Barbecue pork, also known as pulled pork, is a quintessential BBQ meal. Pork shoulder or Boston butt is rubbed with a spice blend, slowly smoked for hours until fall-apart tender, and then shredded or “pulled” to create succulent strands of smoky meat. But the pork itself is just one component of a great barbecue feast. You also need perfect accompaniments to complement the savory meat. The right sides and sauces can take your barbecue pork from tasty to over-the-top delicious.
So what should you serve with pulled pork to round out the meal? Here are some sensational options for side dishes, snacks, desserts, and sauces that pair wonderfully with smoked, shredded pork barbecue.
Delicious Side Dishes to Serve with Pulled Pork BBQ
Barbecue pork screams for traditional BBQ side dishes. These choices complement the smoky meat with additional flavors and textures.
Classic BBQ Baked Beans
No BBQ would be complete without a big scoop of baked beans. Choose beans baked in a sweet and smoky sauce flavored with molasses, onions, mustard, and your favorite BBQ rub. The beans offer a touch of sweetness to balance the pork.
If you want to make your own BBQ beans, start with canned beans for convenience. Drain and rinse navy, great northern, or cannellini beans and combine with chopped onions, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, spices, and other ingredients. Bake until the beans are soft and the flavors have melded, about one hour. The baked beans last for days in the fridge so you can make them ahead.
Macaroni and Cheese
Mac and cheese is another BBQ staple. The creamy, cheesy pasta complements the pork’s smokiness. Make your mac extra decadent by using a mix of cheddar and smoked gouda. For a rich, from-scratch macaroni and cheese, cook the pasta and make a béchamel sauce with butter, flour, and milk. Stir in shredded cheese until melted and creamy. Top with crispy fried shallots or onions and smoked paprika before serving.
Boxed mac and cheese is an easy shortcut. Jazz it up with pulled pork, baked beans, or crisp crumbled bacon stirred in.
Coleslaw
Cool, crunchy coleslaw is the perfect foil for rich smoked meat. The tangy dressed cabbage adds freshness and cuts through the fattiness.
For your BBQ, choose a mayo-based coleslaw or a vinegar-based recipe. To make your own, shred cabbage and carrots and toss with a dressing of mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and spices like celery seed. Let the coleslaw chill for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Potato Salad
Like coleslaw, potato salad offers a cool, creamy contrast to smoky pulled pork. Potatoes soak up all the delicious flavor of the dressing.
Make potato salad with diced boiled russet or Yukon gold potatoes, mayonnaise or sour cream, chopped celery, onion, parsley, mustard, and hard-boiled eggs. Let the flavors chill together before serving alongside your barbecue.
Corn on the Cob
Fresh sweet corn is a beloved side for barbecue. Leave the corn unadorned to highlight its natural sweetness or slather with butter, lime juice, chili powder, or a smear of mayonnaise spiked with smoked paprika.
Grill the corn in its husks directly on the grill while you smoke the pork to add an extra layer of smoky flavor. Or quickly boil the corn and serve it hot off the cob.
Cornbread
Warm cornbread is perfect for sopping up the juices and sauce from pulled pork. Bake a skillet of fluffy cornbread studded with corn kernels to serve alongside your BBQ feast. Or opt for cornbread muffins so everyone can have their own portion.
Make cornbread even more appropriate for BBQ by adding chopped scallions, crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, or kernels of grilled corn. Serve the cornbread with butter, honey, or sorghum syrup on the side.
Collard Greens
Slow-cooked, buttery collard greens are a favorite southern side dish. The hearty greens stand up well to the richness of barbecue pork.
Cook chopped collards low and slow in broth with smoked ham hocks or chunks of pork for flavor. Season with vinegar, hot sauce, and black pepper. The bitter greens balance the sweet, fatty pork.
Cucumber Salad
A cucumber salad offers crunch and brightness alongside hearty BBQ. Simply toss sliced cucumbers with red onion, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. The cool salad cuts through the richness.
For a more substantial side, add chunks of feta or goat cheese, fresh dill, and olive oil. You can make the salad up to a day ahead and let the flavors meld.
Pasta Salad
Chilled pasta salad is perfect for hot summer BBQs. Rotini or spirals tossed with vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and olives makes a satisfying side. Toss the pasta with Italian dressing or vinaigrette before chilling.
Or go for a summery pasta salad with cucumbers, red peppers, and peas in a creamy ranch or Greek yogurt dressing. The pasta salad provides a refreshing break from all the meat and smoked flavors.
Grilled Romaine Salad
Skip the lettuce and grill hearty romaine halves to pair with your barbecue pork. Brush the romaine with oil and sear it cut-side down over direct heat. The grill adds char and smokiness.
Top the grilled lettuce with blue cheese, chopped bacon, tomatoes, and ranch or blue cheese dressing. It’s like a knife-and-fork salad made for BBQ.
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Big baked sweet potatoes are the perfect vessel for serving pulled pork. Bake them on the grill or in the oven alongside your smoked pork shoulder. Split the potatoes and stuff with flavorful BBQ pork, cheese, butter, ranch dressing, or barbecue sauce.
