Chicken tenders are a classic dish that is loved by both children and adults. This main dish tends to be a favorite family meal that all can enjoy together. Once you have decided on your main dish, it may be hard to choose the best sides to go along with the chicken tenders. With so many options for sides, how do you choose the best side to serve with your chicken tenders?
There are many choices for sides that you can pair with chicken tenders. All of these sides are often options on most menus, and each one contributes to the taste of the dish as a whole. Some popular side dishes that you can have with chicken tenders include french fries, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese.
Continue reading to learn about 21 different side dishes that you can serve with your chicken tenders.
What is a Good Side Dish for Chicken Tenders?
When you pick a main dish, you want to choose the best side dish to go along with the main dish. These sides contribute to the taste of the dish and compliment the main dish well. There are many different sides that can go alongside chicken tenders. Some of these side dishes contribute to the flavor of the entire dish, while some other can contribute more to the nutritional value of the dish as well.
French Fries
French fries are one of the most popular sides that you can eat with chicken tenders. When you go out to a restaurant, most meals already have french fries included, but you can also pick them from the list of sides they provide.
This side dish is very popular with children, and adults tend to love them as well. You can also make your own french fries at home when you decide to cook your own chicken tenders at home. French fries do not take long to cook, and they are also very easy to cook. French fries are great to eat when they are fresh or reheated a few days later.
Sweet Potatoes
Much like french fries, sweet potatoes are also a great side you can have with chicken tenders. Sweet potatoes tend to be somewhat of a healthier option when compared to traditional potatoes. You can bake sweet potatoes, or you can cut them up and fry them into sweet potato fries. No matter how you choose to eat your sweet potatoes, they will add more nutrients to your dish as a whole.
Fried Apples
It may seem weird to pair chicken tenders with apples, but the combination actually works really well. When you combine the savoriness of the chicken tenders with the sweetness of the apples, the combination becomes one that will make your mouth water. Frying the apples is the best way to pair apples with your chicken tenders. This side also ensures that you get your daily serving of fruit.
Potato Wedges
Potato wedges are another great pairing for chicken tenders. It is important to note that potato wedges are somewhat different from french fries in terms of shape and how they can be served, but they are often considered to be another form of french fry.
You can serve potato wedges plain, or you can season your potato wedges in order for them to have more flavor.
Seasoned Rice
Rice is one of the most popular side dishes that is enjoyed around the world. Rice is considered to be a blank canvas that you can add more ingredients and flavors to in order to contribute more to the nutritional value and the flavor of the dish. Rice is a side that can go alongside most dishes, and it can be paired well with chicken tenders.
While you can eat plain white rice with chicken tenders, you may want to try seasoned rice in order to add more flavor to your dish.
Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is a popular side dish among children. Whether you choose to make your macaroni and cheese from the box or make your own homemade macaroni and cheese, both taste well when paired with chicken tenders.
Macaroni and cheese tends to be the second most popular dish to serve along with chicken tenders. The most popular dish is french fries.
Biscuits
In the southern part of the United States, it is common to have a biscuit alongside many main dishes, and this includes chicken tenders. When you go to most restaurants in the South that serve chicken tenders, your meal is most likely going to be served with a biscuit, unless you tell the staff to not include one.
When paired with buttermilk biscuits, the flavor of the chicken tenders is more pronounced as the flavor of the biscuits can be subtle and help to reveal the flavor of the chicken tenders more.
Coleslaw
Coleslaw is a tasty dish that can be paired alongside chicken tenders, if you enjoy eating coleslaw. Coleslaw can be made using both regular cabbage and red cabbage. This side tends to be a healthier option that can give you the same crunchy texture of french fries.
Coleslaw does not take long to make. It is also very tasty and colorful. It can make your plate look better when you pair coleslaw with your chicken tenders.
Hush Puppies
Hush puppies can be a great addition to your meal. They tend to pair very well with chicken tenders. Hush puppies tend to have textures that are similar to the chicken tender you pair them with. They have a crunchy outside and a soft inside. While this side is typically paired with seafood, hush puppies can also be a great side to any deep-fried dish, including chicken tenders.
