This article was updated on the 12th of August 2023 for clarity and to improve text readability.
If you’re wondering what to serve with your bourbon chicken, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I list 33 of the most popular and tasty side dishes for bourbon chicken.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve with bourbon chicken include coconut rice, bacon-wrapped green beans and bacon, spring rolls, and Asian broccoli. Easy-to-cook sides include creamed spinach, baked sweet potatoes, and sesame noodles. If you want something light and refreshing, go for a Thai mango salad or coleslaw.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Asian broccolini
Broccolini lives in the shadow of its cousin, broccoli, but it’s SO much better. The long stalks offer more crunch which works perfectly with a tender bourbon chicken. Plus, it’s also jam-packed with good-for-you stuff like fiber and Vitamin A.
And you don’t need much to make it tasty. Foodie Crush uses a simple blend of soy sauce, ginger, and butter to infuse the broccolini with an extra savory twist. But the best part is you can get this dish ready in 20 minutes.
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Asian broccolini
Fire up the oven
Oven-roasted broccolini
Make it simple
Steamed broccoli
Vegetable spring rolls
Pop one or two spring rolls on the plate next to your bourbon chicken and you’ll have your guests licking their lips!
What you stuff the spring rolls with is up to you. But I like a mix of carrots, bean sprouts, cabbage, and capsicum. I’ll also throw in some shiitake mushrooms if I have them for the umami flavor.
Psst… spring rolls taste even better with a dipping sauce. Whip up a sweet chili sauce if you like or use some of your chicken’s bourbon sauce for an easy dip.
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Vegetable spring rolls
Make a favorite
Wild mushroom wontons
Make it creamy
Crab rangoons
Coconut lime rice
You can flavor rice in so many ways, but coconut has to be one of my favorites. It gives the rice a creamy texture that marries so well with the sweet and sticky sauce of bourbon chicken. And the addition of lime juice brings a fresh acidic twist that keeps the flavors balanced.
Little Broken uses jasmine rice for this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Brown rice is a good option if you want something a bit healthier. Or you can switch things up completely and swap rice for other grains like quinoa.
Pro-tip: plain rice also works really well with bourbon chicken.
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Coconut lime rice
Add umami
Baked mushroom rice
Make it healthier
Garlic butter quinoa
Bacon-wrapped green beans
Green beans are at risk of being boring, but wrapping them with bacon transforms them into something special.
The key with this dish is to blanch the green beans first, wrap them in bacon, and then bake them. This ensures the bacon crisps up nicely and infuses the green beans with their smoky goodness.
Enjoy these gorgeous bacon-wrapped green beans alongside your bourbon chicken for a filling and healthy meal.
Pro-tip: use thin-cut bacon for these green bean bundles so they come out super crispy.
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Bacon-wrapped green beans
Make it indulgent
Green bean casserole
Make it refreshing
Green bean salad with lemon and dill
Garlic sesame noodles
Bourbon chicken is a fusion of Chinese and Southern flavors, and what’s the first thing you think of when someone says Chinese food? Noodles!
So it’s no surprise these sesame noodles have made my list.
The addition of garlic and tahini elevates them beyond plain noodles, and a splash of Sriracha for a lightly spicy kick — yum.
These garlic sesame noodles can be on the table in less than 15 minutes (now that’s fast).
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Garlic sesame noodles
Make it extra hot
Garlic chili oil noodles
Make it different
Yaki udon noodles
Mango salad
Want to impress at a summer party or potluck? This unique mango salad will do the trick.
It’s made with unripe green mangoes that are naturally acidic, giving your bourbon chicken a bright contrast that keeps the meal from getting too heavy.
Can’t find unripe mangoes? Don’t swap them for ripe ones. They won’t work in salads because they’re far too sweet and soft. Use apples instead —it’s just as tasty.
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Thai mango salad
Switch it up
Mango slaw
Skip the mango
Thai green papaya salad
Creamed spinach
Bourbon chicken is sweet and sticky, sometimes a bit too sweet… but this creamy side dish is just what you need to tone down the flavors. And it only takes 15 minutes to get onto the table.
I like my creamed spinach to be less cream and more spinach, but you can easily add more to this recipe from Delish. Be careful though — you don’t want to make your veggie side too decadent.
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Creamed spinach
Make it lighter
Sauteed lemon garlic spinach
Make a salad
Spinach salad
Fried okra
Go full-on Southern and pair your bourbon chicken with fried okra, a summer favorite. Most people stay away from this interesting veg because of its slimy texture. But no worries — once the okra slices have been coated in a cornmeal and flour mixture, they develop an extra crunchy bite and little to no trace of that slimy consistency.
Classic recipes use a deep-frying method for these treats, but Rasa Malaysia goes with the air-fryer to make these slightly healthier. Win-win!
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Fried okra
Skip the dredging
Oven-roasted okra
Add more veg
Corn okra creole
Creamy coleslaw
Serve your bourbon chicken with a side of coleslaw to brighten up the meal and add a nice contrast to the savory sauce.
Valentina’s version is a classic recipe featuring crisp cabbage and carrots tossed in a creamy dressing. But you can definitely jazz it up with other additions like bell peppers, red onions, celery, and scallions.
I personally like the idea of adding some shredded apples to complement the fruity notes in the bourbon chicken.
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Creamy coleslaw
Make it dairy-free
Old-fashioned vinegar coleslaw
Skip the cabbage
Cucumber jicama slaw
Baked sweet potatoes
The glaze is the star of the show with bourbon chicken, so baked sweet potatoes are the perfect supporting side that’ll fill your guests up.
The sweet spuds’ fluffy interiors will soak up all the leftover sauce and make sure all the plates are wiped clean. And their skins will provide that light crunch for a satisfying contrast to the tender chicken.
Lisa from Downshiftology suggests sprinkling a dash of cinnamon over these baked sweet potatoes, which I think sounds amazing!
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Baked sweet potato
Make it crispy
Garlic parmesan sweet potato fries
Make it creamy
Mashed sweet potatoes
Cauliflower fried rice
Want a rice dish without the carbs? Give cauliflower fried rice a try.
The ‘grains’ are great at soaking up all the sauce from your bourbon chicken without leaving you overly full.
Lisa Lin prefers to cook her easy cauliflower rice with baby bok choy, but I like adding bean sprouts to mine for a satisfying crunch.
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Cauliflower fried rice with baby bok choy
Make it straightforward
Turmeric cauliflower rice
Go indulge
Egg fried rice
What To Serve With Bourbon Chicken [33 Ideas]
Ingredients
- 1 portion asian broccolini
- 1 portion sesame noodles
- 1 portion creamed spinach
- 1 portion baked sweet potatoes
- 1 portion fried okra
- 1 portion bacon-wrapped green beans
- … and more
Instructions
- Prepare your bourbon chicken according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: asian broccolini, vegetable spring rolls, coconut rice, bacon-wrapped green beans, sesame noodles, mango salad, creamed spinach, fried okra, creamy coleslaw, baked sweet potatoes, and cauliflower fried rice.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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