Hunters chicken is a delicious combination of sweet and smoky barbecue sauce and melted cheese atop tender, succulent chicken and rashers of crispy smoked bacon.
One thing that keeps this dish from becoming more popular is the side dishes. Unfortunately, almost nobody knows what to best serve with hunters chicken, so people inevitably fall into a slump of serving plain fries or mash potato. While there is nothing wrong with those sides, there are definitely many more things you can put out as a side dish with hunters chicken.
Check out these side dish ideas.
Cheesy mash potato
What is better than mashed potato? Cheesy mashed potato, of course! Use some cheddar or some soft cheese, like the creamy garlic-infused Boursin, to create a decadent mash to serve with your hunters chicken.
Boiled rice
While plain boiled rice might sound a little tame on its own, when you combine it with the sweet sauce and melted cheese in hunters chicken, it makes a tasty side dish that you won’t forget.
If you want to liven things up a little, you can always add some herbs and spices to your rice for a little extra flavor.
Seasoned french fries
Don’t just serve french fries; serve seasoned french fries instead. Use a cajun blend for something delicious that’ll have a little kick without being too spicy. If that doesn’t sound like your thing, then pick whatever seasonings you prefer; the point is to give them a little extra flavor.
Macaroni cheese
Rich and creamy macaroni cheese, mixed with tender bites of barbecue flavored hunters chicken. It really is a perfect combination that will remind you of pulled pork and mac ‘n cheese. Irresistible.
Side salad
A simple side salad of lettuce would work fine, but mixed salads, including things like grapes, shredded carrots, and celery, would combine exceptionally well with the flavors of the chicken and the sauce. Then, of course, you can incorporate whatever you’ve got in the refrigerator, and it will still taste good.
Pasta
There are so many types of pasta, and you can include them with hunters chicken to much applause from the family. Our preference is pastas like spaghetti, linguine, and tagliatelli.
Cook the pasta and, once strained, mix in a little butter or olive oil, and now cut the hunters chicken into even-sized strips. Add this into a large dish with the pasta and mix well. Serve and enjoy!
Garlic bread
If pasta sounds good to you, then maybe you could combine hunters chicken, pasta, and garlic bread into a stomach-bursting meal of decadent proportions. You could always serve garlic bread without the pasta too, of course.
Baked beans
If you like baked beans, then try this simple trick. Open the baked bean can, strain half of the sauce, add to a saucepan, and add 5 grams of butter to the pan. Now heat for 5-10 minutes on medium heat until the beans go a lava orange in appearance. Now either serve these alongside your hunters chicken and enjoy.
Potato wedges
Potato wedges are a great side dish idea for hunters chicken because they give you that classic potato flavor while also giving you a complimentary texture that gives the entire dish a bit of life. Also, you can combine it with our next suggestion for an even better option.
Sour cream
Combine your hunters chicken with a generous serving of sour cream and potato wedges, then optionally add in one of the two suggestions that come next.
Jalapenos
Jalapenos add a nice amount of spice to hunters chicken, and it works well. Whether you want to combine them with some potato wedges and sour cream, or if you wish to add them with something else, it works. Choose jalapenos that come in the jar for the best taste.
Coleslaw
Another thing you can serve with hunters chicken either alone or with any of the previous few suggestions is coleslaw. The creaminess and crunchiness of coleslaw make it a perfect accompaniment, while the mild sauce combines nicely with the barbecue sauce in the hunters chicken.
Image credit: “Rob’s Hunter Chicken from Cactus Club ($23.75)” by qasic is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/