If you’re wondering what to serve with your drumsticks, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for drumsticks.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve with drumsticks are French potato salad, apricot couscous, creamy slaw, baked mushroom rice, and steamed asparagus. You can also go with sweet potato mash, ratatouille, garlic roasted mushrooms, instant pot collard greens, or mac and cheese.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
French-style potato salad
I love creamy potato salads, but this French version is fast becoming my favorite.
Instead of a mayo-based dressing, the fork-tender spuds are tossed with lots of fresh herbs and a tangy vinaigrette.
Serve this lighter potato salad with baked chicken drumsticks for a healthier version of the classic barbecue pairing.
Why we love this recipe: everyone will be fighting over the last spoonful of this salad.
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French potato salad
Make it fancy
Fondant potatoes
Make it decadent
Potatoes au gratin
Cucumber lemon orzo salad
This orzo salad is a summer delight.
The combination of lemon, cucumbers, fresh dill, and parsley infuses the orzo pasta with fresh, zesty goodness in every bite.
This recipe adds crumbled feta for a hint of creaminess, but you can leave it out if you prefer to keep it dairy-free.
Why we love this recipe: it gets better the longer it sits.
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Cucumber lemon orzo salad
Make it Tex-Mex inspired
Mexican street corn pasta salad
Go Italian
Rainbow antipasto salad
Mashed sweet potatoes with ginger
Want something a little bit more special than your regular mashed spuds? You can’t go wrong with this recipe.
The extra step of infusing butter or oil with shallots, ginger, and garlic will add a delectable savory flavor with a hint of spice to your sweet potatoes.
All you need is (lots of) gravy, drumsticks, and some green beans to complete your tasty dinner.
Why we love this recipe: leftovers are great for breakfast – just drizzle some maple syrup on top.
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Mashed sweet potatoes with ginger
Stick with the basics
Herb and garlic mashed potatoes
Make it low-carb
Garlic mashed cauliflower
Ratatouille
Take a page from French cuisine and whip up this classic ratatouille to go with your drumsticks.
You might be tempted to toss everything in the pot to cook together, but the key to perfecting this dish is searing the veggies individually.
It’s extra work, but it ensures the vegetables are perfectly cooked and prevents them from turning mushy.
Why we love this recipe: it’s easily customizable and you can use whatever vegetables you have to hand!
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Ratatouille
Go Italian
Eggplant caponata
Preheat the oven
Summer vegetable gratin
Apple cranberry coleslaw
This isn’t your ordinary slaw.
Aside from the fruity additions, it features a Greek yogurt dressing instead of a mayo-based one.
This swap will still give you that classic creamy bite, but with an extra tang and fewer calories. Yay!
Why we love this recipe: it’ll make even regular dinners feel special.
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Apple cranberry coleslaw
Ditch the dairy
Vinegar coleslaw
Skip the cabbage
Broccoli slaw
Instant pot collard greens
Go full on Southern and serve your drumsticks with these collard greens.
They need a long and slow cook, but this recipe speeds things up by using an instant pot.
True to its name, this nifty gadget will help you achieve tender greens and a delicious, concentrated broth in just 30 minutes.
Psst…don’t have collard greens? Kale, turnip greens, and chard will still work with this recipe.
Why we love this recipe: it’s effortless.
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Instant pot collard greens
Make it decadent
Creamy collard greens
Fire up the stovetop
Garlic-sauteed Swiss chard
Baked mushroom rice
This is probably the easiest rice casserole you can make.
You don’t need to pre-cook anything – just place the rice grains and the broth in the baking dish and top the rice with mushrooms.
As the mushrooms cook, their juices drip onto the rice, making it extra tasty.
Why we love this recipe: this will flood your kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma.
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Baked mushroom rice
Make it cheesy
Broccoli cheese rice casserole
Ditch the oven
Lemon garlic cauliflower rice
Zucchini and squash casserole
Looking for an indulgent side dish that won’t make you feel too guilty? Try this casserole.
It’s rich, super cheesy, and jam-packed with sauteed zucchini and squash spirals.
Psst… Want a spicy kick? Add cajun spice to the cream sauce.
Why we love this recipe: it’ll make you feel nostalgic.
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Zucchini and squash casserole
Make it simple
Creamed corn
Skip the oven
Sauteed squash and zucchini
Pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots
Looking for something light but satisifying?
This couscous dish has your back.
