Having a good recipe is one thing (and chicken is good indeed). To match it with the right side dish makes things even better. So if at all you were wondering how to appropriately conclude your chicken, then we got you.
The list here comprises not least suggestions of okra, baked beans, cheese, corn to mention but a few. Dependent on factors like the season of the year on which you are cooking or your favorite flavours, you may see what works for you from the twenty different side dishes.
During summer for instance, there is an abundance of vegetables so why not go for a side dish that entails those? Some side dishes also will harness the taste of the chicken while others will cross it. Well, here we go lads and lasses.
Arugula Salad with Bacony Croutons and Sherry Vinaigrette
This recipe has many things about it that are pretty cool and two of these regard how fast it is to get it done as well as its tanginess.
The ingredients include; sherry vinegar, extra virgin oil, honey, sourdough bread, pecans, and baby arugula. Should you find that you do not have sherry vinegar, then you may work with red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.
To prepare, heat bacon in a medium skillet. Once finished, place it in a bowl with breadcrumbs. Toast to coat well then place in an aluminum foil and bake.
Now form vinaigrette by whisking together pepper honey, salt, shallots, and oil. Finally, place the bacon, croutons, arugula, pecans, blue cheese, and apple slices in a bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over them.
Old-School Squash Casserole
There is something about squash generally that is for sure. The cream sauce that accompanies this particular one though will leave you asking for more.
Moreover, the yellow onions carry their sweetness along too. Other ingredients include; squash casserole, sour cream, round buttery crackers, and parmesan. The creamy base talked is hinged upon sour cream.
To prepare, cook the squash first. Thereafter, place it in a skillet along with onions, and salt. Wait for ten minutes.
Separately, mix eggs, pepper, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, Swiss cheese, sour cream, and thyme. Drain the squash and place it in the latter mixture then transfer to a baking sheet. Melt butter along with parmesan cheese then sprinkle over the squash casserole. Bake.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Butter milk are rather something you do not want to miss out on given how the butter milk reacts on the leavening causing an impressive lifting.
The other ingredients for the biscuits are; butter, parchment paper, and self-rising flour. If at all you cannot get your hands on the latter ingredient, then you might use all-purpose flour.
Start by freezing the butter for this recipe. Wait for at least two hours. Thereafter, grate the butter. Now toss it in flour, after which you can mix it with butter milk. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and then place the dough there on and roll it until flattening.
Make biscuits from it then place on a parchment paper and place in an oven. Bake until golden brown.
Spicy Pineapple Slaw
Originating in the Netherlands as early as the 18th century, this pineapple slaw has now become a popular side dish for picnic meals.
These include; sandwich, grilled meat, and fried chicken of course. The ingredients are; shredded cabbage (both green and red), lemon zest, pineapple, honey, and jalapeno pepper. I highly recommend using a mandolin to shred the cabbages.
To prepare, place Fresno chili, cilantro, pineapple, jalapeno, radishes, and cabbage in a bowl. Toss. Separately, whisk salt, honey, lemon juice, pepper, lime juice, zest, and oil until there is a smoothening. Pour the dressing over the vegetables mixture previously assembled then toss.
Wait for at least ten minutes but then not much more than that. Toss again then serve.
Fried Green Tomatoes
There will be those who know this title from a movie instead but yeah, it is a great appetizer recipe too. This in particular owes to the fact that the tomatoes being used are not ripe yet though they are mature. Other ingredients include; butter milk, eggs, pepper, flour, and cornmeal. The first two ingredients are especially key in sticking the tomatoes together.
To prepare, slice the tomatoes first. Thereafter, assemble these ingredients in different small bowls; eggs and butter milk, pepper, salt, cornmeal, flour.
Dredge the tomatoes in each of them whilst ensuring that they are properly coated. Now find a skillet then heat the tomatoes in oil. You will know they are ready once their coating turns golden brown.
Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks
One thing about this side dish is that you can cook it as early as two weeks prior to the time that you intend to serve it and then freeze it in the interim.
You may have also realized that we are using a slow cooker. Doing so helps blend the flavours between ham cocks and greens in a way that is not possible with the usual rush.
The ingredients for the recipe are; sweet onions, chicken broth, red pepper, cider vinegar, collard greens, smoked ham cocks etc. I would advise that you buy greens that are already washed and chopped as doing it yourself can mean to be hectic.
To the preparation, place all the ingredients mentioned in a slow cooker and turn on low. Wait for at least nine hours. Remove the ham cocks and have it shredded.
This is a stage during which you need to be careful as you might be hurt by the bones. After, place the meat back and wait for a little while.
Succotash
Succotash is a dish that will work well if you are involved with traveling as you can reheat it at any time. Moreover, you can easily turn it into an entrée by toping it with pork chops or even salmon.
The ingredients are; butter, okra, lima beans, corn kernels, basil, tomatoes etc. should you not be a fan of basil beans, then you can cook with shell beans or green beans.
To prepare, cook the beans you are using then simmer them until they drain. In the meantime, fry bacon until it is tender. Transfer away from the skillet then place in it onions, okra, and garlic and heat until they soften. Add seasoning, beans, and corn.
When the corn is yellow, add butter then remove from heat after a short while. Add fresh tomatoes and basil. Top with bacon.
Creamy Coleslaw
Creamy Coleslaw tastes wonderful enough that you would easily mistake it for tacos topping. To have this easy for you, you might want to buy the coleslaw mix itself rather than starting from scratch. You might want to be sure even in that case though as any such ingredients differ.
Other food components that you will need for the recipe are; cider vinegar, broccoli slaw mix, lemon juice, cranberries etc.
