If you’re wondering what to serve with your fried chicken, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for fried chicken.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best side dishes to serve with fried chicken are biscuits and gravy, creamed collard greens, ranch mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese, buttermilk coleslaw, and red beans and rice. For a fun brunch affair, try zucchini cheddar waffles. You can also serve quick kimchi for an unusual but tasty option.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Zucchini cheddar waffles
Classic Belgian waffles are a go-to accompaniment for fried chicken during brunch, but why not switch things up with these savory waffles?
They’re golden and crisp, with specks of grassy zucchini and gooey cheddar cheese.
Not a fan of cheddar? Replace it with Monterey jack, pepper jack, or mozzarella.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a fantastic way to sneak some veggies into your meal.
Featured recipe
Zucchini cheddar waffles
Change the flavor
Spinach and feta waffles
Make it low-carb
Two-ingredient chaffles (cheese waffles)
Biscuits and gravy
Go full Southern and serve your fried chicken with homemade biscuits and gravy.
The flaky, buttery biscuits will soak up all the creamy goodness from the sauce.
The gravy usually includes sausages, but this recipe opts for a lighter version – perfect for pairing with savory fried chicken.
Why we love this recipe: it’s the ultimate comfort food.
Featured recipe
Biscuits and gravy without sausage
Make it for a group
Biscuits and gravy casserole
Make it dairy-free
Vegan drop biscuits and gravy
Creamed collard greens
Collard greens braised in bacon and vinegar make for a superb side for fried chicken, but have you ever tried adding cream?
The result is a jacked-up version of the classic creamed spinach.
Psst… don’t leave out the nutmeg. It really elevates the whole dish.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a fun and delicious twist on a traditional dish.
Featured recipe
Creamed collard greens
Go back to basics
Southern-style collard greens
Skip the collard greens
Steakhouse creamed spinach
Air fryer okra
Slimy okra will be a thing of the past once you try this recipe.
The okra is coated in arrowroot powder to help it crisp up nicely, but you can also use tapioca starch or cornstarch.
The end result is a golden, crunchy crust – yum!
Why we love this recipe: it transforms an underrated veggie into a tasty treat.
Featured recipe
Air fryer okra
Go back to basics
Southern-fried okra
Make it tangy
Okra and green tomato fritters
Ranch mashed potatoes
Instead of just adding milk and butter to the mash, this recipe calls for a homemade fresh ranch seasoning achieved by combining buttermilk, fresh herbs, and cream cheese.
The result? A luscious, velvety mash with a bright, tangy note.
Prop your fried chicken pieces over a bed of these mashed spuds and spoon over some gravy for a satisfying meal.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Featured recipe
Ranch mashed potatoes
Make it dairy-free
Olive oil mashed potatoes
Make a salad
Creamy red potato salad with herbs
Quick kimchi
In the mood for something different?
Try quick kimchi with your fried chicken. Also known as geotjeori, it’s not fermented, so it has a milder flavor (but it still has a bit of spice).
Psst… this recipe calls for Korean plum extract, but you can swap it for apricot or apple jam instead.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a great way to introduce kimchi to newbies.
Featured recipe
Quick kimchi
Make it filling
Kimchi fried rice
Make it different
Kimchi pancake
Buttermilk coleslaw
There are hundreds of coleslaw recipes out there, but for me, this buttermilk coleslaw takes the crown.
The buttermilk makes your slaw extra tangy and there’s a hint of horseradish in there too – just what you need to cut through any oiliness from the chicken.
Why we love this recipe: it’s way better than what you’ll get from your grocery deli.
Featured recipe
Buttermilk coleslaw
Skip the mayo
Greek yogurt coleslaw
Add another veg
Jicama coleslaw
Poutine (fries and gravy)
Poutine has to be one of Canada’s greatest feats.
It’s fries and gravy, but on steroids. And the addition of half-melted cheese curds really ups the anti.
If you can’t get cheese curds, torn chunks of mozzarella will work.
Why we love this recipe: the gravy tastes amazing with fried chicken.
Featured recipe
Authentic Canadian poutine
Skip the carbs
Onion gravy
Skip the gravy
Baked potato wedges
Corn succotash
This succotash will be an easy, healthy addition to your fried chicken dinner.
It’s packed to the brim with different veggies like corn, lima beans, and cherry tomatoes.
And you can easily add in even more veggies if you want – it’s great for cleaning out the vegetable draw in your fridge.
