Are you looking for the best sides for fried chicken? You’ve come to the right place!
We’ve compiled a list of 50 delicious side dishes to elevate this popular comfort food.
Crispy, tender, and juicy fried chicken is a southern staple and a mainstay in my household.
The best part about fried chicken is that it’s incredibly versatile and super delicious!
Since most of the flavor of fried chicken comes from the seasoning mixed into the breading it’s dipped into prior to frying, you can tweak the flavor to anything you want!
Coincidentally, that’s exactly how fried chicken got its start in the south.
African slaves first brought the recipe with them, which had originated from Scottish and West African cuisine.
These recipes were a far cry from the fried chicken we’re familiar with today, and these slaves had prepared them using ingredients and spices available in America, eventually evolving into the delicious and modern entrée we know and love!
So you can pair it with a wide array of accompanying dishes, with varying tastes and textures, and it will taste exquisite with all of them.
Given my undying love for this delicious entrée, I have tried it with a multitude of sides over the years and have come up with a trusty list of my all-time favorite fried chicken sides.
Corn on the cob is a simple side that will go exceptionally well with an entrée like fried chicken.
We love to grill corn, but you can cook corn on the cob in quite a few different ways.
To add more flavor and richness to the corn, remove it from the cob and cook it in butter and milk.
Its creaminess will complement the crispiness of the fried chicken.
Ingredients include: corn kernels, butter, salt, and pepper.
I have wondered in the past if mashed potatoes were actually created to go along with fried chicken.
Rich and creamy mashed potatoes just go that well with crispy chicken.
Now, my suggestion is that if you choose this side that you then pair it with a salad.
The crispness of a salad compliments the mashed taters perfectly.
Ingredients include: Russet potatoes, butter, milk, salt, and pepper.
3. Green Beans
When it comes to the best recipe for green beans as a side to fried chicken, it is difficult to beat the Texas Roadhouse green beans.
This southern green bean recipe has bacon, garlic, onion, and a touch of sweetness.
When I make this recipe, I used canned green beans–so easy!
This is actually one of the reasons that I love this recipe so darn much.
Life is so much easier when you can just grab a can from the pantry and then make something magical.
While I love the idea of having a kitchen full of fresh veggies at all times, that isn’t always a reality.
This is when that can of green beans comes in handy.
Ingredients include: green beans, bacon, canola oil, onions, and garlic.
Creamy, rich, loaded baked potatoes are a delight with fried chicken.
Load your potatoes with a general helping of sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions.
Now, in my opinion, the best baked potato is cooked in the oven or the air fryer.
Yes, you can cook it in the microwave if you are pressed for time and that is fine.
But if you plan ahead, prep that potato, and bake it, you will love it.
Ingredients include: baking potato, olive oil, and salt.
5. Coleslaw
If you’re looking for refreshing fried chicken side dishes, try a simple coleslaw.
To keep things light and crispy, pair the vinegar-based variant with fried chicken instead of opting for the richer mayo-based coleslaw.
We like to make ours with apple cider vinegar.
We also add in some Dijon mustard to make it tangy.
It is slightly sweet and slightly tangy.
This side dish is tangy and crisp, and tastes refreshingly good with savory fried chicken!
Ingredients include: green cabbage, red onion, white onion, carrots, and kale.
6. Fried Okra
Use the leftover oil from fried chicken to fry some breaded okra.
This crispy side will taste even more divine if you add some crushed pecans to your batter.
Ingredients include: pecans, flour, cornmeal, salt, and cayenne.
If you’re still wondering what to serve with fried chicken, try a sweet squash casserole to shake things up truly.
This sweet and refreshing side pairs surprisingly well with fried chicken.
One of the nice things about a squash casserole is that it is a way to get in a nice veggie but still make it quite tasty.
This casserole recipe is fun because of the crunchiness added by Ritz crackers.
They have such a nice salty and buttery flavor.
Ingredients include: butter, squash, onion, eggs, and cheddar.
If you can’t get enough fried foods, try pairing fried chicken with crispy fried green potatoes.
They are straightforward to make and deliciously crunchy and juicy.
All you have to do is coat green tomato slices in cornmeal batter and fry them until they are golden brown.
Ingredients include: flour, garlic powder, eggs, tomatoes, and buttermilk.
9. Cornbread
Cornbread tastes divine with fried chicken.
Whether you opt for the savory or sweet version, the crumby and tender bread perfectly complements the crispiness of the fried chicken.
