Best Side Dishes for Pizza: 20 Scrumptious Options

Check out these 20 beyond delicious side dishes which go well as a side with pizza and make you appear as a person with a suave taste!

Pizza is a classic main dish, which is satisfying on its own, but can achieve all its glory with a good side dish.

In this list, I have curated all the side dishes, which according to my gluttonous experience, bring out the flavors of pizza and make your meal a total hit!

Side Dishes for Pizza – Quick Comparison

Recipe	Total Calories (per 100g)	Total Preparation Time:
1. Caesar Salad	44	30 minutes
2. Garlic Bread	350	20 minutes
3. Mozzarella Sticks	329	30 minutes
4. Italian Bruschetta Bar	438	60 minutes
5. Zucchini Fries	185	35 minutes
6. Ratatouille	72	60 minutes
7. Onion Rings	411	20 minutes
8. Chicken Wings	288	50 minutes
9. Soup	32	40 minutes
10. Meatballs	197	40 minutes
11. Greek Wedge Salad	101	15 minutes
12. Eggplant Parmesan Bites	176	45 minutes
13. Tornado Potatoes	101.4	20 minutes
14. Baked Loaded Potatoes	592	70 minutes
15. Stuffed Tater Tots	207	30 minutes
16. Pasta Salad	202	20 minutes
17. Jalapeno Poppers	291	35 minutes
18. Potato Salad	143	35 minutes
19. Roasted Vegetable	81.4	30 minutes
20. Pesto Zoodles	275	25 minutes

1. Caesar Salad

Total calories (per 100g): 44
Total preparation time: 30 minutes

Pizza is quite a filling meal in itself. So you can go for something light on the stomach by choosing to serve the almighty Caesar salad.

It consists of romaine lettuce, anchovies, and croutons; tossed with olive oil and garlic and topped with grated cheese.

With its garlicky, smoky, salty, and lemony taste , Caesar salad complements pizza well at a meal table.

Check out this easy recipe by Joshua Weissman-

2. Garlic Bread

Total calories (per 100g): 350
Total preparation time: 20 minutes

A typical side dish for a pizza.

This creamy, buttery, and garlicky bread is usually served with a dip and its crispy, toasted texture gives a tasteful compliment to a flavor robust pizza.

You can serve it in the classic form; add cheese to make it cheesy or add stuffing into it for more flavors and make it fancy.

Here is a quick and easy recipe by Joshua Weissman-

3. Mozzarella Sticks

Total calories (per 100g): 329
Total preparation time: 30 minutes

This beautiful delicacy is made from mozzarella cheese, coated in seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, and then deep-fried until it turns golden.

Its gooey cheesiness is what makes it popular and its simplicity enhances the flavors of pizza without overshadowing it.

Not to sound cheesy, but mozzarella sticks and pizza are made for each other.

Check out this easy and yummy recipe by TheCooknShare-

4. Italian Bruschetta Bar

Total calories (per 100g): 438
Total preparation time: 60 minutes

Arrange the bread, cheeses, meats, spreads, and other accompaniments on a large board and let your guests DIY their combinations.

A bruschetta bar keeps your guests entertained and fed at their convenience.

Italian bruschetta bar is an excellent option to serve with your pizza at a gathering as it allows the eaters to have a bruschetta side of their choice.

Here is a quick and easy recipe by Nature Nate’s Honey Co.-

5. Zucchini Fries

Total calories (per 100g): 185
Total preparation time: 35 minutes

Zucchini fries are crisp and tender and add not just flavor but also nutrition to your meal.

An amazing side dish to your pizza, these thinly sliced zucchinis are covered in bread crumbs and baked/fried until golden brown.

An excellent alternative to potato fries; its crispiness and flavor complement the flavors of a cheesy pizza.

Check out this yummy and easy recipe by Downshiftology

6. Ratatouille

Total calories (per 100g): 72
Total preparation time: 60 minutes

A Disney famed partner to your popular pizza!

Ratatouille has the aroma of onions, garlic, tomato, and herbs that have been cooked in olive oil with an addition of spices like thyme or parsley.

It gets a sweet taste from the onion and tomato juices mixed with peppercorns which give it a light peppery flavor .

This delicacy blends well with a cheesy Italian pizza and creates a lip-smacking combination.

Check out this easy recipe by CoolCooking-

7. Onion Rings

Total calories (per 100g): 411
Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Fried dishes go great with cheesy pizzas, and that’s a fact.

One of such mouth-watering dishes is onion rings.

They are super crunchy on the outside and the onions inside give this side dish a slightly sweet taste.

This texture and taste combination makes it a great side dish to a flavor-bomb pizza.

Here is a quick recipe by The Cooking Foodie-

8. Chicken Wings

Total calories (per 100g): 288
Total preparation time: 50 minutes

Chicken wings are irresistible, especially when coated in any sweet and spicy sauce. Isn’t it? And it goes incredibly well with pizza!

Chicken wings are the most cost-efficient dish to serve at a large gathering and can also be baked if you wish.

Have it with a honey chili coating or the classic hot sauce or even better, BBQ sauce. And if you feel fancy, opt for blue cheese dip and enjoy your feast!

Check out this quick and yummy recipe by Toasted

9. Soup

Total calories (per 100g): 32
Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Soup can either be a great appetizer or a side dish to your pizza.

Imagine a cold evening with some hot pizza alongside some steaming hot soup to drive away the shivers. Feels fantastic, right?

