Camping Side Dishes for Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Cookouts
Burgers and hot dogs are the default camping protein for good reason — they’re fast, cheap, and everyone eats them. The sides are where you make the meal feel like more than just standing around a fire holding a paper plate.
Everything here pairs with grilled burgers, hot dogs, brats, or sausages. Some are make-ahead and served cold, some cook alongside the meat on the grill grate. Most serve 6-8 people without doubling the recipe, because camping cookouts usually involve more mouths than you planned for.
Elote-Style Mexican Street Corn Salad
Charred corn kernels, cotija cheese, mayo, lime, chili powder, and cilantro — all the flavors of street corn in a bowl you can pass around.
The charred corn is what makes this worth making instead of just opening a bag of chips. Char the ears in a hot cast iron at home, cut the kernels off, and toss with the rest. The smoky sweetness from the corn against the creamy, tangy dressing is the reason this disappears before the burgers are off the grill. Cotija holds its texture in a cooler, unlike most cheeses.
Make it the morning you leave and pack it cold. Good for 24 hours in the cooler.
Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad
Cold, crunchy, and tangy — thinly sliced cucumber and red onion in a sour cream dressing with fresh dill and a little white vinegar.
This is the side that balances a heavy burger. The cool crunch and acid cuts through the grease, which is exactly what you want after a loaded cheeseburger. Salt the cucumbers first and press out the water — otherwise the salad gets watery in the cooler. Takes seven minutes to make and holds for a full day.
Baked Beans (Dutch Oven or Make Ahead)
Navy beans, bacon, onion, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup — cooked low and slow until thick and sticky.
You can do this two ways: make them at home on the stove and reheat at camp, or cook them in a dutch oven over coals while the burgers grill. The dutch oven version takes about an hour and a half but fills the campsite with a smell that makes people wander over from neighboring sites. The make-ahead version is more practical — just warm the container by the fire or serve at room temperature.
Either way, the molasses is what makes them taste homemade instead of canned.
Classic Creamy Coleslaw
Green cabbage and carrots with mayo, apple cider vinegar, a little sugar, and celery seed.
Coleslaw on a burger is underrated. Coleslaw on a hot dog is even better — the crunch and acid work the same way pickle relish does but with more substance. Make it the night before. The cabbage softens just enough in the dressing overnight to go from crunchy-raw to crunchy-dressed, which is where you want it.
Pile it directly on the burger or hot dog, or serve it on the side. Either way, it balances the richness of the meat better than most other options here.
Cowboy Caviar
Black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, avocado, and a lime-cilantro vinaigrette.
Works as a dip, a topping, or a side. At a cookout, it serves all three roles simultaneously — someone always ends up spooning it onto their burger. The beans and corn hold up for days. Add the avocado at camp so it doesn’t brown. Bring a bag of tortilla chips and set the whole container on the table while people are waiting for the grill to heat up.
BLT Bowtie Pasta Salad
Farfalle, bacon, romaine, cherry tomatoes, and a creamy dressing — a BLT sandwich in pasta salad form.
The trick is keeping the romaine and bacon separate until serving so they stay crisp. Pack the dressed pasta in one container and the lettuce and bacon in another. Toss together at the table. This is a heavier side that works almost as a main for anyone who doesn’t want a burger. One note: this is a day-one side — the romaine wilts in a cooler after about 24 hours.
Grilled Veggie Skewers
Bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, and cherry tomatoes on flat metal skewers, brushed with olive oil and oregano.
These cook right alongside the burgers and dogs on the grill grate. About 10-12 minutes, turning a few times. Cut everything at home and pack in a zip-lock with the oil and seasoning. At camp, just thread and grill. They go from bag to grate in about three minutes, which is the kind of effort level you want when you’re already managing six burger patties.
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Orzo, cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta in a lemon-oregano vinaigrette.
Cold, bright, and tangy — the acidity from the lemon vinaigrette is a natural match for charred burgers. Orzo packs tight and doesn’t break in transport. Make it the night before and it improves overnight as the pasta absorbs the dressing.
Campfire Foil Packet Potatoes
Baby potatoes halved, tossed with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, wrapped in a double layer of heavy-duty foil.
Put the packets on the coals or grill grate 30 minutes before you start the burgers. By the time the meat is done, the potatoes are soft, golden where they contact the foil, and fragrant with garlic. This is the hot side that makes a burger plate feel like a real dinner instead of just a sandwich.
Creamy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Rotini, grilled chicken, romaine, Parmesan, croutons, and Caesar dressing.
This is substantial enough to be the main for anyone skipping the burgers, but it also works as a side. The Caesar dressing holds up better in a cooler than most creamy dressings because the Parmesan stabilizes it. Keep the croutons in a separate bag and add at camp. Like the BLT salad, the romaine means this is a day-one side — serve it the first night.
Spicy Asian Slaw
Shredded cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili crisp, and honey.
The unexpected one. This slaw on a hot dog with a little sriracha mayo is genuinely better than sauerkraut. The sesame oil and chili crisp give it a savory heat that plays well with grilled sausages too — especially bratwurst. Dress it completely before you leave. The cabbage needs time in the dressing anyway.
Italian Bowtie Pasta Salad
Farfalle, salami, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and Italian dressing.
The salami gives it enough salt and savory punch to stand next to a loaded burger without being invisible. Bowtie pasta holds dressing in its folds, which means it stays sauced even after sitting in a cooler. A reliable potluck-style side that nobody ever complains about.
Potato Salad with Dill and Pickle Juice
Yellow potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, red onion, mayo, yellow mustard, dill, and pickle juice.
The classic burger companion. Potato salad exists for exactly this context — heavy, creamy, cold, and better the day after you make it. The pickle juice adds acid and salt without measuring. Make it the night before, transport on ice, and keep it cold. Mayo-based sides and outdoor heat are a food safety combination you don’t want to gamble on.
Corn and Black Bean Salad
Corn, black beans, red pepper, red onion, jalapeno, and a cumin-lime dressing.
The one-bowl side that checks every box at a cookout — it’s bright, it’s cold, it has some heat, and it doesn’t need to stay perfectly chilled. The cumin ties the corn and beans together in a way that plain lime juice doesn’t. Frozen corn works fine — just thaw and don’t bother cooking it.
Rotini Pasta Salad with Vegetables
Rotini, bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, olives, and a simple vinaigrette.
The workhorse side. Nothing fancy, nothing anyone objects to. Works cold, works at room temperature, scales to any group size. Sometimes the most useful thing at a cookout is the side dish that’s just quietly solid.
