If you’re firing up the smoker for ribs, you might as well make the sides just as good. These are some of our favorite sides to serve with smoked pork ribs, and several of them can cook right alongside the ribs.
For us, a good rib dinner needs sides that can hold their own next to smoky barbecue. Think bacon-loaded baked beans, crispy potatoes, corn pudding and vegetables with plenty of flavor. Nothing complicated — just good food that belongs on the same plate as a rack of ribs.
Our Favorite Sides for Smoked Ribs
Accordion Potatoes | Air Fryer
These accordion potatoes are crispy on the outside, tender inside and a whole lot more interesting than throwing another plain baked potato on the plate.
They’re made in the air fryer, which is especially handy when the smoker is already occupied with the ribs. Get the potatoes going while the ribs finish and you have an easy hot side ready at about the same time.
Kamado Joe Smoked Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Brussels sprouts have gotten a bad rap for years, but smoking them with bacon fixes that problem pretty quickly. They pick up plenty of smoky flavor while the bacon adds exactly what Brussels sprouts were missing.
They’re especially convenient for a barbecue dinner because you’ve already got the smoker going. Instead of making another side inside the house, put these on the Kamado Joe and let the smoker do the work.
Cast Iron Succotash
I went way too long in life without eating succotash. Once I finally made it, I realized I’d been missing out on one seriously good side dish.
Cooking it in cast iron gives the vegetables plenty of flavor, and it’s a great way to add something colorful to a plate full of ribs and barbecue sides. It’s hearty enough to stand up to smoked meat without being another heavy potato dish.
Smoked Baked Beans with Bacon
If we’re talking ribs, baked beans pretty much have to make the list. These aren’t just warmed-up canned beans, either. They’re homemade smoked baked beans loaded with bacon and cooked right in the smoker.
This is one of my favorite kinds of smoker sides because you’re already burning the fuel anyway. Put the beans on alongside whatever meat you’re smoking and let them pick up that extra smoke flavor while dinner cooks.
Kamado Joe Smoked Baked Potatoes
If the Kamado Joe is already running, there’s no reason to turn on the oven just to bake potatoes. Throw them on the smoker and let them cook while you’re working on the rest of dinner.
The potatoes pick up some of that smoky flavor and make an easy, filling side for ribs. Load them up with butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon or whatever else you like on a baked potato.
Easy Jiffy Mix Corn Pudding
Corn pudding and barbecue just work together. This version starts with Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, so it’s easy enough to throw together without making another complicated dish while you’re dealing with the ribs.
It’s also a good way to use leftover canned corn. Sometimes I add chopped jalapeños or green chiles when I want to give it a little kick, which works especially well next to smoky pork ribs.
What Goes Good with Smoked Ribs?
You don’t need a dozen sides to make a good rib dinner. Pick one hearty side — baked beans, potatoes or corn pudding — and add a vegetable like the smoked Brussels sprouts or cast iron succotash.
And if the Kamado Joe is already fired up, take advantage of it. Cooking a couple of the sides on the smoker along with the smoked pork ribs means less work in the kitchen and more smoke flavor on the plate.
