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Behold our newly updated sides for burgers—an epic list jammed full of the traditional and the unusual, from the classic to the contemporary.
Grilled, fried, stacked, topped and slung, the hamburger, America’s culinary icon, and its trusty sidekick, the cheeseburger—here’s our trusty list of what to serve with burgers!
These two gastronomic superheroes have captured the hearts and stomachs of millions across the nation, soaring to mouthwatering heights of popularity.
Of course not every burger is going to be made from ground beef.
From black bean burgers, salmon burgers, turkey burgers and even pumfu, you may be surprised at the variety and flavors of burgers in the world.
Whether they’re served in a swanky restaurant or at a backyard barbecue, these mighty meat marvels deliver a scrumptious symphony of flavors that can only be described as pure Americana.
The delicious diversity of hamburgers and cheeseburgers extends to the infinite ways they can be cooked.
Grilled to perfection over an open flame, sizzled on a flattop, or pan-seared to a mouthwatering crisp, these irresistible delights cater to any palate.
The stage is set for toppings galore, from the classic trifecta of lettuce, tomato, and onion to the more adventurous concoctions featuring avocado, bacon, a fried egg, or even pineapple!
But what’s a hero without a sidekick?
Fear not, for the perfect burger companions are here to save the day!
Crispy, golden fries and piping-hot onion rings, valiantly conquering hunger one bite at a time.
Coleslaw and pickles, those stealthy flavor warriors, add a touch of tang and crunch that no meal is complete without.
And let’s not forget the myriad of sauces, from ketchup and mustard to barbecue and ranch, providing the finishing flourish to an unforgettable experience.
So, gather ’round, fellow burger enthusiasts, and let us cast our eyes toward Christmas time in burger land: CookingChew.com Sides For Burgers!
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Our version of sweet potato fries in the oven is almost as good as the one in the air fryer, but you have to remember not to stack the fries and to turn them halfway through baking.
The paprika adds a really nice savory balance to the concentrated sweetness of the potatoes.
Ingredients include: Sweet potatoes, smoked paprika, sea salt, and olive oil.
Your fries will be falling over themselves to be dipped in this sauce.
This sweet and spicy sauce is perfect for dipping or drizzling.
The sauce is smooth and creamy, with a hint of heat from the sriracha sauce.
It’s best served chilled but not required.
Ingredients include: Garlic, sweet Thai chili, mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, and rice vinegar.
We had a lot of fun making these, plus this recipe will make quite a few of these appetizers that are as attractive as they are delicious.
Remember to get blocks of feta, since the crumbled kind won’t work for these on skewers.
Ingredients include: Cherry tomatoes, English cucumbers, black olives, Greek seasoning, and block feta cheese.
Baked potatoes are good! Heck, I would say they are AHmazing but the aren’t spectacular.
Hasselback potatoes add a touch of WOW to any dinner.
They are tasty and delightful when plated.
Also, they are delicious and easy to make.
First, slice a potato thinly while leaving a half-inch base at the bottom.
Tip: Be extra careful not to slice the potato all the way through.
Then, brush the potato with a flavorful mixture of butter, garlic, and herbs.
Once prepped, simply air fry the potato until it turns crispy and golden brown.
The cook time will vary based upon the size of the potato.
Ingredients include: Russet potatoes, garlic, butter, parmesan cheese, and salt.
“Loaded” in this case means slathered in cheese, butter, chives, and bacon, not drunk off its butt.
Unless you’d count “drunk on delicious butter and bacon” as loaded, cuz then yes, it’s that kind of loaded.
Ingredients include: Russet potatoes, bacon, chives, cheddar cheese, and butter.
The Soju Cape Cod Cocktail is a delicious and refreshing twist on the classic Cape Cod.
It is made with soju, cranberry juice, simple syrup, and lime juice.
The soju gives the cocktail a slightly sweet and tangy flavor, while the cranberry juice adds a tartness that is balanced out by the sweetness of the simple syrup.
The lime juice adds a touch of acidity that makes the cocktail taste bright and refreshing.
To make this cocktail, simply combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice.
Shake well and strain into a chilled glass.
Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!
Ingredients include: Soju, cranberry juice, simple syrup, lime, and ice.
Roasted green beans are a delicious and versatile vegetable that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.
They are easy to prepare and cook, and they have a wonderful flavor that is enhanced by roasting.
To make roasted green beans, simply preheat your oven to 400F and toss the green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Then, spread the green beans out on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until they are tender and slightly browned.
