- Recipes
- Side Dishes
Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Sep 29, 2023
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Chicken breasts are a meal-plan mainstay, because even when I pull a pack from the freezer without a plan for cooking it, I know I can pop them in the oven for a simple, satisfying supper. As for a side, anything and everything is fair game when it comes to pairing food with mild-mannered chicken breasts.
Whether you love a good salad or slaw that can be tossed together in minutes, or a roasted veggie side that can cook alongside the chicken, here are 20 easy side dish options to round out your dinner.
Simple Salads
Part of the beauty of mild-mannered chicken breast is that it can partner well with just about anything. So on the nights I want a fresh, somewhat healthyish dinner, I throw together a simple salad with whatever veggies I have hanging out in the crisper, sometimes bulking it up with any leftover grains.
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Tangy Cucumber Salad
A light, fresh salad of quick-pickled cucumbers and chopped fresh chives that's perfect for your next potluck or barbecue.
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Minty Snap Pea Salad
A refreshing snap pea salad with fresh mozzarella, radishes, and lots of fresh mint.
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Tomato and Feta White Bean Salad
A light and easy recipe for a no-cook tomato and white bean salad. Make it now before the season's tomatoes disappear!
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Radish and Goat Cheese Farro Salad Bowl
This hearty grain salad is a celebration of spring radishes and all their flavors, textures, and forms. First, grab the most colorful bunch of radishes you can get your hands on; the array of pinks, purples, and reds will make you smile.
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Simple Arugula Salad
A quick and easy, unfussy arugula salad tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and finished with shaved Parmesan.
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Tangy Slaws
While the chicken is cooking, it takes next to no effort to toss together a crunchy slaw that’s packed with flavor. It’s certainly easy to prep the veggies for a slaw, although I am all in favor of taking advantage of those super-convenient pre-shredded bags in the produce section for a time-saving shortcut.
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Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw
This kohlrabi slaw is actually one of my favorite summer recipes. Quick and easy to make, it’s a nice cool side dish to eat after a long, warm day of working in the garden, or at a sunny picnic under flowering fruit trees.
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Tangy Carrot Slaw
A recipe for easy carrot slaw tossed with a tangy Dijon mustard dressing.
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Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing
Great slaw can upstage salad whenever it gets a chance. This one, full of sweet and crisp apples and dressed with honey and lime, is familiar yet not run-of-the-mill. It pairs with everything from a ham sandwich to fish tacos, but is satisfying enough to stand on its own as a meatless meal.
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Tangy Cabbage and Jalapeño Slaw
Thanks to the crunchy textures and bold tangy and spicy flavors, no one will ever be the wiser that you pulled this together in just five minutes.
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Quick Stovetop Sides
Once the chicken goes into the oven, it’s hands-off cooking, which leaves you with just enough time to toss together a quick stovetop side, like cauliflower rice, spinach, a pot of couscous, or some meaty, herbed mushrooms.
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Mexican Restaurant-Style Cauliflower Rice
Just like the savory rice from your favorite Mexican restaurant, this version is made with cauliflower rice and comes together in minutes.
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Easy Lemon-Ginger Spinach
Not only is this easy weeknight side packed with light, refreshing flavors from lemon and ginger, but it also goes with everything.
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15-Minute Parmesan-Thyme Mushrooms
Just 15 minutes and a handful of ingredients are all you need to bring these hearty Parmesan mushrooms to the table.
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Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans (Bietole e ceci)
A recipe for sautéed Swiss chard and chickpeas, flavored with pancetta, shallots, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
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One-Pot Smoked Almond and Herb Couscous
A side dish recipe for couscous spiced with smoked paprika and flecked with almonds and parsley.
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This quick, easy side dish tosses them together with a handful of mint. If these are the elves, then mint is the good fairy of spring, and deserves to appear as often as possible.
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Oven-Baked Sides
The oven’s already on, so why not take advantage of it and cook up some veggies right alongside the chicken?
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Brown Butter Radishes
Bathed in warm brown butter, hit with a healthy squeeze of lemon juice, and finished with a loving sprinkle of flaky sea salt, this radish recipe is such a stunner of a side dish that it may cause you to plan an entire dinner party around it.
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Super-Crispy, Oven-Baked Asparagus Fries
The crispiest, crunchiest, tastiest asparagus I've made to date — and folks, it's all done in the oven.
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Garlicky Parmesan Sweet Potatoes
Thick chunks of sweet potato are roasted, then dusted with a snowy layer of nutty Parmesan cheese that crisps up under the broiler.
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Roasted Carrots with Orange
The hint of bitterness in a roasted orange rind might not be for everyone; the bitter-averse can toss the carrots with four orange slices instead of little slivers, and fish them out before serving.
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This is an easy, rustic recipe that makes a great vegetarian meal or a pretty side dish for summer or autumn. It’s so simple: yellow squash layered in a jumble with sliced red potato and goat cheese. No cream needed at all.
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