The Best Fast Food Sides When You Aren't In The Mood For French Fries
When you're standing at the register of your favorite fast food spot, ordering a side of fries is almost impulsive. Of course, you're gonna snag a side of fries. What the heck are you gonna eat alongside your burger? Dumping out a pile of fries onto your tray just makes the whole meal look complete. Those warm and crispy miniature obelisks of potatoes are a great palate cleanser in between bites of whatever you ordered as your main dish. Those salty little suckers carry a load of delicious weight on their shoulders, and they do it to perfection.
But, sometimes you should put that muscle-memory urge to dive into some fries behind you and order up something else. Every restaurant has at least a few options to choose from that aren't glistening, golden starch sticks. In fact, some might argue that opting out of fries is actually a better idea. Pair your meal with a different flavor profile and enjoy the new experience. If you find that you're getting a little tired of always ordering up that extra side of fries, these are some tasty alternatives that'll still leave your mouth and your appetite smiling wide.
Chick-fil-A mac 'n cheese
One thing that's great about a side order of fries is that they're not overly filling, so in most cases you're not going be so stuffed that you end up leaving behind a few bites of the main course. You can power through the fried pile and still have room to toss down that burger no problem. But sometimes that main entrée just isn't enough to satisfy your belly's beast, and you need something rich and heavy to accompany it. This is where the macaroni and cheese at Chick-fil-A comes into play perfectly.
This side bowl of pasta is made using a blend of cheese, including Parmesan, Romano, and cheddar. The three cheeses combine to make one heck of a rich flavor, and it tastes amazing. Every bite is creamy and coats your palate with a silky, saltiness that cheese does so well. Plus, the dish is baked in the oven, which creates a bit of a crust on the top, so you have to break through the top layer to get to the gooey prize underneath. This also creates a nice textural contrast in your mouth.
Sonic chili cheese tots
There are a lot of great options at Sonic, including the fries, and that makes it tough to opt out of them when it's time to lock that order in and go through the arduous experience of awaiting your meal. But, just because fries are on the menu doesn't mean you should jump at the chance to order them. Sonic offers a variety of other sides, and one of them that should pique your interest is the chili cheese tots. Yes, you're still eating fried potatoes, but tots give a different mouthfeel that can be a welcome change.
Not only are you getting little nuggets of golden brown tater tots here, but you're also getting some toppings that crank these bad boys up several pegs on the taste ladder. Just like the name states, you get warm chili and melted cheddar cheese plopped right on top of your order, and that spells delicious. The outer shell of the tots is perfectly crunchy, and it leads to the wonderfully warm and delicate potato underneath. The chili is packed with a savory meaty flavor and the gooey cheese adds a nice creaminess to the crunch the tots have.
Arby's mozzarella sticks
If you wanna go someplace that has the meats, look no further than Arby's. The fast food chain is known for its selection of roast beef sandwiches. And it's a nice change, given that roast beef really isn't an ingredient you often see on fast food menus. So, you're heading to Arby's ready to plow through a pile of roast beef nestled inside a bun, but you want something else to munch on as well. That roast beef alone isn't going to cut it, and you really don't feel like tossing back a pile of fries. What's the play here? Well, you can always grab yourself an order of mozzarella sticks.
There's nothing fancy or unique about these mozzarella sticks, but that's totally okay. They do exactly what you want them to do: deliver a crispy stick of melted mozzarella cheese into that eager mouth of yours. The sticks aren't heavily breaded so you don't feel like you're eating just a fried outer casing, and the cheese in the middle is super gooey with a kick of that great salty mozzarella flavor. And who can forget the tasty dunk into the zesty marinara sauce as well. The sauce is a little sweet to help complement the salty cheese, and it works like a charm.
Popeyes red beans and rice
When the urge to jump head first into some Louisiana cooking starts calling out to you, you might want to pencil in a trip to the nearest Popeyes. That bucket of fried chicken certainly isn't going to eat itself, and it's relying on you and that voracious appetite to accomplish the mission. Popeyes offers a bunch of sides to pair with the chicken, so you might find yourself wondering which one will check off all the boxes you need it to. One of the options that definitely works is the red beans and rice.
