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The 45 Best Sides for Pork Chops

sides for pork chops brussels sprouts skillet with pancetta and breadcrumbs recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

We’re all about one-pot meals, sheet pan dinners and recipes that tell us to throw everything in a Crockpot and call it a night. Nevertheless, there’s something satisfying about a classic square meal—a protein, carb and vegetable, just like your mom used to serve. Pork chops are a safe bet, since they’re easy to prepare, relatively lean and always delicious. But what should you serve with them? Here are 45 of the best sides for pork chops, from fancy baked potatoes to homemade applesauce.

sides for pork chops spicy broccoli saute recipe
Eva Kolenko/Bread Toast Crumbs

1. Spicy Broccoli Sauté

Switch it up from your usual roasted situation with the help of garlic, breadcrumbs and crushed red pepper flakes.

sides for pork chops maple cinnamon squash agrodolce recipe
Christopher Testani/Instant Family Meals

2. Maple-cinnamon Squash Agrodolce

It’s naturally sweet and creamy, and all comes together in an Instant Pot.

sides for pork chops melted onions recipe
Linda Pugliese/Help Yourself

3. Melted Onions

They’re gorgeous, unexpected and supremely easy to make.

sides for pork chops ina garten roasted broccoli and cheddar recipe
Quentin Bacon/Modern Comfort Food

4. Ina Garten’s Roasted Broccolini And Cheddar

Ready in 20 minutes flat. In the words of Ina herself, how easy is that?

sides for pork chops baby vegetabled with orange and thyme recipe
Ola Smit/Dinner's In the Bag

5. Baby Vegetables With Orange And Thyme

Sometimes simple is best, especially when there’s minimal cleanup required.

sides for pork chops brussels sprouts skillet with pancetta and breadcrumbs recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

6. Brussels Sprouts Skillet With Pancetta-garlic Bread Crumbs

What’s a little extra pork between friends? Substitute bacon for pancetta if you'd prefer.

best sides for pork chops homemade applesauce
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7. Easy Homemade Applesauce

Your kids will be extra psyched about this timeless pairing. It's done in 15 minutes, no peeling required.

side dishes for pork chops potatoes au gratin recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

8. The Best Potatoes Au Gratin Ever

We like Gruyère to balance out the creaminess of this classic French dish, but feel free to experiment with other cheeses.

side dishes for pork chops baked sweet potato fries recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

9. Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Like applesauce, the sweetness in these fries brings out the flavor of the pork chop. The vitamins and minerals are just a bonus.

side dishes for pork chops oven roasted beets and potatoes recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

10. Oven-roasted Beets And Potatoes

This skillet dish is begging for a spot on your Instagram story. Don't be shy with the fresh thyme and rosemary.

side dishes for pork chops make ahead mashed potatoes
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

11. Make-ahead Mashed Potatoes

The secret weapon in these velvety, make-ahead potatoes is cream cheese (but shh, don’t tell anyone).

side dishes for pork chops cauliflower macaroni and cheese
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

12. Cauliflower Macaroni And Cheese

Put on your drawstring pants, because you're going to want seconds (and even thirds) of this cauli mac.

side dishes for pork chops hasselback butternut squash
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

13. Hasselback Butternut Squash

Ooh, so fancy. Might we suggest bookmarking this autumnal masterpiece for Thanksgiving dinner?

side dishes for pork chops creamy brussels sprouts casserole
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

14. Creamed Brussels Sprouts With Caramelized Onions

Bust out your favorite casserole dish for this Gruyère-laced veggie side. You'll love the crispy fried sage on top.

side dishes for pork chops barley risotto stuffed mushrooms
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

15. Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed With Barley Risotto

Kick things up a notch with a vegetarian side that even carnivores can get behind.

sides for pork chops brussels sprouts latkes recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

16. Brussels Sprouts Latkes

Move over, potatoes. We'll be eating these veggie fritters all year long, with a heaping side of sour cream.

sides for pork chops leek kale and goat cheese strata recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

17. Leek, Kale And Goat Cheese Strata

What's strata? We're so glad you asked. It's a casserole layered with egg, bread and cheese.

sides for pork chops green goddess lettuce wraps recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

18. Green Goddess Lettuce Wraps

Presenting our favorite way to eat salad. Serve them with plenty of homemade green goddess dip on the side.

sides for pork chops light and tangy coleslaw recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

19. Light And Tangy Coleslaw

Made with a tangy vinegar base instead of mayo, this side is especially tasty with pork chops.

side dishes for pork chops coconut creamed spinach recipe
Erin McDowell

20. Coconut Creamed Spinach

Thanks to coconut milk, your go-to dinner side is now dairy-free (and just a tad healthier).

side dishes for pork chops baked potatoes recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

21. Baked Potatoes

Top them with creamy mushrooms, spicy Brussels sprouts or balsamic caramelized onions (or sour cream and chives—we won’t judge).

side dishes for pork chops grilled corned on the cob recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

22. Grilled Corn With Spicy Aioli

We feel a cookout coming on. Prepare this in the summertime with grilled pork chops and a crunchy green salad.

best sides for pork chops one pot mac and cheese
Katherine Gillen

23. One-pot Mac And Cheese

Every one of your guests will be beyond stoked to see this seven-ingredient comfort hit the table.

side dishes for pork chops cacio e pepe brussels sprouts recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

24. Cacio E Pepe Brussels Sprouts

They’re caramelized, cheesy and well worth a second helping.

side dishes for pork chops cranberry apple salad recipe
Floating Kitchen

25. Cranberry Apple Salad

We love this crisp starter with apples, macerated cranberries, walnuts and mustard vinaigrette.

side dishes for pork chops creamed corn recipe
Gimme Some Oven

26. Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Made in the slow cooker with only five ingredients, this is basically our dream side. Serve it with burgers, steak, pasta and, of course, pork chops.

side dishes for pork chops mustard maple kale quinoa salad recipe
The Full Helping

27. Maple Mustard Kale, Quinoa And Pecan Salad

Fact: A good kale salad voids any other nutritional sins, including this beauty by PureWow Coterie member Gena Hamshaw.

side dishes for pork chops roasted broccoli recipe
Two Peas and Their Pod

28. Magic Broccoli

Garlic, lemon and a little salt and pepper are all you need to create an awesome, 25-minute side.

side dishes for pork chops roasted delicata squash
The Clean Eating Couple

29. Cinnamon Paprika Roasted Delicata Squash

A little sweet, a little spicy and extremely tasty, brought to you by Coterie member Liz Falcigno.

side dishes for pork chops caesar salad recipe
Gimme Some Oven

30. Caesar Salad

Need something to stand up to your pork chops? Use hearty kale in your usual Caesar instead of lettuce.

side dishes for pork chops blue cheese iceberg wedge salad recipe
Foodie Crush

31. Classic Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

PureWow Coterie member Heidi Larsen knows the ultimate salad is one that's piled high with bacon.

side dishes for pork chops green beans almondine recipe
The Clean Eating Couple

32. Green Beans Almondine

PureWow Coterie member Liz Falcigno gives us a keto-friendly, Whole30-approved take on the traditional butter-soaked dish.

side dishes for pork chops sesame garlic roasted asparagus recipe
Ambitious Kitchen

33. Sesame Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Coterie member Monique Volz perfected an already perfect side with the help of sesame oil and crunchy sesame seeds.

side dishes for pork chops baked avocados with fresh salad recipe
Floating Kitchen

34. Baked Avocados With Fresh Salsa

Baking an avocado? We know, it's genius. They're crowned with cherry tomatoes, corn, queso fresco and lime juice.

side dishes for pork chops parmesan pesto roasted potatoes recipe
Two Peas and Their Pod

35. Parmesan-pesto Roasted Potatoes

Pork chops and potatoes are always a delicious pairing, but when the taters are slathered in basil pesto, it's just plain epic.

best sides for pork chops smashed brussels sprouts recipe
Katherine Gillen

36. Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Hot take: Brussels sprouts are the new potatoes. You're only six ingredients away from their tastiest iteration yet.

best sides for pork chops balsamic thyme roasted mushrooms recipe
Kristen Kilpatrick/The Comfortable Kitchen

37. Balsamic-thyme Roasted Mushrooms

The mushrooms cook to savory perfection in their own pan sauce, which is thickened with a simple arrowroot flour slurry.

best sides for pork chops 50 50 buttered noodles and greens recipe
Mark Weinberg/I Dream of Dinner

38. 50-50 Buttered Noodles And Greens

Even picky kids won't mind the broccoli rabe, since it's swimming in a pseudo cream sauce made from butter, Parmesan cheese and pasta water.

best sides for pork chops crunchy broccoli salad recipe
Katherine Gillen

39. Crunchy Broccoli Salad

Don't knock raw broccoli 'til you've tried it. This 20-minute side boasts roasted sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and cheddar cheese.

best sides for pork chops wild mushroom potato onion tart recipe

40. Wild Mushroom, Potato And Onion Tart

If you're aiming to impress your dinner guests (or roommates), look no further than this tart, which sneakily starts with store-bought puff pastry.

best sides for pork chops green cabbage gratin recipe
Kelly Marshall/Sunday Best

41. Green Cabbage Gratin

Because *everything* is better with cheese, butter, wine and breadcrumbs—even humble, underrated cabbage.

best sides for pork chops ranch potato salad recipe
Katherine Gillen

42. Ranch Potato Salad

Just the creamy, herby, tangy update this picnic side needed. We wouldn't blame you for drizzling the dressing over your pork chop.

best sides for pork chops caesar pasta salad recipe
Robert Bredvad/The Secret Ingredient Cookbook

43. Caesar Pasta Salad

Never choose between tender, creamy pasta and crisp, leafy greens again. (The dressing doubles as a zingy party dip, BTW.)

best sides for pork chops white wine braised leeks recipe
Nicole Franzen/To The Last Bite

44. White Wine Braised Leeks

So tender, they practically melt in your mouth. Their garlicky, herby flavor is just the pairing for an expertly seared pork chop.

best sides for pork chops caramelized kimchi baked potatoes recipe
Jenny Huang/Korean American

45. Caramelized Kimchi Baked Potatoes

A touch of sugar balances punchy kimchi and nutty sesame oil like a charm. Finish them with all the mozz and sour cream your heart desires.


purewow author

taryn pire

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...