Side Dishes

for Grilled Chicken

Side Dishes for Grilled Chicken Select delectable grilled chicken side dishes to elevate your BBQ chicken feast from mediocre to outstanding. Every recipe is easy to follow, distinctive, vegetarian, colorful, adaptable, and takes no more than 20 minutes to prepare.

Five categories were used to group the side dishes. I usually order at least two sides, or three if you add a sauce.

As the weather warms up, I’m all for grilling chicken outside, even though it’s a year-round staple in our home. Here are some of our favorite side dishes for grilled chicken, even though my husband and I have perfected the marinade and cooking methods (see below).

Side Dishes for Grilled Chicken

I will stop using the oven for dinner above about 90° because I use our toaster oven a lot in the summer and it’s enough to roast some potatoes or sweet potatoes and it doesn’t heat up the house! And then some days, warm food (apart from the grilled chicken) sounds awful, so on those days you just want a cool or chilled side dish. Below are cold sides, gluten-free options, make-ahead recipes, and a few other favorites – all great side dishes for grilled chicken!These make excellent, nutritious hamburger side dishes as well!Side Dishes for Grilled Chicken

Tips for Cooking Tasty Chicken

We have a few simple tips for improving the flavor of our chicken.

1. Use some sort of acid to marinate it for at least 15 minutes (hours is preferable). Lemon juice is my favorite, but any acid will work, even a small amount of white or apple cider vinegar. The acid aids in its breakdown. Typically, I use salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.
2. The chicken should not be cooked cold. Twenty to thirty minutes prior to cooking, remove your chicken from the refrigerator. Like any other meat, it becomes chewy when placed cold on a hot surface. Allow it to reach room temperature.
3. Usually, smaller is preferable. The store gives us big chicken breasts. Usually, I cut them into two or three pieces before marinating. By doing this, you may cook the inside without burning the outside.
4. Don’t cook it until it’s done. To allow the meat’s juices to redistribute, let it sit for five to ten minutes before slicing. Additionally, the meat remains in this heat for those additional minutes, allowing it to cook without burning or drying out.

side dishes for grilled Chicken

A ton of cold, warm, gluten-free, and prep-ahead grilled chicken sides!

Ingredients

• 1 Cup chopped red onion
• ¼ Cup fresh lime juice approx. 1 ½ limes
• 1 ½ Cucumbers diced (approx. 4 Cups)
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• 2 red bell peppers approx. 2-3 Cups
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 Cup roughly chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients.
2. Refrigerate for at least two hours for optimal flavor. If necessary, add extra salt and pepper after tasting.