40 Side Dishes For Chicken The Whole Family Will Love

Sweet and spicy, these carrot coins are a retro recipe that has stood the test of time. Apple cider vinegar adds a brightness to the veggie side and helps tame some of the heat of the jalapeño.

This side dish is the definition of rich: Thinly sliced potatoes are submerged in a rich cream sauce and baked with plenty of cheese. The result is a hardy dish perfect for roast chicken, baked cutlets, and more.

This potluck staple is a wonderful chicken dinner side on a weeknight too. We’ve updated the classic by peeling the carrots into delicate ribbons, which happens to be less work than shredding.

Fluffy and spicy, this cornbread is a perfect match for fried chicken. Pro tip: Remove the seeds from the peppers before adding them to the batter for a milder cornbread.

We’re pretty sure you could put ranch seasoning on a shoe and folks would eat it. This recipe, luckily, only uses it on green beans, but the way it transforms the humble vegetable into something everyone in the family will love is magical.

Sometimes you need a fresh, crunchy side dish to cut through the rich flavor of your main dish, enter this salad. Loaded with collards, fennel, fresh orange segments, and tart dried cherries, it hits all the right notes.

These potatoes earn their name for their incredibly creamy, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture. They’re well worth setting aside 45 minutes to make.

Homemade Caesar dressing might feel like too much for a weeknight chicken side, but this easy recipe takes all the hard work out of the dressing (and there’s no raw egg or anchovies included). Mayonnaise makes for an easy base, while olive brine adds the salty, depth of flavor that tinned fish normally would.

Though it takes a little bit of extra time, make sure not to skip placing the Brussels on the sheet pan with the cut side down. This step will ensure that the whole surface becomes crispy.

You’ll find both cheddar cheese and smoked Gouda cheese on the ingredient list for this old-fashioned casserole. We must warn you, this side dish just may outshine the chicken when served on the same plate.

Transform broccoli into a flavorful (and healthy!) side dish with just the addition of salt, pepper, and olive oil. You can also add a little bit of lemon juice or Parmesan cheese just before serving for an extra punch of flavor.

Let your slow cooker handle the side dish while you focus on the main course. The flavors of these green beans will develop as they cook with the bacon and onion.

This impressive side dish is much easier to pull together than it looks, and takes just 25 minutes from start to finish. Plus, in addition to the broccolini you’ll need just a handful of ingredients.

Using a convection setting, if available, will ensure that these slender potatoes are tender and golden brown when you take them out of the oven. You can also use whatever fresh or dried herbs you have on hand for an extra dose of flavor.

Wrap prosciutto around anything and it’s guaranteed to be a hit (including chicken). These asparagus bundles are no exception. We recommend using thicker spears for this recipe, as they won’t overcook under the broiler while the prosciutto crisps. Just be sure to trim off any woody ends.

Enjoy the richness of a loaded baked potato in casserole form with this easy recipe. According to readers, this side dish is even better when you add garlic to the mashed potato mixture.

Garlic, parmesan, and bacon are the ideal trio to turn green beans into an exciting and flavorful side dish. Together, they pack plenty of flavor into every bite of this easy recipe.

This salad will have every flavor imaginable bursting in your mouth, from juicy grapes to crunchy broccoli and pecans. The farfalle pasta and sweet, tangy, creamy dressing ties all those ingredients together into a crowd-pleasing combination.

In just 25 minutes, transform asparagus into a cheesy dish that both kids and adults will want to eat. Just make sure to serve it immediately.

Name nearly any chicken dish, and these smashed potatoes are the perfect side for them. Use them as a canvas to sop up pan sauces, or let them be on their own, crispy on the outside and buttery-creamy on the inside.

Brussels sprouts recipes are everywhere these days, but we bet you haven’t had one like this yet. This simply delicious oven-roasted recipe will entice the sprout-haters to give it a try, and requires just four ingredients plus salt and pepper.

It’s a whole lot easier to convince your children to eat their greens when there’s parmesan, butter, and cream involved. Serve it as a standalone side or over grits or cornbread. Bonus: This five-ingredient dish is ready in under 30 minutes.

With black-eyed peas and cornbread croutons, this salad is just about as Southern as it gets. The croutons are a great way to use up stale, leftover cornbread. This salad can play a supporting role alongside a platter of fried chicken.

This veggie version of a classic macaroni and cheese can be made up to one day in advance to help you out the night you’re serving. Not a fan of broccoli? We have tons of macaroni and cheese recipes that will go with chicken just as well.

We’re breaking out the trusty air fryer for these irresistibly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside taters. Watch out because these will be your new favorite, go-to potato side, especially once you whip up our Everything But the Kitchen Sink Sauce.

For summer nights, this classic succotash brings together all of the season’s veggies into one flavorful pot. The additions of crumbled bacon and fresh basil bring it to new heights, which is why we call it the “Best-Ever.”

There aren’t many dishes that a perfect baked potato won’t complement. This no-fail, no-fuss recipe will win every time, and can be customized with endless toppings. Keep it basic with olive oil, salt, and butter or set up an extensive topping bar.

These carrots are pretty enough for a company-is-coming spread and equally as delicious. A touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper give them more spark than the typical glazed carrots. Choose young, slender carrots for the best flavor.

This sweet and spicy slaw featuring a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is a healthy, flavorful option for any summer picnic or potluck. It would specifically go great with barbecue chicken and would also be a hit on taco night.

This colorful salad tastes as good as it looks.Canned black-eyed peas are certainly the quickest and easiest option to use in this recipe, but frozen black-eyed peas are another good option.

This stunning green salad is the best way to show off fall’s bounty. The bold flavor of cruciferous vegetables, apples, and squash will add excitement to any chicken dish you serve, especially a simple roasted bird.

Instead of roasting or mashing your potatoes, you should be smashing them. Let this recipe prove it to you. If you can’t find baby red potatoes, any new potatoes or small creamy potatoes will work great.

In our version of this coastal classic from Georgia, the pilaf gets baked in the oven so it can develop a mix of tender and crispy textures. Tomatoes, onion, celery, and green pepper load this hearty rice dish up with flavor. Use a little hot sauce if you like it spicy.

While okra is a seasonal summer favorite, you can just as well grab a bag of the frozen stuff to curb those out-of-season cravings. This recipe is delightfully easy to prepare, thanks to a few tricks that let you avoid any dipping and dredging.

No fried chicken dinner is complete without a helping of baked beans, so good thing we’re here to help you out. This recipe elevates canned beans with extra baked bean flavor. You’ll love how easy it is to stir the ingredients together and stick your casserole dish in the oven.

You can’t beat fresh, grilled corn at your summer barbecue. This simple method involves pulling back the husks to use as a handle. After they’re lightly charred, wrap the ears in foil with butter and any seasonings you choose.

No peeling is necessary to serve up these crispy potatoes. Boiling the potatoes before browning them in a skillet will ensure that they’re both tender and crispy.

This popular summer recipe would be very refreshing alongside barbecued chicken or kabobs. Red wine vinegar, feta cheese, and fresh herbs make for an exciting mix of sweet, tangy, and salty. Add the dressing just before serving.

Pasta night meets chicken dinner. Instead of cooking up another box of pasta, try this quick gnocchi recipe with pillowy dumplings browned in butter and simmered with peas, parsley, and lemon. Add in some grilled chicken, and you’ve got the complete package.

Guests will have no idea that this beautiful side dish only took 10 minutes of hands-on time. Caramelized pearl onions and a sweet balsamic syrup glaze the beans, which cook very quickly if you use slender haricots verts.