Potato Salad
Potato salad is a side dish that takes many common ingredients and puts them all together in one dish. The base of potato salad is often boiled potatoes, but they tend to be mashed and mixed with various vegetables and some type of dressing.
There are many different recipes that you can find for potato salad, and they all work well as a side dish for chicken tenders. You can also buy your potato salad from the grocery store.
Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes are a dish that is very easy to make and is very inexpensive. While this side dish tends to be more common around the holidays, they can be cooked and eaten any time with many different main dishes, including chicken tenders.
When it comes to fixing scalloped potatoes, you want to make sure that you slice your potatoes thin. If the slices are too thick, this can make the dish have a different texture as well as possibly taking more time to cook.
Creamed Corn
Creamed corn is a popular side dish in the United States that can be paired well with most main dishes, or it can be eaten as a main dish itself. Creamed corn is made when whole kernels are cooked with milk. This is then blended to create a consistency that is smooth and creamy.
This dish is one that is easy to make. You also most likely already have the ingredients for creamed corn in your pantry and your refrigerator.
Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes are a great addition as a side to many main dishes. All you need is a whole potato and some toppings to make this delicious dish. Baked potatoes can also contain many nutrients, plus the toppings that you choose to include can contain many vitamins and minerals.
Baked potatoes also have many health benefits. These can include helping to manage your blood sugar levels as well as help to control your appetite.
Cucumber Salad
While many may not consider adding cucumber salad as a side to their chicken tenders, this dish may be a great addition to your meal. This side dish is known for being light, easy to make, and refreshing.
There are two main variations of cucumber salad that you can make. The first is a light vinegar version that is made using vinegar. The other is a creamy version that has a sauce that is made from sour cream, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and dill.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
A brussels sprout is a leaf vegetable that is very small in size, and it looks like a small cabbage. They are known to have an earthy flavor that can taste bitter when they are served raw, but they can have a sweet taste when they are cooked.
It is highly likely that your parents tried to get you to eat brussels sprouts as a kid, and you did not like them. They actually pair really well with chicken tenders, so you may find that you can enjoy them as an adult.
Green Beans
Green beans can be a great side dish that you can include with many meals. They are often paired well with dishes that contain some form of meat, including chicken tenders. While there are many types of green beans, classic green beans tend to be the best suited to be paired with chicken tenders. You can boil, bake, or grill your green beans to serve with your chicken tenders.
Cornbread
Cornbread is another side, like biscuits, that is often served alongside chicken tenders. This dish is commonly made in the southern part of the United States. The main ingredient you will need to make cornbread is cornmeal. It is very easy to cook. Cornbread can be messy, however, since it tends to flake and can break apart easily.
Simple Green Salad
A simple salad can be a great addition to any dish. This side ensures that you get your daily serving of vegetables. While there are many different vegetables and fruits that you can incorporate into your salad, a simple green salad that is filled with lettuce can be a great side to pair with chicken tenders.
The flavor of the salad will not take away from the flavor of the chicken tenders, and you will not fill yourself up on the salad without enjoying some of your tenders.
Roasted Veggies
Roasted veggies are another side that you can include alongside your chicken tenders. This side requires you to take some of your favorite vegetables, like carrots and broccoli, and roast them. The roasting of the veggies can add more flavor to them without taking away any of the nutrients or benefits you would acquire from eating the vegetables.
Carrots
Carrots are another vegetable that you can eat as a side dish for chicken tenders. Carrots are known to be good for you, and they include many vitamins and minerals that your body requires. You can choose to serve the carrots roasted, raw, or baked. It does not matter how you choose to serve your carrots alongside your chicken tenders as the tastes pair well together.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are another form of potato that you can serve alongside your chicken tenders. You can mash your potatoes yourself, or you can buy some from the store. It is not hard to make and serve mashed potatoes, and they are a great side for children and those who cannot chew crunchy foods.
Final Thoughts
Chicken tenders are a popular dish to have during lunch or dinner. They are very popular among children and adults. There are many sides that you can have alongside your chicken tenders. From a variety of potato forms to vegetables, you have many choices for what to serve with your chicken tenders.
