Sweet and sour chicken is a popular and flavorful dish that has captured the hearts of food lovers around the world.
But why stop there? In this post, were going to explore 20 tasty side dishes that can elevate your sweet and sour chicken experience to new heights.
These tasty sides were chosen to go well with the sour and sweet main dish, giving your meal more variety and balance.
To go with sweet and sour chicken, the best sides are egg rolls, chicken wings, french fries, lentil salad, potato salad, gluten-free bread, sautéed vegetables, broccoli, baked sweet potatoes, candied yams, prawn toast, pork dumplings, scallion pancakes, cucumber salad, crispy kale, and lentil salad.
Sweet and sour chicken is a beloved Chinese-American dish that features crispy chicken coated in a sticky sweet and tangy sauce. With its balanced flavors and crunchy texture it’s easy to see why this takeout staple remains so popular.
It can be hard to decide what sides to serve this tasty main dish with when you make it at home. You want sides that go well with the sweet and sour chicken without taking over. I did a lot of research on tasty side dishes that go well with this main course and came up with this list of 21.
The Best Starch Side Dishes
To soak up that delicious sauce, you need a good starch. Here are some great options:
1. Rice
You can’t go wrong with a bowl of steaming white or brown rice. The rice soaks up the sauce while adding wholesome carbs. Jasmine or basmati rice work great. For variation, try coconut rice or lemon rice.
2. Lo mein or chow mein noodles
These soft Chinese egg noodles are a natural fit providing a neutral base for the chicken. Chow mein is pan-fried while lo mein is boiled, but both work well.
3. Fried rice
The sweet and sour flavors pair fabulously with the salty taste of fried rice. Make it yourself or use leftover takeout rice. Add some veggies and even shrimp or bacon.
4. Egg noodles
Egg noodles flavored with butter go well with chicken that is sweet. Boil until al dente and top with a little parsley.
5. Crispy wonton wrappers
For an unconventional crunch, fry up some wonton wrappers. They’ll provide an irresistible crispy texture against the saucy chicken.
6. Potstickers
Pan-fried pork or chicken potstickers make a tasty dumpling side. With the main dish, the juicy filling and soft wrapper are so addicting.
Fresh Vegetable Sides
Don’t forget your veggies! Here are some crisp, healthy options:
7. Stir fry medley
Make an easy stir fry with carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and snap peas. Toss in some garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil for flavor.
8. Steamed broccoli
Simple steamed broccoli florets provide vitamin C and fiber without competing with the chicken’s flavor. Drizzle with a little lemon juice.
9. Green beans
Blanched and shockingly green, green beans pair nicely with their snappy bite. Add slivered almonds for crunch.
10. Cucumber salad
Chilled cucumbers in a sweet vinegar dressing offer lightness against the chicken. So refreshing!
11. Coleslaw
Creamy cool coleslaw with shredded cabbage and carrots perfectly balances the sweet and sour flavors.
12. Bok choy
Quick-cooking baby bok choy sautéed with garlic makes an elegant side. The slight bitterness plays well off the sauce.
More Creative Pairings
Beyond starch and veggies, here are even more tasty options:
13. Egg rolls
No brainer here, but crunchy egg rolls with a veggie or pork filling make a satisfying side. Serve with duck or hot mustard sauce.
14. Fried wontons
For another crispy treat, fry up some ground pork wontons. The contrast of flaky exterior and meaty interior is so good.
15. Steamed dumplings
If you have time, homemade pork or chicken dumplings steamed until tender are divine. Dip in soy sauce and chili oil.
16. Spring rolls
Vietnamese style spring rolls with shrimp, rice noodles and herbs tucked in a rice paper wrapper are fresh and light.
17. Chicken wings
If you can’t get enough chicken, baked chicken wings are a fun finger food with the sweet and sour chicken. Toss in your favorite wing sauce.
18. Crab rangoon
These crispy cream cheese wontons make a nice appetizer starter. The creamy filling helps cut the sauce’s tartness.
19. Edamame
Steamed, salted soybeans in the pod offer protein and textural contrast. Kids love to pop them out and eat them.
