Easy chicken nuggets serving ideas, from sweet potato wedges to mac & cheese, and avocado rice to garlic herb fries. Discover what to serve with chicken nuggets today.
Chicken nuggets are the easy bite-sized chicken pieces that are a great dinner option when you’re short on time but craving something with a little crunch.
Made with boneless chicken pieces before breaded and deep-fried, these mini chicken bites are quick to cook and a surefire way to satisfy fussy eaters on a busy weeknight.
But what else can we serve to ensure we’re serving a well-balanced meal without being boring?
These best chicken nugget side dish ideas will complete your dinner table, giving you enough options to satisfy everyone’s cravings. Let’s get cooking!
Potato Waffles
Consider whipping up buttery potato waffles if you want something different than fries or mashed potatoes with your chicken nuggets.
Potato waffles are similar to potato cakes, but using the waffle maker gives them additional crunch. Use grated potatoes or – to save time – frozen hash browns. Add grated onions to add a sharp tang and green onions for a little more bite.
Try This Recipe: Give chicken and waffles a twist by pairing these potato waffles with your chicken nuggets. Mix the mashed potatoes with sautéed onion, garlic, eggs, flour, and salt to make a batter, then cook in a waffle iron.
Sweet Potato Wedges
Sweet potatoes are healthier than regular because they contain less sugar and more vitamin A. Using sweet potatoes with your chicken nuggets gives you a light side that is delightfully crisp.
It’s easier to cut sweet potatoes into wedges than fries, so your prep time is minimal. Coat the wedges in olive oil to help them get crispy. The oil also helps your seasoning stick, whether you go with traditional salt, pepper, or even chili powder for a spicy kick.
Try This Recipe: Bake these sweet potato wedges while cooking your chicken nuggets for a filling, savory meal.
Potato Salad
Potato salad is a great side dish for many meals and pairs especially wonderfully with chicken nuggets as your main protein.
This recipe includes potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, so it’s filling. Pickle relish, mustard, sweet onion, and dill round out the dish and give it a sharp tang to complement the chicken nuggets. A splash of apple cider vinegar enhances the fresh vegetables in this dish.
Try This Recipe: This potato salad recipe gives you a great jumping-off point for a savory, tangy dish that will make your mouth water. Add relish and mustard to customize it for your tastes.
Creamy Pea Salad & Bacon
Creamy pea salad adds a savory element to your chicken nugget meal and gives you a cool (literally!) side dish.
The main ingredients are frozen peas, bacon, and Colby jack cheese. Add greek yogurt and mayo for the creaminess. Diced red onions help the flavor pack a punch. This side is simple to make because you only need to stir the ingredients together before stirring. Let it chill in the fridge to keep it cool if you’re not eating right away.
Try This Recipe: It only takes 15 minutes to make creamy pea salad to complement your chicken nuggets. Start by frying the bacon until it’s crispy, then cutting it into thin slices. Thaw frozen peas or cook the fresh ones. Make the creamy dressing out of sour cream, mayo, and lemon juice then combine everything.
Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese
So many casseroles use condensed soups, which contain salt and preservatives. This alternative is healthier and includes extra vegetables.
You can whip up this dish in no time because you only need to make the cheese sauce and stir in the broccoli and cauliflower. You can add other vegetables according to your tastes. A sprinkling of bread crumbs gives this casserole a satisfying crunch to accompany your chicken nuggets.
Try This Recipe: Using this cheesy broccoli cauliflower casserole recipe will change how you make casseroles. Bake cauliflower and broccoli florets and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Top with milk and butter, before baking for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Avocado Rice
The best thing about this rice recipe is that you can use leftover brown rice and reduce your prep time. Instead of letting your leftovers go bad, give them a makeover with fresh avocados, cilantro, and lime.
The avocado makes this rice dish healthy and creamy. Chopped cilantro on top gives it a fresh taste, and the splash of lime adds zest to the earthy rice. Minced garlic gives a robust and tart flavor to round out the side.
Try This Recipe: This avocado cilantro lime rice makes you feel like you’re eating guacamole with your chicken nuggets.
Garlic Butter Rice
Many people think rice has little flavor, but you can level up white rice with savory parmesan and garlic for a bit of extra flavor.
Cooking onion and garlic in butter adds an umami taste to the rice, while using chicken stock instead of water adds a hint of saltiness to the rice without overpowering the garlic. It takes about 15 minutes to cook, similar to standard rice recipes. The grains absorb the flavors, and a sprinkling of parmesan on top infuses this side dish with a richer flavor.
Try This Recipe: Make piquant garlic butter rice by following this recipe. You can cook it in one pot, despite the additional ingredients, which makes for easy cleanup.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Butternut squash mac and cheese is a healthy twist on the classic comfort food. It’s a great side dish to ensure you get your veggies in, along with the chicken protein.
Keep the dish healthy by using whole wheat pasta. Boil and blend the butternut squash so it seamlessly mixes with the melted cheese. Not only is this side healthy, but the squash adds creaminess to the cheese and completely coats the pasta.
Try This Recipe: The butternut squash mac and cheese is the best way to add vegetables to any meal you’re serving.
Garlic Herb Fries
Fries and chicken nuggets are perfect for kids, and these garlic herb oven fries will satisfy your grownup palate.
Baking these fries makes them healthier than frying. It’s also more convenient because you can pop them in the oven with the chicken nuggets. Broil them to get that signature crunch. After mincing the garlic, add it to the skillet with butter before tossing it with your fries. Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the potatoes’ creamy taste.
Try This Recipe: These garlic herb oven fries make you feel like a kid again with a significant savory flavor upgrade.
Caesar Salad
Salads are quick, easy, and healthy sides for almost any meal. Chicken Caesar salad is a popular menu item, so you know it’ll taste great to pair this salad with chicken nuggets.
A Caesar salad complements the chicken taste by including black pepper for a sharp, piney flavor. The tangy Caesar dressing elevates the salad and pairs nicely with shaved parmesan cheese toppings. You can add croutons to the salad to make it more filling.
Try This Recipe: Quickly whip up a Caesar salad or get more involved by making the dressing and croutons, as included in the recipe.
