Let’s face it – chicken breast can be kinda boring on its own I’ve definitely served up plenty of bland chicken dinners before I figured out the secret it’s all about what you serve alongside it! The right side dish can transform ordinary chicken breast into a meal worth getting excited about Whether you’re grilling, baking, or pan-searing your chicken, I’ve got you covered with these amazing sides that’ll make your dinner complete.
Potato Sides That Pair Perfectly With Chicken
Potatoes and chicken are like best friends that bring out the best in each other, Here are some spud-tastic options
1. Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes
These creamy cheesy layers of potato goodness complement chicken breast perfectly. One reviewer named peeps470 said, “I have made scalloped potatoes for over 40 years but I thought I would try this recipe! They were the best scalloped potatoes that I have ever made!” High praise indeed!
2. Grilled Potatoes
When you’re firing up the grill for chicken, why not toss some potatoes on there too? Baby potatoes get all tender inside while developing a nice char outside. The best part? They’re brushed with garlic butter – yum! Perfect for summer cookouts.
3. Ranch Potatoes
If your family loves ranch flavor (and who doesn’t?), these crispy ranch-seasoned potatoes will disappear fast. They’re super easy to make, and you can serve them with homemade ranch dressing for dipping.
4. Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes
These fancy-looking spuds are actually pretty simple to make. Sliced thinly but not all the way through, they fan out during baking for crispy edges while staying soft inside. The rosemary adds amazing flavor that works so well with chicken.
5. Air Fryer French Fries
Let’s be honest – who doesn’t love fries with anything? Using an air fryer means you can focus on cooking your chicken perfectly while the fries get crispy with minimal effort. They’re healthier than deep-fried versions too!
Veggie Sides to Balance Your Plate
Adding a vegetable side dish not only makes your meal more nutritious but also adds color and variety.
6. Roasted Broccoli
This is my go-to when I’m short on time. Just toss broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast it in the oven alongside your chicken. The slightly charred edges get so flavorful!
7. Sautéed Asparagus
Ready in just 15 minutes, this elegant side brings a touch of restaurant quality to your home-cooked meal. The combination of butter, olive oil, garlic, and lemon makes the tender asparagus absolutely irresistible.
8. Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
Sweet and savory, these root vegetables get caramelized in a honey glaze with a hint of thyme. They’re colorful and impressive without being complicated.
9. Buttery Garlic Green Beans
Simple but so delicious! Reviewer Sarah Jo says, “This is one of my most favorite ways to make green beans. I like to add a little finely minced onion to the skillet with the garlic as well. I usually double this recipe because my family inhales it.”
10. Lemon-Glazed Carrots
The perfect balance of sweet and tangy, these glazed carrots have a lemony brightness that cuts through the sweetness. As reviewer jsiracusejr notes, “You need the sugar and butter to make a glaze, but the lemon cuts through the sweetness.”
11. Simple Broccolini
If you want something a bit different from regular broccoli, try broccolini! It has a milder flavor and more tender stems. Full of “garlicky, lemony flavor,” according to recipe creator JUMAHA, it’s a perfect partner for chicken breast.
12. Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Don’t wrinkle your nose! Properly roasted Brussels sprouts develop a sweet caramelized flavor that’s nothing like the boiled versions you might remember from childhood. One reviewer named Evie exclaimed, “Amazing! I am no cook, but I made this dish and WOW! It was yummy.”
Grain and Rice Sides for a Hearty Meal
When you want something more substantial to turn your chicken breast into a filling dinner, these grain-based sides are just the ticket.
13. Mushroom Rice
This savory rice dish gets major flavor from mushrooms (cremini work great), garlic, and onions. It’s hearty enough to stand up to chicken but doesn’t overwhelm it. One reviewer called it “an easy, tasty side dish.”
14. Perfect Polenta
Chef John says, “Polenta is nothing more than coarsely ground cornmeal,” but when cooked properly, it becomes a creamy, comforting base for chicken. He suggests, “It’s a perfect base for any kind of saucy meat or mushroom ragout.”
15. Green Quinoa Tabbouleh
For a lighter option, this herb-packed quinoa dish brings freshness and nutrition to your plate. Chef John recommends pairing it with well-seasoned grilled meats – like chicken breast!
16. Black Beans and Rice
Whether you’re serving chicken enchiladas, tacos, or even just grilled chicken with southwestern seasonings, this black beans and rice combo makes the perfect accompanying side dish.
