customizable.
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Mediterranean pasta salad
Make it different
Pesto tortellini salad
Make it Vietnamese-inspired
Vietnamese noodle salad
Pita bread
Homemade pita bread and dips is my go-to accompaniment for kabobs.
They’re super soft and puffy, and go with pretty much any dip you can think of.
I like the classic trio of hummus, tzatziki, and babaganoush.
Why we love this recipe: it explains two different methods of making the pita bread.
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Pita bread
Make it Indian-inspired
Paratha
Make it garlicky
Garlic naan
Toum (garlic sauce)
This isn’t technically a side dish, but it’s a must-have with grilled kabobs.
The sauce is rich and creamy, with a prominent garlic flavor that holds up well next to boldly spiced kabobs.
The key to perfecting this sauce is to slowly emulsify the garlic and oil with lemon juice and cold water. This will give you a smooth, silky texture without adding any dairy.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a healthier, dairy-free version of garlic mayo.
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Traditional toum
Make a classic
Baba ganoush
Fire up the oven
Roasted red pepper hummus
Sweet and spicy grilled pineapple
Fruits get extra sweet and sticky on the grill.
But this recipe keeps things from getting too sweet by glazing the pineapple with a mixture of sesame oil, chili sauce, lime juice, and a dash of cinnamon.
This gives the pineapple spears a delectable sweet-but-spicy combo.
Why we love this recipe: it works as a starter, side, or dessert!
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Sweet and spicy grilled pineapple
Skip the grill
Roasted rosemary pineapple
Ditch the pineapple
Grilled peaches
Israeli cucumber and tomato salad
Salads don’t always have to include leafy greens.
Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and sharp onions are the base of this salad and then fresh herbs give it tonnes of flavor.
This version uses parsley, but mint and cilantro would also taste fabulous.
Why we love this recipe: it lets the produce’s natural flavors shine through.
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Israeli cucumber and tomato salad
Make it hearty
Tabbouleh salad
Make it different
Creamy cucumber and tomato salad
Brown butter parsnip puree
Skip your usual mashed potatoes and try serving your kabobs with this parsnip puree.
It’s velvety and buttery, with a hint of nuttiness thanks to the brown butter.
This recipe also uses dijon mustard and lemon, which help offset the parsnips’ natural sweetness.
Pro-tip: to achieve a silky smooth mash, remove the woody stems or pass your mash through a sieve.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a fantastic dish to highlight and underrated veg.
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Brown butter parsnip puree
Make it bright
Roasted carrot and parsnip puree
Make it healthier
Parsnip and cauliflower mash with garlic and chives
Grilled bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts
A grilled vegetable side I can’t get enough of are these bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts.
The sprouts get delightfully charred and absorb the bacon’s savory flavors as you grill them, making them super tasty.
You’ll never want to eat plain old boiled sprouts again!
Why we love this recipe: it looks as good as it tastes.
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Grilled bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts
Fire up the oven
Honey mustard brussels sprouts with bacon
Skip the brussels sprouts
Grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus
Red cabbage slaw
Slaw is a classic addition to any BBQ meal. But skip the store bought stuff, homemade slaw is SO much better.
It’s crunchy, creamy, and endlessly customizable.
I like adding in jalapeños for a spicy kick.
Why we love this recipe: there’s notes for how to make a mayo free version.
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Red cabbage slaw
Make it fruity
Mango slaw
Make it different
Celery slaw
The best side dishes to serve with kabobs
- Fattoush salad
- Jeweled Persian rice pilaf
- Spicy Lebanese potatoes
- Quick pickled red onions
- Pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots
- Herbed smashed cucumbers
- Mediterranean pasta salad
- Pita bread
- Toum (garlic sauce)
- Sweet and spicy grilled pineapple
- Israeli cucumber and tomato salad
- Brown butter parsnip puree
- Grilled bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts
- Red cabbage slaw
What To Serve With Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1 portion kabobs
Instructions
- Prepare your kabobs according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: fattoush salad, Jeweled Persian rice pilaf, spicy Lebanese potatoes, quick pickled red onions, pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots, herbed smashed cucumbers, Mediterranean pasta salad, pita bread, toum (garlic sauce), sweet and spicy grilled pineapple, Israeli cucumber and tomato salad, brown butter parsnip puree, grilled bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts, and red cabbage slaw.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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