Are you wondering what to serve with pulled pork? We have found the best 18 side dishes to pair with pulled pork that will make your meal complete. There are recipes on our list that everyone will love. You may even find something new and exciting to try! With this list on hand, you will never have to wonder about what sides to make with pulled pork ever again!
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What Goes Good with Pulled Pork?
When deciding what side dishes to pair with your pulled pork dinner, you should consider the flavors of the pork. Pulled pork is very savory and salty. It is also a tiny bit sweet. Some pulled pork recipes add in vinegar, making the pork tangy and zesty. Consider all of these flavor profiles when deciding upon side dishes.
Pulled Pork
The sides you pair with your pulled pork can serve as a nice break from eating hearty meat. Some sides can even benefit from the sauce on your pork. You may choose to dip a sweet cornbread right into the pulled pork sauce as an extra treat!
Many people think of pulled pork as simple sandwich meat. However, it is so much more. You need to know what to serve with pulled pork to make it a complete, hearty meal. Pulled pork is a juicy, flavorful entree that is ideal for both summer and wintertime. It is also an economical cut of meat, giving you more money to go crazy with the sides. We have recipes here for every season and every food preference.
Finding The Best Side Dishes for Pulled Pork
The best side dish can make or break your meal. We know you will find a way to make your pulled pork dinner perfect using our recipe roundup. A good recipe can take a simple pork dinner and make it into a fancy, memorable occasion. Choose one of these 18 pulled pork accompaniment dishes, and you can’t go wrong.
1. Cornbread Muffins
Our cornbread muffins are an easy, sweet side dish to pair with your pulled pork. You can make the batter in less than ten minutes and have fresh muffins on the table very quickly. We use applesauce in the recipe to sweetened the muffins and to cut back on extra fats. Spread some butter across the cornbread muffin, or dip it right into your pulled pork sauce. Tangy pork and sweet cornbread is a match made in heaven.
2. Pasta Salad
A quick and easy pasta salad like this one from Inspired Taste will perfectly round out your pulled pork dinner. The tangy vinaigrette dressing will taste delicious alongside a vinegar-based pulled pork sauce. The fresh basil also brightens and lightens the whole meal. This pasta salad is especially perfect when fresh zucchini, red bell peppers, and tomatoes are all in season in the summertime. Choose a tri-colored pasta to make the macaroni salad even more colorful.
Image Source: Inspired Taste
3. Potato Salad
If you are looking for a heartier salad side dish, a potato salad may be a great choice. The soft texture of the cooked potatoes complements the chewy pulled pork. Creamy mayonnaise and a bit of lemon juice both add complex flavors to the potato salad. A pinch of smoked paprika is a great way to make the potato salad side picture perfect. Give this potato salad recipe from A Spicy Perspective a try, and it may quickly become your favorite recipe to serve with pulled pork.
Image Source: A Spicy Perspective
4. Baked Beans
Southern-style baked beans from Dinner, Then Dessert are a fantastic side to serve with pulled pork. Baked beans may be one of the most common sides to pair with a pork dinner. The sweet sauce of the baked beans can be lathered directly on top of your pulled pork. Baking the beans in the oven for over an hour makes them nice and soft. We love the addition of bacon in this baked bean recipe as it mimics the main meat dish. The sweet brown sugar taste also shines through. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry to put this side together. Try making the recipe in a slow cooker instead of in the oven.
Image Source: Dinner, Then Dessert
5. Collard Greens
Pulled pork is a classic, southern meal, so why not pair it with classic southern sides? Collard greens are the perfect combination! This recipe from Grandbaby Cakes will help you make tender, savory collard greens. The ham and bacon grease make these collard greens very flavorful. The red chili pepper flakes add a nice spice. Cook the greens nice and slow to ensure they are not bitter or tough.
Image Source: Grandbaby Cakes
6. Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese
Our recipe for simple pepper jack macaroni and cheese is the ultimate adult comfort food. It is cheesy, soft, and has just a little kick, thanks to the pepper jack spices. Pepper jack cheese is a great way to elevate simple macaroni and cheese with just a single ingredient. We love this macaroni and cheese recipe alongside tender pulled pork. Use gluten-free pasta as written in the ingredients list to make your entire meal friendly for anyone on a gluten-free diet. Mac and cheese and pork are some of the best dinners out there! Nothing beats a cheesy macaroni salad with juicy, flavorful pork.
7. Fruit Salad
A fruit salad is an excellent, light side dish to serve with pulled pork. Sweet fruit complements the savory pork well. You can even serve the fruit salad as a dessert after the pulled pork meal. We love this recipe from Love and Lemons, which highlights summer fruits. The addition of maple syrup adds a great, sweet taste, while the lime juice gives the fruit salad a nice zesty flavor. Use fresh, ripe fruit, and don’t be afraid to waiver from the ingredients listed n this recipe. If you can’t find ripe cherries, use extra apples!
Image Source: Love and Lemons
8. Honey Butter Biscuits
Pulled pork is often salty and very savory. Nice, sweet sides make a great pairing to the delicious flavors of the pork. We love these honey butter biscuits from Let’s Dish Recipes. The biscuits are flakey and buttery. Make them with natural honey, which gives the biscuits a pleasant sweet taste. Pair these with barbecue pulled pork, and then dip the biscuits into the sauce. You can even cut a biscuit in half and make pulled pork sandwiches! Versatile side dish recipes are the best.