While any kind of cornbread is going to be an excellent side for fried chicken, I suggest that you take it up a notch with the jalapeno cheddar cornbread.
We love to cook it in our iron skillet.
I don’t like spicy foods for the most part, but this recipe is really good.
Normally, I eat around the jalapenos.
Basically, I pick them out.
However, baking them in adds such a nice flavor.
Ingredients include: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and buttermilk.
10. Peach Cobbler
Peach cobbler is one of the most loved Southern desserts.
The juicy and sweet peaches, deliciously flaky crust, a divine crispy crumble topping, and generous amounts of spices and butter make this dessert the ultimate side dish for fried chicken.
Top the cobbler with a dollop of whipped cream to make it taste even more delicious.
Ingredients include: peaches, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and salt.
11. Baked Beans
What goes with fried chicken?
Baked beans!
Smoky and sweet baked beans complement the savory chicken remarkably well.
If you want to make your baked beans even more enticing, top them with some crunchy and smoky bacon slices.
When I was growing up, I wouldn’t touch baked beans.
Now that I am older, though, I really love them IF they are cooked well.
I think that I confused pork and beans from the can with baked beans.
Now, I know the difference, and if I am eating fried chicken, this is a go-to side dish.
Ingredients include: bacon, onion, bell pepper, cloves, and paprika.
12. Biscuits
A true southern staple, biscuits are inarguably one of the best fried chicken side dishes.
The texture of the biscuits perfectly balances out the tenderness of the chicken.
Even though you can try various biscuit recipes, sticking to the classic buttermilk version is also a great idea.
Those traditional biscuits are fantastic, but if you want to mix things up, I suggest you try a cheesy garlic biscuit.
Now be warned, these biscuits are addictive.
You can’t just eat three.
You will want five.
Just sayin’!
Ingredients include: flour, baking powder, butter, garlic powder, and cheddar.
If you don’t feel like having a simple pasta salad, try pairing a barley and corn salad with fried chicken.
This colorful side has barley, corn, red and green peppers, and a generous sprinkling of herbs.
It’s a refreshing side dish to have with fried chicken.
I admit that this one is a bit different.
You likely won’t find it in a southern diner, but that also is what makes it nice.
When you serve this up people will first ask what it is.
Then, they will say “oh wow, this is awesome. Can I get the recipe?”
Ingredients include: barley, kernel corn, sweet peppers, onions, and dressing.
Ah, the delectable, sweet and savory combination of sweet potatoes tastes oh-so-good with fried chicken.
Dress the potatoes with herbs, garlic, and butter for a creamy, rich, and delicious side dish.
One of the nice features of this delectable dish is that it is beautiful.
When you serve this next to a beautiful fried chicken breast, people will take photos of their plate, for sure.
Ingredients include: sweet potatoes, garlic butter, lemon juice, thyme, and rosemary.
15. Red Potato Salad
A creamy red potato salad is an ideal side for fried chicken.
Our recipe is made with Greek yogurt and fresh herbs.
The yogurt makes it a bit tangy, which is a nice flavor complement to crispy fried chicken.
We recommend that you make this potato salad the day before.
That way the flavors can meld together and it is, even more scrumptious that way.
Ingredients include: red potatoes, mayo, Greek yogurt, shallot, and Dijon mustard.
Perfect for summer, this salad infuses fresh and flavorful ingredients.
It mixes cherry tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, garlic, honey, and two essential condiments: Italian seasoning and basil.
Make your variation by substituting or adding some ingredients here and there.
If you’ve got a vegan crowd to wow, use maple syrup instead of honey.
Ingredients include: cherry tomatoes, garlic clove, apple cider vinegar, Italian seasoning, and honey.
A flavor-packed dish that comes together in less than an hour?
Sign me up!
This straightforward recipe transforms a bunch of collard greens into a scrumptious side item.
The combination of bacon and Creole seasoning makes this vegetable-based dish innately satisfying.
Add leftover ham or ham hock so you can easily get a meal serving eight or more.
Ingredients include: bacon, collard greens, onion, Cajun seasoning, and garlic salt.
These potato wedges should take your go-to fried food up a notch.
It’s seasoned with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese, so you’ll be able to achieve a crowd-pleasing side or appetizer.
To complete, try serving these wedges alongside blue cheese dressing, tzatziki, Greek yogurt ranch, or melted cheese!
Ingredients include: Russet potatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and parmesan.
No matter which occasion, you can’t go wrong with this macaroni-based dish.
The secret to having a subtly filling flavor is to create a sweet and tart dressing made from mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar.