20. Fried tofu
For a vegan side, cubes of fried tofu are delicious. The light sweetness plays well with the chicken.
21. Fortune cookies
End your Chinese-style meal on a fun note with fortune cookies for dessert. Check your fortune!
Sauce-Soaking Sides are Best
When pondering what sides to serve with sweet and sour chicken, focus on dishes that will sop up the flavorful sauce. Starchy and crispy options are ideal. Stay away from salty, creamy or heavily flavored sides that will compete too much.
Follow these guidelines and your meal will be perfectly balanced, letting the glistening sweet and sour chicken shine as the star it is. Now get cooking up this takeout classic at home – your family will definitely thank you! Just be sure to make extra sauce.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Side Dishes
- Brown rice
- Glutinous rice
- Egg rolls
- Chicken wings
- French fries
- Lentil salad
- Potato salad
- Gluten free bread
- Sauteed vegetables
- Broccoli
- Baked sweet potatoes
- Candied yams
- Prawn toast
- Pork dumplings
- Scallion pancakes
- Cucumber salad
- Crispy kale
- Veggie stir-fry noodles
- Three bean salad
- Russian salad
Sides For Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and sour chicken tastes incredible with brown rice. Brown rice has a nutty flavor and quite a distinct aroma, making it ideal for lunches and dinners. Besides, this rice can be enjoyed by anyone on a diet, thanks to its low-calorie content.
Use the tagged recipe and make brown rice at home by following a few simple steps.
This rice recipe is easy and quick. If you are looking for a simple side dish, make glutinous rice at home, and you are good to go.
Since this is a budget-friendly dish, you will see yourself saving a lot when choosing to make it. With just a few ingredients, this rice dish pairs well with sweet and sour chicken and can feed a crowd.
Egg rolls are crispy with a chicken and vegetable filling. You can make a bunch of them at once and then cook them in an air fryer when you need to.
You can make egg rolls at home with sweet and sour chicken just like the people who eat them out.
There is nothing like too much chicken. If you can’t live without chicken, you can eat chicken wings with sweet and sour chicken.
Now, to make sure that you consume a healthy side dish, cook these wings in an air fryer and reduce the amount of oil used.
Chicken wings prepared through this method are crispy, delicious, and scrumptious. Cook as many as you can using the tagged recipe. These wings are loved by adults and kids alike.
Prepare french fries with sweet and sour chicken, and you will never want to try anything else. The combination is divine, to say the least.
In addition, there is no complicated technique required to cook french fries. Even a kid can prepare them using the mentioned recipe.
However, we suggest cooking a big batch of french fries, and they finish quicker than expected.
Make this light lentil salad to serve with sweet and sour chicken. This salad contains cucumbers, onions, dates, lentils, water, bay leaves, vinegar and parsley leaves.
We recommend serving this salad during summer because of its refreshing taste. Ensure to make a big bowl because it finishes quite quickly.
This creamy potato salad is a perfect solution to a wonderful side dish. It contains potatoes, onions, brown mustard, yellow mustard and some other vital ingredients to give a scrumptious salad.
Pair it with sweet and sour chicken and taste various flavors and textures. Also, since this is an easy side dish and budget-friendly, you can prepare a big bowl for a family gathering.
You can also have your sweet and sour chicken with easy and delicious gluten free bread. This bread is pretty fresh and fluffy. Besides, you can make it at home using your instant pot.
Gluten free bread should be served warm after you have successfully sliced it.
Are you craving some green and healthy vegetables with sweet and sour chicken? If yes, we have a suggestion for you.
Served a bowl of sauteed vegetables with your chicken dish and thank us later. You can pick all your favorite vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, asparagus, zucchini, peas, and many more, and sautee them using salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.
Since sweet and sour chicken doesnt have greens, it makes sense to add them using your side dish. So, instead of cooking a vegetable medley, you can only serve broccoli with your main dish.
It is so easy to make. You simply require broccoli, water, salt, and pepper to create an amazing side dish with a great texture and flavor.
Combine broccoli with chicken, and you are good to go.
Have you ever tried baked sweet potatoes with sweet and sour chicken? If not, now is the time to experiment and experience both dishes together.
