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Home - Recipes - Side Dishes

Latest Updated: Feb 28, 2026 by Andrew Gray

What to Serve with Bunless Burgers? 10 BEST Side Dishes

The best sides for Bunless Burgers are Mac and Cheese, Zucchini Fries, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, and Cucumber Salad.

Mac and Cheese -

We'll commence the list with a favorite comfort food, mac and cheese.

For a lighter option, try Cucumber Salad. There are many more, which we'll list below.

Have you heard of them or tasted these foods? They're simply a dish containing all the burger items except the buns.

You'll often see bunless burgers served on a plate minus the buns and sometimes with lettuce wraps.

No matter how you eat them, bunless burgers are fantastic.

You can also serve many items with them as you do with burgers.

Hence, when considering what to serve with bunless burgers, you have many options, like roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini fries, and cucumber salad.

There are many more, which we'll list below.

If you're looking for some ideas, carry on reading to learn more.

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • 10 Healthy Sides for Bunless Burgers
    • 1 - Mac and Cheese
    • 2 - Zucchini Fries
    • 3 - Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • 4 - Creamed Spinach
    • 5 - Cucumber Salad
    • 6 - Roasted Cauliflower
    • 7 - Ricotta Pasta Salad
    • 8 - BBQ Baked Beans
    • 9 - Apple Slaw
    • 10 - French Fries
  • Frequently Asked Questions

10 Healthy Sides for Bunless Burgers

The following are the ten best items you can serve with bunless burgers.

1 - Mac and Cheese

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We'll commence the list with a favorite comfort food, mac and cheese.

Also called macaroni and cheese or macaroni cheese, this dish matches nicely with bunless burgers.

You'll feel full and enjoy the excellent flavors.

Typically, mac and cheese are a casserole baked in the oven.

But you can also cook the dish in a saucepan on the stovetop.

It's a simple dish that consists of tubular pasta and a cheese sauce.

The sauce enhances the dish's flavor, but you must cook the pasta perfectly; else, even the most flavorsome sauce will not rescue the dish.

2 - Zucchini Fries

-

Veggie fries also match nicely with bunless burgers and you have many options.

You can make the fries with multiple items, so we added this particular item.

Zucchini makes good fries and they're delicious.

It's easy making zucchini fries too, as you can do the task with a few ingredients and steps.

It's the dipping of zucchini sticks in beaten eggs and coating them in breadcrumbs-cornmeal and fried.

But you have to make the fries with fresh zucchini or the fries can become soggy.

Look for veggies that are firm and free of nicks and cuts.

3 - Roasted Sweet Potatoes

-

Bunless burgers also pair nicely with potatoes.

But for a change, you can make a dish with sweet potatoes.

How? Well, roasted sweet potatoes are excellent and popular so you'll have a hit combo.

It's also a simple dish to make and you won't need many ingredients too.

Sweet potatoes, olive oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper are the only items needed to make the roasted potatoes.

While it isn't difficult to make the dish, it's important to use the best sweet potatoes.

You should look for small to medium sized sweet potatoes for the best results.

4 - Creamed Spinach

-

Bunless burgers pair well with different items and green leafy vegetables are among them.

Spinach is one of the leafy vegetables you can use to make a side dish with bunless burgers.

The leafy greens taste exceptionally well in any way you cook them.

So how about some creamed spinach? Butter, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese make the leaves creamy and delicious.

Spinach tastes best when they're young and fresh.

So, look for leaves with vivid green color and a crisp appearance.

Avoid any bundle that has droopy leaves.

5 - Cucumber Salad

-

You'll also like to add a salad with bunless burgers because it will balance the meal and keep your palate fresh.

Cucumber salad is fresh and summery and it complements bunless burgers.

Cucumber salad is easy to make, and you'll need only a few items to make the tastiest and crunchiest salad.

You'll need cucumber and onion with sugar, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar, which will give a sweet and sour taste.

Cucumber contains 95% water and they can get soggy when chopped.

So, you should look for perfect cucumbers.

They should be firm, brightly colored, and not have any spongy spots.

6 - Roasted Cauliflower

-

Cauliflower is another veggie that can make a good partner with bunless burgers.

It's one of those veggies you can eat raw or cooked and taste flavorsome.

For this list, we've added roasted cauliflower to pair with burgers.

It's pleasant, easy to cook, and you don't need many ingredients.

Some olive oil, salt, pepper and cauliflower florets are sufficient for the dish.

A little lemon juice and Parmesan cheese will increase the flavor and texture.

But you must use fresh cauliflower for the dish.

Cauliflower is perishable and can decay fast.

So if you buy the veggie in advance, store them in a loosely closed or perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator.

7 - Ricotta Pasta Salad

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The list has a variety of dishes because bunless burgers taste great with most items.

Pasta salad with ricotta cheese is also a suitable item to partner with the burgers.

You can use a variety of pasta to make the salad.

Penne, rotini and fusilli are some types of pasta that you can use for the salad.

Ricotta is the prominent cheese in the salad, you can also use Parmesan cheese for more flavor and creaminess.

Kalamata olives, basil pesto and tomatoes also add taste to the salad.

Chopped or sliced cucumbers will add the much-needed crunch to a dish.

8 - BBQ Baked Beans

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Adding a filling dish like BBQ baked beans is also a good idea when you have bunless burgers.

It's a delicious dish and the combo will make you full.

Baked beans are also popular with everyone so you'll have to make a significant quantity.

Making BBQ baked beans is like cooking other baked beans recipes.

But the ingredients slightly differ.

You'll need BBQ sauce, seasoning, and light brown sugar and molasses.

You can use various beans for the dish.

Pinto beans, navy beans, red beans and Great Northern beans are all suitable for making baked beans.

9 - Apple Slaw

-

One more salad dish will make the list perfect and you'll have variety too.

If you aren't too keen on pasta or cucumber salad, apple slaw will work too.

It complements bunless burgers and adds a crunch and fresh element to the meal.

Apple slaw is just slaw that contains shredded or sliced apples along with the usual coleslaw ingredients.

You can also add poppy seeds, chickpeas and celery seeds.

Including apples can add a different taste to the slaw.

You'll have a crunchier texture and more flavor, making your meal more exciting and enjoyable.

10 - French Fries

-

So, what if they're bunless burgers? They still have the same ingredients except for the buns.

So, they will taste amazing with French fries.

Fries are the most popular snack with burgers and everyone loves them.

Hence, you won't make a mistake by serving the two items.

However, you should use the right potatoes for the fries or they won't turn out crispy.

Russets are the best for making fries but you can use Yukon Golds too.

Make the fries with spuds, salt and oil, and you'll have crispy chips to go with burgers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best side dish for Bunless Burgers?

Mac and Cheese We'll commence the list with a favorite comfort food, mac and cheese. zucchini fries, and cucumber salad. Most home cooks pick this because it adds contrast and rounds out the meal.

What flavors contrast best with this dish?

Look for sides with brightness or acidity to cut through richness. This side dish brings the right contrast.

A squeeze of citrus or a vinegar-dressed salad achieves a similar effect if you want something lighter.

What makes a side dish work well here?

A good side dish either contrasts or goes with the dominant flavor. If the main is rich and savory, something with acidity or crunch balances the plate without competing.

Can side dishes be swapped based on dietary needs?

Yes.

Most classic pairings have easy swaps - substitute roasted vegetables for grain sides, or use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice for a lower-carb option.

Explore more: This post is part of our Side Dish Pairing Guide.
Andrew Gray

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