While steak fries or potato salad might be the typical side dishes you think of for burger night, I have some different ideas. Compliment delicious, juicy burgers with these flavorful and colorful easy sides.
Tired of your normal burger recipes? To take your classic beef burger up a notch, try my recipe for Chimichurri Beef Burgers. This is the best burger topped with grilled red peppers and chimichurri on a whole wheat bun.
Best Sides
Typically you'll see classic french fries or sweet potato fries served as simple sides for burgers. Here are of my favorite side dishes to serve at family gatherings to spice things up:
Grilled Carrots
While you're already grilling the burgers, why not add some carrots to the grill at the same time? Grilling carrots is really easy! All you need is carrots and olive oil. Their cook time does vary based on their thickness. Carrots will be done between 6-10 minutes, with thicker ones taking the longest. Ideally, you want grill marks on the carrots that are slightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The carrots shouldn’t wilt completely when you remove them from the grill. Topping them with the chimichurri sauce linked in the recipe, they're a great side that will thrill your taste buds.
Another reason to choose carrots is that they are high in alpha-carotene. In a recent study, diets higher in alpha-carotene were associated with a lower risk of cancer than those who ate less carrots/alpha-carotene. For example, one serving of carrot (80g or about ½ of a medium-sized carrot) per week was associated with a reduced risk of cancer by 4%. Similarly, those who ate 5 servings of carrots per week had an associated cancer risk reduction of about 20%.
Grilled Fruit and Vegetable Kabobs
Take advantage of delicious summer produce and make a side the whole family will enjoy. You could do a fruit salad, but anything on a stick is just so much more fun to eat! These colorful kabobs are simple to make and the recipe is easily customized to use your favorite fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, red onion, or cherry tomatoes. These kabobs grill on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. This is one of my most popular recipes here on the blog.
Grilled Green Beans with Pistachio Pesto
Instead of crispy fries, opt for these crispy green beans for a change! Using aluminum foil to make a grill pan works beautifully and also makes clean up a breeze. Or you can use your own grill pan, like this one.
Crunchy Roasted Eggplant Fries
If you're wanting that more classic combo of burgers and fries, try these crunchy eggplant fries. Do not be intimidated by preparing eggplant. The recipe includes a tutorial for cutting them into sticks that result in crunchy, golden brown fries. This recipe is also a great way to use up or introduce your family to eggplant.
I hope these recipes give you some fresh inspiration to pair with your favorite type of burger.
Happy grilling,
Jenna
For more grilled recipes try my Grilled Turkey Breast with Flavorful Brine or Grilled Cantaloupe Salad with Blueberry Ginger Vinaigrette.
