A good garnish not only enriches the main course without detracting from its presence, but also provides diners with a memorable sensory experience. For this reason, choosing the right side dish is an essential task when planning a menu, whether for your day-to-day or for a special occasion. Well, this complement has the ability to transform an ordinary meal into a whole delicatessen. Thinking about all of the above, prepares for you an easy guide to side dishes for meat, so that you have it on hand whenever you need it. In addition, in our tour, we tell you several ways to select so you can experiment and create your own combinations.
Don’t miss out best side dishes for meat. Let’s cook!
Basic criteria to select the ideal companion
In principle, to start the tour on the right foot, it will be very useful for you to take into account the following three basic criteria to select the ideal companion for your meals; from this we leave the rest to your creativity:
- It should enhance the flavor of the food it accompanies. You can even go further and match the textures in favor of the main course, but the main thing is that it never masks or detracts from its flavor.
- It needs to nutritionally complement the main dish. Their presence serves to achieve a balanced meal.
- It favors the presentation of the main preparation. Take advantage of the shapes and colors of its ingredients to decorate the food it accompanies.
Side dishes for all types of dishes
Although it is true that there are garnishes with textures and flavors that favor certain main dishes more, it is also true that there are accompaniments that work with everything and can get you out of trouble on any occasion, without subtracting attributes from your food. Next, we leave you the main ones at our discretion, but if you know any other quick and easy accompaniment for meats like that, let us know!
- Green leafy salads. They adapt perfectly with any protein (red meat, fish and poultry). Of course, always try to have some special ingredient that gives it a distinctive touch in flavor and/or texture (nuts, fruits, etc.).
- Rice in almost all its varieties. The common white rice goes well with everything, but dare with other classes. For example, basmati rice has a delicate sweet and nutty flavor, perfect to accompany marinated meats and Moorish skewers.
- Vegetables and vegetables. Roasted vegetables are better in stews and steamed vegetables do not fail in white fish recipes.
- Of course, this vegetable needs a separate mention, as it is the queen of the infallible side dishes. Why? Because it is a very versatile food, capable of providing you with different textures and with a neutral flavor that you can manipulate until you find the perfect point of connection between the side dish and the main dish. Also, depending on the cut you use, it can work as a decorative element (in the form of canes, slices, cubes, segments, spirals, etc.)
Side dishes for baked meat
In general, practically all vegetables, cereals and legumes can be prepared as a garnish for meat, and depending on how you prepare it (seasoning, type of cooking, among others); it will favor one type of meat more than another. So far it all sounds pretty easy, but in the gastronomic world selecting the right side dish is one of the most difficult tasks there is, because there is no single way to do it, and, furthermore, they are all subject to creative changes. However, it is always useful to have culinary formulas:
- Hearty dishes use simple garnishes. It refers to those that have a single ingredient, but may have others only for their preparation.
- Light dishes that use composite garnishes. Those that use several ingredients.
For example, a stuffed roast turkey goes great with mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash, while a simple roast chicken works best with Brussels sprouts and bacon. Now, from there it is also important to consider the cooking method, for example, sometimes baked meat can be a bit dry, so you must compensate it with a juicy side dish (for example, a salad) and, if you like , add with a sauce. Now you have the idea, surely the following side dish suggestions for all kinds of baked meats will come in handy:
Simple side dishes
- Roast potatoes
- Fondant potatoes
- Anisette potatoes
- Mashed potatoes
- Baked potato strudel
- Mashed sweet potato
- Baked sweet potato
Complex garnishes
- Mashed potatoes and spinach
- Pumpkin and carrot puree
- Bethlehem Salad
- Raw vegan salad
- Brussels sprouts and bacon
- Green Bean and Avocado Citrus Salad
- Mandarin salad
Tip: all the side dishes for parties or special celebrations recommended here are also suitable for stewed meats and grilled meats.
Side dishes for fried meats
Fried foods have that I don’t know what, typical of street food, maybe that’s why they like them so much. However, depending on the focus given to it, it can be a complete meal or just a snack.
Fried side dishes
- Onion rings. They are excellent in recipes for hamburgers, fried chicken, pork ribs, and all kinds of fast food.
- Onion rings stuffed with guacamole. It serves for the same meals as the previous recipe.
- Baked Zucchini Chips. Try them with fried chicken wings, fried pork, burgers, and for grilled preparations.
- Sweet potato chips. It’s great on burgers and any kind of fast food!
- Dehydrated fruit chips. These apple and pear chips add a lot to food made with pork and lamb (whether fried, baked or grilled), but you can also experiment with other meats. For now, imagine these chips with beef and pork burgers. Divine!
- Green plantain chips with guacamole. It can be used equally as a garnish for fried, grilled or barbecued foods.
- Healthy nachos. Perfect to accompany hamburgers, hotdogs and meat rolls.
- Straw potatoes. It is a classic and is great with hamburgers, hot dogs and other snacks. What do you think of this side dish for meat?
Salads
- American coleslaw. Perfect for barbecues, sandwiches, fish and chips, etc. Contains purple cabbage, carrot, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, mustard seeds, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Purple cabbage salad with pineapple. The ingredients are: purple cabbage, pineapple, cucumber, white vinegar, olive oil, spearmint or mint, salt and pepper. Try it with meat rolls, sausages, fried chicken and other recipes.
