Perfect Pairings: 8 BEST Side Dishes for Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are one of the most underrated cuts of chicken out there.

They’re as versatile as a regular cut, but they have more flavor and offer a juicier texture.

Chicken thighs also have a higher fat content than regular cuts, which is fantastic for those who love crispy skin and juicy meat.

This high-fat content is what gives regular thigh cuts their distinct flavor.

There are many ways you can cook your chicken thighs for a great meal.

You can prepare them seared or in a slow cooker.

They also work well when marinated in a sauce before cooking.

Whether you’re looking for a healthy side dish, something to serve at a great dinner party, or a dish you can make for the whole family, we’ve compiled some of our best side dishes to serve with chicken thighs.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Chicken Thighs?

Chicken thighs are a staple in many people’s weekly dinner plans.

Their high-fat content tastes great and provides the energy needed after a long day or tough workout.

However, chicken thighs are not perfect; they have one major weakness: so much bone.

For some, eating around all of those tiny bones is an exercise in frustration.

So why not consider serving chicken thighs with side dishes? This way, you can enjoy your favorite cut of meat with minimal bones.

Another reason to consider serving side dishes with chicken thighs is flavor.

Chicken thighs are delicious on their own, but if you serve them alongside some tasty sides, they go from good to great.

The best part about side dishes is choosing what flavor profile to present to your guests.

Once you start thinking about serving your chicken thighs with side dishes, you might be concerned that there aren’t enough options to choose from.

What to Serve with Chicken Thighs? 8 BEST Side Dishes

Here are the eight best side dishes to serve with your chicken thighs:

1 – Baked Tater Tots

The best thing about tater tots is you’re talking about a side dish that children and adults love equally.

They’re delicious and easy to make, too.

When we say easy, we mean that all you have to do is go to the frozen food section of your local grocery store and buy some tater tots.

There’s no prep work or cooking involved; pop them in the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees and serve hot.

Another thing that makes tater tots so delicious is how crispy they get when you bake them.

This contrasts nicely with the softness of chicken thighs.

Also, there are plenty of ways to dress up your tater tots to make them taste even better.

For example, you can add pieces of bacon bits or cheese to the tater tots before baking them.

2 – Asparagus and Spinach Salad

Asparagus and spinach salad is an elegant way to serve your chicken thighs.

This salad combines the delicious flavors of asparagus, bacon, and blue cheese with sweet pecans and a tangy dressing.

All you have to do is make sure that the ingredients are prepped (washed, chopped, etc), and then you’re ready to go.

An excellent way to serve this salad is on a platter with the chicken thighs placed right in the center.

You can cut up the chicken thighs and place them directly on top of spinach leaves, or if you prefer, make little wraps out of them by cutting each thigh into two bits lengthwise and rolling them up.

3 – Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Smoked gouda mac and cheese is similar to the previous side dish, except it doesn’t have any meat.

If you wanted to, you could go with a lighter option for this side dish by using whole wheat pasta too.

Regardless of how you decide to serve it, smoked gouda mac and cheese is a delicious way to serve chicken thighs.

One advantage of serving smoked gouda mac and cheese as a side dish is that your guests can eat as much as they want without worrying about the calorie count.

Mac and cheese taste so good because it has carbs from the pasta and fat from the cheese if you’re serving chicken thighs with other low-carb side dishes.

4 – Zucchini Ribbons

Zucchini ribbons are one of the simplest ways to present your chicken thighs because you don’t need any ingredients aside from zucchini and some cooking oil.

To prepare zucchini ribbons, take a zucchini and a vegetable peeler.

Start at the very top of the zucchini and then slowly move towards the bottom while using little to no pressure on your vegetable peeler.

You can also experiment with different styles by seeing which peeler setting you like best.

These ribbons look fancy but are quite light, meaning they’re a great side dish option if you’re serving something heavy like chicken thighs.

It’s also very easy to serve this dish by spooning some zucchini ribbons on each thigh before serving it.

5 – Waffle Fries with Chipotle Mayo

When we say waffle fries, we’re talking about those big, chunky fries you can get at most fast-food restaurants.

To enjoy these chips as a side dish for your chicken thighs, all you have to do is bake them at 400 degrees for around 30 minutes.

This will give them a nice crispy taste, but make sure you flip them halfway through.

Another great thing about waffle fries is how easy it is to dress them up.

Put some ketchup for dipping or spread some chipotle mayo on top of your cooked waffle fries for that added kick.

Aside from chipotle mayo, other things you can put on your chips include sauteed onions, grated cheese, chili powder, or even some dashes of garlic salt.

6 – Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed bell peppers are another excellent side dish option for chicken thighs because they seriously taste like complete meals.

There’s rice and ground beef inside the pepper, plus you can top them off with some green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

To prepare these stuffed bell peppers:

• Saute the ground beef with a tablespoon of taco seasoning until it’s cooked through.
• Transfer the contents of the pan into a bowl and add some cooked rice, a chopped-up green onion, and three tablespoons of water.
• Mix this until every ingredient is distributed evenly, and fill your bell peppers with the mixture.
• Put them in the oven at 350 degrees for around 25 minutes or until they’re tender enough to easily cut through with a fork.

7 – Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach artichoke dip is one of the most popular side dishes to serve with chicken, even though it’s usually served as an appetizer.

The great thing about serving this dish for dinner is that you can put it in a casserole dish and bake it before guests arrive, so they have something delicious to munch on while waiting for their food.

This dish is especially tasty with chicken thighs because it brings out the flavor of the dark meat.

You can use cream cheese or Greek yogurt to give your spinach artichoke dip a lighter taste, which is good if you’re serving something extra heavy like chicken thighs for dinner.

Either way, this side dish goes great with bread rolls and is a great option for stuffing your chicken thighs.

8 – Loaded Baked Potatoes

Loaded baked potatoes are another staple side dish when you’re serving chicken because they have so many different options for customization.

You can add some bacon bits, chives, sour cream, or even melted cheese on top of your finished baked potato.

You can cook your baked potatoes in the oven or on top of the stove, but doing them in the oven is easiest if you want to serve them as a side dish for chicken thighs.

Baking your spuds at 400 degrees for around an hour should give you delicious baked potatoes that are fluffy and crisp on the outside.

You don’t even have to worry about peeling your potatoes before baking them if you use the right fork to poke holes in them.

Conclusion

Chicken thighs are a great addition to any meal, but it can be difficult to find side dishes that bring out their flavor.

Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of the eight best side dish options you should serve with your chicken thighs and our favorite recipes for each.

If you don’t like any of these choices, all you need to do is try some new things.

You’ll be surprised at just how many new side dishes you can prepare, and the best part is that all of them taste great with chicken thighs.

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