What to Serve With Jerk Chicken: 10 Best Side Dishes (Updated 2024)

Name: 10 Best Jerk Chicken Sides
Ingredients: Mango Salsa; Wine; Sweet Potatoes; Collard Greens; Potato Salad; Plantains; Rice and Beans; Coleslaw; Maque Choux; Roasted Potatoes

Updated Jan 17, 2023Recipe Marker

Trying to figure out what to serve with the jerk chicken? We share a list of the best jerk chicken pairings below.

Spicy-lovers won’t be disappointed with jerk chicken on the BBQ. You’ll get a taste of sweet, spicy, and smokey flavors in one bite of this delectable meal.

Jerk chicken is chicken seasoned with a wide range of herbs and spices, including allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, and garlic.

As a result, the tastes of the meat are enhanced and an additional smoky flavor is imparted by grilling.

What to Serve with Jerk Chicken

1. Mango Salsa

Adding mango salsa to your jerk chicken is a great way to enhance the flavor of the dish.

Avocado, jalapeño, and cilantro round out the taste profile, which also includes mango. Light and refreshing, the lime juice and cumin add the finishing touches to this dish.

2. Wine

Instead of rum, use wine to make your cocktail more refined. Fill a pitcher halfway with your favorite white wine and add some fruit pieces. Adding some fresh thyme can give it a more herbal taste.

There is nothing wrong with simply sipping wine on its own if that’s what you like.

You can try a glass of Riesling or Pinot Gris, which has a subtle sweetness to counteract the spiciness of the chicken.

3. Sweet Potatoes

Spicy and sweet are a match made in heaven. It’s because of this that sweet potatoes and jerk chicken work so nicely together.

What about cooking them? If mashed potatoes go so well with crispy cuisine, why not make mashed sweet potatoes?

Together, the ingredients in this dish will flood your tongue with a burst of aromas and sensations.

The bright yellow mash contrasts beautifully with the chicken’s natural brown hues. A photo-worthy dish.

4. Collard Greens

Collard greens are the finest accompaniment to jerk chicken. Collards, unlike other greens, offer a complex taste profile that pairs nicely with jerk chicken.

Simply cook your collard greens in a saucepan and serve alongside your chicken. A simple, quick meal!

5. Potato Salad

Let’s not forget about the deliciousness of chunky and creamy potato salad. Deliciously thick potato salad has a sweet and creamy flavor.

Additionally, the combination of bacon, corn, and onion provides an extra layer of flavor and crunch.

6. Plantains

While bananas are sweeter, plantains have a softer texture that pairs nicely with Jamaican-style fried chicken.

When cooked or fried to perfection, they make a delicious side dish for chicken.

7. Rice and Beans

Red beans and rice are a great accompaniment to jerk chicken because of their delicate sweetness and savory flavor. This is a great side dish if you’re not a fan of spicy meals.

Because scotch bonnet peppers have a strong taste, you’ll need something to temper the heat. Red beans and rice are your greatest defense against the chicken’s spiciness, though you can’t completely eradicate it.

As if that weren’t enough, it’s also tasty on its own.

8. Coleslaw

This is one of those side dishes that go great with any type of meal. Crisp and refreshing are two qualities that go well with jerk chicken, so this is a great accompaniment.

You can never go wrong with the combination of crunchy cabbage and carrots and tangy mayo dressing for your chicken dinner.

In addition, the combination of all those colors enhances the dish’s appeal.

9. Maque Choux

The flavors of Maque Choux pair particularly nicely with jerk chicken. It’s a corn-based meal with bell peppers, jalapenos, bacon, and heavy cream as the main ingredients.

Maque Choux is typically served in the southern part of Louisiana.

Even if it isn’t from the Caribbean like jerk chicken, the dish will still go perfectly with your meal.