Image Source: Let’s Dish Recipes
9. Tomato Salad
Make pulled pork in the summertime, and then serve it with a side of fresh, homegrown tomato salad. Tomato salad is straightforward to make and tastes best when you use vine-ripe tomatoes. Throw your pulled pork in the slow cooker, set the timer, and get to work on this easy tomato summer salad recipe from Cookie and Kate. The beautiful colored cherry tomatoes will make your plate look gorgeous. You will also have plenty of time left to enjoy the summer sunshine even after making sides and entrees.
Image Source: Cookie and Kate
10. Corn Fritters
Crispy, sweet corn fritters are a fantastic side to serve with pulled pork. They are pretty simple to make and only require a few ingredients. This recipe from Jo Cooks uses canned corn which makes the batter quick to put together. Serve the corn fritters right after cooking as they taste best when fresh. Hot fritters next to tender pulled pork are a terrific dinner choice. Try using brown sugar to give the cakes an even richer taste.
Image Source: Jo Cooks
11. Corn on The Cob
Corn on the cob is probably one of the most popular pulled pork sides. Corn on the cob is both tender and crunchy. It is also sweet and salty. These flavors and textures are an excellent match for any pulled pork main course. Try this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen. It is simple and will only take you a few minutes to make an ear of perfect boiled corn. Sprinkle your corn with a bit of salt and pepper, and enjoy! Corn is a beautiful side to serve at your next cookout.
Image Source: Natasha’s Kitchen
12. Hush Puppies
Bite-sized hush puppies make an excellent pulled pork side dish. This Recipe Critic recipe is delicious and also easy to make. A light, cornmeal batter is deep-fried to golden perfection. You can dip the warm hush puppies right into your pulled pork barbecue sauce. Try mixing in some corn kernels to give the hush puppies more flavor and texture.
Image Source: Recipe Critic
13. French Fries
French fries and pork go together like peanut butter and jelly. Homemade french fries will take your pulled pork dinner to the next level. Try these fries from Well Plated by Erin, which are sprinkled with nutritional yeast to give a cheesy flavor. They bake in the oven, which is much healthier than deep frying.
Image Source: Well Plated by Erin
14. Coleslaw
You can never go wrong with a classic coleslaw. We love this healthy, colorful coleslaw recipe from Ambitious Kitchen. There is no mayonnaise in this recipe but lots of cabbage, carrots, jalapeno peppers, and red onions. The coleslaw is a little spicy but also sweet, thanks to the maple syrup dressing. The sweet and tangy taste will taste excellent with juicy pulled pork. Try making pulled pork tacos by stuffing a tortilla with pork and a scoop of this delicious coleslaw. Be sure to use red cabbage or purple cabbage to get the most vibrant colored slaw.
Image Source: Ambitious Kitchen
15. Cucumber Salad
A crunchy cucumber salad is a fantastic pork side, and we love this veggie-packed recipe from Budget Bytes. Toss sliced red onion, chopped cucumber, red tomatoes, and green bell pepper in a homemade vinaigrette. The dressing is simple to make, using olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. You can choose to peel the cucumbers or leave the edible peel to add vibrant green color to the bowl. Cold cucumber salad and warm pulled pork is a meal worth trying!
Image Source: Budget Bytes
16. Rice Pilaf
We love rice pilaf with pulled pork. The warm, hearty rice tastes terrific, especially in the cold weather months. Rice pilaf is also very versatile and will take on the flavor of anything it cooks in. You can make it in the slow cooker using this recipe from Wicked Whisk. Slow cooker recipes are great because you can set the timer and come back later to a perfectly cooked dish. A slow cooker sure makes flavorful sides easy! Make the rice pilaf with chicken stock, pecans, and cranberries. The crunchy nuts and sweet berries will make your pulled pork dinner genuinely mouth-watering.
Image Source: Wicked Whisk
17. Homemade Pizza
If you are looking for a new twist on pulled pork, why not make it into a pizza? You could serve a homemade pizza to go with your pulled pork, or you can put the pork directly on top of the pizza. The juicy pork will taste great on the cheesy pizza. This perfect recipe from Simply Recipes tastes amazing alongside pork or as a pizza, pork sandwich! Use a barbecue spread instead of tomato sauce to complement the flavors of the pulled pork even more. Make the recipe your way to give your meal an authentic, personalized feel.
Image Source: Simply Recipes
18. Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeno poppers are a great side dish especially if you are making pulled pork tacos. The spicy jalapeño peppers are stuffed with a sweet cream cheese filling. The peppers are then dipped in a light batter and fried. The pepper will soften as it cooks but the outside batter will become nice and crisp. This recipe from Lil Luna will take about 30 minutes to make. Jalapeno poppers will be a hit at your next summer BBQ when served alongside a tender, slow-cooked pulled pork!
Image Source: Lil Luna
There are so many fantastic side dishes to choose from. You may need to pick more than one to serve alongside your pulled pork! Whether you choose a red cabbage slaw or a BBQ-friendly macaroni salad, all of the foods here will be winners. We’d love to hear which pulled pork sides you try and which were your favorite. Follow us and send us a message to let us know which recipes caught your interest. With these options by your side, you will never have to wonder what to serve with pulled pork ever again! Enjoy.
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