The pearl couscous will fill you up without weighing you down. And the added spinach, butternut squash, and dried apricots makes the side super nourishing.
It’s not lacking in flavor either thanks to spices like smoked paprika, cumin, and cloves.
Why we love this recipe: it celebrates delicious Middle Eastern flavors.
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Pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots
Change the flavor
Israeli couscous with tomato and olives
Ditch the couscous
Apricot quinoa salad
Sheet pan roasted veg
Make things easy for yourself and cook everything you need on one tray.
With this recipe you can cook your vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions) on the same pan as your chicken.
Minimal fuss, minimal work, and best of all, minimal washing up.
Why we love this recipe: it’s great for both regular and special dinners.
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Sheet pan chicken and veg
Make it different
Air fryer carrot fries
Go Mediterranean
Greek chicken sheet pan dinner
Homemade buttermilk biscuits
Whether deep-frying or roasting your chicken drumsticks, buttermilk biscuits are a must-have (especially if there’s any gravy around).
You can easily pop a can of premade dough, but nothing beats making these from scratch.
Pro tip: the trick to getting hundreds of flaky, buttery layers is to flatten and fold the dough instead of rolling it.
Why we love this recipe: it has a 4.80 rating from 400 reviews.
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Homemade buttermilk biscuits
Make it cheesy
Cheddar chive drop biscuits
Make it low-carb
Cloud bread
Steamed asparagus
Keep things super simple with some steamed green veg.
And did you know you can steam asparagus in the microwave… in 3 minutes total!
Total game changer if you’re not a huge fan of cooking.
Dress these spears with butter or lemon juice before serving to give them a little pizazz.
Why we love this recipe: a serving only adds 23 calories to your meal.
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Steamed asparagus
Preheat the oven
Lemon garlic roasted asparagus
Make it Italian-inspired
Caprese roasted asparagus
Chicken and chorizo paella
The iconic Spanish dish is great for dinner parties and it so easy to make your own.
The traditional recipe is seafood based, but you can skip all that and go for a crowd-pleasing combo of chicken and chorizo instead.
If you want to be really adventurous, you could even chuck some shrimp in there.
Why we love this recipe: it’s an Insta-worthy centerpiece for your meal.
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Chicken and chorizo paella
Go European
One pot garlic parmesan and chicken risotto
Make it low-carb
Cauliflower rice paella
French onion mac and cheese
This recipe takes your typical mac and cheese up a notch by adding elements of French onion soup to the mix.
Golden brown, caramelized onions are swirled with your cheesy bechamel and pasta, infusing both with a rich, sweet and nutty flavor.
You’ll be mopping up the sauce with your chicken drumsticks!
Why we love this recipe: one bite instantly lifts your mood.
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French onion mac and cheese
Change the flavor
Jalapeno popper mac and cheese
Skip the pasta
Four-cheese stuffed spaghetti squash
Garlic butter roasted mushrooms
Mushrooms act as a sponge for whatever flavors you cook them in.
This recipe goes for a classic garlic butter, but also uses lemon and thyme to add a hint of freshness.
And my pro tip – go for large mushrooms so you get more juices to spoon over your drumsticks.
Why we love this recipe: it transforms a simple ingredient into something delicious.
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Garlic butter roasted mushrooms
Fire up the stovetop
Garlic parmesan sauteed mushrooms
Add leafy greens
Balsamic spinach and mushrooms
The best side dishes to serve with drumsticks
- French-style potato salad
- Cucumber lemon orzo salad
- Mashed sweet potatoes with ginger
- Ratatouille
- Apple cranberry coleslaw
- Instant pot collard greens
- Baked mushroom rice
- Zucchini and squash casserole
- Pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots
- Sheet pan roasted veg
- Homemade buttermilk biscuits
- Steamed asparagus
- Chicken and chorizo paella
- French onion mac and cheese
- Garlic butter roasted mushrooms
What To Serve With Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 1 portion drumsticks
Instructions
- Prepare your drumsticks according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: French-style potato salad, cucumber lemon orzo salad, mashed sweet potatoes with ginger, ratatouille, apple cranberry coleslaw, instant pot collard greens, baked mushroom rice, zucchini and squash casserole, pearl couscous with vegetables and apricots, sheet pan roasted veg, homemade buttermilk biscuits, steamed asparagus, chicken and chorizo paella, French onion mac and cheese, and garlic butter roasted mushrooms.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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