Gluten Free Side Dishes: Everything You Know to Make Your Gluten Free Meal Complete

Find the right side dishes to suit your gluten free diet.



Some would say that the side dishes make the meal. No matter what you’re serving, the right sides can complement the dish perfectly and bring it all together. Unfortunately, if you follow a gluten free diet, simple side dishes like pasta and grains are off the menu.


Just because you can’t enjoy things like traditional macaroni and cheese or a multi-grain salad doesn’t mean you can make some tasty side dishes. Keep reading to learn some simple tips for crafting delicious gluten free sides to complement your meal.


Tips for Choosing Gluten Free Sides

When researching side dish options, you need to be careful to ensure that the recipes you choose are gluten free. Rather than just looking for gluten free side dish recipes, another option is to start with a traditional recipe and to alter it to fit the gluten free diet. Either way works, but the latter requires a little more experience than the former.


When it comes to choosing gluten free sides, there are a few things you can look for. Here are some simple tips for choosing the right recipes for gluten free side dishes:

  • Look for recipes featuring vegetables or potatoes. These foods are naturally gluten free and can be prepared in a variety of different ways.
  • Browse recipes for salads, keeping an eye out for gluten-containing ingredients like croutons, certain dressings, and gluten-containing grains that you can either omit or replace with a gluten free substitute.

Prepare a bowl of your favorite gluten free grain like quinoa, polenta, brown rice, or sorghum. These grains can be seasoned with your choice of spices to add some flavor.

  • When in doubt, roast some vegetables. Take whatever vegetables you have on hand and toss them with some olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper then roast them in the oven until tender.
  • Try cauliflower versions of your favorite side dishes – look up recipes for cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, and even things like cauliflower pizza crust.
  • Check the gluten free dry goods aisle for gluten free breads and rolls to enjoy with your meal.

Gluten free cooking requires a certain degree of flexibility and creativity. If you don’t feel up to doctoring a traditional recipe, however, you can find plenty of gluten free recipes for side dishes online. Keep reading to see our compilation.


The Top 8 Gluten Free Side Dishes

You don’t have to be a professional chef to master the art of gluten free cooking – all it takes is some time and experience. With each recipe you prepare, you’ll start to get a feel for the nuances of gluten free cooking and every recipe thereafter will be that much better.

If you prefer to start with a tried and true gluten free recipe, try one of the 8 gluten free side dishes we’ve compiled for you.


Enjoy!


1. Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 1 pound fresh carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
  2. Toss the sweet potatoes, carrots, and red onion with the olive oil and oregano until coated.
  3. Season with salt and pepper then spread on the baking sheet.
  4. Roast until tender, about 45 to 50 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
  5. Remove the veggies from the oven to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

2. Easy Cauliflower Mash

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 pounds fresh cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme

Instructions:

  1. Bring the chicken broth to boil in a large saucepan.
  2. Add the cauliflower and salt then return to a boil.
  3. Cover and reduce heat to low then cook for 18 to 20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
  4. Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor using a slotted spoon.
  5. Add a few tablespoons of cooking liquid along with the butter.
  6. Blend until smooth then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Add the thyme and pulse to combine then spoon into a bowl to serve.

3. Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 ¼ cups heavy cream
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 2 ¼ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
  3. Arrange the potato slices in a single layer, overlapping the edges, in the baking dish.
  4. Sprinkle with ¼ the grated parmesan and drizzle with ¼ of the cream.
  5. Repeat the layers, pouring any remaining cream over top.
  6. Bake, uncovered, for an hour or until the potatoes are tender.
  7. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving hot.

4. Black Bean and Corn Salad

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 ears fresh sweet corn
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup diced red onion
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and diced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil then add the corn.
  2. Cover and reduce the heat to low then simmer for 10 minutes until the corn is tender.
  3. Drain the corn and let it cool then cut the kernels off into a large bowl with a sharp knife.
  4. Add the beans, red onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.
  5. Combine the remaining ingredients aside from the avocado in a food processor.
  6. Pulse several times to chop then blend smooth.
  7. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.
  8. Toss in the avocado and adjust seasoning to taste then chill until ready to serve.

5. Oven-Baked French Fries

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Place the rack in your oven in the lowest position and preheat to 475°F.
  2. Clean the potatoes and cut them into wedges then place them in a large bowl.
  3. Cover with hot water and soak for 10 minutes.
  4. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towel then toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  5. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes then turn the pan and flip the fries and bake 15 minutes more.
  7. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.

6. Garlic Roasted Green Beans

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fresh green beans, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Spread the greens beans on the baking sheet in a single layer.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and parmesan.
  4. Toss the green beans to evenly coat and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning halfway through.
  5. Adjust seasoning to taste and sprinkle with parsley to serve.

7. Creamy Potato Salad

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds small new potatoes
  • 8 slices bacon
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 large stalks celery, diced
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon

Instructions:

  1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
  2. Bring the water to boil then add salt and reduce the heat to medium-low.
  3. Simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until tender then drain and rinse with cold water.
  4. Cut the potatoes into quarters and place them in a bowl.
  5. Cook the bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until crisp then remove to paper towels to cool and crumble by hand.
  6. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  7. Fold in the potatoes, celery, bacon, parsley, and tarragon.
  8. Adjust seasoning to taste and chill until ready to serve.

8. Creamy Polenta

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal or polenta
  • ½ stick butter, softened
  • ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

  1. Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt.
  2. Whisk in the polenta a little at a time until the mixture is smooth and thick.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the polenta is tender and creamy, about 30 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Add the butter and parmesan cheese then season with salt and pepper.
  5. Stir well then spoon into a medium bowl and serve hot.