Words fail to communicate the pleasures of a great chicken and dumpling stew. This much-loved traditional dish is loaded with bright and sweet vegetables like carrots and peas, and the broth is luxurious and velvety.
And those dumplings. Kissed with fresh herbs, they’re tender and light – while at the same time rich, hearty, and filling. So filling, in fact, that it can seem like a meal in itself.
That said, there’s no reason you can’t make it part of a larger meal while keeping it the star of the show. Choose the perfect list of side dishes and you can make a great meal even better.
It doesn’t have to be difficult, though, because when it comes to what to serve with chicken and dumplings, sometimes simple is better.
Chicken with dumplings is quite hearty, so vegetable side dishes and salads can bring a nice contrast of flavors and textures without weighing the meal down.
We have a lot of favorites that go well with chicken and dumplings, from saucy sautéed greens that play into the dumplings’ silky textures to light, bright, and sweet salads that bring contrasting crunch.
What Goes with Chicken and Dumplings: Our Luxurious Choices
- Stuffed Peppers
- Steamed Veggies with an Herb Butter Sauce
- Creamed Corn
- Candied Pecan Frisee Salad
- Creamed Spinach
- Grilled Corn
- Broccoli Salad
- Purple Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Mini Cornbread Loaves
- Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Swiss Chard Salad
- Braided Onion Cheese Bread
1. Vegan Stuffed Peppers
When contemplating what to eat with chicken and dumplings, it never hurts to “get earthy.”
In this case, we mean nutty and toothsome brown rice. Now, take that hearty rice, and combine it with mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini.
Then pack it all into colorful bell peppers and bake if off with a bright tomato puree.
It’s a bevy of flavors in a pepper! Stuffed peppers to the yummiest degree.
Check out Sam’s recipe over at Ahead of Thyme and be prepared to have the perfect side for the perfect chicken and dumplings.
2. Steamed Veggies with an Herb Butter Sauce
We love recipes that don’t require a ton of equipment. Or can help out in case of an unfortunate eventuality, like your steamer basket being in the shop for repairs. (Hey, it can happen!)
And we’re always daydreaming about perfectly steamed veggies in a rich herby sauce.
See how to steam veggies without a steamer, and be prepared to fall in love with this recipe from Vegan Cooking with Love.
3. Creamed Corn
Hearty, creamy corn isn’t just sunny and bright, it can also make you feel like everything is right in the world.
Oh, and it tastes like pure happiness.
Feel free to top it with some fresh herbs to keep the joyful enlightenment going.
Pair it with your favorite chicken and dumplings recipe, and prepare to swoon.
Grab Amy’s delicious recipe over at The Blonde Cook.
4. Candied Pecan Frisee Salad
We love a big salad. And it always helps if the salad has some candied nuts.
And then we saw the salad is drizzled with brown butter, and we fainted straightaway.
Think how much your chicken and dumplings will love this.
Grab Erin’s delectable recipe at The Almond Eater.
5. Best Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach next to chicken and dumplings? Sign us up!
While we think of this favorite spinach dish as a steakhouse favorite, it refuses to be pigeonholed.
Don’t put creamed spinach in a corner.
Instead, pair it with fluffy dumplings and chicken in a savory sauce, and watch it shine.
Grab Jessica’s enticing recipe at The Novice Chef.
6. Best Grilled Corn
Let’s face it, part of the reason we love chicken and dumplings, is because it makes us feel like a little kid.
Now, as adults, we love to grill corn with a cold beverage in hand, while inhaling the smell of summer.
And then we proudly bring the platter of mounded corn to the table and serve it with our chicken and dumplings.
It’s the perfect mix of childhood and adulthood.
Heidi over at Foodie Crush has a fantastic recipe for this favorite side.
7. Broccoli Salad
We love a super-duper colorful salad as a side dish for rich and creamy chicken and dumplings. And we also really, really love crisp broccoli.
So, when we bring those two together, we get a fantastic broccoli salad that’s loaded with flavor.
The creamy dressing marries perfectly with the main dish, making it a natural on the plate.
Oh, and did we mention that our perfect salad features bacon and cheese too?
And we found an exemplary recipe from Aimee over at Shugary Sweets.
8. Purple Garlic Mashed Potatoes
We don’t like to skimp on flavor, and we really don’t like to skimp on visual appeal.
Which is why we’re so in love with purple potatoes. They’re so vibrant they nearly jump out of the shopping bag when you bring them home.
And they make a stunning, stunning side dish for chicken and dumplings. They’re loaded with butter and milk, and they’re gorgeous.
Grab a gorgeous recipe from Mike at The Iron You.
9. Mini Cornbread Loaves
If one has little bread pans kicking around, sometimes one is a little cowed by them. They’re so adorable, but what recipe is delightful enough to deserve the love from the pans?
How about mini-cornbread loaves?
Cornbread pairs amazingly well with chicken and dumplings.
So, we were thrilled to find a marvelous recipe from Vanessa over at Smart Little Cookie.
10. Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon
Sour notes from a side can be just the thing for a rich main dish.
Think briny pickles, puckery citrus, or – one of our favorites – sweet and sour cabbage.
We love a good cabbage that’s surrounded by tangy apple cider vinegar, smoky bacon, and sugar.
Grab Christin’s quick and simple recipe over at Spicy Southern Kitchen.
11. Fried Green Tomatoes
Green tomatoes have a lovely citrusy note that always brings us to the table for more.
The crunch, the decadence, and the bit of salt at the end – from start to finish, they make our taste buds sit up and take notice.
The fried texture belies just how light and delicate the flavors of the green tomatoes really are. Which makes them the perfect side dish for chicken and dumplings.
Marissa has a fantastic recipe over at Pinch and Swirl right here.
12. Swiss Chard Salad
Yes, all those words from the old Batman television series jump into our minds when we think of rainbow Swiss chard. These bundles of cruciferous color explode out of the bowl.
And they only get better when they’re thinly sliced into ribbons and tossed with tangy apples, nutty seeds, and salty feta.
Get ready to toss the salad in a lemony vinaigrette, and watch your chicken and dumplings fall in love.
Sue at The View from Great Island has a fantastic recipe showcasing one of our favorite ingredients.
13. Braided Onion Cheese Bread
Why yes, we do love a good stuffed bread. And what would be better than a bread stuffed with two sharp cheeses and onion?
We love a good cheesy, oniony bread to dip into our chicken and dumplings. If you like French onion soup, you’ll love this side idea.
We found a recipe that lives up to our flavor expectations from Si over at A Bountiful Kitchen. You want this.
What favorite combinations are you going to pick for dinner tonight?
What to Serve with Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- Stuffed Peppers
- Steamed Veggies
- Creamed Corn
- Pecan Frisee Salad
- Creamed Spinach
- Grilled Corn
- Broccoli Salad
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cornbread Loaves
- Sweet & Sour Cabbage
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Swiss Chard Salad
- Cheese Bread
Instructions
- Choose your desired Chicken and Dumplings side dish recipe.
- Gather and organize needed ingredients.
- Create a tasty Chicken and Dumplings side to complete your meal!