26 Side Dishes That Pair Perfectly With Chicken

Are you feeling stuck when it comes to creating a side dish to serve alongside chicken?

We tend to make the same dishes over and over again, so here we have included 26 delicious side dishes for you to try. They are sure to refresh your inspiration and produce a beautiful meal. 

1. Chef John’s Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a staple food that gets the dinner table excited. This recipe creates a light, fluffy and lump-free mashed potato side dish that works well with chicken.

Only a few simple ingredients are needed to create this delicious dish, including butter and milk which help the potatoes become light and creamy. 

Mashing the potatoes before adding any of the other ingredients is the key to success when aiming for lump-free mash. 

2. Buttery Steamed Cabbage

Steamed cabbage may not sound appealing however, we can assure you that the butter will enhance the flavor of this simple vegetable.

If you’re looking for a way to eat more vegetables then try this quick and easy method, without the need for an actual steamer.

Simply steam in a deep skillet pan by covering it with a pot lid. 

Garlic, red pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper are all you need to season the cabbage with.

Steaming in unsalted butter brings all the flavors together and leaves you with a tasty, buttery vegetable side dish that you can pair with practically anything.  

3. Spicy Garlic Broccoli

Chili and garlic are added to broccoli here to put a twist on this vegetable side dish. Perfect alongside chicken on a bed of noodles or rice, it’s an easy dish to prepare and cook.

Aromatics such as green onions, garlic, and ginger are fried first before adding the broccoli and chili. Adjust the amount of chili you’d like in your dish to your tastes. 

4. Italian Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Parmesan can take your roast potatoes from good to great. With a perfectly crisp outside and a fluffy inside, topped off with melted cheese this is a side dish to rival all others.

It’s really simple to make, just like normal roasted potatoes; however, here you top them with Parmesan cheese before baking in the oven. 

These tasty and filling potatoes are great for family gatherings or a Sunday dinner, ideal to pair with some grilled chicken and vegetables. 

5. Mango And Cabbage Salad With Lime And Jalapeno Dressing

This colorful mango and cabbage salad is perfect for a warm summer’s day and makes a more complete meal when you add some roasted chicken. Not only is this salad pack full of nutrients, but it’s also packed full of flavor. 

Fresh herbs such as mint and cilantro are used in the body of the salad, while the lime and jalapeno dressing is drizzled over the top of the perfect mixture of sweet and spicy. Mix the chicken into the salad or simply serve it on the side. 

6. Tuscan Style Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is a wonderful vegetable that is best when eaten in season as it just tastes so much better.

For an authentic Tuscan flavor, cherry tomatoes, garlic, the zest and juice of a lemon, and Parmesan cheese are added to this dish before baking.

Pine nuts complement the natural flavors of the asparagus and provide you with a lovely crunch. 

Adjusting the amount of lemon you’d like on this dish is easy, as you can save some of the zest and juice to add to the dish when the asparagus is cooked and tender. 

7. Roasted Carrots With Thyme

Carrots can be a star side dish if you cook them properly (particularly for Christmas). These carrots are caramelized until they are tender but crisp, bringing out their natural sweetness.

Using fresh herbs such as thyme to roast with the carrots gives the dish some extra flavor and a lovely aromatic finish. 

8. Buttered Leeks

Many of us think vegetables are bland and tasteless, but they don’t have to be. Don’t let your childhood memories of steamed or boiled vegetables stop you from making exciting side dishes.

Butter makes anything taste better, including leeks. Cooking the leeks in some unsalted butter helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetable. 

9. Lemon Garlic Sauteed Cabbage

Lemon and garlic are a winning flavor combination. This quick and simple recipe utilizes these ingredients to make a healthy cabbage side dish. Sauteeing the cabbage in olive oil makes it tender and sweet as well as makes it a bit healthier.

Minced garlic and lemon add some tangy flavors to the dish as well as brighten it up. Shred the cabbage for best results. 

10. Sauteed Mushrooms With Garlic Butter

Mushrooms cooked in garlic butter can be served with steak, chicken, or burgers for a wonderful accompaniment.

