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If you’re wondering what to serve with your potato skins, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for potato skins.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with potato skins are turkey chili, spinach salad, grilled spare ribs, and pickle-brined fried chicken. You can also go for toppings like carnitas or pico de gallo. Try mach and cheese bites, lemon pepper cauliflower wings, or sliders for more game-day options.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Candied jalapenos

Jazz up your potato skins with a topping of these candied jalapenos.

They’re pretty similar to the usual pickled jalapenos, just with more sugar.

The extra sugar gives the peppers a hint of sweetness to offset their fiery kick, meaning even spice haters can have a few.

Why we love this recipe: you get so much use out of a batch.

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Candied jalapenos
Skip the canning
Ranch refrigerator pickles
Make it vibrant
Quick pickled red onions

Pickle-brined fried chicken

Wondering what to do with the leftover pickle juice after finishing a jar of pickles? Use it to brine chicken!

It’ll keep the chicken juicy and infuse the meat with a subtle zingy flavor.

This recipe uses an air fryer to achieve a crunchy coating, but you can also bake the chicken in the oven.

Why we love this recipe: it’s way better than fast food chicken.

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Pickle-brined fried chicken
Preheat the oven
Oven-baked chicken thighs
Fire up the grill
Grilled huli huli chicken

Spinach salad

You can never go wrong with a simple side salad.

And simple doesn’t have to mean boring. The combination of nutty parmesan and a tangy red wine vinaigrette gives these spinach leaves a flavorful punch.

Psst… for a more summery salad, swap the red wine vinegar for lemon juice.

Why we love this recipe: you only need four ingredients to make this.

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Spinach salad
Make it meaty
Steak salad
Skip the leafy greens
Green bean and tomato salad

Pico de gallo

This no-cook condiment is normally seen on tacos, but it’s also fabulous with potato skins.

The combination of fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, and lime juice will perfectly balance out your rich and cheesy potato skins.

Pro tip: make this salsa a few hours in advance to give the flavors a chance to meld and develop.

Why we love this recipe: it adds a pop of color to brighten your meal.

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Pico de gallo
Make a copycat
Chipotle corn salsa
Add a fruity note
Pineapple salsa

Tzatziki

This isn’t technically a side dish, but you can’t serve potato skins without a dipping sauce – and tzatziki is an excellent option.

It’s made with Greek yogurt and shredded cucumbers, giving you a cooling contrast to your potato skins.

Pro-tip: squeeze as much water as possible from the cucumbers for best results.

Why we love this recipe: it’s impossible to mess up.

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Tzatziki
Make a favorite
Homemade ranch dressing
Go Tex-Mex
Authentic guacamole

Lemon pepper cauliflower wings

Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just dipping your toes into eating meat-free, these cauliflower wings are a must-try.

The florets are dipped in a seasoned batter and coated with breadcrumbs before being baked to perfection in the oven.

And to make sure they’re extra tasty, they combine the standard lemon pepper seasoning with a sticky lemon pepper flavored glaze.

Why we love this recipe: they’re dangerously addictive.

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Lemon pepper cauliflower wings
Make a classic
Buffalo cauliflower bites
Ditch the spice
Honey garlic cauliflower wings

Hot Italian sub sliders

These Italian sub sliders are great when you’re feeding a crowd or throwing a party.

This recipe is one for the meat lovers, with each sub having three kinds of deli meat, provolone cheese, and peppers.

And the icing on the cake is a luscious melted butter glaze that gives your sliders a glossy, golden-brown appearance.

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Hot Italian sub sliders
Make a classic
Sloppy joe sliders
Make it meatless
Roasted veggie sliders

Lemon dill coleslaw

Keep your coleslaw light by incorporating some lemon and fresh herbs.

And this recipe doesn’t do things in halves. It uses lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract in the slaw.

It might sound like overkill, but trust me, it’s delicious!

Pssst… plan ahead of time so the coleslaw can rest for at least an hour before serving.

Why we love this recipe: it’ll remind you of summer no matter the season.

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Lemon dill coleslaw
Make it dairy-free
Sweet vinegar coleslaw
Make it different
Broccoli slaw

Grilled guacamole

Everyone has their own version of guacamole, but this recipe is a must try!

Grilling the avocados might sound like a hassle, but the resultant smoky twist is well worth it.

Use it as a cooling topping for your potato skins or enjoy it as a dip on the side. Either way it will make your meal.

Why we love this recipe: this unique approach to a classic will leave your guests raving.

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Grilled guacamole
Make it crispy
Beer-battered avocado wedges
Make it even healthier
Spinach guacamole

Grilled spare ribs

When it comes to ribs, the star of the show is the sauce.

This recipe goes with a cherry cola glaze that makes the ribs sweet, spicy, and finger-lickingly good.

The sauce will take an hour to make, but it’s so much better than anything you’ll get at the store.

Enjoy these ribs with a side of cheesy potato skins and a glass of cherry cola!

Why we love this recipe: these ribs are guaranteed to be a hit among your guests.

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Grilled spare ribs with cherry cola glaze
Change the glaze
Honey garlic oven-baked BBQ ribs
Go Korean
Korean braised short ribs (galbi jjim)

Turkey chili

On a health kick? That doesn’t mean you have to give up all your favorite foods.

This turkey chili is lower in calories and has less saturated fats than the beef version, but it’s still just as tasty.

You can use a beef bouillon cube and soy sauce to recreate the beefy taste. And then serve these lighter ‘super green’ potato skins on the side.

Why we love this recipe: you can indulge with less guilt.

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Turkey chili
Skip the beans
Texas-style chili
Make it meatless
White bean chili

Bacon-wrapped shrimp

Another delicious finger food to go with your potato skins are these bacon wrapped shrimp.

The sweetness of the shrimp goes nicely with the smokey bacon that’s wrapped around it, and then you get another touch of sweetness from the brown sugar rub.

Psst… for maximum flavor serve it with some garlic sauce.

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Bacon-wrapped shrimp
Make it crispy
Coconut shrimp
Make it different
Bacon-wrapped corn on the cob

Mushroom carnitas

King oyster mushrooms are a great alternative to pork for carnitas.

Once shredded and cooked, they develop a meaty texture that can fool anyone (even the die hard meat lovers).

Top your potato skins with mushroom carnitas for a Mexican-themed game day.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a recipe you can make work for loads of different dishes.

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Mushroom carnitas
Another meatless option
Jackfruit carnitas
Stick with the basics
Authentic pork carnitas

Fried bacon mac and cheese bites

Turn this classic comfort food into a tasty party dish with these fried mac and cheese balls.

These are everything you love about mac and cheese packaged into a crispy bite-sized form (with bacon – YUM!).

Psst… these go great with a marinara dipping sauce.

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Fried bacon mac and cheese bites
Skip the pasta
Homemade mozzarella sticks
Make it extra decadent
Fried jumbo pasta shells

Maple bacon cake pops

These maple bacon cake pops are the ultimate sweet and savory treat.

Maple syrup, cake, bacon, and chocolate. What’s not to love?

It will be a race between these cake pops and the potato skins to see which will run out first.

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Maple bacon cake pops
Keep it simple
Candied bacon
A game-changer
Bourbon bacon brittle

The best side dishes to serve with potato skins

Candied jalapenos
Pickle-brined fried chicken
Spinach salad
Pico de gallo
Tzatziki
Lemon pepper cauliflower wings
Hot Italian sub sliders
Lemon dill coleslaw
Grilled guacamole
Grilled spare ribs
Turkey chili
Bacon-wrapped shrimp
Mushroom carnitas
Fried bacon mac and cheese bites
Maple bacon cake pops