You can also mash sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, and spices for a southern-inspired barbecue side dish.
Greens with Bacon and Onions
Sautéed greens like spinach, kale, chard, or a mix provide vitamins and freshness. Cook them in bacon grease with plenty of crispy bacon pieces and caramelized onions or shallots. The rich, smoky flavor matches the pork shoulder.
Green Beans
For additional nutrition, green beans make a lighter BBQ side. Blanch crisp green beans briefly in boiling water. Then toss them with bacon drippings, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Or opt for bacon-wrapped roasted green beans. The green vegetables balance the heavier pork and sides.
Grilled Vegetables
If you’re firing up the grill for BBQ pork, take advantage by grilling veggies too. Try thick slices of zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or eggplant. Brush with oil and season, then grill until slightly charred and tender.
Grilled vegetables like peppers and onions can also top baked potatoes and nachos or chop up for salsa, pasta salad, or tacos with leftover pulled pork.
Mixed Green Salad
A basic salad of mixed greens with vinaigrette provides a refreshing, lighter option alongside all the heavy BBQ. Top with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, onions, avocado, or bacon bits.
Or elevate the salad by grilling thick slices of vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, or onions to top the lettuce leaves.
Watermelon and Tomato Salad
For a cool, fruity salad, cube watermelon and tomatoes and toss with feta cheese, red onion, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The slightly salty, tangy salad complements smoked meat.
Homemade Applesauce
Sweet and slightly tart homemade applesauce perfectly offsets dry pulled pork and savory sides. Slow cook chopped apples with cinnamon, sugar, lemon, and a splash of water until thick and creamy. Let the applesauce chill before serving.
Fruit Salad
Fresh fruit also balances the heavy BBQ flavors. Make a bright fruit salad with berries, melon, pineapple, grapes, and citrus. Consider soaking the fruit in an orange liqueur or fruit juice to intensify the flavors.
Crave-Worthy Snacks to Nibble on with Pulled Pork
Beyond main side dishes, you’ll want snacks to nosh on before or with the pulled pork and sides.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs make a nice light starter or snack for your barbecue feast. Fill hard-boiled egg halves with a creamy filling of egg yolk, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and spices. Garnish with paprika, crumbled bacon, chopped scallions, or a slice of pickled jalapeño.
Kick things up a notch by mixing crumbled blue cheese, bacon, or barbecue seasoning into the filling. The savory deviled eggs complement the pork.
Chicken Wings
It doesn’t get more classic than barbecue chicken wings alongside pulled pork. Grill or smoke the wings coated in your favorite dry rub or barbecue-flavored wing sauce. Serve traditional or boneless wings with blue cheese or ranch dipping sauce.
The crispy, saucy wings offer a nice textural contrast to the tender pulled pork strands.
Chips and Dip
Crunchy chips beg for a creamy, hearty dip to pair with smoky pulled pork. Try pimento cheese dip, loaded baked potato dip, French onion dip, or a layered taco dip.
Or opt for guacamole, salsa, or queso to dip tortilla chips in for a tangy, fresh accompaniment.
Pickles and Olives
Pickles and olives offer sour, briny flavor to counteract the richness of barbecue. Set out bread-and-butter pickles, pickled okra, pickled beets, pickled jalapeños, and an assortment of olives.
You can also pickle your own cucumbers, onions, green beans, or other vegetables to serve. DIY pickling lets you customize flavors exactly how you like them.
Crackers and Cheese Plate
Round out your BBQ spread with an assortment of crackers, pretzels, and sliced baguettes served with cured meats and cheeses. Salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, and summer sausage pair well with cheddar, gouda, brie, and fresh mozzarella. Add mustard, jams, nuts, and fresh or dried fruit.
Chips and Guacamole
Crunchy tortilla chips need a creamy companion, and fresh guacamole is just the thing. Mash ripe avocados with lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cumin, and serrano chiles for a tangy dip. The cool guac balances the hot pork.
Make your own tortilla chips by frying or baking wedges until crisp. For variety, offer yellow and blue corn chips too.
Grilled Vegetable Platter
Fire up the grill even before the pork goes on to char vegetables for a hearty spread. Try eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, onions, carrots, and squash brushed with oil and grilled until tender. Arrange the grilled veggies on a platter with buttermilk ranch for dipping.
Caprese Skewers
Thread fresh mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves onto short skewers for easy finger food. Drizzle the skewers with olive oil and balsamic reduction. The fresh components make a nice light start for a barbecue feast.
Quesadillas
Whip up some simple quesadillas in the skillet to accompany your barbecue spread. Stuff flour or corn tortillas with cheese, peppers, onions, salsa, and leftover pulled pork. Grill the quesadillas until the cheese melts and tortillas are golden. Slice into wedges for an easy appetizer or snack.