You get two simple ingredients here: red beans and seasoned rice. The two flavors really pack one heck of a punch, which is exactly what you're looking for before venturing into chicken territory. Rice can sometimes feel gummy if it's not cooked properly, but that's not the case here. The rice is seasoned really well and has a soft texture. The red beans add a thick creaminess that smothers your taste buds. Rice and beans are two best friends that should always travel together.
Chick-fil-A yogurt parfait
Let's be honest here: If you're heading to your favorite fast food spot, chances are you're not looking for a diet-friendly meal. That's just the truth of it. You're craving something rich with all the stuff your doctor tells you to avoid because, hey, it's freakin' delicious. But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to get a little bit of healthy stuff in you while you're there. If you want to feel more comfortable about the decision you're about to make as you approach the register to order at Chick-fil-A, you can always snag yourself a yogurt parfait.
The little clear container is full of organic vanilla bean Greek yogurt and topped with a medley of berries and your choice of either a granola topping or cookie crumbles. Obviously if your waistline is at the forefront of your mind, then ditch the cookie crumbles and go with granola. The yogurt is super creamy with a pleasant hint of vanilla that floods your mouth with richness, and the bursts of sweetness from the strawberries, blueberries, and sometimes even cranberries are a great flavor contrast to the yogurt.
Wendy's baked potato
It can be a tough decision to ditch the fries and opt for another side with your meal. Fries pair with sandwiches and burgers so well, and it can feel wrong to leave them out of your order. At Wendy's you can leave fries off your order without having to ditch the potatoes altogether. The chain is one of the few that offers baked potatoes. You still get to have your starch, but it comes in a different form: a big, heaping, flavor-packed form.
There are four different baked potatoes you can order at Wendy's: plain, sour cream and chive, bacon cheese, and chili and cheese. Listen, if you're just looking for a potato and want to ignore your taste buds' urge to eat something that dances on your tongue, opt for plain. But, the other three options give your mouth an array of interesting tastes. The sour cream and chive has the vibrant kick of sour cream with a lovely essence from the herb that slices through the tanginess. Bacon always wins whatever race it's in, and the bacon here is crispy and gives a great textural contrast to the potato. And who can forget about chili? The chili and cheese option is rich, meaty, and salty, and it does your potato all kinds of good.
Wendy's spicy nuggets
It can be tough to decide what the heck to order when you're standing in line at your favorite fast food spot with an appetite that's getting exponentially more aggressive with every minute that passes. You can't let that irritated buddy in your belly down. You have to craft yourself the perfect order so you are satisfied, and one way to do that at Wendy's is to leave the fries behind and trek forward with an order of spicy nuggets instead. A little spice helps wake your palate up and gets it ready for showtime. Plus, the protein will help fill you up.
Of course, you can always eat an order of nuggets as your main course, but why do that when there are a slew of great burgers and sandwiches on the menu? You might as well make the nuggets your amuse-bouche. These golden fried pieces of white-meat chicken have a delicate crunch on the outside that leads you to the juicy innards. They aren't overly spicy either, so if you're only looking for a bit of kick, you're in luck. Plus, to add even more flavor, you can choose a dipping sauce to accompany them. Pick from among the buttermilk ranch, barbecue, sweet and sour, or honey mustard. Or you can try the ghost pepper ranch if you're willing to test the limits of that fire alarm on your palate.
Taco Bell Cinnabon Delights
When it's time to fill that stomach with food, something rich and flavorful often hits the spot to perfection. Luscious foods have a way of coating your palate and sitting heartily in your belly, and that's exactly what you want when hunger strikes. But, too much of any one thing can feel overwhelming after a while, and you need to change up the flavor profiles that are hitting your taste buds like a culinary drone strike. This is where sweets swoop in like sugary superheroes to keep your appetite enticed. That's also why the Cinnabon Delights at Taco Bell are so appealing after plowing through a handful of meaty tacos.
