Food Recipes Side Dishes 20 Perfect Side Dishes for Steak By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Alexis McCowan Alexis McCowan Alexis McCowan graduated from Howard University in 2021 and has since interned at Sage Publishing and the Pulitzer Center and contributed to Food & Wine. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 7, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Steak is a great main course for a family dinner or special occasion, and you want the perfect sides to go with it. From grilled vegetables and light salads to macaroni and cheese, this collection of side dishes for steak is guaranteed satisfaction served on a well-thought-out platter. Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes are ideal for a busy weeknight. Have a little more time? Prepare this Potatoes au Gratin recipe that combines cheddar and Gruyère. Read on for more delicious pairings with steak. 01 of 20 Grilled Corn with Cotija and Quicos Aubrie Pick Hot off the grill, charred sweet corn gets slathered in tangy lime mayonnaise and topped with extra-large crunchy quicos, or corn nuts, in this elote recipe from chef Traci des Jardins. For a plated version, cut the kernels from the cobs and toss with lime mayo and quicos, then scoop and serve. Get the Recipe 02 of 20 Potatoes au Gratin Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke In this rich, beautiful gratin, potatoes and onions are arranged in concentric circles, coated in a creamy cheese sauce, and topped off with a few more handfuls of shredded cheese. Cheddar and Gruyère work wonderfully here, but feel free to substitute with another one of your favorite melting cheeses, such as Fontina or Havarti. Get the Recipe 03 of 20 Citrus, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Halloumi Croutons Photo by Dan Perez / Food Styling and Prop Styling by Nurit Kariv Resplendent with mixed citrus and jewel-toned roasted beets, this peppery arugula salad gets elevated to next-level status courtesy of crispy halloumi croutons. Get the Recipe 04 of 20 Baked Asparagus Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Asparagus is first baked with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and garlic, then coated with Parmesan butter during the last few minutes of cooking, creating a creamy, luxurious sauce as it finishes baking. When you add the Parmesan butter, be sure to toss until a sauce is formed to prevent the cheese from forming clumps as it cooks. Get the Recipe 05 of 20 Buttery Sautéed Mushrooms with Fresh Herbs Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Covering the mushrooms for the first few minutes of cooking helps them release their liquid and brown more quickly. Once uncovered, the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown. The result is a succulent, versatile batch of mushrooms that can be served as a side dish or spooned over steak. Get the Recipe 06 of 20 Salade Catalane Mary Jo Hoffman The three-part core of a classic salade Catalane includes roasted red pepper, anchovy, and hard-boiled egg. Beyond this, there are endless interpretations. This one, from food writer Steve Hoffman's time in the French town of Autignac in Languedoc-Roussillon, takes the form of a very approachable chopped salad, which pays its respects to the region's love of wild bitter greens and fire-based cooking. Get the Recipe 07 of 20 Lemony Chickpea Salad © Brian Doben Serve chef Tom Colicchio's fresh-tasting chickpea salad with warm, soft pita bread to soak up the olive oil dressing. Get the Recipe 08 of 20 Charred Broccoli with Blue Cheese Dressing and Spiced Crispies © John Kernick Chicago chef Stephanie Izard amps up broccoli with a punchy vinaigrette, creamy blue cheese dressing, and an irresistibly crunchy, butter-toasted Rice Krispies topping. Get the Recipe 09 of 20 Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee These mashed potatoes are a speedy, nearly effortless dish thanks to a flavor-packed special ingredient: a garlic and herb-flecked spreadable cheese (such as Boursin). For a colorful twist, use purple Peruvian potatoes instead of Yukon Golds to make purple mashed potatoes. Get the Recipe 10 of 20 Israeli Couscous and Tomato Salad with Arugula Pesto © Michael Turek Arugula pesto is peppery and bright. The trick is to blanch the arugula and squeeze it dry, so when you blend it with the pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and cheese, the resulting pesto isn't too wet. Get the Recipe 11 of 20 Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli with Cranberry Agrodolce Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee A quick, high-temperature oven roast on a baking sheet yields crispy, golden brown brussels sprouts and almost-charred, smoky broccoli. Tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce studded with tart cranberries, Fresno chiles, and shallots, the vegetables become an easy, elegant side dish. Get the Recipe 12 of 20 Macaroni and Three Cheeses © Quentin Bacon When Michael Jordan and chef David Walzog were working on the menu for Jordan's now-closed The Steak House N.Y.C. in Manhattan, the basketball icon insisted on including macaroni and cheese. His reasons were simple: He loves his mother's cheesy baked macaroni and he thinks it's the ideal accompaniment to steak. Get the Recipe 13 of 20 Easy Creamed Spinach Abby Hocking Butcher Erika Nakamura makes a mean creamed spinach, using a combo of Cognac and Pernod to add complex flavor to the steakhouse staple. Get the Recipe 14 of 20 Strip Steak Frites with Béarnaise Butter © Con Poulos This brilliant take on steak frites is a specialty of chef Andrew Carmellini. He tops seared strip steaks with a butter infused with tarragon, shallots, and vinegar — key ingredients in béarnaise sauce — and serves them with tangy French fries made from vinegar-brined potatoes. Get the Recipe 15 of 20 Charred Broccolini Caesar with Kale and Chickpeas Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Smoky, charred Broccolini and chickpeas give this take on Caesar salad the heft it needs to stand up next to steak. Texture is the secret to a salad's wow factor. Here, Little Gem lettuces, hearty kale, and crisp-tender Broccolini bring three levels of crunch, providing plenty of leafy nooks and crannies to catch the thick, anchovy-laced dressing. Get the Recipe 16 of 20 Smoky Sweet Potatoes with Chorizo Butter Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Smoky and spicy, cured Spanish chorizo infuses melted butter with its rich color and flavor, balancing the natural sweetness of these tender roasted sweet potatoes. Scoring baked sweet potatoes and then broiling them adds a hint of smoke and lets the chorizo butter soak into every bite. Get the Recipe 17 of 20 Beer-Braised Carrots with Coriander and Feta Charissa Fay “When it comes to cooking with beer,” says star chef Alex Guarnaschelli, “I like using Heineken because it adds a pleasant sweetness and a faint yeasty taste that I love.” The brown sugar and earthy flavor of the carrots are perfect with feta, which imparts just the right amount of richness and salt. Get the Recipe 18 of 20 Overstuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes William F. Dickey II These twice-baked potatoes are so large and filling that some of chef Emeril Lagasse's customers have ordered them as an entrée. Lagasse calls them overstuffed because he adds an extra baked potato to the stuffing mixture. Get the Recipe 19 of 20 Wild Rice Salad with Ciabatta Croutons Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Starring hearty wild rice and toasty ciabatta croutons, this satisfying side dish comes together entirely on the stovetop. Bread and wild rice carry this dressing-meets-salad mash-up, but it's the flavorful additions that steal the show, namely salty pancetta, crunchy pine nuts, buttery olives, and plenty of fresh parsley. Get the Recipe 20 of 20 Crispy Onion Rings © Zubin Schroff "There's nothing better than a simple tempura of a primo vegetable," states chef Peter Hoffman. For this sensational version, he coats thick onion rings in an ultralight batter and quickly fries them. Hoffman says any vegetable that slices nicely, like delicate squash, fennel, or zucchini, would be great here, as long as it "takes to the batter" — meaning the batter stays on. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit