Best Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Breast (That Go Way Beyond Salad)

Published 12/19/2018

Say bye, bye to sad salads at dinnertime. These side dishes are way better, and pair perfectly with your favorite dinner made with chicken breasts. Whether you grill, roast or fry your chicken, these nearly effortless sides—from standbys like homemade mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus to creative new takes like cheesy zucchini bake and dilled cucumber and tomato salad—will make mealtime way more tasty. Bonus: speedy prep time and low ingredient counts make quick work of these recipes so you can sit down to dinner faster.

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5-Ingredient Crescent Cheesy Bread
4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 78 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 6
Servings: 8
Who can resist this cheesy side bread? Starting with Pillsbury crescents, this five-ingredient side is so good, it’ll make you question which dish is really the main course. Pro tip: serve your side with marinara sauce for dipping.
Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad
4.7 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 33 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 9
Servings: 6
This side salad is a refreshing dish to pair with your entrée, with salty feta, fresh cucumber and sweet watermelon all tossed together in a light vinegarette dressing. If you want even more flavor, blueberries, strawberries or Kalamata olives make great additions!
Easy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 48 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 5
Servings: 10
We promised the best side dishes for chicken breasts, and do these easy homemade mashed potatoes deliver! This recipe has received high ratings from our Pillsbury bakers, earning 4.5-star average. One reviewer says, “5 stars. Great taters for any meal.”
Cumin-Citrus Roasted Carrots
4.4 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 9 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 6
Veggies always make a great side dish. Roasted carrots get a cumin-citrus upgrade in this easy recipe that’s guaranteed to disappear quickly. Feeling fancy? Use multicolored carrots to really dress up your plate.
Cheesy Baked Asparagus
4.7 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 19 reviews.
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 4
This cheesy asparagus is the definition of comfort food. Topped with Progresso breadcrumbs and filled with an Italian cheese blend, it’s an ideal side for sneaking in your veggies. One reviewer writes, “I just loved this recipe and so did my family! It’s my new go-to for eating asparagus!”
Creamy Cucumber Salad
4.6 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 60 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 6
Multi-taskers, rejoice! This creamy cucumber salad uses only seven ingredients and comes together in just 15 minutes. That’s the perfect amount of time for assembling while your chicken breast cooks.
Tomato and Zucchini Casserole
4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 66 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 11
Servings: 8
If you’re a fan of vegetables, you’re a fan of this casserole. This tasty side dish could easily be the star of the show, bringing all your veggies together under a layer of Progresso breadcrumbs. Bonus, you can use progresso breadcrumbs with your entrée as well!
Slice and Serve Garlic Butter Crescents
4.9 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 10 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 6
Servings: 12
Just when you thought sides couldn’t get any easier, we introduce these slice-and-serve garlic butter crescents! Starting with a can of Pillsbury crescent rolls, top each round with butter (yum), garlic powder (double yum) and Italian seasoning (triple yum) for an amazing side bread.
Easy Cheesy Rosemary Crescent Rolls
4.8 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 5 reviews.
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4
Servings: 8
Typical side bread just got a cheesy twist! These easy crescent rolls are wrapped around mozzarella string cheese and topped with fresh rosemary and Parmesan for an elegant, yet effortless dish.
Bacon-Cheddar Corn Casserole
4.9 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 9 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 8
At the risk of upstaging your entrée, we give you bacon-cheddar corn casserole! We took the classic southern side and gave it the bacoon treatment. With just seven ingredients, this dish takes just under an hour to make.
Easy Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
4.9 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 16 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 8
Servings: 4
Match your protein-filled chicken breast with one delicious vegetable. Pop these cauliflower florets in the oven for 25 minutes and toss with Parmesan cheese and lemon peel for a refreshing way to eat your veggies.
5-Ingredient Roasted Broccoli
5.0 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 3 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 6
Servings: 4
Want to dress up your chicken breasts with a little more color? Serve alongside this delicious five-ingredient roasted broccoli. The key ingredients, olive oil and garlic, help bring out the broccoli’s natural flavor (and don’t forget the squeeze of lemon!)
Classic Creamed Spinach
4.8 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 9 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 8
Servings: 8
For a creamy and savory side to your main dish, look no further than this simple spinach option. One Pillsbury fan raves, “This recipe was extremely easy to make and delivered amazing flavors.”
Sautéed Zucchini
4.8 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 9 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 5
Servings: 4
Using just five ingredients, this super easy zucchini dish is a great sidekick to your main entrée. With a little olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped garlic, this dish is sure to win over even your pickiest eaters. One reviewer says it best: “Easiest, simplest, BEST way to make zucchini.”
Cheesy Potato Casserole
4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 298 reviews.
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 8
Who can resist cheesy potatoes? More than 80 Pillsbury fans gave this recipe two thumbs up. From the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream to the condensed cream of chicken soup, this hasbrown casserole delivers on cozy and then some.
5-Ingredient Cheesy Zucchini Bake
4.6 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 26 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 6
Cheese and vegetables may just be a perfect match. And we are further convinced after trying this tasty five-ingredient bake! Use up your leftover zucchini and top with Progresso breadcrumbs for an excellent side to your chicken breast.
Oven-Roasted Potatoes
4.7 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 43 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 5
Servings: 4
These easy oven-roasted potatoes are just that—easy. With only five ingredients, this simple side dish preps in five minutes and serves a family of four. One reviewer says, “These were very tasty…The family really enjoyed it! Definitely will be making these again sometime soon.”
Roasted Vegetable Potato Salad
4.6 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 26 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients: 10
Servings: 12
Tossed in olive oil, white wine vinegar, dill and green onions, this side salad packs in all fo your favorite flavors, and is a yummy way to eat your veggies!