What To Serve With Brisket - 40+ Best Recipes (2024)

These delicious side dishes are perfect to serve with brisket! They are simple, flavorful, and will have your spread making everyone drool. And yes, we know these are tough times when everyone is busy so you’ll find plenty of make ahead and meal prep options in our selection.

Brisket is a fantastic cut of meat that goes with all sorts of foods. The rise of Texas BBQ culture has made this primal beef cut more popular than ever.

You can cook brisket in several different ways. We have used a great wrapped technique to deliver an amazing smoked brisket with very little effort.

We are usually left with a lot of leftovers, and have a collection of recipes using leftover brisket. So, don’t let any go to waste, especially since brisket is a fantastic main dish too!

These brisket sides will have you ready to cook a brisket to go with them. My focus is on recipes that are easy, customizable, and some will also include make ahead or meal prep options because we all need those from time to time. Let’s dive in!

🍲 Popular Sides

These are the most popular sides for brisket we like to serve. The meat should clearly be the star of the show here, especially if you smoked it, but these sides work perfectly to complement the great smoky flavors!

Hashbrown Casserole

If you have frozen hash browns, cheese, onions, sour cream, and a few other simple ingredients you can make hash browns casserole.

Mix it all up and then pop it in the oven while you prepare the rest of your dinner! You’ll have this hot and cheesy side dish ready in no time!

There is something about the thick, creamy potato dish that works perfectly with beef brisket!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, customizable.

Grilled Bourbon Peach Baked Beans

You have to love baked beans for their comforting nature and the fact they are perfect for feeding a crowd!

I wholeheartedly recommend you try this grilled version. The sweet notes of the peach preserves, mixed with bourbon and a smoky scent make an amazing flavor profile.

These baked beans will need to stay on the grill for 3-6 hours but you only need to stir occasionally and enjoy your day!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Mexican Cornbread

Step away from the plain cornbread and try a delicious Mexican variation of this classic BBQ side. Mexican corn, jalapenos, green onions, and a blend of cheeses upgrade this recipe so it makes a fantastic snack on its own.

It will also be a huge hit paired with brisket and other meats. The fluffy cornbread is excellent at sopping up those brisket juices!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Mac and cheese is a classic side dish, but with so many recipes floating around out there, it can be hard to find the one that fits your needs perfectly.

If you’re looking for the perfect mac and cheese recipe that’s easy to make, delicious, and will wow your guests or family members at the dinner table then this is the recipe you’ve been waiting for!

It works so well with a nice cut of brisket straight off the smoker too!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Grilled Beer Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob, grilled to perfection and slathered in butter and salt, is one of summer’s tastiest treats. Grilling corn on the cob is easy and quick, requiring only a few minutes from start to finish.

I like to boil mine in beer before I put them on the grill to sear. This adds a special flavor that has been highly praised by friends and family.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Asian Bacon Green Bean Bundles

The secret to these grilled green beans? They’re a little crisp and have just the right amount of saltiness, thanks to the bacon wrapping and fat drippings that flavor them throughout the grilling process.

It’s a wonderful alternative to the traditional green bean casserole and excellent even on its own, as a fun snack.

If you’re planning on having these as a side dish at your next barbecue, make sure to double or triple the recipe – they won’t last long! They work perfectly with the smoked brisket and you will have a line of folks asking for seconds.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, scalable.

🍝 Pasta

A nice cool pasta salad always works with the brisket. The spices and seasoning on the brisket offset the creamy pasta dishes wonderfully.

Easy Pasta Salad

Need a side that’s easy to make and scale up? You’ll love the freshness of this easy pasta salad to complement the richness of brisket. The flavorful vinaigrette pulls everything together for a light side with a crunchy texture.

This salad is ready in 30 minutes and meal prep friendly so you can have all the ingredients cut up and assemble it right before serving.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad

You’ve got the brisket cooked and ready to eat, but what should you serve it with? Plenty of side dishes complement this meal well, but none are as tasty as the broccoli cheddar pasta salad recipe.

Made with fresh, simple ingredients, and it’s full of texture and flavor that will perfectly complement your BBQ spread.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

BLT Pasta Salad

This BLT Pasta Salad Recipe is the perfect summer side dish! It features pasta, bacon, tomato, red onion, and fresh lettuce all tossed in ranch dressing and topped with cheese!

Quick and easy to make and even better to eat, this recipe is great as a side dish with sliced brisket, but I usually eat the leftovers as a meal by itself!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is one of the easiest and tastiest side dishes you can have on hand at a potluck or picnic event.

This tastes so much better than the boxed stuff you find in the supermarket cooler! With this old-fashioned macaroni salad recipe, you can make your own gourmet side dish to serve with your main course.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

🥔 Potato Sides

There is just something about having the nice, hearty starches of potatoes when serving brisket. Since the brisket has to stay on the grill for so long, I included a few oven-based recipes as well as some ones made on the grill.

Oven Roasted Honey Gold Potatoes

Try these honey gold potatoes roasted in the oven for an easy and delicious side dish. They’re simple to make and they taste great with your favorite meals, so you’ll want to keep this recipe on hand at all times.

The best part is they are ready to eat in less than an hour! That gives you plenty of opportunity to time the recipe to coincide with the brisket finishing.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, kid friendly, customizable, scalable.

Twice Baked Potatoes

These twice-baked potatoes are one of the most delicious side dishes you can make, especially when you stuff them with all your favorite toppings.

Add as much cheese and bacon as you like, or leave it out completely for something lighter. The addition of jalapeños takes them to a new level of tasty.

These are so hearty, that you may only want to serve them in halves or quarters.

When you have some time on your hands, try these smoked baked potatoes. The smoky flavor will make them even more irresistible. You can use your favorite toppings just like for the baked version.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Smoked Potato Salad

Potato salad is such an important part of any picnic or cookout menu that it’s practically a given! However, it can be difficult to find potato salad recipes that are creamy without being too heavy and that still taste good after the leftovers have been stored in the fridge for a few days.

This potato salad adds an extra twist by smoking the potatoes before they go in. Time it right with your smoker and you can add these while the brisket finishes. It is virtually no extra work.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Grilled Baked Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes on the grill make the perfect side dish for your barbecue get-together this summer!

These are always a hit with kids, and they are easy to grill. Try these to get the most out of this tasty root vegetable and reap the benefits they provide!

If you want another special treat, give the smoked sweet potatoes a try. I love to cook a side dish while the main course is grilling. It saves a lot of time and lets me be creative with the meal.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Grilled Steakhouse Potatoes

Sliced potatoes layered with garlic and onion flavored heavy cream and melty cheese is one of those dishes you know is delicious even before trying it.

You can make this on the grill or in the oven, but if you choose the second option make sure to use smoked Gouda in your cheese mix. The smoky flavor is a must!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweet potatoes are just as versatile as regular potatoes, and they will taste great even if you keep it simple. However, you can get as creative as you want with the seasonings and toppings.

Grilled sweet potato wedges need only 15 minutes on the grill which means you won’t be stuck babysitting them for too long, even if you need to make a second batch.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

Smoked Fingerling Potatoes

Tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper, these smoked fingerling potatoes are a virtually hands-off side that can cook right next to your brisket. If an oven is all you have, you can bake the potatoes, but it’s a good idea to add a teaspoon of liquid smoke to the coating.

This will give them a bit of that amazing smoky flavor we’re trying to achieve.

If you don’t have that much space in your smoker, you can smoke the potatoes a day ahead, and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable

🥕Veggie Sides

If you’re considering serving your brisket with several sides, it’s a good idea to have one that is rich in vegetables. Some of your friends or family might want to lighten up the filling brisket and it’s nice to give them that option.

Keto Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed potatoes are certainly nice although not the only veggie you can mash. Using cauliflower instead will cut those carbs and make this classic side keto-friendly.

Mashed cauliflower is great to make when you have a busy schedule since it’s ready in 30 minutes. It’s also possible to meal prep this or make it a day ahead and reheat when you serve the brisket.

Mashed rutabaga is another low-carb side perfect for feeding a crowd. This lesser-known vegetable does not taste like potatoes but it is delicious which means your tastebuds are in for a lovely surprise!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, meal prep, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable

Grilled Broccolini

Broccolini is a cross-bred combination of broccoli and Chinese broccoli….in case you were wondering! Most grocery stores carry them and they are super easy to cook.

It’s more expensive than broccoli but keep in mind that broccolini doesn’t have any tough or chewy parts you need to cut and throw away.

We love the taste of grilled broccolini but you can just as easily cook this on the stovetop, in a cast iron skillet, or make air fryer broccolini.

The simple lemon vinaigrette brightens up this dish, although you can definitely add more seasonings, fresh herbs, and other aromatics.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Slow Cooker Collard Greens

After the initial prep, the slow cooker will take care of the cooking and you get an easy side that’s tasty and nutritious.

Since it takes about 4 hours in the slow cooker, you can time the collard greens to be ready at the same time with your brisket.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Grilled Carrots With Balsamic Glaze

With a cooking time of 15 minutes you can’t not love this side! If you don’t have a grill, roast them in the oven or make my air fryer carrots.

The balsamic glaze is highly customizable and if you cut these into smaller pieces after cooking, the kids will love them too.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

Vegetarian Harvest Wild Rice

There’s no shortage of rice recipes and they certainly make good sides for feeding larger groups.

You have to try this vegeratian harvest wild rice, though. It’s meal prep friendly, but you can also make it a day ahead.

Feel free to change the veggies and seasonings as you please. It can be a new experience every time you make it!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Quick Pickled Vegetables

Whatever sides you have planned for your brisket, throwing some pickles into the mix is never a bad idea!

A lot of crunchy veggies work for this recipe and they will have the best taste and texture after 2 days of sitting in the fridge.

Enjoy these straight out of the jar or make some air fryer pickles for a kid-friendly version.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Grilled Roasted Root Vegetables

Mix up this side however you please by trying different veggie combinations. If you have other foods cooking on the grill, make roasted root vegetables in the air fryer, or in the oven.

We added some delicious pork belly to the root veggies but I usually skip it if I’m serving them with brisket.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

🥣Dips & Sauces

Melt-in-your-mouth brisket makes a great team with a variety of sauces. Most recipes you’ll find are quick and easy to make, and so are my selections below!

Bacon BBQ Sauce

A mix of savory, sweet, and tart, the barbecue sauce I used for this dry rub brisket was amazing!

Don’t be afraid to pour this sauce over some mashed potatoes or soak your cornbread in it before grabbing a bite of brisket. This is a magical combination, trust me!

Just easily you can make some whiskey BBQ sauce for your brisket. It has a special flavor that keeps us coming back.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

The sharp and tangy flavor of this creamy horseradish sauce pairs so well with beef!

We served it next to eye of round roast, various steaks, and brisket. At times, I end up with some meat leftovers, but never the sauce.

One tip I have for you is to make this sauce at least 6 hours before serving, but ideally you should leave it in the fridge overnight. It needs some time to rest for the flavors to blend.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Alabama White Sauce

This is a Southern recipe that’s different than most BBQ sauces. The base is mayo which is flavored with vinegar, sweeteners, and various spices.

Like most barbecue sauces, making it is a matter of mixing the ingredients so it’s an excellent last-minute option. However, it lasts for a week in the fridge which means you can make it a few days ahead if you need to.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

Beer Corn Crack Dip

Creamy, cheesy, and a little hot, this beer corn crack dip is truly addictive! Serve with some tortilla chips or crackers next to your brisket and enjoy a fantastic BBQ meal.

5 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking is pretty fast I’d say. It will take 10-15 minutes more if you do it in the oven but it’s still hands off.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Easy Homemade Blender Guacamole

Occasionally, you will come across a homemade recipe that’s incredibly easy to make. This totally applies for this easy blender guacamole.

The best part? It’s much cheaper than store-bought options and you can control the heat and seasonings to make it eactly how you like it.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

Baked Caramelized Onion Dip

I’ve always found caramelized onions to go really well with beef. Turn them into a dip and you’ll have a new favorite side for brisket.

It take about an hour on the stove for the onions to properly caramelize, but trust me: it’s so worth it!

Cheeses, herbs, sour cream, mayo, and garlic powder add some extra layers of flavors into this delectable dip that would make a fantastic appetizer too.

⭐Recipe highlights: customizable, scalable.

Easy Chimichurri Sauce

Sometimes the question of “what to serve with brisket” becomes “how to serve brisket”. What we did with this sirloin steak also works for brisket.

Parsley, oregano, red wine, and garlic, blend into a fresh and bright chimichurri sauce that complements most BBQ meats and sides.

You can even serve sliced brisket in lettuce wraps for an Instagram-worthy presentation.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.

🍞Breads

Homemade fresh bread is a treat on its own but even better if you use it to clean all those brisket juices!