You can go with the classic tomato soup or a simple vegetable soup or choose a cheesy mushroom or chicken soup for a filling dinner.

Here is an easy and quick recipe by The Domestic Geek-

10. Meatballs

Total calories (per 100g): 197
Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Meatballs covered in sauce usually taste savory, sweet, slightly salty, garlicky and spicy—hence touching almost all corners of your flavor palate.

Serve meatballs with your pizza to have a flavor thriving meal that satisfies both tongue and tummy.

Check out this tasty recipe by Natasha’s Kitchen

11. Greek Wedge Salad

Total calories (per 100g): 101
Total preparation time: 15 minutes

Fresh, delicious and insanely filling— Greek wedge salad is an amazing side dish for a pizza meal.

With tangy vinaigrette dressing and some good topping, you can take this salad to next level.

DIY recipe- Checkout!

12. Eggplant Parmesan Bites

Total calories (per 100g): 176
Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Packed with multiple flavors in each bite— Eggplant parmesan bites complement the multiplicity of flavors in a pizza and therefore serve as an amazing side dish to it.

Serve with marinara sauce and add another shade to this delicious combination.

DIY recipe-

13. Tornado Potatoes

Total calories (per 100g): 101.4
Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Tornado Potatoes are famous South Korean street food.

It tastes heavenly when coated in various seasonings after being fried and with its robust taste goes great on the side of a cheesy pizza!

DIY recipe-

14. Baked Loaded Potatoes

Total calories (per 100g): 592
Total preparation time: 70 minutes

Looking for something to serve on the side of pizza that tastes amazing and creates a filling meal? Go with baked loaded potatoes.

Pack the potatoes with bacon, cheddar, sour cream, green onions, and chive, or any other combination of your choice, and make your guests drool on the table.

DIY recipe-

15. Stuffed Tater Tots

Total calories (per 100g): 207
Total preparation time: 30 minutes

Stuffed Tater Tots are another popular side dish that goes with pizza.

These bite-sized pieces of god-sent bliss are filled with cheese, bacon, and seasonings and have a golden crispy exterior.

Serve it with ketchup and mayonnaise or any dips like cheesy jalapenos and be blown away by this delight.

DIY recipe-

16. Pasta Salad

Total calories (per 100g): 202
Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Pasta salads are easy to make and supremely delicious. But one thing that makes it amazing is the amount of diversification you can bring in it.

It is a filling and satisfying side to serve with pizza and can be made non-vegetarian, vegetarian, and even vegan as per your choice.

DIY recipe-

17. Jalapeno Poppers

Total calories (per 100g): 291
Total preparation time: 35 minutes

Jalapeno poppers are a great hit at any gathering!

They are crispy, spicy, and loaded with cheese and bacon—they are impeccable partners to a good flavourful pizza.

DIY recipe-

18. Potato Salad

Total calories (per 100g): 143
Total preparation time: 35 minutes

Potato salad is creamy and flavourful and traditionally made with mustard, pickle, hard-boiled eggs, and potatoes. But this is a versatile dish and can be diversified.

Serve it on the side of your drool-worthy pizza and have a feast!

DIY recipe—

19. Roasted Vegetable

Total calories (per 100g): 81.4
Total preparation time: 30 minutes

If you are planning to have pizza on your cheat day and don’t want to add any more calories to your diet, go for roasted vegetables as your side dish.

They are delicious, tender and when made with Italian flavors of garlic, thyme and olive oil will satisfy you most ardently.

DIY recipe-

20. Pesto Zoodles

Total calories (per 100g): 275
Total preparation time: 25 minutes

A vegan side dish that is low in gluten— Zoodles or Zucchini noodles when cooked with creamy pesto sauce become a chef’s kiss side dish.

Serve this as a side dish with your pizza and take your meal to a different height of deliciousness.

DIY recipe-

Appetizers That go With Pizza

Some of the dishes mentioned in this list can be served as an appetizer before a pizza as well.

You can make your stomach ready for some pizza action by starting your meal with something as simple as soup or greek wedge salad.

If you want something cheesy and spicy as you await your main dish, go with jalapeno poppers or stuffed tater tots.

Other appetizer suggestions would be Roasted Lemon Asparagus, Cranberry Caramelised Broccoli, Citrus Salad or Salami Olive Salad .

Dessert That go With Pizza

You can end your pizza meal on a sweet note with Italian desserts like Cannolis, Gelato, Affogato, Panna Cotta, or Canestrellis.

Or choose something chocolaty like Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Cake, or German Chocolate Mousse.

Some fancy suggestions to go with would be Persian Love Cake, Tiramisu Cheesecake, or Dessert Pizza.

Drinks That go With Pizza

An Italian delicacy like pizza must be paired with a glass of fine classy wine. If you plan on a simple cheese topping, go with sweet white wine.

If you wish to go for meat toppings, a fruity red wine will do wonders .

Beer can also be an excellent drink pairing when it comes to weekend pizza dinner.

Pizza topping-Cocktail suggestions include— Cheese + Manhattan; Pepperoni + Cuba Libre; Olives + Sherry Cobbler; Sausage and pepper + Daiquiri; and Margherita + Negroni .

Non-alcoholic beverages to go with pizza are Soda, Lemonade, and Iced Tea.

To Sum Up

We hope this wholesome guide aided you in picking the best side dish to have with pizza.

If you have any suggestions or tips, please let us know below!

Do share this guide with your family and friends.