What to Serve with Pork Chops - Great Dinner Ideas

The mild flavor of fresh pork goes well with many different seasonings –savory and even sweet – and only requires simple ingredients to make an outstanding dinner. See some great ideas if you're looking for what to serve with pork chops.

Pork chops are one of the most popular pork cuts, flavorful and a great source
of protein. Pork can be enjoyed cured, processed, or fresh.

Vegetable side dishes to serve with pork chops

Pork chops go great with a big variety of vegetables, prepared in many ways: roasted, steamed, grilled, braised, and more. Here are some of the best sides ideas and recipes to inspire you:

Potato

The combination of meat and potatoes is very comforting. The mild starchy flavor of the potatoes serves as a blank canvas to complement the flavor of the pork. Some potato side dishes are:

• Creamy parsley potato with carrots
• Mashed potato stuffed roasted tomatoes is a classic choice
• Oven-fried potatoes are a perfect side dish with pork chops
• Cheesy potato and zucchini bake
• Creamy mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives.
• Loaded baked potato, topped with bacon bits and cheddar cheese.
• Rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes.
• Scalloped potatoes in a creamy cheesy bechamel sauce.
• Crispy French fries potato seasoned with pepper and herbs.

Mushrooms

Choose oyster or cremini and cook them with butter, onion, and garlic for a simple side dish.

Squash and sweet potato

• Mashed, topped served with pickle onion on top.
• Roasted with onions, garlic, and sage. Add a bit of maple syrup to elevate the dish.
• Sweet potato fries: both the American orange sweet potato and boniato (batata) are a great side dish, and perfect for grilled pork chops.

Carrots

• Roasted with butter and dill.
• Caramelized carrots with honey and orange. Toss the carrots with olive oil, aniseed, cumin, pepper, cinnamon, orange zest, cayenne pepper, orange juice, and honey. Roast over high heat oven until tender. The sweetness of the side dish complements the pork perfectly.

Green beans 

• A healthy side dish is steamed green beans.
• Stir-fried with bacon, soy sauce, white rice vinegar, some sugar, ginger, and garlic. 

Zucchini

• In a cheesy potato and zucchini bake.
• A lovely spiralized zucchini salad of Asian inspiration.
• Shaved thinly or passed through a spiralizer. Cook it for 3 minutes with butter and garlic. Finish it with some basil.

Broccoli

• Steamed and served with butter and garlic. 

Cauliflower

• Steamed
• Mashed with butter, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
• Riced.

Brussel sprouts

• Roast the Brussels sprouts in a pan with olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese.

Mixed vegetable stir-fry

• You can combine a mixture of different veggies and make a quick stir-fry. In a skillet or pan, heat some vegetable oil. Sautee vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, leeks, bell peppers, and green onions. Use herbs and condiments to taste like ginger and garlic, and add the sauce of your preference, like soy, oyster, or teriyaki sauce.
  
  The idea is to use what you have in your fridge or pantry to make a delicious side dish.

Perfect side salads with pork chops

• Potato salad: Try this healthy no-mayo potato salad, or this Dominican potato salad with beets or apples.
• Coleslaw: Made with carrots, cabbage, onions, and mayonnaise, it’s very refreshing and one of the best side dishes for grilled pork chops.
• Arugula salad:  with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes. Toss with a vinaigrette and add cooked bacon and green scallions to add more flavor.
• Pasta salad: Like this ensalada de coditos, an elbow pasta with a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing. You can also add celery and cubed apples for a crunch and enhanced texture.
• Couscous salad: It’s a fast and easy side dish.
• Spinach salad: Made with a simple lime juice vinaigrette, add slices of red onion, and almonds to make it crunchy, apples shaved thinly, and season with salt, pepper, and ginger.
• Bulgur wheat salad (or try this gluten-free tabouleh).

What fruits go well with pork chops

Pork chops pair well with many fruits apples, peaches, lemons, figs, and oranges. You will love this recipe for pork chops with mango salsa.

You can also add fruit to the salads, serve them grilled, or make sauces and glazes for the pork chops.

Lemon juice adds brightness to the chops, and fruits bring sweetness and
different textures to the side dishes.

Great sauces with pork chops

Pork chops are very flexible and can be served with spicy, savory, and sweet sauces. Here are some great ideas:

• Homemade BBQ spicy guava sauce
• Chimichurri sauce
• Wasakaka garlic sauce
• Caribbean rum BBQ sauce

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