A store-bought rotisserie chicken is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s cheap, tasty and, best of all, pre-cooked. Our favorite trick: Eat it a few days in a row, but swap out the accompanying sides to keep things interesting. With these 20 quick and easy side dishes, you can’t go wrong.
20 Quick and Easy Side Dishes to Try with Rotisserie Chicken
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Published Nov 28, 2022
1. Cabbage-Fennel Salad with Honeycrisp Apples
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
We love transforming cabbage into a side dish for a few reasons: It’s heartier than lettuce, surprisingly versatile and adaptable to flavor profiles beyond the usual mayo-based slaw.
2. Crispy and Spicy Harissa Potatoes with Yogurt
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <500 calories, beginner-friendly
These buttery-soft potato bites are coated in a super simple sweet-and-savory crust that gets a little heat from harissa, a chili paste used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking.
3. Herb-Butter Glazed Radishes
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free
Radishes and chicken are a classic pairing, and roasting the veg in the oven tames the usual peppery bite.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Short of plopping a bottle of store-bought dressing next to some carrot sticks, how can you sneak everyone’s fave condiment on the menu? With this herby, creamy potato salad, of course.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
It has all the textures and flavors you could want, requires minimal cooking and is ready for consumption in 20 minutes.
6. Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
It has cream cheese, bacon and plenty of heat—mind blown.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, vegetarian, <30 minutes
Dress up the basic biscuit with a cozy combo of pumpkin and sage.
8. Creamy Red Potato Salad with Radishes, Capers and Chives
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
Thanks to tarragon, capers and plenty of mustard, this is not your mom’s potato salad.
9. Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, no cook
A delicious way to stock up on vitamins and antioxidants.
10. Lemony Grated Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes, Olives and Feta
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, no cook, low carb
When it comes to crunchy raw zucchini and cherry tomatoes, you can enjoy their fresh flavors all year long.
11. Creamed Corn
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free
This classic side dish is for more than just Thanksgiving.
12. Healthy Baked French Fries with Garlic, Parmesan and Truffle Oil
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, <500 calories
We’ve never met a fry we didn’t like. And if it doesn’t require deep-frying, even better.
13. Citrus, Fennel and Avocado Salad
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook
Brighten up the dinner table with this sweet-tart side dish.
14. Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, sheet pan recipe
We’ll always have a soft spot for mashed potatoes, but we love the crispy texture these spuds bring to the table.
15. Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Herb Whipped Feta
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, vegetarian, <500 calories
This creamy, tangy, garlicky number is worthy of your side dish speed dial.
16. Cheater’s Skillet Lasagna with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: one pan, vegetarian
This gorgeous skillet is ready in just 35 minutes and calls for just ten ingredients.
17. Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Time Commitment: 22 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser
Rice goes with just about everything, but how can you make it even better? With an Instant Pot, naturally.
18. Everything Bagel Dinner Rolls
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Sure, you’ll impress everyone at the table with soft and fluffy rolls. Now imagine how they’ll react when you add everything bagel seasoning.
19. Bacon Pea Creamy Pasta Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Because everything’s better with bacon.
20. Charred Carrots with Herbs
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
The basil-mint dressing alone is a vegetable game-changer, but charring the carrots adds a smoky flavor that’s *chef’s kiss.*