Pairing Chicken Tenders With Sides That Go Beyond Fries
Look — we know you love fries. We love fries, too. Everyone loves fries! Fries are great! Crinkle-cut, thick wedge, seasoned, dipped, waffle — there is nothing wrong with a good pomme frittes, as the French call them. But if fries are the only side you’ve ever paired with your chicken tenders, you might be leaving some great foods on the table.
The right side dish isn’t just filler meant to be forgotten in favor of the good stuff. A good side dish rounds out the flavor of a meal, adds some texture contrast and — if you’re thinking about it even a little nutritionally — it balances out the meal. A great pairing makes the whole meal feel more intentional, more complete and more satisfying.
At Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders, the Sides aren’t an afterthought. They’re built to complement the high quality you get from The Filet Mignon of Chicken® itself — the best 3% of the chicken, grilled or hand-breaded to order.
So, what are the best sides to go with chicken tenders beyond the noble French fry?
Chicken Tenders’ Best Friends
Some sides earn their place on the menu by being exactly what people want, every time.
Fresh-Cut Chips And Crinkle-Cut Fries
At Huey Magoo’s, that starts with the Fresh-Cut Chips and Crinkle-Cut Fries — and yes, despite the title, we’re talking about fries first. They deserve a proper introduction before we move on.
Huey Magoo’s Hand-Spun Fresh-Cut Chips are spun daily in our kitchens. They bring a lighter, crispier texture that pairs especially well with Grilled or Hand-breaded Tenders. It’s the kind of pairing where neither element overpowers the other. Crinkle-Cut Fries, on the other hand, are the more traditional route: They’re sturdy, satisfying and built for dipping.
Just like our Tenders and Tender Bites, Fresh-Cut Chips and Crinkle-Cut Fries are both perfect for enjoying with one of our dips, and we are definitely big on flavor. Choose from handcrafted Magoo’s, Spicy Magoo’s or ranch, or enjoy barbeque, honey mustard, blue cheese, sweet red chili or buffalo. It’s not technically a side, but the dipping situation is definitely worth thinking about before you order.
Fry and chip options come standard with most Tender Meals, which means you’re not choosing between a good meal and a good side. You’re getting both!
Texas Toast
This Side is often genuinely underrated, but Texas Toast has a way of rounding out a meal that’s hard to explain until you’ve experienced it. It’s a little buttery, a little crispy at the edges and substantial enough to feel like it belongs on the plate. When paired with juicy Chicken Tenders and one of our incredible dips, it fills out the meal in a way that fries just don’t quite manage on their own.
It’s one of those Sides to go with Chicken Tenders and Tender Bites that doesn’t get nearly enough credit.
The Lighter Side Of The Menu
Hearty fare like Fresh-Cut Chips, Crinkle-Cut Fries and Texas Toast are crowd-pleasers for a reason, but sometimes you want something that adds a little freshness to the plate. Maybe something that makes the meal feel a bit more balanced without feeling like you’re cutting out the flavor. That’s where Huey Magoo’s Salads and Coleslaw make a difference.
Handcrafted Coleslaw
Coleslaw is one of those sides that you really can’t go wrong with, but Huey Magoo’s handcrafted Coleslaw is something special. It has crunch, a little creaminess and a little tang, and it complements our perfectly seasoned Hand-breaded or 24-hour-marinated Grilled Tenders.
Many modern chefs recognize that the texture of a meal is just as important as the taste, and there’s also a textural argument to be made here. Tenders, whether grilled or hand-breaded, are tender by nature (as we like to say: it’s in the name). Coleslaw brings something different to the bite. It’s cool and crispy, and that contrast is a big part of what makes it such a natural pairing.
Side Salad
Sometimes you just want some greens on the table. The Side Salad is a simple option that adds vegetables and fiber to a meal without asking much of you in return. It’s not trying to be the star of the show — it’s happy to leave that to our Tenders — but instead it’s just doing its job quietly and well, which is exactly what a good side should do.
And if you want to go bigger on the salad front entirely, Huey Magoo’s full salads, like the Buffalo Salad, Magoo’s Favorite Salad and Farm Fresh Salad, are all available with Grilled or Hand-breaded Tender Bites built right in. At that point, the Salad stops being a Side and becomes the main event, which is a perfectly valid way to build one of the more unexpectedly satisfying Sides to go with Chicken Tenders at Huey Magoo’s.
Mix And Match
Now, nobody’s asking you to commit your heart to one side forevermore. In fact, the best thing about trying Huey Magoo’s Sides is that you don’t need to have just one favorite option. All the Sides we offer are diverse enough to give you a different meal experience every time you visit.
You can have some Crinkle-Cut Fries one night, Coleslaw the next, Texas Toast when you come back or some Salads when you’re keeping things lighter. Of course, the Chicken Tender is always the anchor. It’s marinated, seasoned and cooked to order, but the Sides give our star of the show a little bit of a different personality every time you dig in.
So, next time you’re at Huey Magoo’s, we can’t blame you if you go straight for the Crinkle-Cut Fries or Fresh-Cut Chips, but we recommend you also explore the rest of the menu and try some different Side pairings to go with your Chicken Tenders. Who knows? Maybe you’ll wind up with a new favorite or two.
Find your nearest Huey Magoo’s — and come hungry!
