The Absolute Best Sides For Chicken Cutlets

Chicken cutlets make a brilliant weeknight dinner that is tasty enough to keep the whole family happy, but if you are eating it with the same side dishes every week, it can become a bit predictable. Switching up the sides for a totally different dish each time can transform the flavor of the chicken and keep everyone happy.

The beauty of a side dish is that you can make it creamy and comforting without causing the whole dish to be too rich, or you can add a light, fresh element that will lighten up the chicken, too. From creamy mashed potatoes to Italian stuffed artichokes, the dishes on this list will satisfy your palate with a wide range of textures and flavors. Whether you are making chicken cutlets for the first time and looking for the perfect accompaniment, or attempting to liven up a faithful after-work meal, let's take a look at 15 absolute best sides for chicken cutlets.

If there's one side dish that your chicken cutlets are crying out for, it is homemade fries, especially when topped with nutty Parmesan cheese. This delicious potato side dish is so easy to prepare, and needs very little hands on prep, leaving you to sort out the chicken while the oven does the hard work.

Once the Russet potatoes have been sliced into fries, most of the hard work is over. They are coated in garlic oil and baked for around half an hour, to make them crispy on the outside while still fluffy in the middle. The umami Parmesan coating is added after cooking and takes them to new heights of deliciousness.

Recipe: Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries

One of the best textures to pair with crunchy chicken cutlets is a smooth mash, and if it happens to have salty bacon scattered through it, even better. This classic comfort food is an excellent side dish and will work brilliantly with the chicken without stealing the spotlight.

The bacon can be cooked in the oven while you boil the potatoes, meaning that the whole dish can be ready in 30 minutes. The genius twist in this recipe is to add the bacon fat from the oven into the mash along with the butter and hot milk. This creates a brilliant savory hit of bacon flavor with every silky mouthful.

Recipe: Super Bacony Mashed Potatoes

If you're looking for a side dish that will provide a fresh balance to your crunchy chicken cutlets, but still be packed with umami flavor, try this kale Caesar salad. Between the rich creamy sauce and nutty Parmesan shavings, it provides plenty of texture contrast that will create a deliciously balanced meal.

The salad doesn't take long to prepare, and can be made while the chicken cooks. Making the dressing is the trickiest part, but using a mini food processor will take the difficulty level down a notch. Once the silky dressing is ready, assemble the crunchy fresh kale and crispy croutons that can cook alongside the chicken. Drizzle the dressing across the top and add long thin Parmesan shavings to finish the salad.

Recipe: Easy Kale Caesar Salad

The earthy flavors of carrots contrast brilliantly with tender chicken cutlets, and having them in the form of an indulgent creamy casserole turns a weeknight dinner into a comforting and delicious meal. With sweetness from the carrots and pungent heat from the garlic, the chicken dish will get a flavor upgrade that will make it a family favorite.

Other than slicing the carrots into discs, this side dish is incredibly quick to put together. The carrots are cooked in butter to soften them, then flour and cream are added and the whole dish is transferred to the oven for the rest of the cooking.

Recipe: Creamy Carrot Casserole

If you're fed up with your usual sides for chicken cutlets and want something that makes more of an interesting punch, try acorn squash stuffed with walnuts and wild rice. This is the ideal dish for the colder months when acorn squash and pomegranates are in season, and the addition of the rice makes it a deliciously filling side dish.

Once the squash has been prepared, it can be roasted while you cook the wild rice and walnut stuffing. Add the mixture to the squash and bake for a further 15 minutes, before topping with the bright, crunchy pomegranate seeds.

Recipe: Wild Rice And Walnut-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Artichokes are a very underrated vegetable, and they make an excellent accompaniment to chicken cutlets. Packed with gorgeous Mediterranean ingredients such as anchovies, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese, they will make an unusual and surprisingly delicious side dish.

Preparing the artichokes is a tricky task, but once that is done, the rest of the ingredients are mixed together to form the stuffing, and the filled artichokes can simmer for close to an hour. When they emerge, you can enjoy the earthy flavor of the chokes, packed with vibrant elements that will transform your usual weeknight dinner.

Recipe: Sicilian-Style Stuffed Artichokes

Butter beans are not always the first bean we look to for a side dish, but this Italian-inspired version is just what your chicken cutlets need. The tomatoes, peppers, and pungent garlic contrast with the hearty beans to create a mouthwatering accompaniment.