Why we love this recipe: you can eat it hot, warm, cold, or even raw.
Featured recipe
Corn succotash
Make it different
Fresh corn and zucchini saute
Fire up the grill
Garlic butter grilled corn
Kale and mango chopped salad
This salad is so much more than just some leafy greens.
Feeling iffy about the mangoes?
Don’t sweat it – the naturally bitter flavors from the kale and the tartness from the lime vinaigrette will balance all the sweetness out.
Pair this salad with your fried chicken for a refreshing bite.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a unique way to enjoy kale.
Featured recipe
Mango, kale, and quinoa chopped salad
Make it simple
Shaved brussels sprouts salad
Add more veggies
Mediterranean chopped salad
Baked mac and cheese
Fried chicken and baked mac and cheese are a match made in heaven.
And you can jazz your mac and cheese up in so many different ways.
You could add some buffalo sauce, jalapenos, cauliflower, bacon, or even lobster.
Psst… just a head’s up – you might need a nap after this meal.
Why we love this recipe: you can have the leftovers for lunch the next day!
Featured recipe
Baked mac and cheese
Make it easy
One-pot mac and cheese
Skip the pasta
Cauliflower cheese
Macaroni salad
If mac and cheese sounds too heavy for you, what about a macaroni salad?
It’s perfect for a summer party or a picnic and will provide a nice cooling contrast to your fried chicken.
Pro tip: use fresh herbs if you can, they make a massive difference to the salad.
Why we love this recipe: you can make it ahead of time and it will only get better.
Featured recipe
Macaroni salad
Change the flavor
Bacon ranch pasta salad
Skip the pasta
Southern potato salad
Red beans and rice
Red beans and rice is another hearty Southern staple you can serve with fried chicken.
The ingredient list is long, but don’t let that scare you. Most of the ingredients and herbs or spices you probably already have in your pantry.
And if you don’t… the dish won’t suffer if you skip a few (I won’t tell anyone!).
Why we love this recipe: it’s a budget-friendly option.
Featured recipe
Cajun red beans and rice
Go BBQ
The favorite baked beans
Skip the beans
Cajun rice
Onion rings
Got some leftover buttermilk from making your chicken?
Use it to whip up a side of onion rings! They’re a fantastic accompaniment for your fried chicken.
Psst… for a milder onion flavor, soak your rings in cold water for at least 15 minutes before dredging.
Why we love this recipe: you’ll get a restaurant quality dish at home.
Featured recipe
Onion rings
Make it unique
Bacon onion rings
Make it tangy
Fried dill pickles
Green beans in creamy parmesan sauce
This recipe transforms your plain old green beans into a highly addicting side.
The green beans are coated with bacon drippings (YUM) before being steamed in chicken broth until they’re just crisp-tender.
And there’s more…
The beans are then mixed into a creamy parmesan sauce, which is ideal for dipping some fried chicken in.
Why we love this recipe: it’s reminiscent of spaghetti alfredo, sans the carb-loaded pasta.
Featured recipe
Green beans in creamy parmesan sauce
Make it healthy
Lemon garlic green beans
Fire up the grill
Grilled green beans
What sauce goes well with fried chicken?
Gravy is the go-to sauce to serve with fried chicken. But if you want something spicy, try Nashville hot sauce or a buffalo dip. For a creamy sauce, give buttermilk ranch dressing a try or a garlic aioli.
Best sauces to serve with fried chicken
- Nashville hot sauce
- Homemade brown gravy
- Mustard cream sauce
- Buttermilk ranch dressing
- Sweet soy garlic sauce
- Honey sriracha dipping sauce
What To Serve With Fried Chicken – Buttermilk slaw
Ingredients
- 1 small cabbage head can use a mix of red and purple
- 3 carrots peeled and shredded
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup buttermilk homemade is fine
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Shred the carrots and cabbage. You can do this by hand with a knife and a grater, use a food processor, or buy pre-shredded veggies.
- Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or a jar and whisk until fully combined. Taste as you go and adjust the ingredients as you see fit,
- In a big bowl, toss the carrots and cabbage together along with the dressing. Use just enough dressing to cover the vegetables, but don't drench them. Keep some leftover dressing to refresh the salad if needed before serving.
- Leave the slaw to chill for 30 minutes before serving (if you have time).
![25 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Matcha [Sweet And Savory]](https://pantryandlarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Matcha-recipes-200x200.jpg)
