While food allergen testing develops more people are being found to be gluten intolerant, which can be difficult as gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye.
These grains can be found in a lot of food, such as bread, pizza, and pasta.
This can make it difficult to prepare family dinners, meals for dinner parties, or even for a kid’s birthday if you don’t know what to use as a substitute or of any gluten-free recipes.
Even if you don’t have a gluten intolerance, eating too much can lead to a heavy feeling in your stomach and can often cause bloating, that is why everyone should try these 21 easy gluten-free side dishes.
These recipes range from as little as five minutes to 45 minutes with preparation times ranging at around 10 to 15 minutes, not too much work for a delicious side dish!
These dishes are the perfect garnish for any meal and are quick and simple to make, as well as nutritious.
If you have a gluten-free family member or friend having these recipes in your repertoire will have them thanking you, as well as those who can eat gluten, once they try these delicious side dishes.
21 Easy Gluten-Free Side Dishes
Chickpea Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 6 minutes
- Serves: 3
This side dish is free from gluten and oil and it is also vegan. This recipe can be doubled or tripled if you are entertaining and can be served alongside chicken dishes or Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
This salad should last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, ensuring it is stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent the vegetables from going mushy.
Cucumber And Tomato Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 10
Tomato and cucumber salad is an old reliable that works with almost every meal and will be eaten by almost anyone. This salad takes very little time to prepare and can be stored in the refrigerator as a snack or side dish for up to three days.
Rice Noodle Pasta Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 8
This rice noodle pasta salad can double up as both a side dish, lunch or a main course. As a side dish, it is best served cool but can also be served with the noodles hot and meat or fish to create a delicious dinner.
A top tip is to mash the avocado to create a cream-like consistency that will coat the noodles when stirred through.
Corn Tomato Avocado Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 10 minutes
- Serves: 4
Simple yet tasty, this salad is best served with Mexican food. Serve as a topping for burrito bowls or gluten-free nachos or simple as a side salad with a barbecue.
This dish is best served cold but works well with warm food also, providing a crisp and fresh texture to any meal it is served with.
Honey Lime Poppyseed Fruit Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 8
A delicious fresh salad, bursting with flavor and gorgeous colors. This side dish is a quick and easy-to-put-together dish that everyone will enjoy.
Tossed in a tangy-sweet dressing this light side dish will have people asking for seconds. This dish can also be served as a dessert with some cream or ice cream without the dressing.
Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 6
A cool, refreshing Asian salad that is a great alternative option for your summer barbecues or summertime dinners. This dish looks beautiful and can be altered to make a light midweek dinner.
Swap and add vegetables to make this recipe your own. Safely store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days.
udydtg
Watermelon And Feta Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Serves: 6
The perfect summertime side dish, this light, and delicious recipe perfectly combines crunchy, crisp cucumbers with fresh, juicy watermelon and topped with crumbled feta cheese to make this refreshing dish a treat for the senses.
udydtg
One Skillet Green Beans With Bacon And Garlic
- Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Serves: 4
A delectable, healthy, low-carb, and dairy-free recipe that is sure to be a favorite in no time! With this side dish’s unique mix of flavors and textures, it creates a delicious side dish that can be made any time of year.
This recipe is full of tips to help make this recipe perfectly from your first attempt. Who knew green beans could taste so good?
udydtg
RELATED: 8 Classic Side Dishes You Should Serve With Ravioli
Gluten-Free Macaroni And Cheese
- Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Serves: 6
A gluten-free take on the traditional, and much-loved, Mac and Cheese recipe. This simple five-step recipe is easy to make and tastes great!
When cooking the gluten-free macaroni make sure you read the instructions on the packaging for how to cook it as cooking instructions may vary between manufacturers.
This recipe shows you how to make a cheese sauce from scratch so you know exactly what is going into your food and in this one there are no nasties.
udydtg
Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Serves: 12
This dish is perfect for a party! It can be used as a topping for nachos, gluten-free nachos of course, or the perfect garnish for a Mexican-themed dinner, like enchiladas, fajitas, or tacos.
Again, ensure you buy or bake gluten-free tortillas or taco shells for the guest or family member with gluten intolerance.
The jalapenos used in this recipe give it that extra spice and the cilantro gives it that authentic Mexican flavor.
Our top tip when making this recipe is to not overcook the kernels to avoid them from becoming mushy.
Using frozen corn is best to maintain that crunch even after cooking.
udydtg
Corn Muffins
- Total Cooking Time: 23 minutes
- Serves: 6
Corn Muffins are a great side for dinners with a lot of sauce and gravy. These gluten-free and dairy-free corn are quick and easy to make and will be enjoyed by everyone.
These corn muffins are also a great substitute for bread if you are serving soup. Store any leftovers for up to three days at room temperature in an air-tight container or safely freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Make sure the muffins are completely cooled before placing them in the freezer in an air-tight container.
udydtg
Garlic Brussel Sprouts
- Total Cooking Time: 25 minutes
- Serves: 4
This low-calorie vegan and gluten-free side dish is simple yet bursting with flavor. This dish is perfect for the holidays or just as an easy side dish during your weekly dinner rotation.
Using only 5 recipes this recipe couldn’t be easier and most of these ingredients will already be in your pantry.
udydtg
Vegan Southern Potato Salad
- Total Cooking Time: 25 minutes
- Serves: 6 to 8
A delicious vegan and gluten-free take on the American classic dish. This recipe is easy to follow and creates the perfect side dish every time.
This dish is best served cooled and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
It is the perfect side to have in your fridge for those hot summer days when the barbecue grill is being fired up most days.
Baked Parmesan Zucchini
- Total Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- Serves: 4
A healthy substitute for fries, these vegetarian-friendly baked parmesan zucchini melt in your mouth and taste delicious. The outer crush is gorgeous and crunchy while the inside is a smoother texture.
This side dish would also make perfect finger food for a party or as an appetizer for a dinner party.
Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice
- Total Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- Serves: 4
This is an easy low-carb rice substitute that is the perfect gluten-free side dish. There may be some trial and error achieving a consistency that you want as often the shredded cauliflower and broccoli can make this dish slightly too mushy.
If you don’t like the texture when following the recipe next time you make it you can chop the vegetables finely rather than shredding, this will make larger pieces and give more of a chewy texture.
Gluten-Free Garlic Knots
- Total Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- Serves: 6
Garlic pizza bread is a much loved Italian side dish and most people with gluten intolerances don’t get to enjoy the perfect combination of butter, garlic, and perfect dough.
We have found the perfect replacement recipe, gluten-free friendly, and an easy-to-follow recipe.
The dough only uses four ingredients and comes together with little elbow grease.
This dish is the perfect side for bolognese dishes or any gluten-free pasta dishes with a rich and creamy sauce. Bon appetit!
Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
- Total Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- Serves: 6
Delicious doesn’t have to mean complicated. This colorful side dish takes only five minutes to prepare, meaning you get to spend less time laboring over side dishes and focusing on the piece de resistance for your dinner.
This useful recipe comes with useful tips to make this recipe your own as well as useful roasting tips that can be applied to your other roasted meals.
Baked Keto Asparagus Fries
- Total Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- Serves: 2
A delicious low-carb side dish that perfectly complements any fish meal. Simply serve with a filet of salmon for an easy, nutritious gluten-free meal.
The only complicated part of this recipe is dipping the asparagus but compared to other gluten-free recipes out there this is a simple task, why not get your kids involved in the cooking process?
Kids are sure to eat these tasty greens if they get to have fun making them.
Adjust the recipe easily to serve more people, most adults will eat 6 stalks each, unless you have other side dishes in which case 3 per adult should be enough.