Now, one could argue these are more of an after-dinner food since they're crammed with sugar, but in your world you make the rules, and if you want to toss these back as part of your meal, then so be it. These little cinnamon balls filled with vanilla icing literally erupt in your mouth like a volcanic explosion. The outer dough is warm and coated in a dusting of cinnamon sugar, and the icing in the center is super creamy. The vanilla-cinnamon combination is fantastic, and they're the perfect accompaniment to the savory, salty food Taco Bell offers.
Burger King chicken fries
Let's say you're going out to eat and don't want fries, but for some reason you still really want something that's the same shape. Kind of an odd urge, but hey, who knows why certain urges hit? Burger King gets you out of this culinary conundrum in the form of chicken fries. They look like fries, feel like fries, but alas, they're crispy sticks of chicken just waiting for your stomach to welcome them home. They're also a great way to get in some protein if you don't want to consume an entire chicken sandwich.
There are no bells or whistles with the chicken fries. You just get a box of nine breaded and fried white-meat chicken strips. They're not quite as thick as tenders, which is nice because it doesn't feel like you're overloading your mouth up with chicken. You can nibble on these without feeling like a glutton. The chicken fries on their own pack some good flavor thanks to the seasoning in the breading, but sending them for a plunge into one of Burger King's dipping sauces is always encouraged so that you get the most bang for your buck with each bite.
Wienerschnitzel jalapeño poppers
When you bite into whatever you're eating, the last thing you want is for some bland flavor to slowly mosey its way across your palate, disappointing every taste bud it touches. You want flavors that are loud and vibrant. You want them to sing. So, if you're really craving something that's gonna pop like firecrackers when it hits your tongue, the jalapeño poppers at Wienerschnitzel are your answer. They literally have the word "pop" in their name, so you know you're working with the right stuff.
These poppers are stuffed with diced jalapenos and melted cheddar cheese. The bits of the peppers are a really nice change from the kind of popper that uses the whole intact pepper. Sometimes the texture of those can be a bit tough to chew through since you have to chomp down on the whole thing. Here, the jalapeño bits are nicely dispersed throughout each morsel of fried, melted cheddar cheese. The outside has a great crunch, and the cheese lends a contrasting creaminess. These aren't too hot either. There's just enough spice to let you know the jalapeño is present without scorching your tongue.
Panda Express chicken egg roll
All aboard the Panda Express. This spot has you covered when you want to change up your normal fast food routine and get some amazing Chinese food instead of your typical burger and fries. Your taste buds have a habit of getting bored with the same food, and you sometimes need to catch them off guard with different flavors, which is what makes places like Panda Express such a great option. Like any restaurant, it offers sides to accompany your main meal, and here, you can enjoy a chicken egg roll instead of a boring basket of fries.
This is your standard egg roll, but even though there's nothing super unique about it, your appetite is still stoked that it's something other than fries. The egg roll is stuffed with a medley of shredded veggies and tender chunks of chicken, and they all combine to create a really delicious side dish. The veggies are shredded thin so you get a delicate mouthfeel with each bite, and the soft inside ingredients complement the crunchy outer layer perfectly. You'd be making a huge mistake if you don't plunge that golden, fried cylinder into some sauce for an even more delicious experience, so go ahead and pencil that into your egg roll-eating routine.
Whataburger onion rings
Onions are a tough ingredient to turn down. You can cook them a ton of different ways, and depending on which kinds you're working with, they may lend a sweet, peppery, or sometimes even spicy flavor to the rest of the ingredients they're operating alongside. A burger or sandwich is made infinitely better with a heaping pile of onions –- either raw or caramelized -– but any onion enthusiast also knows just how awesome they are when you dunk them in some batter and send those suckers into the deep fryer. This is why you should definitely give a hard pass to fries and order up the onion rings the next time you're at Whataburger.
The onion rings at Whataburger have a lovely crunch to them, and they're not overly crispy, which means you get a great punch of onion without feeling like you're munching on way too much of the fried batter. It's a disaster when the ratio of batter to onion is off, but Whataburger has the balance just right. The onion rings on their own taste amazing, but you can also bathe them in a delicious dipping sauce for an even better time. Send them to the next level with your choice honey mustard, creamy pepper, honey barbecue, buffalo, buttermilk ranch, or jalapeno ranch.