The great thing about mushrooms is that they absorb loads of the flavors from the pan, so cooking them in garlic butter means they taste amazing. 

These mushrooms are cooked twice to avoid any soggy disasters and leave you with the perfect meaty and caramelized mushroom that will leave you wanting seconds. 

11. Ultimate Roast Potatoes

Roast potatoes are not only perfect with chicken or any Sunday roast dinner, they are delicious. Crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside, what more could you ask a potato to do?

This recipe is great because it helps even the cooking novice produce a potato to be proud of. 

If you’re plant-based and don’t want to use goose fat, you can use sunflower or vegetable oil. 

12. Roasted Leeks With Olive Oil And Parmesan

Have you ever tried to caramelize leeks? Here’s your sign to try it! Roasting the leeks until they are caramelized brings out a naturally mild yet sweet flavor from this vegetable.

Brushing the prepared leeks with olive oil and some salt and pepper before sprinkling on a little Parmesan is all you need to produce a wonderful side dish. 

13. BLT Potato Salad

When you hear the word ‘BLT’ you automatically think of a sandwich. This recipe has taken this classic sandwich and turned it into a hearty potato salad, perfect for a summer barbecue or a fancy lunchtime treat.

Using a combination of crispy bacon, fresh juicy tomatoes, and lettuce you can taste the signature BLT flavors. 

The twist comes from caramelized red onions and a punchy mustard dressing to add an extra layer to this dish. Serve alongside some tender chicken thighs or a simple grilled breast. 

14. Roasted Parsnips

Parsnips are often an overlooked vegetable associated with the holidays but forgotten about the rest of the year. They have a natural sweetness that is brought out when you roast them.

Sweeter than carrots, parsnips also have a nutty and earthy flavor which is accentuated when caramelized in the oven. 

Season with a little salt and pepper and coat in oil for a humble and tasty roasted parsnip. 

15. Seriously, The Best Broccoli Of Your Life

Broccoli is a vegetable that works well with many different cuisines, which is what makes it great to go with chicken as it does exactly the same. Roasting broccoli may sound a bit strange, but it will produce the best broccoli you’ve ever tasted! 

Here the green vegetable is roasted with olive oil, seasonings, plenty of garlic, grated Parmesan, and spoonfuls of freshly squeezed lemon. The garlic and broccoli will be nice and crispy which welcomes the juice of the lemon nicely. 

16. Fresh Summer Salad

A summer salad can be the refreshing pick-me-up you need on a warm day. Full of juicy vegetables and plenty of nutrients, it’s ideal to serve alongside chicken to make a complete and filling meal.

A Dijon-based vinaigrette dressing is used here to add bite to the salad. 

Fresh vegetables such as radishes, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and avocado keep the salad light and simple, the fancy dressing is what steals the show.

A mixture of dijon mustard, sugar, and lemon juice the dressing creates a great balance between sweet and sour which works well with some grilled chicken.  

17. Garlic Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are so full of nutrients and high in fiber and antioxidants which makes them a welcome addition to any dinner table.

A blend of sweet and savory from the garlic and honey, these little cubes of potato are delicious. Seasoned to perfection with some dried rosemary and salt and pepper, you can’t go wrong. 

The beauty of this dish is that it can work well alongside any type of protein and other accompaniments and it’s super healthy! 

18. Balal – Persian Street Corn

If you haven’t tried this Persian street food, you need to. The cobbs are grilled to a blackened state and then soaked in salt water to add flavor. Once you’ve tried this salty corn, boiling will never be the same.

Traditionally this dish is cooked on hot charcoal by street vendors, but here we can use a grill or griddle pan to replicate the results. 

Once the corn is cooked, submerge it directly into a tall jug of salted water. This can be left here for however long you’d like, generally the longer you leave the ears of corn in the jug, the saltier the corn will be.

Balal is perfect barbecue food and is served at almost any Iranian family gathering. 

