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Looking for sides for fried chicken? You’ve come to the right place!
We’ve compiled a list of 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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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’!
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.
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!
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!
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!
Yukon Gold Potato Salad Recipe
This Yukon gold potato salad recipe is the perfect recipe to recruit kitchen helpers to help you. If you do decide to cut the potatoes into dices or chunks prior to boiling, just do your best to make the sizes even.
Pasta salad recipe
We love a creamy pasta salad—and this one is made with ranch! When I was younger I discovered those pasta salad kits and fell in love.
Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe
This Hawaiian-style macaroni salad recipe is creamy and served cold. Macaroni salad is pure comfort food and as a result, I don’t eat it nearly as often as I would like but on a special occasion, we love to make this.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
This loaded mashed potato casserole is rich, decadent, and always the first dish to vanish at potlucks or holiday spreads. It’s a side that steals the show—and the compliments.
Air Fryer Seasoned French Fries
These air fryer seasoned fries are golden, crisp, and totally rave-worthy. If you want seasoned fries that taste better than restaurant-style, without heating up the kitchen, this will be your new favorite recipe.
Popeye’s Cajun french fries recipe
I think that russet potatoes make the best french fries. If you find yourself in that situation but want to make delicious french fries at home, then give this Popeye’s fries recipe a try.
Easy Skillet Fried Corn Recipe (Just 4 Ingredients)
This four-ingredient Skillet Fried Corn Recipe is a nice way to get that lovely char on your corn as if you were grilling some beautiful ears of corn cob on the charcoal out back. We’ve seen a lot of different ways to make skillet corn out there, some use heavy cream that looks more like cream corn, some use corn off the cob and bacon drippings.
Jiffy Corn Casserole Recipe
This easy side dish is a simple combination of pantry ingredients, baked and enjoyed at my Thanksgiving table for years. I bring it if I’m going to someone else’s house because it’s rich with cream cheese, sweet, satisfying like cornbread, and goes perfectly with ham or turkey.
Butter Dip Biscuits
These butter dip biscuits offer the comfort of homemade baking with minimal effort. Made from a few pantry ingredients, they come together quickly, with no kneading required.
Steamed Green Beans with Lemon
Green beans make an easy and delicious healthy side dish. These steamed green beans only require 5 ingredients.
How to Saute Okra and Make It Yummy
This sauteed okra recipe is so simple that you will find yourself making it as a side dish over and over again. No matter how you decide to pair this sauteed okra, you will fill good about serving your family and yourself a nice and healthy side dish.
Blackened Broccoli
If you’re looking for a quick and delicious veggie side dish, this charred broccoli recipe is perfect for you! If you want to add a bit more flavor, squeeze some lemon juice on the broccoli florets just before serving.
Creamy Broccoli Salad Recipe
This crunchy yet creamy broccoli salad is a yummy side dish for any meal. Consider taking this to your next potluck and you will be the hit of the event.
Apple Carrot Slaw
This sweet apple carrot coleslaw recipe is just such a recipe: the right balance of sweet and tangy crunch. A great tip to keep apples from turning brown in your coleslaw is to first mix them with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Red cabbage slaw recipe
This red cabbage slaw recipe is easy to make. It’s a crunchy side dish that’s satisfying to eat and it’s good for you and your family at the same time.
Cucumber Tomato Salad
This cucumber salad with tomatoes and red onion is so simple to make. It’s a fresh and light side salad that’s perfect alongside many dishes.
Bacon Deviled Eggs
We are coming up with deviled egg variations and giving them a try. This is our overview of how to make bacon deviled eggs with a few additional tips.
White gravy recipe
White gravy is a creamy gravy that is made with flour and milk. White gravy is often served on top of chicken fried steak or here in the south, we love to eat biscuits and gravy.
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!
