What to Serve with Garlic Chicken? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Who knew that only five ingredients could make a dish so delicious? Yes, we're talking about garlic chicken.

It's flavorful but straightforward at the same time.

Garlic chicken also matches well with many other foods.

Hence, if you plan to serve it on any occasion, you can add several items.

Spinach soup, roasted carrots, air fryer asparagus, and buttered noodles are some items to have with garlic chicken.

Thus, if you're wondering what to serve with garlic chicken, you can add the items mentioned above along with others which we'll list below.

10 Tasty Sides for Garlic Chicken

Here is a list of all the items to serve alongside garlic chicken - and for spicy gathering options see chili side dishes for parties.

1 - Roasted Broccoli

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Let's begin the list with a simple but pleasant veggie dish.

Broccoli, which belongs to the cabbage family is a versatile vegetable that you can eat raw or cooked.

When roasted, it tastes fantastic and pairs exceptionally well with garlic chicken - similar roasted carrot side ideas for sweet contrast work the same way.

But what's exciting is even though the dish is terrific, you require only five ingredients.

You'll need salt, pepper, olive oil, and garlic along with the veggie florets.

Broccoli past its prime isn't too good, and it can get smelly.

So, choosing fresh and bright green heads with delicate stems is essential.

2 - Grilled Corn on the Cob

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Spuds and corn are two items that match well with almost everything.

Corn is a humble veggie but also pleasant and tastes terrific no matter how you cook it.

Grilled corn is one of the most popular items served at various functions - much like grilled swordfish side pairings for summer menus.

Everyone loves it, so serving it alongside the chicken will be a good idea.

Besides, it's easy to grill corn on the cob.

A bit of salt, pepper, and butter makes corn yummy with a slightly charred feel.

But you need to keep one aspect in mind.

Nothing tastes better as fresh and in season sweet corn.

So, choose wisely and select corn with pale and silky tassels.

It must also feel heavier than it appears and be firm to the touch throughout.

3 - Roasted Carrots

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The next side dish for garlic chicken is roasted carrots.

The orange and slightly sweet veggies are tasty, both raw and cooked.

When roasted, the carrots will be crisp, tender, juicy, and sweeter - flavors that also complement red pepper soup side suggestions for balanced meals.

As with the first two dishes, this one also needs only a few items, including carrots, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper.

But when you finish cooking, the carrots will be delicious and perfect.

Roasted carrots shouldn't only be flavorful but also appealing to the eye.

So, purchase quality veggies.

Best carrots are brightly colored with few cracks and hardly any blemish, so look for those.

4 - Sautéed Garlic Mushrooms

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Since we've included three dishes that require grilling or roasting, let's add something different.

How about some sautéed mushrooms with garlic? They go nicely with garlic chicken - and pair equally well with garlic butter shrimp side ideas for seafood.

Mushrooms aren't meat or veggie but have some features of both.

So, they pair well with almost everything, including meat.

Sautéing mushrooms is also easy as the fungi cook quickly.

You can make the dish with button mushroom, the most common and mildest-tasting mushroom, cremini, or portobello.

Add butter and a little red cooking wine besides garlic, salt, and pepper.

5 - Buttered Noodles

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A pairing of two rich dishes like garlic chicken and buttered noodles will ensure everyone goes home filled.

Since chicken complements almost any other food, adding a noodles dish will bring variety to your menu - see buttered noodles side options for comfort meals for specific ideas.

Garlic chicken is flavorful, so there isn't any need to complicate the noodles dish.

You can make the noodles with butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

You can use flat pasta like fettuccine or cylindrical noodles like spaghetti.

The cheese, butter, salt, and pepper improve the noodles' flavor.

But you must cook the pasta perfectly, "al dente" to be precise, or your dish will not taste excellent.

6 - Classic Mashed Potatoes

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Chicken without spuds, how can that be? They pair perfectly together, so we have to add one of the most common dishes with potatoes.

Mash is filling, pleasant, and easy to make.

Classic mashed potatoes usually contain butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper.

So, you can make the mash using these ingredients.

But you can also include other items - lighter alternatives like mashed cauliflower side swaps for lower carbs work well.

Your mash will be perfect when you use the proper spuds.

While the waxy variety is good for baking and boiling, starchy potatoes are most suitable for mash.

So, you can use them; if not, go for Yukon gold.

7 - Air Fryer Asparagus

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Any vegetable item will work when you serve a rich and tasty dish like garlic chicken.

Asparagus is one of the veggies that's naturally flavorful and doesn't need a lot of seasonings.

If time is not on your side, air fryer asparagus is the dish you should serve.

It takes very little time to prep and cook the dish.

Besides, it goes with the chicken nicely - or dress it up like bacon-wrapped asparagus side ideas for richer plates.

If you're unfamiliar with buying asparagus, there are a few points to keep in mind.

You must see that stalks are firm, straight and smooth with tight tips and bright green (if it's a green variety).

8 - Spinach Soup

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You can enjoy soup and garlic chicken too.

Spinach soup is one of the most common varieties around the world.

The leafy green is readily available, versatile, nutritious, and easy to cook.

Spinach soup comes in several varieties, with cream-based or broth-based types being the most popular.

Sometimes, the former is also called cream of spinach soup.

Besides pureed spinach, you can add multiple items, including onion, tomato, spuds, carrot, and celery.

Salt, pepper, and lemon juice are enough to season the soup.

Spinach is a delicate leaf, and it can spoil fast.

Hence, you must buy the veggie right before you cook it or store it properly if you buy it in advance.

9 - Cucumber and Tomato Salad

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It's one of the simplest salad dishes and one of the most delicious, healthiest, and versatile.

Cucumber and tomato salad also complements garlic chicken very well.

If you're looking for something with a crunchy, juicy, and slightly tangy combo, it's this salad.

We guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

Besides the tomato and cucumber, some parsley and red onion can improve the dish's taste.

Salt, pepper, olive oil, and a small amount of red wine vinegar make up the rest of the ingredients.

As you know, cucumber has high water content.

So, make the salad with seedless cucumber or remove all the seeds before dicing.

10 - Sweet Potato Fries

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Fries make a lovely companion with garlic chicken.

But instead of using regular spuds, you can make the fries with sweet potatoes.

They will add variety to your menu too.

Sweet potatoes have a naturally genuine flavor, so you don't have to add too many ingredients.

Besides, you can make the fries on a stovetop, oven, air fryer, or deep fryer according to convenience.

But you must get the best sweet potatoes for the fries.

They should be firm without blemishes.

When buying, give a little pressure and avoid any that feel soft.

Else, your fries won't be crispy as you like them to be.

Lemon garlic shrimp pairs well with many of the same sides as garlic chicken. lemon garlic shrimp side pairings to try. Honey garlic meatballs also fit similar menus and textures. honey garlic meatball side ideas for balanced plates.