To start on the recipe, make the dressing. Whisk salt, celery salt, mustard, sour cream, mayonnaise, and sugar. Wait until smoothening. Add this to the coleslaw mixture and toss. At this point, you may add onions too though this is optional. Refrigerate.
This side dish may be turned into a meal itself by simply adding macaroni.
Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal
If you have cooked okra before, then you know that it comes off very tasty if you either roast, sauté or fry it.
This recipe takes one of these options. Further, it is important that there is enough room in your skillet as you go about the process.
The ingredients include; yellow corn meal, okra, cayenne, coarse sea salt, black pepper etc. For the okra, it is important that the pods are not so long. If they are, they will be so tough.
Preparation of the recipe starts with pour canola oil in a skillet. Add the okra then cover. Open every now and again so as to stir. Add cornmeal, salt, cayenne and pepper and then wait for when the okra is tender.
Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad
This is another easy meal to prepare as it gets ready in half an hour. Mainly, it is inspired by Texas caviar. The ingredients for black-eyed pea and grain salad are; granulated sugar, champagne vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, bulgur wheat, black pepper etc.
This particular kind of wheat is used because it is actually already partly cooked and cracked in anticipation of being used in ways similar to this one.
To prepare; boil the wheat in water. When the water boils, reduce the heat and wait for a couple of minutes. Remove the bulgur and allow for cooling next.
Now make a dressing by whisking together olive oil, black pepper, hot sauce, salt, vinegar, and sugar. Toss black-eyed peas in the dressing a long with Jalapeno, scallions, bell pepper, bulgur, cilantro, corn, and scallions.
Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
Thanks to its fruity aspects, this salad is by far the freshest on this list. The ingredients here include; shallot, watermelon, red wine vinegar, black pepper, mint leaves, cucumber, and thyme leaves.
Note that English cucumbers are the most ideal to use in this case as they have fewer seeds. You are also free to use precut watermelon.
To make the salad, first combine cucumber, watermelon, and feta. Proceed then to make the dressing by mixing shallot, pepper, thyme, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice.
Now drizzle in oil and whisk. Pour the dressing in the fruits mixture and toss for a short while. If you do not intend to serve this side dish there and then, then last step should be waited until eating time.
Grilled Baby Zucchini-and-Tomato Salad
It is no secret the flavour that baby zucchini brings with it any meal where it is used. That is why it tends to be scarce at grocery stores. In this recipe, the baby zucchini potential is realized through overly grilling it.
Other ingredients are; kosher salt, cider wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, extra-virgin oil, clove, salt, baby zucchini, tomatoes etc.
To prepare, toss baby zucchini with oil, pepper, and salt then grill until tender. Next, whisk honey, shallot, mustard, thyme, and salt. Mix the result with zucchini and tomatoes. Brush oil over bread and grill until crispy. Top the mixture with grilled bread. Top with parsley and basil.
Macaroni and Cheese
I strongly recommend gooey cheese for this recipe. Once you take this advice, you will thank me later. Further, please look to shredding your cheese too. This helps it melt better as cheese that is bought shredded is often coated too making melting difficult.
Other ingredients are; onions, butter, nutmeg, pasta, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, cheese, Worcestershire sauce etc. The mustard and nutmeg are especially important for the dressing.
To prepare, boil macaroni in water. Do not overly do it as the there will be baking at a later stage. Separately, melt butter then add cream and flour. Simmer before introducing cheese. Mix the cheese sauce along with the pasta then transfer to an oven. Bake until golden brown.
Homemade Baked Beans
We all like dry beans but the trouble is always the amount of time that goes into. Often, one has to cook them overnight. This recipe spares you that trouble by allowing you the option of canned beans should you like. Other ingredients include; brown sugar, mustard, canned pork, Worcestershire sauce etc. Brown sugar because of its caramel.
Start on the recipe by frying some bacon. Next, make the sauce by combining Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sorghum sweeteners, and ketchup.
Now combine the bacon, onions, and sauce with the beans. Place in an oven and wait. Once the beans start to bubble then they are ready.
Savannah Red Rice
The best way to understand this particular rice is that it is a version of pilau. Other people would call the word perloo, pilaf etc. It is also essential to recall, that in order for savannah red rice to come out well then you should not open the cover once the other ingredients are mixed with the rice until ready to serve.
The ingredients include; rice of course (long grain), kosher salt, onions, cayenne, chicken broth, hot pepper sauce, whole tomatoes, and green bell pepper.
Start on preparation of this recipe by heating bacon in a skillet. Thereafter, remove it and in its place introduce celery, yellow onions, and bell pepper. Stir until tender.
Add rice, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and chicken broth. Transfer to a foil and bake for at least forty minutes. Top with bacon.
Homemade Mashed Potatoes
If you are an American, then you know that mashed potatoes are not to miss of feasts like thanks giving so it helps to have a unique recipe in that regard.
The ingredients to help realize this aspiration include; potatoes, warm butter, coarsely ground pepper, half-and-half etc. Suggestions for the best potatoes are Russet and Yukon particularly because of their high starch attribute.
To prepare the potatoes, boil them in water to begin with. Ensure in this case that they are not cut into small pieces as this makes them absorb lots of water, something that is undesirable for this recipe. Do not overcook too. Once ready, drain the potatoes.
Separately melt butter then add half-and-half as well as cream cheese. On boiling, add the potatoes and mash them.
Other Fried Chicken Side Dishes to Try
- Grilled Corn (on the Cob)
- Southern Potato Salad
- Field Pea, Corn, and Bacon Salad
- Perfect Cornbread