Carne adovada sure knows how to steal the show at dinner.
It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel proud of your cooking skills with every bite.
The thing is, choosing what to serve on the side can be a bit tricky.
We’ve all been there, staring into the fridge, hoping for some inspiration to strike.
And sometimes, you just want your guests to go “Wow, what a meal!”
That’s where we come in.
We’ve rounded up seven side dishes that are not just fillers on the plate.
They elevate your carne adovada from great to unforgettable.
Trust us, these sides will have everyone asking for seconds.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Carne Adovada?
Carne adovada is a dish with chunks of pork braised in a thick sauce of red chili, garlic, and other Mexican seasonings.
The meat is cooked slowly, allowing the flavors to sink into each piece of meat.
This flavorful dish consists of a thick, creamy sauce which makes up a significant part of the enjoyment.
With so much spice and condiments making up the dish, some mild, refreshing side dishes would be an excellent option to balance things out.
You can keep the side dishes as simple or as fancy as you like; anything goes well with the Carne adovada.
What to Serve with Carne Adovada? 7 BEST Side Dishes
Excited about a bunch of Mexican side dishes? Well, below, you will find some mixed with familiar everyday side dishes.
1 – Chile Relleno
Chile relleno is a popular Mexican dish savory and craved by many lovers of ethnic food.
It includes a chili pepper stuffed with a mixture of minced meat and cheese, coated with egg, and deep-fried in oil.
Large peppers work best for this dish because you need enough space to fit the stuffing.
The most widely used peppers for a chile relleno are the Poblano pepper, Jalapeno pepper, and Pasilla pepper, and just make sure to get the giant peppers available.
Something that most people get confused about is that chile relleno is spicy, and it is not.
Though it includes a while pepper as a wrap, the dish itself is not as spicy as one would imagine.
2 – Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Roasted potatoes can make any meal fun to eat, so why not try it with the Carne adovada.
After all, potatoes and meat go well together.
Cut the potatoes into any shape, coat them with olive oil and your favorite seasonings and allow them to bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of cutting them, you can use baby potatoes and roast them whole.
Once you have them ready, dip the crispy roasted potatoes into the meat gravy and enjoy the delicious flavors of all the spices.
3 – Tortillas
You cannot forget to eat tortillas while serving some Mexican food.
This versatile flatbread can be consumed in many ways; tear them up, mix them in gravy, roast them, or even use them as wraps.
A fun way to eat them would be to fill the tortilla with some Carne adovada and make it into a taco or burrito.
Yes, you can add all the complementary ingredients you like to your meat burrito or taco.
Tortillas are packed with carbs, so it is an excellent option to keep everything balanced and limit your daily consumption of tortillas.
4 – Nachos
Still not over the tortilla? Try another favorite among the Mexican street food, the nachos.
Nachos is basically fried tortilla, and they are cut into shapes, preferably triangles, and eaten with some dips.
Frying the tortilla wraps won’t take even 10 minutes of your time, and you don’t have to spend a lot of time preparing a side dish.
Since the gravy of Carne adovada has a creamy texture, you can use it as a dip for the nachos.
Alternatively, you can spoon some pieces of meat with fragments of nachos and enjoy it.
5 – Steamed Fluffy Rice
Steamed rice has many health benefits.
You can top the rice with some cilantro and scallions for a refreshing taste.
To make the rice extra fluffy, you will need to closely look at the rice as you cook it.
Once the water has come to a boil, add the rice cover and let it simmer until the rice has become tender.
After the rice has been thoroughly cooked, remove it from the heat and let it rest for about 10 minutes with the lid on.
Next, you can fluff the rice by gently mixing it with a carving fork.
6 – Green Bean Salad
A green bean salad goes a long way in adding some healthy nutrients to your meal; it is, after all, a part of the Mediterranean diet.
With its bright green color, the green bean salad is a must-try summer salad.
Various cooked green beans, some cherry tomatoes, onions, and olive oil combine to give the delicious green bean salad.
You can add some almonds and shredded feta cheese for a fancy topping.
Any type of green beans will work well for this salad; try and experiment with many different kinds to know which one appeals to you the most.
7 – Cherry Farro Salad
Do you want to invest about 30 minutes of your time in a delightful grain salad? The colorful and mouth-watering cherry farro salad will not disappoint.
You will need some cooked farro, cherries, and apples.
To top it all off, you can choose a mix of crushed nuts or shredded feta cheese.
This salad has contrasting flavors that are impossible to not notice and appreciate.
The earthy flavored farro has a chewy texture, while the apples add a bit of crunch.
On the other hand, the cherries bring a hint of sweetness.
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