Another great thing about macaroni coleslaw is that it freezes well.
Now make several batches always to have something on hand or be ready whenever your guests come.
Ingredients include: pasta, apple cider vinegar, cucumber, bell pepper, and celery stick.
Fast food people certainly knew something we didn’t since they kept asking, ‘Do you want fries with that?’
Yes, fast food person, two extra large ones, please!
Crispy and delicious, these classic side dishes will go well with anything!
Here is our very own Cookingchew version of this well-known diet breaker.
Be sure not to overcrowd them on your baking sheet, or they’ll come out steamed and not crispy!
Ingredients include: sweet potatoes, olive oil, sea salt, and smoked paprika.
Hush puppies are flaky, golfball-sized lumps of delicious cornmeal batter fried golden crispy brown on the outside and soft on the inside.
They cook really fast and are ready in just minutes!
They make perfect sides to any fried food, especially fried chicken.
Ingredients include: cornmeal, eggs, buttermilk, flour, and tartar sauce.
And no, I’m not referring to a member of the famous musical group, but the actual food!
This salad is such a feast for the eyes as much as it is for your tastebuds!
The explosion of vibrant colors when it’s finally done rivals only the explosion of flavor you get in every spoonful!
As with many salads, they complement meats well and will go especially well with fried chicken.
Ingredients include: black-eyed peas, corn, red pepper, onions, and lime.
This humble salad may sound simple, but the ingredients have symbolic significance to the Jewish New Year and are often served during Rosh Hashanah.
Don’t let that humbleness fool you, though!
Despite being simple, it packs a flavorful punch with sweet-tart apples and pomegranates accompanied by a homemade poppy seed dressing that complements other dishes well.
Ingredients include: apples, pomegranate seeds, poppy seeds, onions, and white wine vinegar.
Here we have zucchini batons sauteed in butter together with onions, parsley, and thyme in butter.
The smell rising from your stovetop as you cook is absolutely mouth-watering!
Its fresh, buttery flavor complements savory flavors well, such as roasts, grilled meats, or anything fried.
Ingredients include: zucchini, butter, thyme, onions, and parsley.
And here we present probably the most well-known TV dinner and comfort food ever: The venerable Mac & Cheese!
Each bite of tender, al-dente pasta oozing with rich, creamy cheese is an experience that is positively divine!
Up the ante by making your own!
Homemade done properly will always beat the store-bought stuff.
Have some with your fried chicken tonight!
Ingredients include: pasta, butter, flour, milk, and cheese (cheddar, gouda, and gruyere).
If you’ve never had roasted squash before, try cooking up this recipe.
It’s positively scrumptious with the garlic and herbs coating the roasted squash!
One user on the recipe page even left a review that they’ve been having it as a side every day for the last few weeks ever since they tried it.
Don’t get left out!
Ingredients include: squash, garlic, oregano, thyme, and olive oil.
Mustard greens are green, leafy vegetables famous for their peppery taste.
They have a slight kick to them, not in the way hot peppers do, but more in the realm of peppercorns.
Be sure to cook slowly so they’d come out tender, not mushy!
In any case, you’re sure to love the umami-rich flavor of this spicy little side!
Ingredients include: mustard greens, smoked turkey, onions, paprika, and jerk paste.
28. Fried Pickles
Pickles haven’t always been popular as a side, all because people haven’t been trying them as such!
I hope to change that by presenting this Hooter’s copycat recipe for fried pickles.
It’s one of their trademark sides.
One taste of this crunchy, tangy treat and you’ll know why!
Ingredients include: dill pickle chips, buttermilk, flour, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
Here’s a dish that you and your vegan friends can enjoy!
These tasty fritters are crispy on the outside and deliciously tender on the inside, making you keep coming back for more.
Prep time is less than 20 minutes, and it goes well with almost anything!
Now you don’t have to feel guilty if you have a few vegan guests barge in while you’re about to have a fried chicken meal!
Ingredients include: potatoes, zucchini, corn, scallions, and garlic.
Roasted vegetables are ubiquitous in the sense that they go well with literally anything.
This flavorful blend of veggies is seasoned with garlic and a fresh herb mix and then roasted to maximum yumminess!
Ingredients include: potatoes, carrots, zucchini, garlic, and olive oil.
Ahh, the nostalgia!
Nothing beats a bowl of succotash like your gramma used to make!
Corn kernels mixed with earthy beans with green and sweet red peppers thrown in?
Sign me up!
