17 Best Side Dishes for Fried Chicken

Whenever I go to a BBQ joint one of the things I love most is picking out all the sides that go with the meat. But when it comes to sides for fried chicken, I want something just as tasty but not too overwhelming. Fried chicken sides should be a compliment.

But many of us don’t know what to serve with fried chicken. That’s because there really are many options out there, but that doesn’t mean that all of them are good ones.

When it comes to eating sides with fried chicken, don’t worry because we have comprised the best list for you!

1) Seriously Good Homemade Coleslaw

Doesn’t coleslaw instantly remind you of a good southern barbecue? I know it does for me.

This list of ingredients only calls for 10 items and most of them you can find in your pantry since they are essentials. The mustard, honey, and mayonnaise are staples you want to keep in the recipe.

However, you can swap the honey for sugar.

While vegetables like celery and carrots are common I like to change it up from time to time and throw in some other veggies too. Corn is a good one!

2) My Favorite Cornbread Recipe

Is cornbread not the holy grail for what goes with fried chicken? Warm it up and throw some butter on there and you’ve got a delicious mix of sweet and savory.

After a total hour of baking, you’ll get nine servings. This recipe is so great in the brown sugar, butter, and buttermilk combination.

What you can change up here is using maple syrup for honey if you are shorthanded.

The rest of the ingredients, like cornmeal, egg, and flour, are non-negotiable. Taking any of these out messes up the texture.

3) Easy Homemade Biscuits

When I used to ask myself what to serve with fried chicken, I would immediately go towards biscuits. That’s why I love this recipe.

There are hardly any ingredients that make it super easy. The unsalted butter can be swapped for European unsalted butter for a truly great taste.

Flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder give rise to the biscuits, so be sure to follow this part to the T.

4) Simple Mac and Cheese

If you had to guess what would be next on the list what would you say?

Duh! Mac and Cheese. Sometimes a recipe for mac and cheese can be overwhelming but this cheesy dish uses just seven ingredients. Cheddar cheese is the main ingredient but I like to throw in gouda or swap it out entirely.

You can feed four with this dish which makes it perfect for dinner or leftovers!

I would also recommend keeping the elbow macaroni for texture though you can probably use shells!

5) Perfect Baked Potato

Need something simple to go with your fried chicken dish?

Done deal. Perfect baked potatoes are easy to make and a great carb. All you need is russet potatoes, some pepper, and a little butter to melt on the inside.

I like to dress my baked potatoes up and make them loaded with sour cream and cheese.

Sometimes even bacon. This is for a real splurge night as it might become a little heavy.

6) Saucy Smoky Baked Beans

Baked beans are essential, am I right? I love smoked baked beans because they really bring the grill flavor to life

Warning this recipe calls for a lot of ingredients so let me tell you the staples that you can’t miss out on. BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, and apple cider vinegar, are all a must.

What you can try to change up is the bacon for turkey bacon. Just note this may look slightly different and longer if thicker.

The smoked paprika is also what gives it its awesome flavor.

I always like to make extra because this is one of my faves!

7) Basic Corn on the Cob

Not every dish needs to be a masterpiece. Something easy like boiled corn on the cob will also do.

The best part? You only need corn on the cob for this side dish.

It also takes less than five minutes, depending on how you want to cook your corn.

I recommend 2-3 minutes! And don’t forget the butter and salt for the finishing touches.

8) The Best Potato Salad

Don’t you love a good potato salad?

The secret ingredient here is the miracle whip so don’t think about cutting this out! You also have essentials like hard-boiled eggs and potatoes.

You can play around with your vegetables though. While peppers are common, throwing in other ingredients like corn is definitely a possibility.

This recipe makes a good amount of leftovers so it’s perfect for feeding a family!

9) Perfect Baked Potato Recipe

Baked potatoes are all just too easy to cook and are some of the best sides for fried chicken.

This one offers a spin using sour cashew cream making it slightly healthier and tasting super delicious. It also offers tiny bacon bits, which are personally my favorite.

If you aren’t into the idea of sour cashew cream, you can always swap it out for a lite sour cream version.

10) Peach Cobbler

Dessert is an integral part of having a proper southern meal. Peach cobbler is definitely one of the top desserts on our list.

Peaches, ground cinnamon, and some patience are what will make this recipe perfect.

While it calls for sugar, I’ve always thought adding a little bit of honey to the mix can make it sweeter and slightly different.

Too much, however, can change the texture! Try it out.

11) Squash Casserole Recipe

Casseroles make for great sides for fried chicken picnic lunch dates. This dish is one of the more work-intensive ones and you will want to make sure that you make this dish ahead of time.

In fact, it freezes perfectly, so you can always reheat it later.

Squash is your main ingredient but the recipe calls for a lot more like cheese, eggs, onion, etc.

I like to play around with the cheese flavoring. Careful, though, because you don’t want it to overpower your squash!

12) Best Fried Green Tomatoes

Ever tried fried green tomatoes? If not, you haven’t lived. We love this dish.

You’ll need four large green tomatoes, and also be sure to get cornmeal and bread crumbs. You can use panko or swap out for another brand.

Flour and eggs are what help keep the ingredients stuck to the tomato so make sure not to change this up. This dish is the perfect snack and side dish that’s tasty yet not overfilling!

13) Buttery Garlic Green Beans

While the recipe above is technically a vegetable, green beans will be a healthier option. That recipe is simple and hardly takes any time.

Garlic and lemon-pepper season is really what gives this dish flavor.

Combined with the butter and you won’t feel like you are really eating vegetables.

Play around with the seasoning, though. I like to have pepper, salt, and sometimes even a steak seasoning lightly to give it a different taste.

14) Fried Okra

There is a chance you have not yet heard of this dish. When it comes to what goes well with fried chicken, this is certainly an option.

Fried okra calls for six ingredients, and okra is non-negotiable. Really you don’t want to play around with this recipe too much because the ingredients are all staples.

You can, however, add seasoning to your cornmeal and breadcrumbs to kick it.

I like to throw in a pinch of smoked paprika.

15) Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

Potatoes are commonly used when it comes to side dishes for fried chicken because you can serve them up in so many ways. They are also an affordable side dish!

For this recipe, you need potatoes, Italian, seasoning, and parmesan cheese.

Yes, there are a few more ingredients, but these are the winning tastes.

Another winner is the dipping sauce. While you can make your own sour cream sauce, you can also cheat and buy store-made. Potato wedges go with a lot, so you have a variety of options here.

16) Cherry Tomato Salad

Cherry tomato salad is another great healthy option that takes virtually no effort. Mix together tomatoes, oregano, parsley, olive oil, and some other herbs to make for a tasty side.

This recipe is hands down one of the easiest and most cost-effective. You can sprinkle in some mozzarella cheese if you want to get a little fancier. Don’t forget the basil because of course this is the best part.

17) Best Simple Side Salad Recipe

Last but certainly not least is a great salad recipe. Were you waiting for one? Delivered!

Your essentials include cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, pecans, balsamic dressing, cucumber, and a few more. 

However, the best thing about this recipe is that you can change any ingredient you want, including the dressing! This is what makes it such a great dish because it’s very customizable.