What to Serve with Roast Chicken in Winter: 12 Easy Sides

If you’re looking for a great side dish that goes with roast chicken in winter, consider serving mashed potatoes. This dish is simple to prepare and is one of the most comforting sides that you can have. You can also choose to serve a green salad or roasted brussels sprouts.

As the temperature drops and winter approaches, it’s important to keep your body warm and cozy.

But who says you can’t have roast chicken any time of the year? Sure, there are lots of ways to eat it, but you can also choose to serve it with sides!

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, you don’t need to wait until the holidays to enjoy this scrumptious dish.

It’s a versatile meal that goes well with many dishes. Whether you’re having it for lunch or dinner, you can pair it with a variety of side dishes.

So without further ado, let’s start looking at some delicious side dish recipes that pair beautifully with roasted chicken during the cold winter months.

Read Also: Roast Chicken Wine Pairing – The Best Wines for Roast Chicken

What to Serve with Roast Chicken in Winter: 12 Easy Sides

Roasted chicken is one of the best foods to serve in the winter. It can be served with a variety of side dishes, such as rice, pasta and mashed potatoes. You may even opt for a potato salad or a green salad.

However, there are even more sides to choose from:

1. Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted sprouts are just bursting with flavour, and they’re a great way to add some crunch to a meal – especially if you’re serving a main course of chicken during the cold winter months.

You can buy them pre-roasted from the supermarket, or you can make your own.

If you’re really keen to make an effort, you could try making your own stock with some leftover chicken bones, adding a little olive oil, garlic, and herbs, and then roasting the stock with the Brussels sprouts.

This should make enough for 6-8 side servings. Simply add a handful of sprouts to each person’s serving and top with your homemade chicken stock (See Also: 8 Best Herbs and Spices for Chicken Stock).

2. Green Salad

A green salad is a great option for what to serve with roast chicken during the cold winter months.

It’s packed with plenty of vitamins and minerals, and helps to provide the body with a good dose of healthy, fresh greens.

To make this side dish extra special, you can add a few of your favourite greens to the bowl, like spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce.

3. Mashed Potatoes

It’s always a good idea to keep some potatoes on hand for the winter months when you’re planning a roast chicken dinner.

This is because you can make mashed potatoes in advance and then reheat them in the microwave or oven for a quick and easy addition to roast chicken.

You can make them creamy with some butter and milk, or you can make them chunky if that’s more your style.

I like to make them chunky in a large mixing bowl, add some freshly grated cheese and then mash them down with a fork.

4. Steamed Broccoli

Steamed broccoli is a really easy side dish that I like to make for the cold, wet days of winter. Simply steam some broccoli in the microwave, then pop it into the fridge to chill.

The best part about steamed broccoli is that you can serve it hot or cold, so you can have a great variety of options to suit all tastes and dietary needs.

5. Oven Roasted Potatoes

Boil some potatoes in their skins, then pop them into a hot oven until they’re golden and crispy.

Once they’ve cooled down a little, you can cut into them and scoop out the delicious, yummy potato flesh.

This is a great option for a cold day, when you’re eating in the comfort of your home, or if you’re spending lots of time in the kitchen.

6. Green Beans

Green beans are so versatile! They’re great eaten hot and fresh from the oven, but are also perfect served cold if you want a healthy, refreshing side dish. I like to steam them for 10 minutes, then quickly stir fry them in a wok for 1 minute.

They’re so quick and easy, and taste really good if you’re cooking them when the weather is a little cooler.

They can go into a variety of dishes as a side, and are especially nice when you’re eating a chicken and vegetable dish like roast chicken with a veggie side such as these.

7. Fried Rice

A good fried rice is so satisfying, and just as tasty whether it’s served hot or cold. It’s a really versatile dish, which is what makes it so easy to cook. The secret to a tasty fried rice is to use plenty of vegetables.

As well as the usual suspects, like broccoli, carrots, and spring onions, you can add in some seasonal ingredients, like asparagus, peas, and even more mushrooms.

This is a great dish to make when you’re feeling a little creative. You can get creative with how you layer your ingredients, or just cook them all together.

8. Roasted Vegetables

Another satisfying meal that takes very little time to make. Roasting brings out so many of the natural flavours of fresh vegetables, and the result is a dish that’s packed with flavour and nutrition.

Roasted vegetables are a great way to serve leftovers. You can make up a pot of them when you’re having a roast dinner, and then use them for lunch and supper.

Some vegetables to try include asparagus, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, and baby carrots.

9. Greek Salad

The key to a good Greek salad is to choose your ingredients carefully, and make sure you get the balance right to achieve the perfect flavour profile.

I tend to go for a selection of colourful vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, and a mixture of crunchy and soft elements like bread, feta cheese, olives, and olive oil.

10. Stuffed Tomatoes

When it comes to stuffed tomatoes, you can’t really go wrong. There are plenty of great options here, but my personal favourite is a simple mixture of goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes.

I love the combination of fresh, tangy goat cheese with the warmth of the roasted peppers, and the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes adding a nice contrast.

If you’re not particularly keen on using sun-dried tomatoes, then you could opt for tinned tomatoes instead.

11. Garlic Bread

Some people might think that garlic bread is a little bit of a gimmick. But I have to agree that it can be a really fun addition to a meal if you’re feeling playful, or if you’re looking to spice it up a little.

You can use a variety of types of bread here, such as a focaccia, a baguette, or even a plain slice of white bread. The secret is to cook the garlic in the pan first, so you can infuse it with the flavour of the bread.

12. Rice Pilaf

Rice pilaf works surprisingly well as a side dish to roast chicken, as it can be served warm or cold, and takes very little time to prepare.

Rice pilaf is one of the dishes that I grew up eating at home, and I’ve kept a tradition of making it whenever I have the chance.

The trick is to cook the rice in plenty of stock and add your favourite spices. The stock also helps to bind the rice together, so you’ll get fewer lumps in the finished dish.

I like to use a simple, fragrant spice mix like cinnamon, cumin, and saffron to make my pilaf.