Nachos
Make nachos another way to use up leftover pulled pork from your barbecue. Layer tortilla chips with pulled pork, shredded cheese, pinto beans, guacamole, salsa, and jalapeños. Serve individual nachos or a shareable party platter.
Satisfying Desserts for Finishing Your BBQ
You have to end a barbecue feast on a sweet note. Here are some southern-inspired desserts that pair perfectly with pulled pork.
Coconut Cake
An old-fashioned coconut cake with fluffy coconut icing is a quintessential southern dessert. Make sure the cake layers are moist and brushed with simple syrup to offset the sweet icing. Shredded or flaked coconut covers the frosting for texture and coconut flavor in every bite.
Pecan or Peach Cobbler
What better way to use up fresh summer peaches or pecans than baking them into a warm, fruity cobbler? The batter rises up around the fruit during baking, forming a sweet, cakelike crust. Top cobbler with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an extra bite of creaminess.
Banana Pudding
Banana pudding is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Layer sliced bananas, vanilla wafers, and a creamy vanilla pudding or custard in a dish and refrigerate before digging in. Consider toast
Apple Pie
You can’t go wrong ending a meal with a slice of classic homemade apple pie. Bake a flaky double crust pie filled with cinnamon-spiced apples. A scoop of vanilla ice cream melting down the side takes it over the top.
Peach or Blackberry Crisp
If you want the flavor of pie without the work of crust, whip up a fresh peach or blackberry crisp. Toss the fruit with sugar, lemon juice, and spices and pour a brown sugar oat topping over it before baking. The crisp is easily portable for potlucks.
Strawberry Shortcake
Showcase summer berries in an easy strawberry shortcake dessert. Bake sweet biscuits and split them while still warm. Add a dollop of whipped cream and sugared, sliced strawberries between the layers. The juice from the berries seeps into the soft biscuit.
S’mores Dip
Kids and adults alike will devour this fun s’mores dip that’s like summer camp in a bowl. Swirl together marshmallow cream, chocolate hazelnut spread, and graham crackers. Dip graham cracker pieces, pretzels, or fruit in for sweetness by the fire after your barbecue.
Grilled Fruit with Honey Ricotta
Skip heavy dessert and opt for grilled fruit after your savory barbecue. Slice peaches, pineapple, nectarines, and plums and grill or broil them until caramelized. Drizzle with honey and dollop fresh ricotta cheese on top.
Signature Barbecue Sauces for Pulled Pork
The barbecue sauce can make or break pulled pork. Slather on one of these sensational sauces to bring your shredded barbecue over the top.
Classic Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce
This quintessential barbecue sauce strikes the right balance between sweet, sour, and spicy. Tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, spices, and chili powder create an addictive sauce. Simmer the sauce before tossing with shredded pork.
Alabama White Sauce
For an unexpected alternative to tomato-based sauce, whip up this Alabama white barbecue sauce. Mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, black pepper, and other seasonings make a creamy, tangy, and peppery condiment for pork.
Kansas City-Style Sauce
Kansas City knows barbecue, and their signature sauce is a tomato-molasses sauce punched up with spices. Brown sugar adds sweetness while chili powder, garlic, mustard, and black pepper give it a kick. It’s perfect for sauce mopping pork as it smokes.
South Carolina Mustard Sauce
South Carolina barbecue sauce relies on tangy yellow mustard as the base. Spice it up with brown sugar, vinegar, and hot sauces like Tabasco to complement pulled pork or chicken. The mustard cuts through the meat’s richness.
Asian Barbecue Sauce
Put an Asian twist on shredded barbecue pork with ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, chili sauce, and hoisin. Brush the sauce on pork during the latter stage of smoking to caramelize it.
Jalapeño Lime Barbecue Sauce
Wake up your taste buds with the kick of jalapeños in barbecue sauce. Simmer diced jalapeños with tomato paste, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro for an addicting sauce with attitude.
Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
For sweetness with a sophisticated edge, add bourbon and brown sugar to tomato-based barbecue sauce. Molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, spices, and chipotle peppers balance the bourbon’s sweetness. Baste ribs or pork in the sauce while cooking.
Carolina “Vinegar Sauce”
The classic vinegar-based sauce for Carolina pulled pork is just vinegar and pepper. Mix cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt and pour it over pulled pork. The tangy sauce cuts through the pork’s richness.
Dry Rub
To let the natural flavor of the pork shine, skip the sauce and use a dry rub only. A blend of brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper adds plenty of flavor during smoking.
Cooking the Perfect Pulled Pork for Your BBQ Spread
Now that you have delicious sides and sauces lined up, it’s time for tips on cooking foolproof pulled pork to anchor your barbecue feast.
Select the Right Pork
Choose a fatty, well-marbled pork shoulder, also called Boston butt or pork butt. The connective tissue in the shoulder breaks down into succulent shreds after hours of low, slow smoking. Look for about 8 pounds of meat to feed a crowd.
Apply a Dry Rub
Massage a dry spice rub all over the pork to infuse flavor before smoking. Use a homemade or store-bought blend of spices like paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic and onion powder, salt, and pepper.