Here are 15 of the best sides to serve with Roast Chicken. Keep your chicken dinner exciting by changing up with these delicious side dishes inspired by French cuisine.
Whether you are making a roast chicken dinner with a whole chicken, serving up a rotisserie chicken picked up at the grocery store or searing chicken breasts, these are the best side dishes that will elevate your meal and keep your meal fun and interesting.
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There are so many different ways to serve chicken you will love this round up of easy side dishes to complement your meal.
Roast Chicken Dinner (Poulet Rôti)
The first time I saw Le Chef roast a whole chicken, I was surprised at how easy it looked. I had always thought that roasting a chicken would be complicated, requiring extensive preparation and skill to make it juicy on the inside with a crispy, golden brown skin. To be honest, roasting a chicken intimidated me. But when I understood how easy it could be and yield a delicious result - I was hooked! My new favorite recipe - so much so that I shared whole roast chicken recipes on this blog. The super Simple Roast Chicken Recipe and also the Lemon Thyme Roast chicken. An easy recipe with the added flavor of lemon and fresh thyme. A Classic comfort food that makes everyone happy.
With very little additional effort we can upgrade the traditional chicken sides (Caesar salad? Steamed broccoli?) to a dish that transports you to the French country side. Le Chef's Wife Blog is full of inspiration for a flavorful side dish to complement your meal.
Best Chicken Side Dishes
Sautéed Haricots Verts (French Green Beans)
Sautéed Haricots Verts (French Green Beans) are a great side dish. The melt in your mouth texture, the tang of the garlic butter and the zest of fresh herbs make sautéed haricots verts a dinner time favorite.
French Mashed Potatoes
This French Mashed Potatoes recipe makes the most decadent, buttery, melt in your mouth mashed potatoes that everyone will love.
French Asparagus Recipe with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
Simple and flavorful. The bright flavors of citrus and the pop of champagne pair beautifully with fresh spring Asparagus. Vegan Recipe.
La Salade Mentonnaise - a delicious Fennel, Orange and Artichoke Salad with Pine Nuts
La Salade Mentonnaise is a delicious fennel, orange and artichoke salad with pine nuts and a citrus vinaigrette. Perfect with grilled fish.
Roasted Fennel
Roasted fennel is healthy side dish that pairs beautifully with fish or chicken. If you are interested in healthy eating this is one of my favorite ways to serve a light, satisfying dish.
Smashed Mini Potatoes
These smashed mini potatoes with rosemary and roasted garlic are so tasty - I dare you not to eat them directly from the pan! Crispy and flavorful on the outside, pillowy deliciousness on the inside - these potatoes are the perfect side for any grilled or roasted meats.
Tomato Burrata Salad with Basil and Orange Zest
A fresh twist on a familiar favorite - this Tomato Burrata Salad recipe with basil and orange zest is beautiful to serve and has a delicious, decadent flavor from the creamy burrata and the orange zest that will surprise and delight.
Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad with amazing honey dressing
This Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese salad is UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. The beauty of the fresh figs, the soft decadence of the goat cheese, the sweetness of the honey dressing. YUM! Serve as light lunch with a fresh baked baguette and glass of Rosé, as a beautiful side dish or as an elegant cheese course to finish a meal.
Authentic Ratatouille Recipe
Ratatouille is a delicious & healthy side dish from Provence made of baked eggplant, zucchinis, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions, seasoned with fragrant Herbes de Provence. The vegetables are robust in flavor, each distinctly seasoned. Each velvety forkful melts in your mouth, offering the beauty of Provence in each bite.
Simple Confit Bayaldi Recipe
Confit Bayaldi is a beautifully presented French Riviera slow cooked vegetarian dish using the same ingredients as a Ratatouille.
A perfect example of French Riviera cooking - Confit Bayaldi uses simple, fresh ingredients, beautifully displayed to create a dish that is memorable and full of flavor but is also surprisingly healthy.
