There’s a particular rhythm to a Southern cookout. Someone’s tending the grill, somebody else is bringing out a bowl of slaw, and the banana pudding is hiding in the fridge until the right moment. The best news of all? You don’t need a smoker or a full pit setup to pull it off. You just need a handful of trustworthy recipes and a long afternoon!
This collection has the mains, sides, sauces, and sweets I come back to all summer for cookouts, family gatherings, and any backyard get-together that calls for something Southern on the table. Slow cooker pulled pork, vinegar slaw, baked beans, peach cobbler, and the kind of banana pudding that gets requested by name!
⭢ BBQ Mains + Sauces/Rubs
The centerpiece of any Southern BBQ spread. These mains lean on the oven, slow cooker, and grill, no specialty equipment required, so you can get the saucy, fall-apart flavor whether you’re feeding two or twenty.
I’ve also included a few of my homemade BBQ sauce and rub recipes, since they earn their place anytime you’d rather skip the bottled stuff.
Mississippi Pork Roast (Pulled Pork)
This Mississippi-style pulled pork shreds beautifully whether you cook it low and slow in the oven or set it in the Crock Pot all day. The flavor pays you back.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Tender pulled pork meets tangy Alabama white BBQ sauce in this slow cooker recipe. A welcome change from the usual sweet, tomato-based sauces.
Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken
Just three ingredients and a slow cooker stand between you and a giant batch of saucy pulled chicken. It’s the no-fuss main I lean on for casual cookouts.
BBQ Chicken Breast
Boneless chicken breasts come off the grill juicy and lacquered with sauce, never dry. The secret is in how you marinate them before they hit the heat.
BBQ Meatloaf
A weeknight classic with a BBQ twist. The sauce caramelizes on top while it bakes, giving you those sweet-and-tangy edges everybody fights over.
Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Fall-off-the-bone ribs without a smoker or a special setup. The Crock Pot does the slow work; a quick broil at the end gives you the crispy, saucy finish.
Slow Cooker Brisket
A whole brisket goes into the slow cooker with a simple seasoning blend and comes out shredding-tender. The easiest way to get smoky-style beef without a smoker.
BBQ Pulled Pork Casserole
Pulled pork, BBQ sauce, biscuit topping, all in one pan. No browning, no boiling, no fuss. This is the casserole I make when I want pulled pork without the wait.
Sauces & rubs to round out the spread:
⭢ Classic Southern Sides
A Southern BBQ lives or dies by the sides! These are the ones I always pull together for a cookout: the cold salads that get better as they sit, a slaw built for pulled pork, baked beans with BBQ flavor in every bite, and a pan of golden cornbread to anchor the table.
Southern Macaroni Salad
Creamy, tangy, and just barely sweet, this is the macaroni salad my family expects to see at every cookout. It only gets better after a few hours in the fridge.
Easy Potato Salad
The potato salad I grew up with: tender potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickles, and a creamy dressing. The kind that disappears first at every gathering.
Vinegar Coleslaw
Tangy, crisp, and a little sweet, this vinegar slaw is the one you want on a pulled pork sandwich. It holds up beautifully for hours on a buffet table.
BBQ Baked Beans
Doctored-up canned baked beans loaded with BBQ sauce, bacon, and brown sugar. Ready in about an hour with almost no hands-on time.
Southern Cornbread
Crusty edges, tender middle, and just enough sweetness. Cast iron is the secret to that golden crust. The bread component every BBQ spread needs.
🗂️ More Southern cookout sides:
Squash casserole, marinated cucumbers, deviled eggs, hush puppies, and many more. See all the options in my collection of Best Southern Cookout Side Dishes.
⭢ Sweet Endings
No Southern cookout is complete without something sweet on the table. Banana pudding is the centerpiece, peach cobbler is a close second, and a Coca-Cola cake is the kind of dessert people remember long after the burgers are gone.
Banana Pudding
Layered with vanilla wafers, ripe bananas, and a from-scratch pudding that comes together on the stovetop. The Southern dessert nobody at the table can resist.
Southern Peach Cobbler (Jiffy Mix)
Sweet summer peaches under a buttery Jiffy mix topping. Quick to throw together and even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Coca Cola Cake
A shortcut take on the classic Southern Coca-Cola cake. Rich chocolate, a little fizz from the cola, and that fudgy frosting poured over warm cake.
⭢ Planning the Spread
A Southern BBQ comes together easier when you’re not trying to make everything the day of. A few notes that have saved me more cookouts than I can count.
How much to make
For a relaxed gathering of 8 to 10 people, my rough math:
- Half a pound of pulled meat per person. Bump to three-quarters of a pound for a hungry crowd, teenage boys, or a long afternoon ahead.
- Two cold sides, one warm side, one bread. That’s enough variety without overloading the table.
- One dessert minimum. Banana pudding gets eaten in larger portions than cobbler, so plan accordingly.
What to prep ahead
Most of these recipes are at their best when they’ve had a little time to sit:
- Day before: Cold salads (macaroni, potato, slaw) all want a few hours in the fridge, and most are genuinely better the next day. Baked beans reheat beautifully and can be made ahead too.
- Two days ahead: Pulled pork can be cooked, shredded, and refrigerated, then warmed in a slow cooker with a little sauce on the day of.
- Day of: Save cornbread, deviled eggs, and dessert assembly for the day of, when they’ll be at their freshest.
Combinations that work
A few menus I land on most often:
- The classic cookout: Pulled pork, vinegar slaw, macaroni salad, baked beans, cornbread, banana pudding.
- A grilled spread: BBQ chicken breast, potato salad, BBQ baked beans, cornbread, peach cobbler.
- A smaller gathering (4 to 6): One main, one cold side, one warm side, one dessert. That’s plenty.
A few hosting notes
- Set the desserts out toward the end so they’re not picked at all afternoon.
- Keep cold salads on ice or rotate them in and out of the fridge if you’re hosting outside in the heat.
- Always make a little extra of whatever you suspect will go fastest. Someone will ask for the recipe, and someone else will quietly take a second helping.
Whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout, contributing to a potluck, or pulling together a Sunday family supper, this collection is the lineup I keep coming back to.
Save it, bookmark it, and pull it out anytime you need a little Southern BBQ inspiration. I’d love to hear which recipes end up on your table.
⭢ Related Collections
- Best Potluck Recipes (for Every Slot at the Table)
- Best Pasta Salad Recipes
- Southern Salads
- 20 Easy Bundt Cake Recipes
GM Blair. Would love to have more summer desserts (no bake) shown and all kinds of salads to make and eggplant. It’s hot here in NC! 90s again. Sigh. Good for tomato plants. At the end, what kind of flower is that at your house – cameleon?