On chilly evenings, you especially want something warming. This is a spicy dish that is breathtaking. Most people perceive such a dish as chili as a separate unit and a complete main dish. However, a properly chosen side dish will only add flavor and color to the chili. Let’s dive into this theme together and expand the diet with 19 delicious side dishes that make chili look even more like a meal.
1. Grilled Cheese
If you’re a fan of cheeses and different tasty snacks, this will also help you put together a side dish for chili. There’s a ruddy crust on the outside and a benign cheese mass inside. Both you and your guests can poke these toasted sandwiches in tomato chili and get maximum flavor.
2. Soft Pretzels
Pretzels are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and one of the best appetizers for chili. It’s a snack that goes beyond the season and goes great with chili. You can make them in the traditional pretzel shape or make them in a more exciting shape.
3. Sweet Potato Fries
The yam or sweet potato is an excellent source of calcium and potassium, plus it complements the chili. Deliciously sweet and creamy, sweet potatoes offer the perfect sweet and savory combination in this delicious appetizer. You can also serve baked yams as a side dish to any hot dish. You can do it with a spoonful of thick yogurt and chopped green onions.
4. Sweet Potatoes
The yam is a valuable vegetable crop native to Central and South America, from where it has spread worldwide. It can be roasted, baked, added to soups, and mashed. Undoubtedly, yams will only benefit those who adhere to a healthy diet. Moreover, it can be served as a side dish to chili con carne.
5. Baked Potatoes
Oddly enough, the most straightforward recipes somehow become the tastiest and healthiest. Therefore, these potatoes are great as a side dish to chili. To make delicious baked potatoes, bake them in a crust of salt, which will draw out the excess moisture. Then, the finished dish can be sprinkled with fresh herbs just before serving.
More: Stupid-Easy Recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes (#1 Top-Rated)
6. Bread Sticks
This is a favorite Italian appetizer with various soups or hot chili. Luckily, they are easy to make, last a long time, and are great to eat. Sometimes the spices are added to the dough itself, and sometimes they are sprinkled on top. You can also make a garlic butter filling, make them vegan, or make them with cheese.
7. Tacos
To many, a familiar Mexican fast-food dish, tacos, has also popped up on our list. Today, small corn or wheat tortillas with different toppings are sold in every small street food stand. Mexican cuisine is interesting for its combinations of spices, so there are many recipes for this snack. The main thing here is to keep a balance of spices and not forget that authentic Mexican food is always different shades of flavors and energizing.
8. Coleslaw
Coleslaw salad is suitable for any time of the year and is traditional for American cuisine. You can put your favorite vegetables like fresh cucumber, for example, in the composition of the salad. Moreover, a special sauce gives the dish a uniquely delicate, slightly spicy, and creamy taste.
9. Chips & Guacamole
Everyone’s favorite guacamole is great as a quick and easy snack. The pleasant, creamy texture of the avocado will please your guests and cool you down while you enjoy the chili spice. Its aroma, unique flavor, and freshness make this snack popular on different continents.
10. Cornbread
Cornbread comes out bright and impressive. It’s pretty easy to make, and it’s a great addition to soups or chili con carne. Moreover, cornflour contains a lot of valuable substances, so it can be safely consumed by those who watch their health and figure. Finally, this flour is gluten-free, and it’s easy to bake cornmeal bread in a multicooker.
More: Porcini Mushroom Cornbread Recipe
11. Nachos
Nachos is another standout in Mexican cuisine that consists of just three simple ingredients. To make it at home, you’ll need tortilla chips, peppers, and melted cheddar cheese. The best part is that it can easily be made into a complete dish and complemented with different favorite ingredients.
12. Rice
Rice is among the oldest grains and still finds the most widespread use today. Rice grains are used to make dietary systems, medicines, and unique dishes. Considering that chili con carne is a high-protein dish, it’s okay to supplement it with carbs. It also goes great with beans and white chicken chili.
13. Chips and Queso
This is a famous sauce made of chili peppers, tomatoes, melted cheese, and various spices. It is mainly consumed with corn chips and is found in serving restaurants in Texas-Mexican cuisine. Plus, queso goes excellent with a big bowl of chili.
14. Fresh Salad
Vegetable salads are of interest to healthy eaters and vegetarians. If you can’t choose what to serve with chili, you can’t go wrong with a simple, fresh salad. Salads are usually healthy fresh vegetables and can be adapted to whoever you’re treating.
More: Superfood Salad Recipe for Weight Loss
15. Drinks
Keep in mind that chili is a hearty dish, and you certainly need drinks. Sweet drinks are best, or traditional ones like the popular Mexican beers, margaritas, sangria. All of these will complement the taste of the main course favorably.
16. Onion Rings
Onion rings are a super delicious appetizer. Even those who do not like onions will eat these crispy onion rings with great pleasure. Onion rings are excellent with fast food and chili side dish. Especially since crispy onion rings are quick to make and don’t require much financial outlay.
17. Cheesy Potato Skins
These small, delicious skins are crunchy and go great with chili con carne. Cheesy potato skins seasoned on the outside with the delightful aroma of garlic butter are guaranteed to please your guests. What’s more, they can be served alongside sour cream and herbs.
18. Quesadillas
Quesadillas are one of the most famous Mexican dishes. The compulsory component of the quesadilla filling is the stretchy cheese. However, true foodies who like to experiment in the kitchen can serve them along with their favorite chile con carne without a doubt. The result is an awesome crunchy appetizer.
More: 5 Min Spinach & Goat Cheese Quesadilla Recipe
19. Apple Salad
Juicy, flavorful apples almost always go well with spicy Mexican dishes. Use them as a stand-alone dessert or an utterly healthy snack when dieting. Fresh salads based on apples provide complete metabolic processes in the body. Moreover, they can be served before the main dish to improve appetite.
As we have already realized, chili con carne is a well-known Mexican-Texas dish. However, the recipe has quickly spread around the globe, with different types of meat, spices, and vegetables. There are spicy and tender versions of the dish, and depending on this, you need to choose a good side dish. To that end, we’ve put together a collection of 19 delicious chili toppings with unique flavors.