Pro tip: If you’re planning for a potluck, mix the basil in before serving, and keep it in a separate container before then!
Ingredients include: corn kernels, green beans, green peppers, red peppers, and onions.
When you ask a person about fried chicken nowadays, it’s not surprising if they mention something about KFC.
Colonel Sander’s iconic restaurant franchise has been around for about 70 years; so yes, hardly surprising.
And one of the things closely associated with KFC’s chicken is the gravy.
Yes, that brown, delicious, and savory gravy.
So rejoice!
You now have the means to make your own!
Ingredients include: flour, onion powder, garlic powder, beef stock cubes, and butter.
Yay for onion rings!
This side dish of champions has been gracing the sides of burgers and fried chicken for many years, and you’d think there’s no way to make them better.
But there is!
Make them Asian!
With the addition of a few, select ingredients, you can turn them from being just plain delicious to fiery and delicious!
Perfect for its usual role as a side, for a quick snack, or for game night!
Ingredients include: gochugaru, chili powder, onions, beer, and curry powder.
34. Fried Rice
Rice has always been a staple of Asian tables for millennia.
And fried rice is what’s made for breakfast from any leftovers from the previous day!
Have everyone keep coming back for seconds with this recipe for the Chinese version.
You can even make it your own by adding a few ingredients of your choice, like mushrooms, chopped broccoli, ground meats, or ham!
It goes splendidly with anything; the people in Asia have been doing that already for thousands of years, so they should know a thing or two about it, right?
Ingredients include: white rice, butter, eggs, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Here we have Cookingchew’s very own recipe for Mexican street corn!
Elote, as it is locally known, is a popular dish you can find anywhere in Mexico; from people hawking behind roadside stalls to a part of a multi-course meal in a ritzy restaurant!
It’s deliciously addicting, and we found that out the hard way!
Try it at your own risk!
Ingredients include: sweet corn, tajin seasoning, sour cream, cotija cheese, and lime juice.
Mini peppers stuffed with bacon and goat cheese are a delicious finger food and appetizer!
They’re creamy and savory, and they look good on a serving platter!
Savory begets savory, and these tasty treats will also make excellent sides to that fried chicken you plan to serve tonight!
Ingredients include: mini bell peppers, red onions, garlic, bacon, and goat cheese.
37. Baked Ravioli
Italian breadcrumbs coat frozen ravioli as it is toasted to crispy golden perfection!
Yum!
And did you know that baked ravioli is one of the most popular dishes at Olive Garden?
Yes!
And I’ll be sharing with you how to create this culinary delight in your very own kitchen!
Ingredients include: ravioli, eggs, flour, Italian breadcrumbs, and your favorite pasta sauce.
Are you looking to impress your friends with your table presentation?
Look no further!
Dazzle your guests with this flower-shaped deep-fried onion!
This dish may look difficult to make, but it really isn’t!
And not only does it look good, but it also tastes good too!
Ingredients include: large sweet onions, flour, paprika, eggs, and cayenne pepper.
Did you know you can have a delicious side dish ready in 5 minutes that’ll go well with fried or roasted meals?
Presenting Cookingchew’s microwaved broccoli!
With a few simple procedures, you can have some tasty broccoli ready in no time!
Ingredients include: broccoli, butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
40. Kimchi
Kimchi is an iconic Korean side that is so popular no one in Korea goes a single day without eating it at least once!
I’m an avid fan of Kimchi, and it goes extremely well with any kind of meat!
Kimchi is, in a nutshell, spiced fermented cabbage; and most Westerners are reluctant to try it since they often associate ‘fermented’ with ‘rotten.’
Fermented is way different than rotten!
But we digress.
It’s delicious, and this recipe gives you the means to try it for yourself!
Ingredients include: napa cabbage, salt, gochugaru, korean fish sauce, and fermented shrimp paste.
Even before I’ve begun my culinary journey, this dish was one of those things my dad would cook up for me as a kid.
This is why the smell of anything sauteeing in butter and garlic always brings back fond memories–and makes my mouth water!
So if you’re looking for something to serve as a side, not only with fried chicken but for anything else, –this– is a very good choice.
Ingredients include: mushrooms, soy sauce, butter, garlic, and thyme.
A word of caution before you attempt this entry; this recipe calls for Madras curry, which is ranked 7th in overall spiciness of Indian curries, so feel free to substitute it with something milder, or you can go up the ladder instead (Phaal ranks #1, use that at your own risk)!
If you don’t mind dabbling with things ranked high on the Scoville scale, then this is for you!
