What To Serve With Pulled Pork: Side Dish Ideas

Pulled pork is a family favourite since there are so many ways you can enjoy it, but what about what to serve with pulled pork?

These pulled pork side dishes will inspire you with delicious new recipes to pair with your favourite pork dishes so that you can put together a complete meal the whole family will love. Or find side dishes that are ideal for entertaining a crowd!

If you want a really simple pulled pork recipe, check out this slow cooker pulled pork with Coca Cola. It really doesn’t get any easier than this! Or for an alternative pulled pork recipe, check out this one.

What To Serve With Pulled Pork

The side dishes for pulled pork that you choose will all depend on how you’re serving up your pork shoulder.

If you’re serving it on rolls or as part of a recipe such as tacos, this would pair perfectly with a side salad or some crispy fries.

If you are having your pulled pork as is, you can get a little more creative with the sides you pair with your pork, such as vegetables, bakes and rice dishes.

These recipes and ideas are also really great options for BBQ side dish recipes, paired with any of your favourite BBQ meat. Not just pulled pork sides!

And if you make too much pulled pork, there are plenty of ideas to make with your leftover pork!

Check out these delicious pulled pork side dish ideas:

And if you’re looking for more side dish ideas, check out these ideas for what to serve with fish, ham, tacos, pizza, chicken wings or with soup too.

Salad Dishes

Whether you want to enjoy a simple variation of your favourite green salad or try something a little fancier, these salad dishes are great options when wondering what to pair with pulled pork.

They can work as a side dish alongside your pork dish or even on top of your pulled pork sandwiches or hamburger bun.

Salads make the best BBQ side dishes when entertaining too since you can make ahead and guests can serve themselves easily. Check out these delicious salad recipe ideas:

Black Bean Corn Salad – This black bean corn salad is the perfect side dish for a summer meal! No one will be able to resist this fresh corn salad recipe featuring southwest flavours.
Mediterranean Potato Salad – This Mediterranean Potato Salad recipe is a great pulled pork side dish! It’s made with Kalamata olives and feta cheese in a creamy lemon dressing.
Easy Macaroni Salad – This macaroni salad is made with elbow noodles tossed with cubed cheddar cheese, sweet peas, crunchy veggies, and a tangy mayonnaise dressing. It’s the perfect side for your next barbecue or picnic.
Crunchy Slaw – A creamy and crunchy coleslaw is essential for every BBQ party. A great side to be served with pulled and grilled meats.
Quick Orzo Pasta Salad – Orzo Pasta Salad is a light and refreshing salad full of zesty flavours and healthy ingredients. Hearty vegetarian pasta salad is our family favourite and a crowd pleaser! This is a fantastic way of catering to friends or family who don’t eat meat as well, so everyone has a dish to enjoy.
Southwestern Quinoa Salad – This Southwestern Quinoa Salad is a delicious and colourful dish to share tossed in a zesty salsa lime vinaigrette.
Creamy No Mayo Coleslaw – This creamy coleslaw uses sour cream instead of mayonnaise, making it a slightly healthier side dish option. Serve it alongside all your slow-cooked meat favourites or on a pulled pork roll as a cool and creamy side.
Vegan Mexican Chopped Salad – Delicious vegan Mexican chopped salad with avocado dressing makes the perfect lunch salad or an easy side dish to any Mexican feast. This gluten-free salad is packed with fresh veggies, dietary fibre and plant-based protein.
Kohlrabi Slaw with Creamy Dressing – This raw Kohlrabi Slaw salad recipe is healthy and easy to make! This coleslaw side dish is tossed in a creamy cilantro lime dressing.
Egg Salad With Avocado – Add a creamy avocado twist to a classic egg salad recipe with this simple-to-make side dish to serve with pulled pork and BBQ meat.
Watermelon Salad With Feta – Watermelon and feta salad is a fresh summer salad perfect to be served with grilled meats and sandwiches.
Fresh Herb Gluten-Free Potato Salad – This delicious potato salad is loaded with the good stuff like bacon, cheese, and scallions. It is perfect for a BBQ or meat side dish.
Creamy Cucumber Salad With Pickled Red Onion – A healthier and refreshing twist to the classic creamy cucumber salad recipe with quick pickled red onions. The perfect accompaniment summer salad to any cookout!
Keto Red Cabbage Slaw With Carrots – This keto coleslaw comes together easily and only uses a handful of ingredients. Plus, it’s a salad that keeps very well in the refrigerator and tastes just as good a couple of days later.
Rainbow Pasta Salad – This is a favourite side salad loaded with colour and flavour! Kids love the flavour and it is to put together.
Kale Slaw With A Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing – A twist on the classic bbq side dish, this kale slaw is mixed with a creamy lemon and garlic dressing. A great side dish for grilled meats, burgers and more!
Summer Panzanella Salad – Summer Panzanella Salad is a celebration of summer tomatoes and rustic, day-old bread. The salad is punched up with cubed mozzarella and a last-minute sprinkling of basil.
Creamy Apple Slaw With Cranberries – This quick apple slaw with crunchy apples, cabbage, carrot and cranberries is topped with a creamy yogurt dressing and can be ready in 10 minutes.
Cornbread Salad – Cornbread salad is the perfect make-ahead side dish for your next cookout. Layers of peppers, onions, peas, cornbread and ranch dressing-a crowd pleaser!
Chopped Antipasti Salad (Buca di Beppo Copycat) – his yummy chopped antipasto salad is made with veggies, olives, pepperoni and cheese. It’s packed with flavour and incredibly easy to throw together.
Creamy Jalapeño BBQ Coleslaw – Classic coleslaw gets a makeover with added jalapeños in this recipe for Creamy Jalapeño BBQ Coleslaw. You’ll love this tasty take on the classic BBQ recipe.
Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad – Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad is one of my favourite pasta salads for an outdoor BBQ, pulled pork dinner, or tailgating party and has been lightened up by reducing the sugar in the sweet and tangy dressing!
Chipotle Lime Roasted Sweet Potato Salad – Sweet and tangy with a bit of smoky heat, this low-fat Chipotle Lime Roasted Sweet Potato Salad is perfect for summer barbecues.
Roasted Cauliflower and Chorizo Salad – This is an impressive hearty and generous salad just perfect for smokey BBQ pork! Full of flavour it’s great to prep ahead for an easy meal.
Caesar Macaroni Salad – This delicious Caesar Macaroni Salad with homemade Caesar dressing combines the flavours of a traditional Caesar salad with a summer macaroni salad into one perfect side dish that pairs well with a meat main dish.
Roasted Broccoli Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette – You’ll love this Roasted Broccoli Salad — studded with lots of vibrant salad ingredients — and Lemon Vinaigrette! Roasting the broccoli makes it more delicious and flavourful!