Roasted green beans can be served as a side dish for burgers or as a light main course.
They are also a great addition to salads, wraps, and sandwiches.
Ingredients include: Green beans, garlic powder, olive oil, salt, and parmesan cheese.
Are you already grilling those hamburgers?
Of course you are.
If you’ve got it nice and hot, this is a simple side that adds a nice green vegetable and a crisped prosciutto to the table.
Ingredients include: Asparagus, prosciutto, ground black pepper, and olive oil.
I love roasted carrots.
In fact, I’ve come to love most of my veg roasted in a dry heat now.
While there’s a time and place for steaming, the flavor of fresh thyme (or dried) is released in the oven heat and really adds to the roasted flavor of the carrots.
Plenty of times I’m not interested in turning on my big oven so I’ll set up my toaster oven and set it to bake.
Works just fine.
Ingredients include: Carrots, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
This is basically a piña colada without the blender or the freezing parts.
Tangy, sweet, with lots of rich tropical flavor, you sensitive-teeth types will also be pretty happy with this option without sending you over the edge from a frozen drink.
I’m a fan of garnish so don’t leave those out (please).
Ingredients include: Banana rum, cream of coconut, grenadine, pineapple juice, and pineapple chunks.
Not even kidding, this Chili Dip doesn’t need a single other thing besides what you see on the ingredients list.
It doesn’t need chili powder or cream cheese or shredded cheese or anything.
No-bean chili, Rotel tomatoes, and Velveeta—that’s it.
I was surprised too.
Dip in or spread it on, this is an incredible side for burgers.
Ingredients include: Rotel tomatoes, canned chili, and Velveeta cheese.
I am happy to say I was there in the flesh when we were experimenting with this yummy spread.
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of smoked cream cheese, but using a smoker is kind of a long process.
If you love the flavor of smoke, though, a few drops of liquid smoke is all you need to transform a few simple ingredients into a rich spread for burgers, sandwiches, a pretzel dip, and anything else you can think of.
Ingredients include: Liquid smoke, bbq rub, salt, cream cheese, and milk.
We had a lot of fun experimenting with which chili cheese fries ingredients made a truly delicious plate of chili cheese fries.
Wolf brand chili or Hormel or something else?
Shredded cheese or canned cheese?
A little of this, and a little of that, and there is not a single thing in here that’s good for you, and that’s the way we like it.
(Sometimes.)
They go great with beef burgers, though, so add some of these to make everyone ecstatic.
Ingredients include: Frozen crinkle-cut french fries, nacho cheese sauce, canned chili, red onion, and sour cream.
While these do have ground beef in them, if you like the shape of these adorable taco cups, you can make them vegetarian instead.
The right size for the tortillas is definitely those super small ones marked “street taco,” otherwise they will be too large for the muffin cups.
These make great finger food and are really just too good to be true.
Ingredients include: Ground beef, taco seasoning, street taco flour tortillas, salsa, and sour cream.
Add some tasty fresh vegetables to the picnic table…and then stuff ‘em with something amazing.
Grab a bag of those mini bell peppers at the store the next time you go.
You can mix up the cheese in a snap.
Make them in advance, just keep them covered in the fridge until ready to serve with your burgs.
Ingredients include: Sweet mini bell peppers, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, bacon, and thyme.
This recipe is easy and elegant at the same time!
It only has a few ingredients but my recommendation, based upon experience, is to double the recipe.
When I made these, they were gone before I blinked.
To this day, these are still talked about at dinner parties.
Fresh herbs really do make an important difference in this simple side dish.
Ingredients include: Cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, basil, chives, and salt.
This isn’t your 1970s cheese ball, this one has lots of flavor and (if you wish) some firepower too.
Remember that any cheeseball needs to be served at room temp or people will be breaking their pretzels and chips all the livelong day.
These days if anyone shows up to my house with a cheeseball and dippers, I’m grateful.
Make new friends with our Cheese Ball With Bacon.
Ingredients include: Cream cheese, smoked paprika, Mexican cheese blend, chipotle powder, and bacon.
We made this a couple of years ago now so the photos are TERRIBLE.
Terrible.
But the ingredients are spot on, and simple, too.
The roasted pears bring out their sweetness and dry them out so it’s not like eating a canned fruit salad or anything.
Don’t like balsamic so much? Try it with a simple lemon vinaigrette instead.
Ingredients include: Pears, spinach, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt.
I am not sure what it is about these kinds of Cool Whip / pudding mix combinations being called “salads” but …
No it’s fine, I’m here for it.