Working with dough might seem like something reserved to professional chefs and that’s certainly not true!

The recipes below are wonderful for beginners and not too much work either.

Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Bread (Or Texas Toast)

If you’re still intimidated by the idea of making bread from scratch, this air fryer garlic bread can be a wonderful companion to your brisket.

You can enjoy a simple garlic bread or add cheese and make it a Texas toast! Either way, this is a super fast side for those times when you didn’t have time to plan one.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

I used the bread machine to knead and proof the dough for these amazing soft pretzel bites but you can also use a stand mixer or your hard-working hands.

Brisket, soft pretzel bites, and a sauce or a dip make a winning combination that everyone will love!

These can be made a few hours ahead but I recommend serving them on the same day for the best texture.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

No Knead Brioche Buns

Fluffy brioche buns are great next to some brisket but they can also be used to make brisket sandwiches.

I know the most anxiety-inducing part of working with dough is kneading so here’s a recipe that doesn’t require it.

The dough will have to rest overnight in the fridge and during that time, the yeast will do its magic. The next day you will have perfectly proofed dough, ready to be turned into buns.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

Easy Homemade Breadsticks

Breadsticks are a super easy side and you can always make a larger batch to have some for tomorrow’s breakfast or lunch!

These are great plain although it is possible to flavor them with garlic, herbs, and other seasonings if you’d like.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

No Knead Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Foccacia

It’s a known fact that beef goes well with rosemary and garlic. Even better if these flavors are on a freshly baked focaccia.

Most no knead recipes require resting the dough overnight in the fridge but not this one! It’s just a 1.5-2 hours rising time on the counter so you can make it without planning.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.

🥗 Salads

A light salad is always a good choice when looking for a side dish to serve with brisket. These go beyond the standard green leaf salad. Be creative and serve something amazing!

Rainbow Chickpea Orzo Salad

My rainbow chickpea salad is a family favorite recipe this summer! It is super easy to make and loaded with healthy ingredients that taste delicious together.

While we are looking for sides to serve with brisket, this is an excellent addition to any lunch or dinner menu.

This is one of the sides for which you can prepare the ingredients a day before. It’s one less thing to worry about the next day when you’re cooking the brisket.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Spicy Coleslaw

This coleslaw recipe is the perfect side dish to spice up your dinner with freshly smoked brisket. This uses jalapeños, carrots, cabbage, and a homemade dressing to create the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors that will make everyone ask for seconds.

If you’re looking for something different than your typical slaw, this recipe will hit the spot without being too much or too little on the spice meter!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Grilled Peach And Arugula Salad

The combination of textures and flavors makes this salad a special treat. If you don’t have a charcoal grill or another type of outdoor grill, you can brown the peaches on the stovetop.

There won’t be any smoky flavor but it will caramelize the outside of the fruit a little and give it more depth.

Like most salads, this one is also meal-prep friendly. You can prepare the greens and veggies one day ahead, and the same goes for grilling the peaches.

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican street corn salad is an easy recipe that uses the same ingredients as street corn.

All you need to do is slice some corn off the cob, then stir in some cotija cheese, sliced jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, and seasonings. It’s delicious and works well with that big ol’ brisket!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

For a filling meat main dish like brisket, a light and tangy side like this creamy cucumber salad is the perfect pair, especially on a hot summer day.

In just 10 minutes you can have everything ready but keep in mind this salad needs to sit in the fridge for one hour for the flavors to blend. It also tastes better cold!

⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, meal prep, customizable, scalable.

🛒Ready-Made Sides

Cooking a brisket might not leave time for much else. Or maybe you have some brisket leftovers and you’re looking for a way to enjoy them without having to spend more time in the kitchen.

Either way, you can quickly pick up any of these ready-made sides from your local grocery store or supermarket and dig in!

• Pickles
• Olives
• Salad greens or coleslaw mix
• Bread rolls or slider buns
• Jarred roasted red peppers
• Marinated artichoke hearts
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Pre-grilled or roasted veggies
• Hummus
• Chips and crackers
• Pre-made pasta salads
• Canned baked beans
• Jarred salsa
• Sauces and dips

Conclusion

Whether you are in the mood for pasta, beans, mac & cheese, potatoes, or something else, you will find it here! These incredible dishes all have one thing in common…they go amazing with brisket.

If you have any secret family recipes to share, we’d love to hear about them!

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