Fries & Things

Pulled pork pairs perfectly with french fries and potato dishes, but don’t limit what to serve with your pulled pork just to these simple ideas. Get creative with different vegetable fries or bake recipes. And of course, there is always the potato crisps as well!

As an Australian, the first time we visited the USA, I sure did get a surprise when ordering chips with my meal and instead got potato chips… as in crisps… rather than fries. That is something you don’t really get when dining out in Australia.

Check out these popular side dishes featuring fries and things:

Crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges – Skip turning on the oven and make these crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges instead! These flavourful potatoes pair well with any BBQ meat.
Baked Potatoes on The Grill – The easiest pulled pork side is making baked potatoes on the grill. Just cover in foil and throw them on the grill for a delicious BBQ side dish.
Air Fryer Onion Rings – Enjoy crispy onion rings without needing a deep fryer for this lighter, crunchy variation of your favourite takeaway onion rings. These onion rings are made from scratch in no time at all.
Baked Rosemary & Garlic Fries – These perfectly seasoned, oven-baked rosemary garlic fries with a fancy dipping sauce are the perfect side to your backyard barbecue or pulled pork burger.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries – These sweet potato fries are so easy to make in the air fryer and serve perfectly with the smokey or sweet flavours of your favourite pulled pork recipe.
Air Fryer French Fries – These Air Fryer French Fries are easy and quick to make! They are delicious and crispy and make a perfect side for grilled meats. Add some crunch to go with your tender pork meal.
Stuffed Air Fried Sweet Potatoes – Load up your sweet potatoes with mozzarella cheese, bacon and sour cream for a perfect winter side dish for pulled pork and slow-cooked meats. This really compliments the smokey BBQ flavours of many pulled pork recipes when paired with sour cream and cheese.

Have you got a ‘bring a plate’ party coming up? Here are more than 70 ideas for share plates and pot luck party food ideas!

