What to serve with roast chicken – 16 roast night sides!
I love a whole roast chicken. It’s simple to cook, with bang for your buck flavors, and bonus, hopefully, there might be a bit leftover for lunch tomorrow! We do roast night most Mondays for dinner. A cracking meal to start the working week. Well, that was my Mum’s theory anyway, and I’m keeping it going! So anyway, let’s get started. Looking for what to serve with a roasted chicken? Here are my go-to roast chicken sides for roast night.
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Need a good roast chicken recipe? Try my Herbs de Provence Roast Chicken or this Greek Roast Chicken. Both are on repeat in our house on roast night!
What sides go best with roast chicken?
A good roast chicken dinner can be as simple or as over-the-top as you want it to be. Sometimes all you need is a tray of crispy roast potatoes and a green salad. Other nights? We’re talking creamy mash, gravy, buttery greens, homemade bread, and enough side dishes to barely fit on the table.
For me, the best roast chicken side dishes are all about balance. Something crispy, something creamy, something fresh, and definitely something to mop up the juices with. In winter, I lean towards cozy comfort food sides like potato gratin, soda bread, and roast vegetables. In summer, a roast chicken alongside a big salad, potato salad, or crusty bread feels just right.
And honestly? Roast chicken is one of those dinners that works with almost everything. That’s why it’s been on repeat in our house for years. Whether you’re cooking a simple weeknight roast chicken or pulling together a full Sunday roast dinner spread, these are the side dishes I keep coming back to again and again.
Do you have a favorite side dish? For me, the best side dishes for a roast chicken are hearty and full of flavor, but it really depends on the season and occasion. Roast chicken for me is a classic comfort food family dinner, it could be as easy as creamy mashed potatoes, crusty bread to mop up any leftover gravy, and a good salad or, or all the traditional side dishes like roast veg, Brussels sprouts, etc. Ahhh, the roast night possibilities!
Let’s get started…
All the potatoes!
Is it even roast night without potatoes? Whether it’s creamy mash, crispy roast potatoes, or a rich gratin, potato side dishes and roast chicken are a match made in comfort food heaven.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Creamy mashed potatoes are the BEST side for a good roast or slow-cooked stew. Any leftovers can easily be fried up the next morning for an easy breakfast treat!
Crispy duck fat roast potatoes
A potato roasted in duck fat is one thing, but to season with truffle salt, just takes it to a whole, out-of-this-world level.
Black garlic potato gratin
Serve alongside my Herbs de Provence roast chicken on roast night or as a side to a weekend BBQ, however, I find it’s a good side dish to pretty much any gathering… Because, well, sweet potatoes and potatoes!
Colcannon Mash – Creamy Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage
Is there anything more comforting than mashed potato? Especially creamy mash with other bits in it? For me, Colcannon is king when it comes to Irish potato dishes.
Spicy Cajun Roasted Potatoes – Just Add Guacamole!
They Cajun roasted potatoes are spicy and crispy on the outside, fluffy potato goodness on the inside. Just how a good roast potato should be!
Bread recipes
A warm loaf or bread roll to mop up roast chicken juices and gravy is always a good idea around here. Especially on cold nights when comfort food is the whole point of dinner.
Irish Bacon and Cheddar Soda Bread
Soda Bread… The ultimate quick bread. A time-poor mum’s Sunday morning savior when she hasn’t got a loaf of sourdough on the go. In under an hour, this savory soda bread will save your bacon (pardon the pun!) and give you a delicious, yet totally easy to bake, loaf of bread for the Sunday table.
Savoury Ham Cheese and Caramelized Onion Scrolls
Here is my grown-up version of pizza scrolls. It’s my favorite toastie combination, caramelized onion, ham, and cheese, in parmesan and black pepper dough, rolled and baked to cheesy perfection!
Cheese and Bacon Rolls
It’s an Aussie staple. Well, this is my version. Light, fluffy homemade bread rolls with a good bit of bacon and cheese thrown into the mix! Â
Easy Cast Iron Skillet Rosemary Focaccia
Homemade bread from scratch is just the BEST, isn’t it? This cast iron skillet focaccia bread is super easy to make, with very little resting time. It’s delicious slathered with butter and dunked in roast pumpkin soup.
Salads
If I’m cooking roast chicken in warmer weather, I nearly always add a fresh salad to the table. Think simply – a Greek-style roast chicken with a Caprese salad or something bright and herby to go alongside all those delicious roast chook flavours.
A Simple Burrata Caprese Salad
Nothing screams the long days of Summer quite like a Caprese salad. Layers of heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves. This simple salad with a burrata twist is a perfect addition to any bbq. A total crowd-pleaser and quick to assemble. It’s a win-win!
Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
This pesto orzo salad recipe is full of those fresh Summer vegetable garden flavors. Pasta, pesto, tomatoes, greens, a few pine nuts, and burrata. It’s a simple side dish and the perfect summer salad. Does it get any better?
Roasted Balsamic Beetroot and Carrot Salad with Labneh
The flavours of my Summer… roasted balsamic carrots and beets on a bed of lentils topped with labneh and dukkah.
Freekeh and Fava Bean Chickpea Salad
This fava bean chickpea salad is a bit of a rip-off of one we had for dinner one night as part of a mezze feast at a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai last month. It’s fast, fresh, and flavoursome.
The BEST Creamy Potato Salad with Egg and Bacon
THE potato salad that my family says is my best dish. Serve this creamy egg and bacon potato salad with your next BBQ!
Vegetables
Sometimes the simple vegetable sides are the ones everyone reaches for first. Mushy peas, buttery corn, roast vegetables… all the little extras that make roast night feel complete.
Smoky Sweet Corn Ribs in the Oven (Mexican Corn Riblets)
Because hot buttered corn cobs dripping down one’s chin is a Sunday, Summer BBQ essential. Â
My Super Simple Mushy Peas Recipe
Ok, so I’m pretty sure this Mushy Peas recipe is the easiest recipe I’ll ever share with you. Five simple ingredients. Under 10 minutes to make and you’ve got an easy side dish for every roast you’ll ever make.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CAST IRON
One pot turned into three… and now you’re hooked? It happens to the best of us. Find recipes, tips, and guides in my Cast Iron Cooking Library.
Why I love cooking roast dinners in cast iron
I just love the way a roast dinner cooked in cast iron feels extra cozy. A good enamel cast iron casserole, or skillet, holds heat beautifully, which means you get crispier roast potatoes, deeply golden roasted vegetables, and a juicy roast chicken with all those delicious pan juices bubbling away underneath – doesn’t that sound goood?!
A lot of these roast chicken side dishes are recipes I cook alongside a Dutch oven roast chicken or slow-cooked roast dinner. Things like potato gratin, skillet focaccia, roast potatoes, and homemade bread all shine when cooked in cast iron. It’s the kind of cookware that turns a simple roast night into something that feels that little bit special.
And honestly? I’m all about everything that can go straight from oven to table. Big pots, bubbling gratins, warm bread, crispy potatoes… It’s proper gather-around-the-table food. It’s so my kind of cooking.
If you love cozy roast dinners as much as we do, you can find all my favorite Dutch oven and cast iron recipes here.
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FAQ’s
Ok, so there you have it. My list of some of my favorite go-to delicious side dishes. I hope you found some great ideas to get started. A roast chicken can be as simple as a rotisserie chicken and green salad kind of dinner, or one with all the trimmings. Think roasted root vegetables, buttered green beans, and golden brown roast potatoes. Go nuts, mix it up, and create your own favorite roasted chicken dinner.
Happy roast night!
x
