What Sides Go With Smothered Chicken? 15 Ideas

Smothered chicken is a southern Louisiana delicacy. Its versatility and pairing options make it even more attractive, as Louisiana cooking is all about mixing tastes and experimenting with different foods. My auntie always said that this is the food that feeds the soul. But even food like this cannot go without a side. So, what sides go with smothered chicken? 

Sautéed beans, fresh lettuce and arugula salad, focaccia bread, cornbread, sautéed peas, grilled eggplants and zucchini, cauliflower patties, steamed carrots and broccoli, steamed rice, fries, garlic bread, spinach pure, and roasted potatoes are some of the best sides for smothered chicken. 

Since the options for pairing the creamy and delicious smothered chicken are nearly limitless, it’s always handy to have a few ideas to give you a general feel on how to pair smothered chicken. In the following paragraphs, I will share my family favorites to pair with your smothered chicken the next time you have it. Let’s see what’s cooking!

Sautéed Beans 

Sautéed beans are a very versatile side dish going excellent with a whole range of dishes. It is also very simple to make, requiring nothing more than basic cooking skills. 

All you need to do is smear oil over your pan, heat it up, and put the beans inside to soften. This process doesn’t take more than ten minutes. Stir the beans from time to time and make sure they don’t stick to the bottom. 

Season them with salt and pepper right before you remove the pan from the stovetop. You can grate some cheese over the beans and let it melt. 

Mashed Potatoes

The creamy and meaty smothered chicken pairs more than perfectly with mashed potatoes, as their creaminess complements the main dish. To make your mashed potatoes even creamier, try making them with butter instead of regular cooking oil and add milk instead of water. 

For some extra flavor and character, I like to season the mashed potatoes with fresh herbs — chopped fresh parsley works wonderfully!

Grilled Vegetables 

Smothered chicken and grilled vegetables are one of the best love stories since the beginning of time. You can roast any vegetables you want, but I would go with sweet potatoes, carts, and onions. 

Season the veggies with salt and pepper; don’t be stingy with the butter. Make small cuts n the veggies and put small butter pieces in each cut to ensure that the butter penetrates the veggies thoroughly. 

Fresh Lettuce and Arugula Salad 

How better to pair smothered chicken than with fresh, crunchy, and zesty fresh lettuce and arugula salad? Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic cream for extra flavor. You can also add some cherry tomatoes to add color and a light tang to the story. 

The texture contrast and opposing tastes will create a perfect unity of flavors, complementing each other in a truly unique way. Delicious!

Focaccia Bread 

Focaccia bread is a delightful bread crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is pretty greasy, too, so don’t worry about dryness. It also contains herbs, so lack of taste isn’t an issue either. 

To make focaccia bread, you will need some more cooking skills other than the basic ones. If you don’t like baking, feel free to buy ready-made focaccia from the store. 

Corn Bread 

Cornbread is another Louisiana delicacy, so I just had to put it on this list! Made with cornmeal and cream, perfectly baked, creamy, soft, sweet, aromatic, and very flavourful, it will absorb all the delicious juices from the smothered chicken. 

You can slice it into pieces or crumble it inside your dish. Either way, it will get soaked in the smothered chicken juices creating a wholesome and authentic Louisiana experience. 

Sautéed Peas 

Just like the sautéed beans, sautéed peas are yet another excellent pair to smothered chicken; the making procedure is the same as with the beans. Heat up some oil and throw the peas inside the pan. 

Let the peas sizzle for a while, and then add some cooking cream to make them softer and richer. I usually simply season them with salt and pepper right before removing them from the stovetop. You can have them on the side or pop them directly into the plate. 

Grilled Eggplants and Zucchini 

Grilled eggplant and zucchini are two of the most universal sides, so it only makes sense to mention them here, as they go particularly well with smothered chicken. Grill them nicely and butter them up. 

They work excellently in whichever way you choose to have them. Sprinkle salt and pepper on them and have them on the side to enrich your meal. Another way you can serve them is grilled and smeared with sour cream, and a third way is to make an oil, vinegar, garlic, and parsley mixture and dip them inside.

Rice 

A bowl of rice is simple yet effective in complementing your smothered chicken. The grainy texture of the rice will add playfulness to your meal, while the natural neutral taste of the rice will amplify the rest of the flavors included in your meal. 

All you need to do is cook some rice, put it in a bowl, and season gently with just salt and pepper and only a few drops of oil. 

Steamed Carrots and Broccoli 

This nutritious and delicious side dish will complement and enrich your smothered chicken, adding some crunch and texture to the story. You don’t need to steam the broccoli and carrots for too long; 15 minutes is just enough time for them to soften but keep their crunch. 

Put them on a plate and sprinkle salt and pepper on them. My favorite trick is to smear some olive oil, and they are ready to eat!

Fries 

If you can’t think of anything or you don’t want to experiment, fries are always there to support your smothered chicken. As with everything else, fries go great with smothered chicken too. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, they will interject cheer and color, making your smothered chicken even more vibrant than it already is. 

Garlic Bread 

Garlic bread’s edge and zest are welcomed elements when it comes to smothered chicken. Very simple to make, garlic bread requires only very basic skills and minimum ingredients. 

Make a mixture of butter and garlic and smear a nice thick layer on your pieces of bread. Pop the bread in the oven for just five minutes so that the butter and garlic penetrate it and make it crispy and soft simultaneously, as well as flavorful and aromatic. 

You can have it on the side, but I love to dunk it into the dish. Either way, it will do its magic.  

Cauliflower Patties 

Cauliflower patties are a delicacy, and you can have them alone or combined with another meal. They fit well with smothered chicken due to the creamy and slightly grainy texture, which contrasts with the smothered chicken’s overall smooth and creamy texture.

The procedure is very simple. Grate or blend the cauliflower turning it into a soft mush. Leave it for an hour to release the excess liquid, much like you would do before frying grated zucchini. 

Transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl and add an egg or two and grated mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper and any other spices you like. Season well, as the taste is pretty bland, even with the mozzarella inside. 

Make balls with your hands and place them on a heated oiled pan. Once you place them on the pan, press the balls with a spoon, turning them into patties. Sizzle them on both sides and serve them with your smothered chicken. 

Spinach Purée

Spinach purée is an excellent pair to smothered chicken. Soft, creamy, and full of flavor, it will counter the already existing flavors, adding a note of its own. A little heavy on the stomach, spinach purée is not for everyone, so don’t go too far, especially if it is your first time making it. 

Sizzle the spinach on a hot oiled pan and then mash it as you would do with potatoes. Add butter and milk and keep stirring until you get a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, as spinach purée doesn’t tolerate more dominant spices. 

Roasted Potatoes 

Roasted potatoes are the golden standard for side dishes. Even if you try, the chances of getting them wrong are slim to none. I love this dish because the only thing I have to do is butter them up and pop them in the oven, and the hot air will do the rest. 

You can season them as you like, but I find them tastiest seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic. Take them out of the oven and let them cool. Add them to your smothered chicken plate and let the flavors and textures mash. 

What do you usually serve with smothered chicken? I would love to read about your side dish ideas in the comments below!