With a beautifully cut whole roast cauliflower in the middle of your curry, this dish is sure to wow your guests at the dinner table!
Ingredients include: cauliflower, coriander, carrots, paprika, and Madras curry paste.
Here we have chips that aren’t junk food!
What’s more, they’re delicious and easy to make, and you can serve them on their own, with a dip, or as a side with your favorite salad or meats!
Time for some guilt-free snacking!
Ingredients include: zucchini, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, oil, and salt.
Creamy corn pudding is actually a casserole.
Wait, what?
Yes!
It’s only referred to as a ‘pudding’ because of its creamy texture.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s delicious, though.
Ingredients include: corn muffin mix, whole kernel corn, creamed corn, butter, and eggs.
When you think spaghetti pasta, you usually think of regular al-dente noodles.
Not the case in this scenario.
What we have here is a delicious mix of pasta and Zoodles, or Zucchini strips formed to make noodles!
All that, plus a dressing of olive oil and seasoning, makes for a dish that’s both tasty and guilt-free!
Ingredients include: zucchini, pasta, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
Here we have one of the best attempts to recreate Sheetz gas station’s famous Boom-Boom Sauce!
It’s a mayonnaise-based chili garlic sauce that Sheetz sometimes serves together with a number of their menu items.
It’s incredibly delicious!
Ingredients include: mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, garlic powder, and sriracha.
And yet another copycat sauce!
This time it’s the Chick-Fil-A sauce which, for the benefit of those who haven’t yet tasted it, has a flavor that’s a cross between smoky barbecue sauce and creamy honey mustard with a hint of lemon.
Now you can enjoy your fried chicken with Chick-Fil-A sauce without having to leave home!
Ingredients include: honey, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.
Hey, #47’s gotten us on a roll!
Here we have the copycat version of one of Burger King’s most popular sauces: The Zesty Sauce.
It’s hard to describe the taste, but I’ll settle on saying it’s the perfect balance between heat and acid that’ll take your onion rings, fried chicken, and everything in between to a whole new level!
Ingredients include: mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, prepared mustard, soy sauce, and white vinegar.
Wow, yet another copycat sauce!
How many of these are there?
This one is for Red Robin’s Campfire Sauce, which is arguably one of the best barbecue sauces I’ve tasted!
Ingredients include: barbecue sauce, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, mayonnaise, and honey.
And last, but definitely not least in our dips and sauces series is Chick-Fil-A Polynesian sauce!
It has a flavor that’s both sweet and sour, with a hint of tanginess.
Ingredients include: California French dressing, apple cider vinegar, and honey.
The bottom line
I hope you enjoyed reading this list of mouthwatering sides for fried chicken.
All of these side dishes have unique flavors and textures that make them taste exquisite with crispy fried chicken.
You must try them all to find the one you love the most!
More About Fried Chicken
50 BEST Sides For Fried Chicken
These are our favorite sides to serve with fried chicken.
Ingredients
- Corn On The Cob
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans
- Baked Potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Fried Okra
- Squash Casserole
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Cornbread
- Peach Cobbler
- Baked Beans
- Biscuits
- Barley Corn Salad
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Red Potato Salad
- Cherry Tomato Salad
- Bacon Collard Greens
- Parmesan Potato Wedges
- Macaroni Coleslaw
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Southern Hush Puppies
- Black-Eyed Pea Salad
- Apple & Pomegranate Salad
- Zucchini With Thyme Sautee
- Homemade Mac & Cheese
- Garlic-Herb Pattypan Squash
- Southern Braised Mustard Greens
- Fried Pickles
- Zucchini Corn Fritters
- Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes With Carrots & Zucchini
- Corn Succotash Salad
- Copycat KFC Gravy
- Korean-Style Onion Rings
- Fried Rice
- Mexican Street Corn
- Bacon & Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
- Baked Ravioli
- Air Fryer Blooming Onion
- Microwaved Broccoli
- Kimchi
- Sauteed Mushrooms With Garlic
- Roasted Cauliflower In Spiced Curry
- Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips
- Creamy Corn Pudding
- Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
- Copycat Boom Boom Sauce
- Copycat Chick Fil A Sauce
- Copycat Burger King Zesty Sauce
- Copycat Red Robin Campfire Sauce
- Copycat Chick Fil A Polynesian Sauce
Instructions
- Pick one or more options from our list of Sides For Fried Chicken here!
- Start creating your new favorite side dish.
- Share and comment! Did you make any changes to make it even better?