Once the dried beans have been cooked (which can be done in advance) the rest of this recipe is straightforward. The vegetables are cooked for 5 minutes with a splash of wine to form a sauce, then the beans are added along with plenty of seasoning. Kale is added for the last 10 minutes to soften it slightly, then the whole pot of beans can be served family style.

Recipe: Italian-Style Butter Beans

Roast potatoes and chicken cutlets are a perfect match, and flavoring the spuds with garlic and rosemary will give your taste buds an added treat. Dicing the potatoes means they cook more quickly, and will have more delicious crispy corners for the family to fight over.

Once the potatoes are chopped, they are coated in olive oil with minced garlic and rosemary, then you can leave the oven to do its magic for the next half an hour. Serve them with the chicken cutlets, and perhaps a fresh side salad to complete the meal.

Recipe: Rosemary And Garlic Roasted Potatoes

If you need a side dish for your chicken that will get the whole family tucking into healthy veggies without complaint, cowboy caviar is an excellent option. Often made as a party dish, there is no reason it can't feature regularly on your meal rotation.

Black beans, roasted corn, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, and a lime are the only ingredients you need, and the caviar can be prepared the night before to save even more time. The zingy lime brings a fresh burst of flavor that matches the chicken so well, and everyone will be fighting for second portions of this deliciously healthy accompaniment.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Cowboy Caviar

If you're in the mood for making a side dish that looks stunning as well as tasting fantastic, then Hasselback potatoes are the way to go. And you should add extra cheese on top, too, because cheese just makes everything better.

To get the attractive accordion shape, the key is to cut most of the way through, without reaching the cutting board. This allows you to get the herb butter in between the slices, creating a delicious mouthful with each bite. Once the potatoes are cooked, the cheese can be added and heated again until it melts, resulting in a wonderfully gooey side dish to serve alongside the chicken.

Recipe: Extra Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes

Panzanella is an Italian bread salad that you may not have tried before. When stuffed into tomatoes and baked, it makes an excellent accompaniment to chicken cutlets. Start by baking some day-old bread, which is commonly used in the dish, though it will be fine if fresh is all you have. As it cooks you can scoop out the tomato seeds to get them ready for stuffing, then mix the insides with the toasted bread and the rest of the ingredients. Once the beautiful tomatoes have been stuffed with the filling, they can be scattered with fresh herbs and served as a refreshing side dish.

Recipe: Bite-Sized Panzanella Stuffed Tomatoes

Bell peppers make a brilliant salad addition or snack, but when you stuff them and bake them, they transform into a wonderful side dish that will match the chicken perfectly.

The pearl barley adds a hearty, filling element, while the feta cheese and walnuts provide tang and crunch. The peppers soften and sweeten as they bake, creating a side dish that has the best of everything. Prepare them in advance then pop them in the oven while the chicken cooks and enjoy the sweet and salty elements alongside your crispy coated chicken.

Recipe: Barley And Walnut-Stuffed Bell Peppers

For a side dish that brings a delicious smoky punch to accompany your chicken cutlets, try this chorizo chickpea salad. The addition of feta cheese provides a tangy creaminess that balances the chorizo, and the chickpeas have a nutty quality that creates even more depth of flavor.

The chorizo is pan-fried before being added to the veggies and cheese to create a salad that is chock-full of flavor, and the mild heat from the meat is mellowed by the creamy feta. The salad will upgrade your chicken cutlets and bring an unusual twist to a familiar meal.

Recipe: Chorizo Chickpea Salad With Feta

Potato salad is a classic side dish that goes brilliantly with chicken, and adding herbs into the dressing really levels it up. Parsley, dill, and chives come together to lift the earthy potatoes, and instead of mayonnaise, a fresh lemon and mustard vinaigrette adds a tangy and flavorful sauce.

The dressing is added while the potatoes are still hot, but it can then be left to cool and served cold later on if that suits. The creamy, cooked potatoes make a great accompaniment to the crunchy chicken, and the zesty dressing adds a feeling of freshness to the whole dish.

Recipe: Herbed Potato Salad

If you love kimchi but have never thought to pair it with chicken cutlets, now is the time to remedy that. The fermented cabbage provides all the flavors you would ever want in a side: umami, tangy, spicy, and utterly delicious.

Used throughout Korean cuisine, kimchi is a versatile condiment that is crunchy and surprising, and it is worth making yourself a batch if you can. This is very little hands-on preparation required, but you will need to wait three days for it to ferment. Your reward for your patience will be a wonderfully complex side dish that will complement the chicken cutlets brilliantly.

Recipe: Classic Napa Cabbage Kimchi