Easy pizza serving and side dish ideas. From mozzarella balls to blue cheese dip, and Italian caesar salad to onion rings, discover what to serve with pizza today.
What is there to say about pizza that hasn’t already been said? Everyone has their own favorite interpretation of the classic dish, from stretchy Neapolitan to New York slice, and their own go-to toppings. One thing remains the same, however: Its warm dough base and gooey cheese topping ensure that it is the comfort food for us all.
From simple dipping sauces to classic finger food, these easy pizza side dish ideas will transform your comfort meal into a dinner feast. Let’s get cooking!
Chicken Caesar Salad
A chicken caesar salad is a relatively healthy and light side dish to go along with heavy and filling pizza. The freshness of chicken salad is the perfect accompaniment to the saltiness and fatness of the pizza.
These salads are easy to make, and you don’t have to add many ingredients, as the creamy Caesar dressing is the star of the show. People typically include a bed of fresh romaine lettuce, some cherry tomatoes, and grilled chicken. It’s good as a side dish, or it can also be the main course.
Try This Recipe: This lemon basil chicken caesar salad uses tender lemon-basil chicken for an additional zesty touch.
Mozzarella Balls
Mozzarella balls are a classic, cheesy fried appetizer. You can serve them as-is, with dipping sauce on the side, or even skewered on top of the pizza.
They can be made with either regular mozzarella sliced into cubes or mozzarella pearls. A good idea is to include additional spices and herbs in the breading or stuff them with other ingredients like ham or bacon. You can think of it as a fun way to add different toppings to your pizza.
Try This Recipe: These marinated mozzarella balls swap out the breading and instead incorporate a delicious marinade of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and various herbs and spices.
Onion Rings
Onion rings are deep-fried onion slices that are breaded and seasoned. They go well with pizza because of their crunchiness and savoriness. While not super spicy, they add a strong touch that complements the greasy cheese.
You can buy pre-made onion rings, but they are best if you make them from scratch. This way, the onion will be much more tasteful. They are also very popular as a side dish for hamburgers and seafood.
Try This Recipe: This take on crispy homemade onion rings calls for yellow, white, or sweet onions and emphasizes making them extra crispy.
Potato Salad
Potato salad is a summertime classic that you can easily make in large batches for potlucks or BBQs. The creaminess and heartiness of potato salad helps cut through pizza’s heaviness.
This dish usually has boiled potatoes, mayonnaise, eggs, mustard, celery, onions, and pickles. You may add other ingredients to make it unique. Potatoes pair well with almost everything, so you can make this salad as mild or intense as you like.
Try This Recipe: This loaded ranch potato salad is creamy and hearty, combining bacon, ranch, and cheddar cheese for maximum goodness.
Blue Cheese Dip
If you’re having an event with pizza and chicken wings, serving a tasty blue cheese dip on the side is ideal. The boldness and spiciness of this dip go well with the chicken wings, and it’s also an innovative dipping option for pizza crust.
This dip contains blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and black pepper. It has a thick, creamy consistency, and the garlic and pepper emphasize the cheese’s flavor.
Try This Recipe: This chicken wing blue cheese dip provides instructions for both parts of the side dish and only takes 45 minutes to make.
Zucchini Fries
Zucchini fries are a healthier alternative to french fries. They are breaded but contain a fraction of the fat and calories because you can bake them. They bring a freshness to the meal while still being salty and satisfying.
Zucchini fries also hold up well to many different dipping sauces that you can use for pizza crusts. The best ones that pair with both are sour and tangy dips. They contrast with both the bitterness of the zucchini and the bread’s wheaty flavor.
Try This Recipe: These zucchini fries incorporate pepper, salt, and onion powder to give the zucchini an additional layer of piquant taste.
Garlic Cheese Bread
Some people may refrain from eating additional cheese and bread when eating pizza, but if you can’t get enough, garlic cheese bread is an excellent option. The ingredients are similar, but the taste is more yeasty.
Garlic bread is baked bread with garlic and butter, but when you add cheese to it—as well as additional herbs and spices—it becomes a delectable gourmet dish.
Try This Recipe: This garlic cheese bread only takes 25 minutes to make, including prep and cook time, and it adds mayonnaise for even more fatty goodness.
Fried Cheese Sticks
Another option for incorporating additional carbs and fats alongside your pizza meal is making fried cheese sticks.
They are usually long and thin slices of mozzarella cheese that have been breaded and fried, but you can make them however thick or thin you prefer. You can add a dipping sauce on the side. Plus, fried cheese sticks are usually a hit at parties.
Try This Recipe: These fried mozzarella cheese sticks pair perfectly with a marinara dipping sauce for a bit of umami.
Roasted Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is the perfect clean balance to an otherwise cheesy pizza dinner.
Roasted broccoli is tasty, but you can elevate it further by adding ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Try adding roasted kale for extra crispiness and earthiness.
Try This Recipe: This lemon garlic roasted broccoli combines both vegetables and fruit into one salad bowl for a dynamic and rich side dish.
Chicken Wings
Because nothing says get together than pizza and chicken wings. Whether you prefer buffalo-style, barbecue-smoked, or Asian-inspired, crispy chicken wings offer the perfect balance to pizza’s filling dough and melted cheese.
Try This Recipe: For a nice contrast to classic Margherita cheese pizza, try these simple buffalo chicken wings. Baked in the oven rather than pan-fried, these wings are crispy and tangy in good measure!
Marinara Sauce
Add a touch of Italy to your pizza night by using classic marinara sauce as a dip!
Made with ripe, tangy tomatoes, a hint of garlic, and aromatic oregano, this sauce really brings out the cheesy taste of pizza.
Try This Recipe: Put down the store-bought stuff and try this homemade marinara sauce! Packed full of fresh ingredients and ready in just 20 minutes, you’ll never go back.
Ranch Dressing
Made from buttermilk, garlic, and herbs, ranch dressing can elevate almost anything. A summer BBQ burger? Improved. Movie night chicken wings? Upgraded. Salad? Absolutely.
But ranch really comes into its own when used as a dipping sauce for pizza. Simply fold up your slice, dip it in, and scoop up as much as you can. You won’t look back.
Try This Recipe: Proof that it’s easy to make from scratch, this homemade ranch dressing boasts fresh herbs and a cheeky dash of cayenne pepper for a delicate kick.
