43 Best Side Dishes For BBQ Grilled Chicken
by My very best Sides for BBQ Chicken! Hand-picked out of hundreds of healthy side dishes on the blog, these healthy side dishes are MADE for BBQ grilled chicken! From low-carb to vegan or paleo to gluten-free, get ready for the most delicious and terrific summer cookout!
And don’t forget to also save my 23+ Asian-inspired Sauce for grilled chicken! It’s the perfect pairing for your summer cookout!
Best BBQ Chicken Sides
Did you know cooking over charcoal grill has long been popular in Asia? So no wonder there are loads of delicious healthy side dishes on my website that are made to pair well with bbq chicken dishes. 🙂
Who can resist smokey juicy grilled chicken, served with refreshing and full of flavor and texture side dishes? Not me! So get ready for my picks for the best BBQ Chicken Side Dishes! Let’s go!
Tip: Use the table of contents to jump to a section for quick access. Many of these dishes are compatible with more than one dietary preferences.
Sides with bbq chicken – Low Carb
These low carb friendly side dishes are full of flavor and texture. Many of them are also vegan, paleo, or no cook. All of them will go well with grilled chicken!
- Keto egg rolls
- Keto scallion pancakes
- Keto kimchi pancake
- Mung bean sprouts salad (vegan)
- Chinese garlic green beans (vegan, paleo)
- Bok choy salad (vegan, paleo)
- Chinese broccoli in garlic sauce (vegan, paleo)
- Asian cucumber salad (paleo, no cook)
- Chinese smashed cucumber salad (paleo, vegan, no cook)
Sides for grilled chicken – Vegan
Don’t forget your plant-based friends! Treat them with these delicious mini bites from no cook fruit salad to air fried vegan “fried” chicken. Even your non-vegan friends will fall in love with these dishes!
- Air fryer brussels sprouts (maple lemon glaze)
- Japanese cucumber salad (no cook, paleo)
- Watermelon fruit salad (no cook)
- Broccoli pesto pasta salad
- Gomaae Japanese spinach salad (low carb, no cook)
- Almond cold tofu salad (no cook)
- Herb stuffed mushrooms (paleo, low carb)
Easy side dishes for BBQ – No Cook
These no-cook bbq sides are the ultimate easy sides for BBQ! Many of these dishes can be made ahead, especially the dressings. Keep the chilled in the fridge until you are ready to serve!
- Shirataki cold noodles (low carb)
- Vietnamese shirataki cold noodle salad (low carb)
- Korean chilled zucchini sides (vegan, paleo, low carb)
- Cucumber noodle salad with Thai “peanut” sauce (vegan, paleo, low carb)
- Tatsoi asian salad (vegan, paleo, low carb)
- Vegetarian bibimbap (paleo, whole30)
BBQ Chicken Sides Ideas – Paleo & Whole30
Not only do these dishes are paleo, but also they are loaded with flavor and refreshing texture! These bbq sides ideas will set your barbecue feast apart from all the rest!
- Zucchini carrot fritters (vegetarian)
- Carrot-celery slaw (no cook)
- Asian coleslaw (no cook)
- Skillet roasted brussels sprouts
- Paleo kimchi (vegan, no cook)
- Paleo kale salad (vegan, no cook)
- Mandarin orange salad
- Lemon garlic broccoli salad
- Sauteed mushrooms with cauliflower crumbles
- Grilled peach salad
- Thai bok choy salad
- Curried chicken kale fennel salad
BBQ sides – Gluten-free
For those of you who love crispy crunchy bites, I’ve got you covered! You’ll find quite a few sides for bbq chicken, paired with air fried side dishes ideas, plus a few of my personal favorites – creamy chilled Japanese potato salad, crispy rice sushi (add grilled chicken on top!), and air fried oyster mushrooms!
- Rice paper dumplings (vegan, air fry)
- Air fried oyster mushrooms (vegan, air fry)
- Crispy rice sushi (air fry)
- Asian chopped salad with bok choy (vegan, no cook)
- Broccolini noodle salad
- Baked sweet potatoes (with chickpea miso butter)
- Sauteed asparagus (with chickpea miso butter)
- Japanese potato salad
- Air fry corn ribs!
Looking for grilled chicken?
Pair these delicious bbq sides with grilled chicken drumsticks, yakitori skewers, or tsukune (Japanese grilled chicken meatballs). And these chicken recipes also great for bbq – honey sriracha chicken and Vietnamese chicken wings. Browse more of my healthy summer bbq recipes or 25 low carb meal prep ideas!
40+ Simple Sides For BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded green cabbage
- 2 cups thinly sliced radicchio or purple cabbage
- 2 cups tatsoi, see notes
- 2 cups julienned carrots
- 0.5 lb cooked chicken breasts or thighs, diced
- 2 bulbs scallions, chopped
- 0.5 cup slivered almonds
- Coarse seas salt to taste
- 10.5 oz canned mandarin oranges, I use WholeFoods in pear juice
- Toasted white or black sesame seeds, optional
For the Asian peanut sauce/salad dressing: (makes 1 cup)
- For detailed instructions on how to make the dressing, please click the link here.
- ⅓ cup canned Mandarin orange juice
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp almond butter, or cashew nut or sunflower seed butter
- 0.25 oz grated garlic
- 0.25 oz grated ginger
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a large salad mixing bowl, add ingredients from cabbage to almonds.
- Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad bowl. Toss and incorporate well. Season with salt to taste. Place the mandarin oranges on top. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, if using. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Love the air fryer oyster mushrooms and sauteed asparagus!! All so finger licking delicious! Thanks for these.
We love the Asian cucumber salad! We make it alll the time – it’s super refreshing for hot summer!
great ideas to serve with chicken or really at any bbq party! all great inspo
Love all the inspiration and new ideas! I now NEED herb stuffed mushrooms lol
love that one for sure!
Yum, so many great ideas for sides to barbecue chicken! I’ll definitely be making more than one of these this summer. Thanks for sharing.