Southern Gluten-Free Broccoli Casserole
- Total Cooking Time: 40 minutes
- Serves: 8
This dish takes only 10 minutes to put together and while it simmers away in the oven for a further 30 minutes you can enjoy your appetizer course, set the table, or relax.
Any leftovers can be refrigerated in an air-tight container and will last for up to four days, ensuring that the dish is fully cooled before refrigerating.
This would be the perfect side dish with a meaty dinner, like a breast of chicken, a delicious steak, or a fine cut of pork.
Delicious Seasoned Roasted Cauliflower
- Total Cooking Time: 40 minutes
- Serves: 4
Not only is this recipe gluten-free, but it is also vegan. This scrumptious side can easily be thrown together and put into the oven without having to worry about it.
It is an ideal side for when you are cooking steak as it allows you to focus on the grill while the cauliflower florets roast in the heat of the oven.
You can adjust the spices used to suit what you have in your home or to suit your desired level of spice.
RELATED: What To Eat With Crab Cakes: 16 Amazing Side Dishes
The Best Potato Wedges
- Total Cooking Time: 45 minutes
- Serves: 6
These potato wedges are easy to make and will easily rival any of the wedges you could buy in local restaurants near your home.
This recipe is fool-proof and will result in perfectly crisp and fluffy potato wedges every single time. This recipe can also be made in an air fryer, see the recipe for more information.
Potato wedges are the perfect side as they are loved by people of all ages and are a safe option for picky eaters.
Garnish these wedges with your choice of herbs or spices for an extra punch of flavor.
Conclusion
We hope that these recipes help to make gluten-free choices more accessible. A number of these dishes could be adjusted to include meat, making them a possible main course meal also.
These 21 easy gluten-free side dish recipes are sure to be loved by family and friends as well as being easy to cook.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is the name of the proteins that are commonly found in wheat, such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and semolina.
These proteins help foods maintain their shape, essentially acting as a glue that is necessary for some foods to hold together, such as pizza dough, pasta, or bread.
There are gluten-free substitutes available to replace these products so a gluten-free diet is not as limiting as it once was.
Gluten-free flours can be bought so that you can bake your own gluten-free goods or you can buy gluten-free pizza, bread, pasta, and cakes.
What Foods Do You Avoid On A Gluten-Free Diet?
The list of foods that you cannot eat when following a gluten-free diet is vast and we simply couldn’t name them all.
You need to avoid any food that contains gluten and also need to mention your intolerance when out for meals to ensure there is no cross-contamination in the restaurant’s kitchen as they make your meal.
An example of some foods that contain gluten would be bread, cakes, most types of candy, ice cream cones, licorice, most baked goods, soy sauce, and gravy.
Gluten can also be found in a lot of vegetarian and vegan foods so it is essential you check for the gluten-free label when purchasing food.
How Do You Know If You Are Gluten Intolerant?
There are a number of symptoms that you can watch for if you feel you may be reacting to gluten in your foods.
These signs range from headaches and nausea to severe bloating, abdominal pain, and in most cases diarrhea and constipation.
If you notice that you are suffering from any of these symptoms it is best to speak to a healthcare professional for further advice and testing.
Celiac disease, which is often linked to gluten intolerances, and less severe gluten intolerances can be tested for through a simple blood test and your local medical practice.
The blood work would show higher than normal antibodies in the blood which would indicate that your immune system is fighting the gluten you are consuming.
Does A Gluten-Free Diet Help You To Lose Weight?
While most people believe that following a gluten-free diet would help with losing weight this is actually a myth.
Following a gluten-free diet will not directly affect your weight or help you to lose weight.
Most people will in fact gain some weight when initially beginning a gluten-free diet as their bodies adjust to the gluten substitutes in the new food they are now consuming.
21 Easy Gluten-Free Side Dishes
Check out our handy guide to 21 easy gluten-free side dishes that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Directions
- Pick a recipe from the list above
- Click the recipe name and visit the website
- Collect the ingredients and cook the food
- Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review
Recipe Video
Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.
I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!
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