Mix up every possible canned and processed thing you can think of and call it good.
Try this “salad” on the side of your savory foods like hot sandwiches and burgers or literally any picnic food, but it’s also a fine potluck addition for dessert too.
Ingredients include: Pistachio pudding mix, Cool Whip, pecans, marshmallows, and canned pineapple.
This is one of my favorite recipes on our site.
The highlights? Here you go:
- There are many different types of tomatoes that can be grilled, including beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes.
- Tomatoes can be grilled whole, halved, or sliced.
- To grill tomatoes, brush them with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
- Grill the tomatoes over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they are soft, juicy, and slightly charred.
- Serve the grilled tomatoes immediately with your favorite toppings, such as balsamic vinegar, olive oil, or fresh herbs, like rosemary (dried or fresh).
Ingredients include: Tomatoes, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, salt, and olive oil.
Here are a few reasons why you might want to share our link to this sour cream mashed potatoes recipe:
- The recipe is easy to follow and only requires a few simple ingredients.
- The mashed potatoes are creamy and flavorful, and they are sure to please everyone at the table.
- The recipe is versatile and can be easily adapted to your own taste.
– For example, you can add different herbs or spices
– Use different types of potatoes, whatever you have on hand - The recipe is a great way to use up leftover potatoes, too.
- Whoever said that mashed potatoes go better with meatloaf than hamburgers was only half right.
Ingredients include: Potatoes, salt, pepper, butter, milk, and sour cream.
This is kind of our go-to “refreshing summer cocktail” and we pair this one up a lot with “outdoorsy” foods.
Cucumber flavor may not be for everyone, but if you like it in your salads, in your water, or over your eyes, you’re sure to enjoy this Cucumber Gimlet.
Ingredients include: Cucumber infused gin, simple syrup, lime juice, cucumber, and blueberries.
Why wouldn’t you have meat on meat?
The marinade for this is -chef’s kiss- and you will positively make lots of friends by serving them a skewer of this Grilled Tequila Shrimp alongside a salmon burger or crab cakes.
Ingredients include: Raw shrimp, garlic, shallots, tequila, and lime juice.
One of the most luscious sides for burgers that you can throw on the grill is fresh pineapple.
This recipe does have rich ingredients like brown sugar and butter, so you can call it dessert if you want.
But it’s worth cutting into a fresh, whole pineapple and grilling it for your favorite people.
As you can see in our quick tip video below, the trick to that lovely char is to not move the pineapple.
Lower the heat if you must, but don’t move it.
Ingredients include: Pineapple, butter, brown sugar, lime juice, and cinnamon.
This list of great toppings that go perfectly on salmon burgers will really make your mouth water.
If you’ve got plans in the near future to add salmon patties to the menu, be sure to spice things up by having our list of toppings available for the occasion.
Everything from mango chutney, different cheeses, remoulade, greens, quick-pickled onions and more are at the jump.
Ingredients include: Cucumbers, apricots, mango, muenster cheese, and more.
This crisp, sweet slaw is as good on top of the burger as it is alongside it.
It’s a great vegetable side dish for rich meats like a backyard cookout
Ingredients include: Apples, carrots, coleslaw mix, mayonnaise, and apple cider vinegar.
Any mixed greens will work in this if you don’t LOVE arugula like Renee’ does.
It’s peppery and has a bitter edge to it, and the citrus definitely helps.
Overall, this is actually a really nice side of greens, and whether you have a bunless burger or not, you’ll get a nice flavor combination.
Ingredients include: Arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that this is the world’s most perfect blue cheese dip.
Yes, I made it up, but I love things to stand up in my blue cheese dip.
Really make that dip count, you know?
So there’s not a thing that’s low-calorie about this rich and robust clingy dip, but I do hope you love it as much as I do.
Ingredients include: Blue cheese crumbles, cajun seasoning, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and cream cheese.
There just isn’t enough mozzarella cheese in the world, in my opinion.
While it goes great laid on top of every burger and fried into mozzarella sticks, buffalo mozzarella has a very special flavor that differs slightly from “regular” mozz.
If you have burgers galore and could really use some ideas for the buffalo mozzarella you have in the fridge, pull up this list of recipe ideas to help you see what’s in store.
Ingredients include: Prosciutto, zucchini, mushroom, pasta, and more.
You do need a mandolin slicer to make the perfect potato chips.
If you can’t get them thin enough, they turn out too thick, and then it’s like fried scalloped potatoes or something.