Vegetable Side Dishes

There are vegetables that pair great with pulled pork, or with any type of BBQ meat, such as potato or sweet potatoes, sweet corn and roasted capsicum, but don’t limit your sides just to steamed or roasted veggies. Add some extra flair to your vegetable side dishes with these recipe ideas.

grilled Mexican street corn on a grill plate

Grilled Mexican Street Corn – This Healthy Grilled Mexican Street Corn is So easy and flavourful, you won’t even notice it’s better for you! A great way to spice up your sweet corn on the cob.
Spicy Collard Greens – Collard greens flavoured with bacon and onions plus enough spice to give them a kick.
Corn Fritters With Avocado Salsa – Corn fritters just like Bill Granger’s famous version, paired with a perfect avocado salsa to really set the flavours off.
Sous Vide Green Beans – The best part of summer is the fresh veggies, and these Sous vide green beans are it!
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas – This instant pot black-eyed peas recipe is so flavorful and simple to make. Flavoured with bacon and ham, everyone will love this delicious side dish.
Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad with Zucchini – Summer is the season of fresh, sweet corn, bountiful zucchini, and refreshing salads. That’s what makes this corn and black bean salad a perfect companion for any summer vegetarian bbq sauce pulled pork. Nothing beats the smoky, grilled flavour of corn and zucchini mixed with the heartiness of black beans and finally topped with luxurious feta.
Roasted Veggie Couscous – This Roasted Vegetable Couscous is full of delicious Moroccan flavours and is the perfect accompaniment to grilled or slow cooker meats.
Veggie Kabobs With Halloumi – These grilled veggie kabobs with halloumi are so delicious, flavorful, and very easy to make! A great pulled pork side that everyone will love.
Santa Maria Beans – These delicious Santa Maria Beans are a baked bean with a delicious twist. These tasty beans are made with bacon, ham and anaheim peppers!
Cowboy Caviar (Texas Caviar) – This budget-minded dish is chock-full of colourful veggies and black beans, dressed with a tangy, spicy homemade dressing. Whether you call it Texas Caviar or Cowboy Caviar, it is perfect as a side dish or an appetizer served with tortilla chips.
Escalivada (Grilled Vegetables) – Escalivada is a Spanish side dish that includes a variety of grilled vegetables drizzled with a balsamic dressing. It’s simple, easy to prep, and easy to cook. This is one of the best barbeque side dishes!
Braised Cabbage With Bacon – Talk about flavour! This easy BBQ braised cabbage with bacon is bursting with it. Whether you serve it as a side next time you barbecue or pile it on a pulled pork sandwich or burger for flare, you won’t regret it.
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables – Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables are bursting with the sweet flavours that happen when you roast vegetables. The rainbow of vegetables is seasoned with oregano, thyme and a squeeze of lemon juice. These are the perfect vegan side dish to pair with grilled meats, add to a rice bowl or a healthy side dish.

More Pulled Pork Side Dish Ideas

If you’re looking for more sides to make your main dish a full meal, look no further. Here are more ideas on what to serve with pulled pork to suit every taste and season. Each of these sides compliment different meals that you can enjoy throughout the year with your favourite pulled pork recipe, whether in the crock pot, slow cooked in the oven or on the BBQ.

BBQ Rice (Spicy Rice) – Spicy BBQ rice with vegetables, a healthy rice side dish for your next barbecue or a BBQ flavoured rice main meal.
Buttermilk Jalapeno Cornbread – This Buttermilk Jalapeño Cornbread has the ideal balance of heat and sweet, in a simple recipe featuring jalapeños and buttermilk. Make it even spicier with your favourite hot sauce in a small bowl on the side.
Honey Butter Biscuits – These honey butter biscuits are light and sweet, brushed with honey butter.
Cheesy Tomato Casserole – If you are looking for a winter warmer when planning what to serve with pulled pork, this baked casserole is a great hearty option.
Best Ever Cowboy Baked Beans – The Best Cowboy Baked Beans are started using canned baked beans, but no one will ever know, because we have amped up the flavour for a sweet, slightly spicy slurry and added bacon to the top.
Southern Fried Tomatoes – This Fried Green Tomatoes recipe is the perfect summer side. This southern classic is super crispy and ready in about 20 minutes.
Air Fryer Wrap Tortilla Chips – Turn flour tortillas into tortilla chips in the air fryer in a matter of minutes as a crunchy side to serve with your pulled pork. Or turn it into a loaded pork nachos style dish by serving the pulled pork, cheese and sour cream on top of your crunchy tortillas. This is also a great idea to use up leftover pulled pork too.
Greek Yogurt Deviled Eggs – Add a light side of deviled eggs – creamy and delicious but with no mayo needed with this Greek yogurt variation.

With so many ideas on what to serve with pulled pork, you will have no trouble finding the perfect sides to pair with your slow cooked pork shoulder. Many of these recipes will even work with your favourite pulled pork sandwiches or as a side to dishes such as pork tacos. Yum!

I hope this has given you some fresh new ideas for what goes with pulled pork!

Need ‘bring a plate’ party food ideas? Check out more than 70 share plates and pot luck ideas for your next event!

Need leftover ideas? Check out these yummy recipes for using your leftovers:

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