17. Couscous Salad
Colorful and loaded with goodies like crunchy veggies, sweet pomegranate seeds, toasted nuts, and fresh herbs, this make-ahead salad is perfect for busy weeknights. The tiny pasta-like couscous cooks in minutes!
Creamy and Cheesy Comfort Sides
Sometimes you just need something rich and comforting alongside your chicken breast.
18. Corn Soufflé
Light-as-a-cloud and bursting with corn flavor from three different forms (fresh kernels, creamed corn, and corn muffin mix), this side has a hint of spice from jalapeños that makes it special.
19. Spinach Casserole
Like creamed spinach but even better, this casserole has a crispy topping of fried onions and panko breadcrumbs that takes it to the next level. It’s a great way to get your greens!
20. Old School Mac n’ Cheese
Who can resist mac and cheese? This classic version gets extra crunch from potato chips crumbled over the top. Reviewer Summer Wheatley suggests, “I do however mix up the cheese- always using sharp cheddar and one other kind of melty goodness like Gruyère, or Gouda.”
21. Yellow Squash Casserole
This southern classic pairs perfectly with chicken. The mild flavor of yellow squash gets a major upgrade with a creamy filling and buttery cracker topping. One reviewer named Eva loved “the crispiness of cracker topping.”
22. Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole
Packed with colorful veggies, Monterey Jack cheese, butter, and breadcrumbs, this veggie casserole is hearty enough to be a meal on its own – but pairs wonderfully with chicken breast too.
Fresh and Light Sides for Summer Meals
When the weather’s warm or you want something refreshing, these lighter sides are perfect with grilled or roasted chicken breast.
23. Sweet and Peppery Watermelon Salad
This refreshing combo of watermelon, strawberries, arugula, and basil is unexpected but delicious. It’s especially perfect alongside spicy or heavily seasoned chicken.
24. Grilled Corn Salad
Take advantage of summer corn with this grilled corn salad. Recipe creator AMBERT77 calls it “A yummy and easy side for hot summer days! Goes great with your grilled dishes or just to munch on.”
25. Buttermilk Coleslaw
A classic for a reason! This creamy coleslaw gets tang from buttermilk instead of vinegar. Reviewer FoodieGal says, “I like the tangy-twist that the buttermilk provides — a lot like the tangy flavor that one would get from cider vinegar. I like my coleslaw creamy, and this is a great method.”
Tips for Pairing Sides with Chicken Breast
When I’m planning my meals, I try to follow these simple guidelines:
- Consider your cooking method: If you’re using the oven for chicken, choose sides that can roast at the same temperature or that use a different cooking method so you’re not overloading your kitchen.
- Balance flavors and textures: If your chicken is heavily seasoned, maybe go with a simpler side. If it’s simply prepared, you can get more adventurous with your sides.
- Think about colors: A white chicken breast looks way more appealing with colorful sides like roasted carrots or bright green vegetables.
- Mix it up: Try to include different food groups – maybe a starch and a vegetable for a well-rounded meal.
My Go-To Weeknight Combinations
Here are some of my fave chicken-and-sides combos that never disappoint:
- Simple weeknight dinner: Baked chicken breast + roasted broccoli + basic mashed potatoes
- Summer grill meal: Grilled chicken breast + grilled corn salad + watermelon salad
- Comfort food night: Roasted chicken breast + mac n’ cheese + buttery green beans
- Healthy option: Grilled chicken breast + quinoa tabbouleh + roasted vegetables
- Southern style: Fried chicken breast + yellow squash casserole + slow-cooked green beans
The beauty of chicken breast is its versatility – you can literally pair it with almost anything! These sides will definitely take your chicken from boring to brilliant, and your family will be asking for seconds.
What’s your favorite side dish to serve with chicken? I’m always looking to expand my recipe collection!
From garlicky asparagus to bacon biscuits to saffron potatoes.
Published OnApril 16, 2021
Photo by JULIA GARTLAND. PROP STYLIST: SOPHIE PAPPAS. FOOD STYLIST: ANNA BILLINGSKOG.
So, you’re making chicken for dinner. Maybe it is oven-fried or feta-brined or milk-braised. But it is chicken and it needs a side. That’s where these 27 recipes come in.
This sweet and sour citrus salad, with juicy oranges, sticky dates, and crunchy almonds, is the perfect foil to rich, fatty roast chicken. Or crispy chicken cutlets, sliced into strips.