19. Roasted Cauliflower Au Gratin

Adapted from a traditional potato au gratin side dish, this oven-roasted cauliflower is a healthier option, providing us with some much-needed heart medicine. Cauliflowers are great because they can be used for almost any type of cooking. 

Similar to a potato version of the dish, the cauliflower is roasted in a delicious creamy cheesy sauce making it ideal if you’re trying to encourage anyone at the dinner table to eat more vegetables.

Pre-roasting the cauliflower will give you a better flavor than boiling the vegetable as it draws out the natural earthy flavor. 

Panko breadcrumbs can be added to the top of the gratin to create a sensational crunchy topping, but this is optional. 

20. Best Simple Tossed Green Salad

Green salads are full of iron and other essential nutrients. Crisp leaves and crunchy cucumber is light and refreshing, perfect for a lunchtime meal that won’t leave you feeling sluggish and sleepy.

This salad recipe is a great base to use, meaning you can add to remove anything you don’t feel like on the day. 

Adding seeds such as sunflower seeds or sesame seeds is a great way to add some healthy fats and vitamins to your diet. Although there are bacon bits in the salad, it’s such a small amount it’s still a healthy dish and is excellent with chicken. 

21. Easy Creamed Spinach

Sometimes we need a nice and easy side dish to have with our dinner after a long day. A delicious white sauce is used to coat wilted spinach leaves for a creamy side dish that can be used on any occasion.

This dish is so much more than some cream and spinach chucked into a pot. 

A white sauce is made from flour, onion, garlic, milk, and nutmeg. Whisking the sauce on the stove means you can create a sauce with the perfect thickness for you.

When everything has come together, season with some extra nutmeg and cayenne pepper if you like spice, for a fancy creamed spinach side dish to be proud of. 

22. Sweet And Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

Blending sweetness, spice, and some savory elements you end up with a dish full of flavor. Florets of cauliflower are added to a sauce and you’re done! This low-calorie dish is quick and easy to make, perfect to serve with chicken or steak. 

The sweet and spicy sauce is made from sriracha, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. Any type of hot sauce you have lying around will do, as long as it’s hot enough for your tastes.  

23. Spicy Cucumber Side Dish

Oi-muchim is a Korean spicy cucumber side dish that is made from cucumber and green onions. This is perfect to serve alongside any noodle or rice dish you’ve prepared.

Making the dish just before serving is essential if you don’t want a watery and mushy salad. 

Coating the cucumber and onion in aromatic spices and heat-filled chili flakes is certain to wake up your taste buds. Sugar is also added to this mixture to balance it out and avoid the spice overpowering the dish.

24. Sauteed Green Beans With Mushrooms

One of the more healthy side dishes is this completely vegan recipe. The green beans and mushrooms work well together as the little button mushrooms soak up the garlic oil in the pan whilst the beans add some crunch to the dish.

Eating this dish in season (May to September) will give you the best flavor. 

25. Roasted Cherry Tomatoes With Balsamic Vinegar

Roasting cherry tomatoes are great as they pop in your mouth delivering a burst of flavor. The balsamic vinegar adds a tangy flavor which counteracts the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.

Roasting them in garlic, thyme, and oil means the tomatoes will soak in the tasty juices, with some left over to drizzle on the rest of your meal. 

26. Lemon Rice

Sometimes plain rice can be a little boring and repetitive, creating a rice variation will shake up things at dinner time.

Cooking rice with lemon juice, basil, lemon zest, and broth in the saucepan will infuse the rice with light and refreshing lemon flavors.

Lemon pepper seasoning can be sprinkled on top to tie the dish together. Lemon rice can work well with any kind of Asian or Indian cuisine. 

Final Thoughts 

There are so many different side dishes to serve with chicken, we have just included some of the most delicious recipes we could find. We hope you enjoyed reading this article and have some fresh new ideas on what to pair with chicken!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Vegetable Is Good With Chicken?

Any vegetable goes well with chicken. The seasonings and other accompanying ingredients will determine which vegetables you use when cooking.

For example, Asian cuisine uses a lot of pak choy, green beans, green onions, and broccoli.