The sweet potatoes and chicken blend well with each other. These potatoes are also creamy, adding a delicious touch to your main dish.
Make the best candied yams using the tagged recipe. So, what is this dish?
Candied yams is one of the top-rated side dishes containing canned sweet potatoes, marshmallows, brown sugar, and butter. The instructions are quite simple, and after a short cooking process, you get a scrumptious and wholesome side option to try with your favorite sweet and sour chicken.
Also, this dish is loved by children. So, if your kids run from chicken dishes, serve this as a side dish and see them eating their meals easily.
This is a crispy toast topped with a prawn mixture and coated with sesame seeds. Then, the toast is fried until it turns golden brown. A prawn toast gets ready within 20 minutes and can be served with sweet and sour chicken.
This toast recipe is addictive. So, as a warning, ensure to take care about the quantity when serving to a crowd and save yourself from any embarrassment.
We have tagged one of the best recipes to create the most delicious pork dumplings. These dumplings are soft and chewy and feature an excellent filling.
Yes, these dumplings are flavorful and worth investing your effort in making them. Serve these dumplings with your favorite main dish, and enjoy the blend of pork with chicken.
Have you ever had scallion pancakes? These are Chinese pancakes that are super flaky and crispy.
These pancakes are vegan and slightly chewy.
To make these unique pancakes, you need flour, water, salt, green onion, and vegetable oil. Yes, only a few basic ingredients can help you make a wonderful side dish within a few minutes.
For even more ideas, check out what to serve with scallion pancakes.
Prepare an easy cucumber salad with your sweet and sour chicken. This is an easy salad and requires you to have cucumbers, salt, red onion, white vinegar, water, sugar, and dill.
This refreshing salad is an excellent summer side dish and tastes divine at lunch and dinner. Make it using a few simple steps and enjoy it with family and friends.
Since sweet and sour chicken is a Chinese dish, crispy kale is a great addition to your meal. All you have to do is sprinkle some sesame seeds and Chinese five-spice on your kale before you place the leaves for roasting. The resultant dish has a satisfying flavor and texture, perfect for anyone who wishes to experience good food.
You cant say no to veggie stir-fry noodles. This side dish is a staple in all Chinese meals and pairs well with almost all dishes. You can make these noodles using your favorite vegetables and stir-frying them before adding them to boiled noodles.
The flavorful noodles can then be served with sweet and sour chicken, making a perfect meal for the day.
This is an easy salad for days when you are running out of time. The beans used are kidney beans, cannellini beans, and garbanzo beans. The salad also contains red onions, parsley, celery, and a delicious dressing.
Our final pick is the beautiful and creamy Russian salad as a side dish. This salad contains potatoes, carrots, eggs, and even ham. There are many versions of this salad, as some people also like adding apples and pineapples for a sweet flavor.
Cook a feast by serving sweet and sour chicken with your favorite side dish. We have shared 20 options for you, so get cooking!
Secret to Crispy Sweet & Sour Chicken Revealed! 糖醋鸡 / 咕噜肉 Chinese Crunchy Chicken / Pork Recipe
FAQ
What do you eat with sweet and sour chicken?
What to serve with sweet and sour chicken. White rice is always a good idea to serve alongside saucy dishes like this one, but you can also make a simpler fried rice, such as my dad’s Ginger Fried Rice or Egg Fried Rice. Veggies are essential, too.
What vegetables go with sweet and sour?
Sweet And Sour Vegetables feature a mix of vibrant vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, French beans, cauliflower, celery, and edible fungi like button mushrooms. Soy sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup, and a little sugar are mixed together to make the sauce. It’s the right amount of sweet and sour.
What do you have with sweet and sour sauce?
It is great served with meatballs, tempura, or even over rice! Make restaurant-worthy sweet and sour sauce at home with this easy, top-rated recipe.
What to eat with sweet and sour chicken wings?
Sides For Chicken Wings: What To Serve With Chicken WingsMac and Cheese. Onion Rings. Loaded Potato Skins. Mozzarella Sticks. Jalapeño Poppers. Creamy Coleslaw. Seasoned Fries. Garlic Bread.