What to Serve with Smoked Pork Shoulder – 13 Tasty Sides

A great side dish for smoked pork shoulder is a creamy polenta. You can make this dish in about 30 minutes or so, making it perfect for your next potluck or holiday dinner. You can choose to make it a little spicy by adding some chile flakes or a touch of cayenne pepper.

Smoked pork shoulder is hearty enough to stand alone as a complete meal, but it’s even better when paired with some side dishes.

The smoky and savory flavors of pork shoulder will make your mouth water right away, especially when paired with these 13 delectable sides.

All of these recipes are super delicious, and there’s even something for the whole family. These sides are easy to make and always go down well with your guests.

Read Also: Smoked Pork Wine Pairing – The Best Wines for Smoked Pork

What to Serve with Smoked Pork Shoulder – 13 Tasty Sides

Smoked pork shoulder is a tough cut of meat. You will want to pair it with a hearty side dish that can stand up to its toughness. A classic choice is baked beans. They have a mild flavor, and the beans and fat from the pork really shine through.

Fresh Vegetables

The first thing to do when you’re thinking about sides for smoked pork shoulder is to think about fresh vegetables. Think about your favorite barbecued foods. The sweet and tangy flavors of coleslaw?

The crunch and heat of potato salad? And the crunch of fried pickles? It’s all there in a perfect combination of deliciousness! You can use any of the aforementioned in a side dish.

Or, if you want to be even more adventurous, try using something else entirely! We love this idea because it reminds us of the wonderful, ever-changing combinations that our friend, Chef Anne Burrell, likes to create when she makes her famous vegetable sides.

Fruit Salad

For a side dish, we love fruit salad. And especially when it’s a great mix of fruits like we have here with apples, pears, grapes, and blueberries. What makes fruit salad so special is the freshness and the juiciness.

It’s the perfect way to brighten up any main dish, especially for those cold nights that call for comfort food. When you think about it though, what is fruit salad without cornbread? Mmmm. Cornbread and fruit salad. Oh, yes!

French Fries

If you’re going to serve a side dish with smoked pork shoulder, we suggest serving it with french fries! In fact, we’re pretty sure that the two of them are practically inseparable. They’re crispy, salty, crunchy, perfectly salted goodness.

And they’re delicious in so many ways. They’re perfect with the pork. And they’re a great accompaniment to the tangy and sweet flavors of a side dish like this one. Of course, if you want to be even more adventurous, go all out and make your french fries with smoked pork shoulder!

Cornbread

There’s nothing like cornbread on the side of anything. It’s hearty, satisfying, and comforting. And it’s always a crowd-pleaser. So if you’re serving this as a side for smoked pork shoulder – why not do it right?

We’ve created an easy cornbread recipe that you can use for smoked pork shoulder or any other type of pork. If you want to get a little fancy, you can also add bacon to the mix, or maybe add some cheese for that extra kick. Yum!

Potato Salad

For those of you that want to serve this as a main dish, we suggest doing so on a potato salad plate. You’ll notice that we’ve paired it with a classic potato salad recipe too. The flavors of the potato salad are perfect with the smoked pork shoulder because they’re both tangy and sweet. You can also serve it up with a steak or some ribs if that’s more your speed.

Potato Chips

Why not serve potato chips with a side of smoked pork shoulder? They’re salty, crunchy, and delicious. They’re great as an appetizer, a snack, or an accompaniment to your favorite sandwich. And they’re also fun to eat like French fries. Oh, yes!

Coleslaw

Coleslaw goes so well with pulled pork. It’s fresh, crisp, crunchy, and tangy. We love it with everything from sandwiches to burgers to chicken wings. Why not use it here too?

Baked Beans

We think baked beans are pretty awesome, and we’re pretty sure they’re going to be one of the side dishes that will be eaten at the table.

Of course, we’re also pretty sure that you won’t want to skip out on the potato salad plate because there’s a great chance that you’ll want some potato salad too. And then there’s baked beans. Yum. And if you’re serving this as a main dish, you can serve it with cornbread and coleslaw.

That’s even better.

Feta Corn Salad

The thing we love most about this salad is that it brings together so many of our favorite flavors.

Smoked pork shoulder? Check.

Feta cheese? Yup.

Green and red bell pepper? You betcha!

Buttery corn? Of course!

And when we look at the visual of all these colors together in one bowl? We can’t help but think that it looks absolutely stunning.

We think the best part of the salad is how the salty fetta and the smoky pork and the sweet corn and the tartness of the vinegar make everything come together.

This salad is the perfect way to bring all these flavors together in one glorious bowl.

We think this salad is a meal in itself.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

We love a good salad.

But a good salad can be a very simple dish.

It needs a base of lettuce and veggies to support the flavors of the other ingredients.

And we’re thinking that a salad made with strawberries and spinach is just a little bit more than a “good salad.”

This strawberry spinach salad is perfect with a rich smoked pork shoulder.

The sweetness of the strawberries with the earthiness of the spinach is a delicious, healthy, and totally satisfying combination.

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

If you are serving smoked pork shoulder, we love serving this Tex-Mex pasta salad.

It’s the perfect accompaniment to your BBQ pork shoulder and is just as good served cold.

This dish is perfect for a summer barbecue. It’s full of flavor, but still has a light feel to it.

It’s an unexpected combination that’s great with any kind of meat, especially a big slab of smoked pork shoulder.

Crispy Buffalo Smashed Potatoes

I had this meal a few weeks ago. I was really craving something smoky and crispy. These smashed potatoes fit the bill.

The first step was frying the potatoes in a deep fryer. Once they were cooked, they are coated with crushed hot pepper.

Next, the potatoes are mixed together with a bit of olive oil and buttermilk. Then they are smashed in a bowl.

These are the best of both worlds. The smokiness of the pork is in the middle of the sweet potato flavor. It’s a good contrast to the sour cream and the green onions.

This is a perfect accompaniment to a pork shoulder dish.

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad may be old fashioned, but it is still a classic that works every time.

For the smoked pork shoulder, this is an easy recipe for a simple side dish that will work well with almost any meal.

The broccoli is tossed in a sweet vinaigrette and then a spicy sriracha vinaigrette.

The vinaigrettes are mixed and poured over the salad just before serving.

FAQ

What goes with a smoked pork butt?

A roasted potato is a perfect side dish for a smoked pork butt. It’s hearty, flavorful, and pairs well with the smokey flavor of the meat. You can opt to roast the potatoes in the oven or the barbecue, and you can use the leftovers to make hash browns.

What are some healthy sides for smoked pork shoulder?

As with most foods, the healthier the side dish, the better. If you’re looking for a healthier side dish for smoked pork shoulder, then you’ll want to opt for a salad. A salad is perfect for this dish because it’s light, refreshing and perfect for the summer. You can pair your salad with a simple vinaigrette or a homemade barbecue sauce.