The colors are beautiful and vibrant and the fancy rose shape of the vegetables looks almost too pretty to eat! When cooked just right Confit Bayaldi can be the star of a special brunch table or the dish that everyone asks you the recipe for at a dinner party.
French Spinach
This French Spinach recipe made with sautéed garlic and butter is a bistro classic and one of my French Chef husband's favorite dishes. This dish is incredibly easy to make, only takes a few minutes and adds incredible flavor to any meal. Plus you get the added benefits of eating lots of leafy greens.
Fresh Fennel and Tomato Salad
A fresh, crunchy and satisfying summer salad with just 2 ingredients - raw fennel and tomatoes! The perfect side to serve with grilled meat or on its own as a light summer salad.
Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
These Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes are incredibly tasty. Crisp and golden brown outside, light and fluffy on the inside with plenty of flavor. The best roasted potatoes you have ever tasted.
La Salade Parisienne - the best French Potato Salad
La Salade Parisienne is a fancy Potato salad with a French twist. A sophisticated side dish for your Summer BBQs.
Taboulé: Couscous Salad
This Taboulé, or Cous Cous Salad is super simple to make, is full of healthy vegetables and stores very well in the fridge. The perfect side for a summer BBQ that you can continue eating all week long as a hearty and satisfying meal in a bowl.
Creamiest homemade Lobster Mac and Cheese
This recipe makes the absolute creamiest homemade mac and cheese I have ever had. With the addition of lobster, it becomes an elevated comfort dish that you could serve at a chic brunch or dinner party with friends at home.
Did you know that the trick to making an incredibly creamy mac and cheese comes from French Cuisine? It is all in the Mornay!
A savory side dish is a classic pairing, but I would encourage you to think of sweet touches to serve with chicken as well. Just like roast turkey and cranberry sauce go so well together, Roast Chicken and figs, or apples are absolutely delicious.
I also love to roast chicken thighs for weeknight meals - they are quick to cook and full of flavor, especially when paired with a delicious side dish. You will love my One Pot Cheesy Chicken and Orzo recipe topped with creamy mozzarella - the perfect side dish is baked right in, or Chicken Breasts Provencal with Sauce Vierge.
Roast Chicken Dinner Party
I love to host friends over for dinner. Before Le Chef had his restaurant, we hosted quite often and I got the art of hosting down to a science which I am happy to share with you.
The number one tip I have is to keep the cooking that needs to be done to a minimum when the guests are there. This will leave you to be engaged and attentive to your guests.
Ines de La Fressange swears by a roast chicken for a dinner party with friends (in her book , La Parisienne) and I do too. A Roast chicken is great for a casual dinner party or for special occasions. Here is a simple, but delicious dinner party menu.
French Dinner Party Menu
A good salad or soup to start
La Salade Mentonnaise or asparagus soup (you can refer to my round ups of French Soups or French Salads for more delicious recipes)
Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken served with Roasted Fennel and buttery French Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Rosemary Roasted Potatoes .
Mousse au Chocolat or Crème Brûlée for dessert
All of the above items are made in advance so that you have a stress free dinner party.
Do the French way and make sure to have a fresh baked baguette or sliced sourdough bread on the table for dinner.
Wine pairing with Chicken
Here are my favorite wines to serve with Chicken - especially a roast chicken that is lightly herbed and delicious.
- Champagne - The acidity of crisp champagne pairs beautifully with a juicy roast chicken and adds a sense of occaison
- Viognier - The round apricot notes of Viognier match a chicken dinner delightfully.
- Rosé - A dry, crisp Provençal Rosé immediately transports you to a long lunch in the South of France when paired with chicken.
- Pinot Noir - Whether from Burgundy or Oregon, a fruity Pinot Noir is the perfect red wine to enjoy with Chicken. Where as Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower chicken, the Pinot Noir complements it.
What are you making for dinner tonight?
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (6 and 3) and I work full time in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this recent Washington Post Article. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
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