Sure, you could sauté asparagus with just oil and salt. But things get infinitely more interesting with thinly sliced garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime.
A side dish that might steal the show. (Don’t tell the chicken.) Next time you’re grilling breasts or thighs, whip up this mustardy grilled zucchini salad to go with.
Made with just self-rising flour, rendered bacon fat, and buttermilk, these biscuits would very much like to be teamed up with fried chicken or chicken nuggets.
A humble potato salad that gets along with everyone it meets. Don’t skip the diced chives or onion powder—both bring a super-savoriness that will have you coming back for seconds.
Oh, cheese bread! Pair a slice (or three) with literal chicken salad or salady chicken.
Because if you’re grilling chicken, you might as well grill your salad, too. Bitter chicories love a bold char, and don’t even get us started on the fennel-seedy dressing with chiles and garlic.
But wait! you say. I’m eating this chicken for dinner, not breakfast! That’s a-okay. These simple-as-heck, strategically spiced potatoes are excellent anytime of day.
The secret to these stunners from Yasmin Fahr? The braising liquid, which “reduces down to a thick consistency that coats and infuses the potatoes, also giving them a bright, orangey color.”
Culinary historian Michael W. Twitty recommends serving his Genius rice with chicken, and who are we to disagree? Make extra candied garlic if you know what’s good for you.
Italian tonnato sauce is traditionally served with veal, so you bet your bottom dollar that it’s A+ with chicken, too. Especially when spring jewels like asparagus and fava beans are involved.
A riff on Julia Child’s creamed spinach. The creaminess comes not from cream, but from flour’s thickening prowess, plus butter (because if it’s inspired by Julia, of course it involves butter).
The only roasted broccoli recipe you’ll ever need. That’s it!
Just like a really good bag of salt-and-vinegar potato chips—only instead of crunchy and crackly, soft and plush. A simple roast chicken would thank you kindly.
“If you love smoked paprika, the odds are high that you’ll love these carrots,” writes Dorie Greenspan. “They’re roasted in a hot oven after they’ve been rolled around in a mix of honey, vinegar, cumin, cayenne, and smoked paprika.”
For leaner (aka blander) chicken cuts, like breasts, a rich side dish is just the ticket. Think: meaty mushrooms, creamy labneh, and enough puckery lemon to grab your attention.
Sure, you could roast or sauté or boil broccoli. But you could also leave it alone, like in this crunchy salad. Feel free to swap in whatever fruit or nut you have on hand.
A minimalist masterpiece from Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage. The ingredient list is in the title: miso and butter and onions and that’s it.
“Since traditional Persian rice can take years to perfect and hours to make,” writes Samin Nosrat, “I’m including this Persian-ish variation, which I accidentally devised one night when I found myself with a few extra cups of just-boiled basmati rice on my hands.”
Why yes, this dill yogurt would go great with your chicken, too. This crispy-creamy template from Abra Berens would work well with any roasted veg, from fennel to cauliflower.
Sometimes simple does it. If your chicken recipe has a lot going on already, opt for a pared-down side dish like these sprouts.
Sweet potato wedges get treated to a jammy peperonata and peppery greens. This would be excellent with a cold glass of white wine.
No cream is needed for this decidedly creamy corn dish. Indeed! Our senior food stylist Anna Billingskog will explain the rest.
Scallions need no more than a hunk of butter to become their best selves, slouchy and sweet—it’s impossible to eat just one.
Summer chicken, we’re ready for you. This coleslaw gets its extra-good looks from two types of cabbage (green and red), plus orangey carrots and emerald parsley.
“If you’ve never had cooked radishes before, you’ll be delighted,” writes Darra Goldstein. “Though they retain some crunch, their flavor mellows, and the muted red of their skin is alluring.”
Meek cabbage? No more! Sauté with cream, onion, ginger, and garlic for a, ahem, suspiciously delicious result.
Whats your go-to side with grilled chicken? Let us know in the comments!
4 MUST TRY SIDE DISH RECIPES THAT YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE | BEST SIDE DISHES | EASY COOKING
FAQ
What goes well with cooked chicken breast?
Once the chicken goes into the oven, it’s hands-off cooking, which leaves you with just enough time to toss together a quick stovetop side, like cauliflower rice, spinach, a pot of couscous, or some meaty, herbed mushrooms.