What to Serve with Shake And Bake Chicken? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Shake and bake chicken is one quick dinner option that takes no more than a good shake to deliver a deliciously flavorful meal.

And if the tender and juicy chicken lacks something, it’s got to be some side dishes.

We’ll walk you through the best options on what to serve with shake and bake chicken so that you always have a well-rounded meal menu.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Shake and Bake Chicken?

Much as a shake-and-bake chicken feels appetizing on our palates, you cannot deny that it doesn’t make a complete meal on its own.

If you do, you’ll simply be munching on protein and nothing more.

Besides, the baked chicken may dry your taste buds.

So, side dishes become essential to provide a well-balanced meal.

They can provide any flavors and nutrients that the chicken lacks.

What to Serve with Shake And Bake Chicken? 10 BEST Side Dishes

The next time you serve shake-and-bake chicken, consider these ten options to add to your meal preps.

1 – Onion Stew

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It always feels like a special meal when you have stew for dinner.

So why not go the extra mile to make the best side dish for shake-and-bake chicken?

An onion stew is a great place to start; it has the comforting aroma of caramelized onions and a lot of creamy cheese to bring in some savory flavors.

While most onion stew recipes include a protein such as beef, a meatless version is simple and just perfect for the occasion because you don’t want another meat overpowering the chicken.

You can create a flavorful stew using fresh or leftover veggies and herbs.

The resulting stew is hearty and creamy with chunks of onions; you can even dip the chicken into it and coat them with the delicious flavors.

2 – Lemon Broccoli Pasta

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Pasta dishes and baked chicken are a universal favorite; they balance nutrients, textures, and flavors.

Try a sweet and tangy broccoli lemon pasta for shake-and-bake chicken.

Broccoli has sweet and bitter accents, perfect for a pasta garnish.

Besides, it also makes pasta much healthier.

Gruyere and Swiss cheeses work well with broccoli and create a more complex flavor profile.

This side dish is light and refreshing and introduces flavors that are lacking in the chicken.

In addition, it also provides carbs, vitamins, minerals, and plant protein, making your meals well-balanced.

3 – Sweet Potato Casserole

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You can always rely on a casserole dish to help you out of a cooking rut; after all, they can include anything in your pantry and still be delicious.

The next time you’re planning to make a casserole for shake-and-bake chicken, use sweet potatoes as the base ingredient.

The natural sweetness of these potatoes requires minimal seasonings, and you can enjoy a starchy and creamy side that will contrast the tender chicken meat.

This dish also contains fiber and antioxidants, so you won’t have to worry about stomach upsets from eating a meaty meal.

It is delectable, aromatic, and nutritious, so there’s no reason to save this casserole for later.

4 – Mango Avocado Salad

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If you’re serving shake-and-bake chicken in summer, you should include the season’s most juicy and refreshing fruits to enhance your meals.

And there’s no better way to do this than by using mangoes and avocadoes; they’re both accessible and easy to work with.

The mangoes are fragrant, sweet, and refreshing, while the avocadoes add earthy and nutty flavors with their buttery texture.

Combining them into a salad is the best way to enjoy a delicious mixture of flavors and textures.

As regards the other ingredients, you can add some toasted nuts and shredded feta and dress the salad with olive oil or fresh lemon juice.

This salad will cleanse your palate between bites of the tender and crispy chicken, so try it the next time you find mangoes.

5 – Candied Carrots

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If there’s anything that can bring a delicate sweetness without making your meal unpleasant, it’s got to be carrots.

Their natural sweet, earthy taste is the perfect base to layer some rich butter and brown sugar glaze.

Carrots also have a crunchy texture which pairs very well with tender chicken meat.

Besides, their vibrant color coated in a golden glaze is simply addicting, so they’ll make excellent side dishes to bring some sweetness to your meal.

Since candied carrots are essentially sweet, abstain from serving them too frequently so that it doesn’t harm your health in the process.

Nonetheless, it’s a great choice if your guests have a sweet tooth.

6 – Parmesan Baked Tomatoes

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Quick and simple side dishes are always a must when considering chicken dishes.

One dish you can easily prepare is baked tomatoes– with parmesan.

This dish never disappoints because it has a tangy flavor and a delicate texture that melts into your mouth as you bite into it.

The sweet and sour taste of raw tomatoes mellows into sweet and tangy flavors when you bake them with cheese.

The sweet and nutty taste of parmesan is responsible for altering the tomatoes’ taste to best complement the chicken.

You can also add a secondary cheese if you want your baked tomatoes to have more gooey cheese.

7 – Sesame Soba Noodles

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There can never be too many pasta dishes for chicken; when you think you’ve found the best one is when you find another.

So, try these sesame soba noodles for a change.

Soba (buckwheat noodles) is suitable to be consumed hot or cold, making it a versatile ingredient in your pantry.

It is dark and chewy and can make a refreshing cold dish for warm days or be cooked as any other pasta as a warm snack.

This dish gives your meal an Asian twist without incorporating any ingredients that overpower the meat.

It is low-fat and gluten-free and adds decent plant protein to your meal, making it healthier than regular pasta.

8 – Grilled Fruit Skewers

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Fruity flavors are always a must when serving chicken; they help balance the meaty dryness by providing juicy and hydrating elements.

The best fruit skewers always contain fresh seasonal fruits because that is the simplest way to ensure you get the most flavor from your ingredients.

In addition, grilling the fruits before skewering them gives a smoky accent.

While doing this, you want your fruits to be ripe yet firm enough to retain their structure through grilling.

Another thing to remember is to use various fruit flavors; you could pair tangy kiwi and pineapple with sweet mangoes and strawberries.

9 – Corn Chili Tacos

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Serving tacos is one simple to elevate your meal without relying on complex cooking processes.

They are compact and packed with so much flavor from the filling.

A corn chili taco introduces contrasting elements to the shake-and-bake chicken.

It is vibrantly appealing and contains a delicious crunch, making eating so much fun.

The creamy red sauce also brings a contrasting flavor to the naturally sweet corn.

Meanwhile, the tortillas in these tacos are chewy and mild, so they complement the savory corn to prevent it from overpowering the chicken entrée.

All in all, these tacos are an excellent way to add plant protein and dietary fiber to your meal and receive some potent antioxidants.

10 – Mushroom Rice

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This one-pot dish is quick and easy, but its simple preparation doesn’t reflect the final taste.

You’ll receive a filling dish full of umami flavors and earthy aromas.

The mushrooms are meaty and tender, while the rice is soft and fluffy– a combination that is simply addicting.

Substituting white rice with healthier variants like brown rice is a minor yet significant change.

And if aromatic rice is your preference, consider basmati or jasmine rice.

As regards the complementing ingredients, you can rely on colorful veggies that’ll provide you with plenty of phytochemicals.

You can flavor this dish with butter for a more aromatic and flavorful finish.

Conclusion

Shake-and-bake chicken is one of the simplest and quickest dinner recipes.

So, you can take some time to create deliciously refreshing sides that will provide contrasting elements to your meal.

Whatever side dishes you choose, always ensure that they align well with the ingredients in your chicken dish.

That way, you’ll always have an enjoyable meal.