- Sweet and sour cabbage and carrot salad. Contains cabbage, carrot, radish, lemon, mayonnaise, honey, mustard, salt and black pepper. It works with everything, but it is wonderful with pork or chicken.
- Avocado and arugula salad. It has arugula, avocado, lime juice, tomato, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and sugar.
- Green apple and celery salad. Its ingredients include celery stalk, green apple, lemon, mint, peanuts, almonds, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Other side dishes
- Baked spiral potatoes. Ideal not only for fried meats, but also for barbecued and grilled preparations.
- Sautéed potatoes with herbs. They are divine wherever they are placed, regardless of whether it is fried, roasted, baked or grilled meats.
Tip: the side dishes also change depending on the weather and the season of the year.
Side dishes for stewed meats
When it comes to choosing garnishes for meat in sauce, there is another very useful formula to make our work easier, and it is as follows: the main dish with sauces is accompanied by a garnish of vegetables, rice or pasta (yes, avoid repeating the vegetable to make the sauce). From there, you can make everything from classic combinations to original side dishes. For example, it is equally worth preparing the typical meat stew recipe with some roasted potatoes or something less common such as a tasty stewed chicken with pumpkin puree. That said, below we are going to inspire you with our ideas for stewed meats:
Vegetables
- Red cabbage and apple salad. Apple and red cabbage are spectacular with lamb and pork. Don’t forget to try it together!
- Red cabbage salad with apple and raisins. This is another variant of the previous recipe, perfect to accompany meat recipes for Christmas.
- Pineapple and lettuce salad. A salad with a very appetizing sweet and citrus touch, capable of transforming your main course into a scandalous recipe.
- Salad with canons and arugula. It shines especially when it accompanies turkey, pork and lamb meat. Contains lamb’s lettuce, arugula, goat cheese, pear, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt.
- Garlic mushrooms. Although this popular recipe goes well with all kinds of meats, it excels with red meats.
- Mushroom quiche. If apart from this side dish you add others that contain green and fresh vegetables, you will have a very complete dish.
- Mushrooms in green sauce. Its ingredients are: mushrooms, fresh coriander, garlic, onions, wheat flour, chicken broth, butter, oil, salt and pepper.
Rice
- Rice with chanterelles. If you want a single outline, these types of complex garnishes are what you’re looking for.
- Broad beans with rice. Contains shelled broad beans, round rice, sweet onion, garlic, paprika, bay leaf, fresh mint, olive oil, turmeric and cumin.
- White rice with red paprika. It is not only suitable for roast meat, but also for fried fish or for any chicken sauce recipe.
- Rice with carrot and onion. It has carrot, onion, vegetable broth, white rice and parsley.
Pasta
- Pasta commodore. A classic of Italian food that enriches any main dish, not only for its flavor, but also for its nutrients (mainly carbohydrates).
- Red pesto paste. Another very famous Italian side dish, capable of transforming a simple dish into a pleasure for the palate.
- Pasta salad with peas. This companion is enough for you to already have a very special complete meal.
Side dishes for grilled or grilled meats
Grilled meats have the magic of rustic meals, and nothing suits them better than accompaniments with simple and authentic flavors, although those that are original are never ruled out. If you always keep this in mind, it will be easier for you to organize your menu with side dishes for grilled meat, even more so if you complement this information with the help of the following culinary formula: grilled meat main course accompanied by vegetable side dishes, fresh salads or rice. Always keep it in mind! Clarified this point, take a look at our proposals for grilled or grilled meats:
Vegetable side dishes
- Oriental-style vegetable skewers
- Vegetarian snacks
- Wrinkled potatoes with mojo picot
- Spanish fries
- Yucca with Venezuelan mojo
- Fashionable braves potatoes
- Vegetable garnish for meat
- Fried peppers
Fresh salads
- Orange and carrot salad
- Sweet and sour salad with apple
- Cassava and avocado salad
Rice
- Rice salad
- Rice With Artichokes
- Garden rice
Side dishes for grilled meats
When we have grilled meats, you should ask yourself this question: Do you want a totally light meal or do you mind adding a few extra calories to the dish? In any case, keep in mind that grilled food always needs a touch or spark, as it can sometimes be a bit boring. With that in mind, here are a few alternatives that include gourmet side
Other side dishes for meat
As usual, here are our final recommendations for both red meat and chicken side dishes. We hope you enjoy them!
- Vegetable cantata. The Sicilian cantata consists of a sautéed vegetable, where the ingredient that stands out is the eggplant; the result is very nutritious and balanced.
- Vegetable stew. It is one of the most important traditional recipes of Spanish cuisine. It consists of a vegetable sauce that becomes a soft stew.
- Apple pie. This delicious garnish contains apple, crushed tomato, spring onion, green pepper, red pepper, eggplant, carrot, salt, white sugar and ground black pepper.
- Eggplant pyre. This side dish is a Venezuelan culinary creation that originates from colonial times. It consists of crushed vegetables (chayote squash, pumpkin, bananas, eggplant, etc.) that are mixed with a sauce (sweet pepper, onion, paprika, etc.).
- Spinach pudding. Contains spinach, onion, garlic, ricotta, eggs, grated cheese, breadcrumb tureens, salt, olive oil and oregano.
