Grilled chicken is probably as ubiquitous a meal as it gets. But do you know of the grilling sides for chicken that is not only easy to prepare but also easy to be found?
In all its grilled glory, chicken can be paired easily with just about any sides out there. There isn’t a wrong or right way to pair sides to grilled chicken. For the more frugal individuals, you could grill some vegetables like potatoes or carrots while the chicken is still on and for some, a simple salad will do fine.
From smoky vegetables to fresh crunchy salads, these incredible sides are sure to turn your grilled chicken into an amazing meal.
Eager to get started? Dig in!
Vegetable Side Dishes for Grilled Chicken
Vegetables definitely take the lead when it comes to sides for grilled chicken.
Not only are they easy to prepare, but they have a ton of nutritious benefit and fiber.
With vegetables, you can have delectable smoky grilled veggies or scrumptious slaws and salads. To these, there are numerous combinations you can pair up with your grilled chicken. But just to name a few, here are sides you ought to try with your grilled chicken.
Garlicky Roasted Broccoli
Roasting the broccoli leaves it crunchy and the garlic bathes it in its garlicky essence. You can try spicing it up with some cayenne pepper or lemon juice for that extra tangy taste.
Baked Potatoes
This simple to prepare side pairs with any dish and grilled chicken is no exception.
Spicy Pineapple Slaw
This finger licking good, succulent salad is a must try side. Reminiscent of summers, you should definitely pair this side with your grilled chicken.
Saucy Chili-Garlic Cucumber Noodles
If you love spicy food, you’ll love this mouthwatering side. Somewhat of a shift from the regular cool cucumber salads, this side contrasts the cool refreshing cucumber taste to the almost piquant taste from the chili and garlic.
You may want to use English cucumbers as they are almost seedless and extra large.
Cream Cheese Chicken Chili Recipes
Kid Friendly Sides for Grilled Chicken
Kids are a difficult crowd to please, at least when vegetables are concerned. Fortunately for you, these amazing sides will appeal to even the most squeamish eaters.
Veggie Flatbread
This is the ultimate kid friendly side dish that would pair with grilled chicken. This mouthwatering delicacy is sure to win over your kids and the best part is takes approximately 45 minutes to prepare. Should you wish to have a variation of this, say roasted veggie flatbread, try using balsamic glaze for wonderful results. Just ensure it isn’t scorched at the end.
Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad
This amazing side comes packed with a fruity flavor punch that’ll certainly wow your kids. This easy to make salad is made up of strawberries, blueberries and apples and can also double up as a healthy dessert.
Paleo Sweet Potato Hash
Kids will almost certainly love this unlikely side to pair with your grilled chicken. However, this yummy side dish has a catch to it. Getting them crispy is quite a tall order due to the high water content in sweet potatoes compared to regular potatoes.
You can remedy this by using a potato ricer. Once you grate sweet potatoes, put them in a potato ricer and squeeze all the water out. With all the water pressed out, you can then fry the grated sweet potatoes and have them come out nice and crisp.
Grilled Chicken Side Dishes for A Crowd
Serving a crowd is quite a daunting task. You not only have to worry about whether everyone will like what you’re serving but you have to ensure everyone is satisfied.
With these sides, you won’t have to worry about any of that
Whipped-Cream Corn Salad
When it comes to this salad, you’ll certainly win the hearts, minds and probably stomachs of your crowd. This salad doesn’t require any cooking and comes together in under 12 minutes. And if that isn’t enough to excite you, it requires only four ingredients. Kosher salt, heavy cream, black pepper and fresh corn.
Quick Pickled Slaw
This hearty side has a slight acidic taste to it. Ideal for summer, this side can be paired with grilled chicken making for a whole flavored meal, bringing with it its crunchiness for extra texture. For best results, prepare the slaw and serve it the same day with the grilled chicken for extra freshness.
Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Who says mac and cheese is for kids? Turns out adding roasted tomatoes makes it a winner even with the adults. For best results, make sure you shred the cheese yourself, and if you love having it extra creamy have the white sauce cool for a while before you put in the shredded cheese.
Healthy Sides for Grilled Chicken
You might be forgiven to think healthy sides easily translate to bland and boring. With these sides however, you may be wrong
Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette
Cauliflower is an all-time favorite vegetable for most people and it’s with good reason. Its trusted mild flavor makes it easy to pair with any meal. With this new combination, a mildly spicy and tangy taste is added making it even fully flavored.
The best part however, is it takes less than ten minutes for it to cook. For best results, make sure to use small florets as larger florets take more time to cook.
Grilled Cabbage Wedges with Spicy Lime Wedges
Grilled cabbage. Sounds crazy I know but give it a try. This yet unlikely side is easy to prepare, with the prepared salad coming together in a few minutes. You just grill the cabbage wedges ensuring the edges get a little charring and the cabbage is well warmed through. You can then pour in the Thai inspired dressing all over the grilled cabbage. The dressing is a sauce made up of salt, garlic and lime.
Conclusion
Grilling sides for chicken are without doubt numerous.
Grilled chicken as a meal is in itself versatile and can be easily paired with any sides available. With that in mind, as much as this article has tried to be fully comprehensive, there are other wonderful sides which can be paired with grilled chicken.
Do you feel we missed anything?
If that’s the case, then please do “lettuce know” in the comment section below.
