Whats for dinner tonight? More than likely its super easy, extra delicious chicken in some form. Chicken, especially at dinnertime, is a beautiful thing. Its a friend to special occasions and side dishes everywhere. There’s no denying the versatility of chicken and how it saves us on the most time-crunched of weeknights. What’s not so stress-free? The bad reputation chicken has for being. sort of a blank canvas. So let’s not even risk it. It’s easy to keep a meal feeling new and interesting by switching up what you serve with it. Easy recipes like sweet potato gratin and Parmesan-crusted Brussels sprouts make this easy. Check out our list of 40 extra-tasty sides that go well with our favorite chicken dishes to make sure our chicken dinners always turn out well.
Want more side dish inspiration? Our best side dishes will make any weeknight dinner a thousand times better. And don’t forget dessert!.
Chicken breast is a lean, versatile protein that can be prepared in endless ways. From baking and roasting to grilling, sautéing or breading and frying, the possibilities are endless when cooking with chicken breast.
While the chicken breast itself is flavorful and nutritious, it really shines when paired with complementary side dishes. The right sides can take your chicken breast from bland and boring to delicious and dynamic.
Here are 13 amazing side dish ideas that go perfectly with chicken breast:
1. Roasted Vegetables
A simple way to make your chicken breast dinner taste better and be better for you is to roast vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and carrots. The high heat of the oven turns the vegetables’ natural sugars into caramel, which makes them taste sweet. Before you roast the chicken breast with the vegetables, toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other herbs or spices you like.
2. Mashed Potatoes
Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes are a classic accompaniment to chicken breast. For best results use Yukon Gold or russet potatoes and heat the milk and butter before mashing. Keep the potatoes fluffy by avoiding over-mixing. For extra flavor stir in roasted garlic, crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese or fresh herbs.
3. Rice Pilaf
A simple base for chicken breast is rice pilaf that has been flavored with onion, garlic, and spices that have been sautéed. You can cook the rice with either chicken or vegetable broth and white or brown rice. Diced carrot, celery, peas, or other vegetables can be sautéed with the spices or added to the pilaf after it’s done.
4. Pasta
Pasta makes a hearty, satisfying side for chicken breast. Pair your chicken with spaghetti, linguine, penne or your favorite pasta shape. Make it a complete meal by tossing the pasta with marinara sauce, pesto or a quick garlic-butter sauce.
5. Greens
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard or mustard greens are ideal partners for chicken breast. Saute the greens in olive oil with garlic and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Or opt for a warm spinach salad dressed with bacon vinaigrette.
6. Green Beans
Fresh green beans require just a quick steaming or saute to complement chicken breast. For added flavor, roast the beans with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic or cook them with diced bacon. Green bean casseroles and green bean almondine are also tasty choices.
7. Squash
Zucchini and yellow squash are summer squash that can be sliced, seasoned, and sautéed as a side dish for chicken. They can also be roasted or grilled. You can roast butternut squash cubes or make a cheesy squash casserole for winter squash.
8. Potatoes
You can eat potatoes with chicken in a lot of different ways, like mashed, fried, roasted, scalloped, or au gratin. Here are some tasty potato side dish ideas: smashed red potatoes, baked potatoes, and cheesy potatoes.
9. Macaroni and Cheese
Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Made from just macaroni, cheese sauce and often breadcrumbs or potato chips for crunch, macaroni and cheese complements fried, baked or grilled chicken breast wonderfully.
10. Coleslaw
Creamy coleslaw adds tang and crunch to balance tender chicken breast, especially fried or grilled chicken. Use shredded green or red cabbage along with shredded carrots. Dress the slaw with mayo, vinegar, sugar and spices like celery seed and mustard.
11. Corn on the Cob
Grilled or boiled corn on the cob is a perfect summer side for grilled chicken breast. Leave the cobs unadorned or dress them up with a flavored butter. Grilled corn salad is also an option for using fresh corn off the cob.
12. Salad
Fresh, light salads highlight grilled or baked chicken breast. Spinach salads, green salads, Greek salads, Caesar salads, wedge salads and more make excellent accompaniments. Load up the greens with your favorite veggies and top with a lemony vinaigrette.
13. Roasted Carrots
Roasted carrots caramelize in the oven, becoming tender and sweet. Toss carrot sticks or coins in olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped herbs like thyme or rosemary. Roasted carrots pair especially nicely with roasted chicken breast.
With so many tasty sides to choose from, you can serve up chicken breast a new way every night of the week. Vary the cooking method for the chicken and try out different flavor profiles and textures with your sides. Not only will you boost the nutrition of your meals, but you’ll also enjoy delicious, satisfying dinners built around humble chicken breast.
French Onion Cabbage Gratin
You didn’t think vegetables could be the star of the show? This French onion cabbage gratin will change your mind. Crisp browned cabbage wedges are smothered in a rich Gruyère sauce packed with jammy caramelized onions and topped with buttery breadcrumbs for a side that’s so indulgent and irresistible, you might be tempted to make it the main event. Get the French Onion Cabbage Gratin recipe.
We thought about why we don’t roast carrots more often after reading this recipe. When they roast, their flavor gets stronger and sweeter. Pair that with copious amounts of umami-packed Parmesan and just a touch of lemon, and you’ve got a super-irresistible dish that you’ll come back to again and again. Try it for yourself—carrots might just become your new favorite go-to side.
Get the Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Carrots recipe.Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Onion Soup Mix Roasted Potatoes
We all agree that roasting potatoes is the best way to cook em up, right? Right. Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, and seasoned to absolute perfection, these onion soup mix roasted potatoes are going to be your new favorite easy-peasy dinner side dish. And if roasting potatoes in the oven wasn’t simple enough, we’ve made seasoning even simpler by using a flavor-packed packet of onion soup mix. Seriously, potatoes don’t get any better or easier than this. Get the Onion Soup Mix Roasted Potatoes recipe.
The Best Chicken Breast You’ll Ever Make (Restaurant-Quality) | Epicurious 101
FAQ
What are good side dishes for chicken breast?
16 Delicious Side Dishes for Your Chicken DinnerCrispy Parmesan Potatoes. Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm. Creamy Polenta. Elise Bauer. Stir-Fried Mushrooms with Garlic and Chile Oil. Coconut Lime Rice. Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar. 5-Minute Yamitsuki Cabbage. Garlic Fried Rice. Lyonnaise Potatoes.
What would go well with chicken breast?
Best Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Breast (That Go Way Beyond Salad)Tangy Potato Salad with Bacon. Kitchen Tested. 5-Ingredient Crescent Cheesy Bread. Slow-Cooker Toasted Herb Rice. Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad. Easy Homemade Mashed Potatoes. Cumin-Citrus Roasted Carrots. Cheesy Baked Asparagus. Creamy Cucumber Salad.
What’s a good combination with chicken?
Ready in 30 minutes or less. Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges | Ready in 30 minutes. Jamie’s Sweet and Easy Corn on the Cob | Ready in 15 minutes. Italian Peas | Ready in 15 minutes. Parmesan Garlic Orzo | Ready in 25 minutes. Buttery Garlic Green Beans | Ready in 20 minutes. Balsamic Glazed Carrots | Ready in 15 minutes.