I love this recipe, because it’s simply potatoes, a true homemade addictive potato chip.
But the trick is a thin slice and not layering them in the air fryer basket, otherwise they just steam.
Ingredients include: Potatoes, salt, and olive oil.
It sounds simple and yet… IT IS!
This recipe calls for ripe peaches, preferably those that are juicy and not mealy, and a mild oil with some savory seasonings.
The combination of savory with the sweet peaches taking on the hot smoky grill flavor too is going to wow you, fo sho.
Ingredients include: Peaches, pepper, salt, and grapeseed oil.
If you’re eating that burger without a bun, you know that it can be tough to feel full and satisfied.
But here we have a large selection of keto snacks that you can put together quickly and easily while your burger is on the grill.
From the Shrimp Cucumber Bites to the Keto Air Fryer Fried Pickles and Stuffed Celery With Cream Cheese, you’ll find something simple and scrumptious as sides for burgers.
Ingredients include: Cucumber, cream cheese, Everything Bagel seasoning, cheddar cheese, and more.
I like almost anything cooked in the air fryer, and this vegetable side dish for burgers is no exception.
Sure, throw fries in for the kids, but for the grownups, this recipe is a simply seasoned, quickly cooked veggie symphony.
It’s very good, especially if your fresh zooks and tomatoes are looking kind of ready to head out.
Ingredients include: Tomatoes, zucchini, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and olive oil.
If you’re headed to a friend’s house and they’ve got the hot grill going for your burgers, then it’s time to pull up this list of even more meal inspiration just for this special occasion.
Take a look at our list of fair-weather potluck ideas so you can choose from a few awesome dishes and become the potluck hero.
Check out sides for burgers like antipasto skewers, watermelon gazpacho, easy fruit salad, and Aunt Kay’s Trash Mix.
Ingredients include: Shrimp, yellow squash, potatoes, chicken, and more.
I’ve been talking about these apples a lot lately.
They’re scrumptious, sweet, rich and go with anything, especially southern food.
But grilled/fried goods like burgers and dogs kind of demand a sweet touch like these, so they make an amazing side for burgers.
Do like I did and scavenge the old apples in the kitchen and just make something fast and delicious.
I promise, you’ll love them and start making them all the time for everything.
Ingredients include: Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and vanilla extract.
Ooo, yeah, a heavy comfort meal like the one you are about to throw down demands a refreshing, light cocktail.
This 21+ lemon vodka cocktail isn’t too sweet and isn’t pucker-up sour either, so it’s perfect for a warm day, and an even warmed plate of grilled burgers and sides.
Ingredients include: Vodka, orange liqueur, soda water, lemon juice, and sugar.
Know what goes great as sides for burgers?
The right refreshing cocktail.
Make the important cucumber-infused gin first, and then once it’s ready, this martini has your name all over it.
Ingredients include: Cucumber, dry vermouth, cucumber infused gin, and ice.
Air Fryer Seasoned French Fries
Crispy seasoned fries without a fryer. Burgers do not ride alone.
Air Fryer Loaded Cheese Fries
Cheese fries loaded with bacon, done in minutes. The upgrade burger night deserves.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Three ingredients and an air fryer. Sweet, salty, and gone before the burgers are flipped.
Texas Roadhouse Fried Pickles (Copycat)
Crunchy fried pickles like the roadhouse makes. Dip, crunch, repeat.
Pickled Onions
Quick pickled onions that wake up any burger. Make a jar, top everything for a week.
Dill Pickle Dip
A five-minute creamy dip loaded with dill pickles. Scoop it with chips while the grill heats.
No-Mayo Carolina Coleslaw
Tangy vinegar slaw, zero mayo. On the side or on the burger, both correct.
Red Cabbage Slaw
Crunchy, colorful, and bright. It plays the fresh angle against a rich burger.
Creamy Pasta Salad
The cookout classic in its creamiest form. Make it ahead and cross one thing off the list.
Yukon Gold Potato Salad
Buttery Yukon golds in a classic dressing. Cookout royalty next to a burger.
Creamy Red Potato Salad
Red potatoes, creamy dressing, no peeling. Backyard burger night, handled.
Grilled Corn
Corn charred right on the grates while the burgers cook. One grill, whole dinner.
Mexican Street Corn
Creamy, salty, chile-dusted corn. It turns burger night into a cookout.
The bottom line
Let us know in the comments or tag us in your Facebook post when you share this epic list of sides for burgers which of these are your favorites.
And could we possibly have missed a side or two?
Better share your recipes with us!
