13 Underrated Vegetables You Can Bake With Chicken

There's nothing quite like chicken and vegetables for a healthy and satisfying meal. You may have your go-to favorites when it comes to roasted veggies, but there are plenty of unexplored options that are equally delicious. Think outside of what might be in your crisper box and embrace something new to give a standard dish an exciting new outlook. 

Some vegetables may be uncommon when paired with chicken dishes but are easy to find, putting a new twist on preparation. Others are specialty veggies that are only available in certain areas or used more in particular styles of cooking. Either way, trying a new pairing can bring out the flavor of your chicken to create a dish that is as unexpected as it is delicious.

We asked top chefs and experts what underrated vegetables they would pair with baked chicken. Some selections add crunch while others have a more tender appeal, but all of them can be baked or roasted right alongside your bird. Depending on your preference as well as other ingredients like marinades or spices, you might want to put them on a separate pan or platter to keep things cooking up just right. A few options are perfect for one-dish dinners, cutting back on both prep and cleanup while keeping things tasty.

Fennel is a delicious accompaniment to baked chicken when it comes to both taste and texture. It keeps a little bit of crunch and bite, even when cooked. This is a favorite among several chefs, including Rena Awada, owner and head chef at Healthy Fitness Meals, who opts for fennel when she wants something out of the norm. "When I think about roasted chicken, fennel is one of those vegetables that often gets overlooked," she says. "The texture softens, but it still has a little bite, which contrasts beautifully with the juicy chicken. Plus, its fresh, herbal notes really brighten up the dish." 

Carissa Erzen at Humbly Homemade also likes roasted fennel with chicken because of the flavor combination. "It caramelizes wonderfully when roasted," she says. "It adds a unique, slightly sweet, anise-like flavor to savory chicken." 

Dennis Littley at Ask Chef Dennis says fennel's flavor "adds a subtle complexity to the chicken without overpowering it." If you want a vegetable that won't take over the dish but still adds a unique taste to basic chicken, fennel is worth trying.

You may expect to see radishes in a salad but don't overlook roasting them and serving them with chicken. Rena Awada says that putting this vegetable in the oven is "a game changer" when it comes to your chicken dish. 

"When I roast them, they turn wonderfully sweet and lose that sharp bite," she says. "They soften up but still hold their shape, adding a nice pop of color to the plate. I like to toss them in olive oil, sprinkle some salt, and add a few herbs before roasting. They pair perfectly with the chicken and bring an unexpected twist that makes the whole meal even better."

Dennis Littley also notes that roasting softens the harshness typically associated with radishes. "People usually think of them raw, but when roasted, they lose their sharp bite and become buttery with a gentle sweetness," he says. "They still hold a bit of crunch, giving you that nice texture alongside tender chicken." So even if you aren't a raw radish fan, give them a try roasted to experience an entirely new side to this root vegetable.

If you're looking for an alternative to carb-heavy sides to serve with chicken, try a batch of cauliflower rice. At Healthy Fitness Meals, Rena Awada develops recipes that are good for you while also tasting delicious, and cauliflower rice is on her menu. She loves the "mild, nutty flavor" that pairs well with chicken, especially when it's time to soak up the extra juice or sauce.

"I usually make it by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until they look like rice grains, then roasting or sautéing them until they're tender," she says. "This gives it a little crispiness on the edges, which adds a nice texture. I love seasoning it with fresh herbs, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon to brighten things up. It's a healthy alternative that still feels hearty and comforting — just perfect for any chicken dish!"

Don't be afraid to use cauliflower rice as a base for a one-dish meal with chicken and other vegetables. You can add flavor with herbs, marinades, sauces, as well as other roasted veggie ingredients. If you don't want to try making your own, look for ready-to-heat cauliflower rice in the freezer aisle of the grocery store.

Native to the Caribbean, chayote squash is savory and adds bulk to chicken. It is a great alternative if you like butternut or other types of squash but want to try something new. Chayote squash is already popular in Latin American cuisine but is starting to make a name for itself in a variety of cooking styles thanks to its versatility. It works wonders in soups, where it adds some extra heft to make any dish more filling.

Ray Comiskey is the Executive Chef at Bahama Breeze, where he relies on this squash for both flavor and texture in his cooking. "It offers a crisp texture that softens when roasted, adding a subtle sweetness and fresh bite to contrast with a savory chicken dish," he says. That pairing of sweet and savory hits a lot of great notes that elevate your meal. 

Chayote squash is also visually appealing on the plate, with a pale green color that adds interest alongside your poultry. The exterior is a bright light green and the inside is white with a green tint. When roasted, it takes on the flavors of spices and sauces while still maintaining its sweetness.

While it is scientifically classified as a fruit, breadfruit is prepared and eaten like a vegetable. So, for culinary purposes, we'll include it as a fantastic option to switch things up when roasting veggies alongside chicken. This starchy option can replace potatoes if you want to try something new. Breadfruit is also versatile enough to replace potatoes or rice, which are typically high in sugars, with something that has a lower glycemic index without changing the substance of the dish. "A tropical favorite, breadfruit becomes soft and slightly nutty when roasted, offering a starchy, almost potato-like texture," says Ray Comiskey. 

In Hawaii, breadfruit is called 'ulu and it is a big part of traditional cooking throughout the Pacific islands. While the ingredient can be hard to find in stores outside of Hawaii, if you are able to track it down, look for breadfruit that is less ripe if you want it to be a closer replica to potatoes. Underripe breadfruits tend to be starchy and they become sweeter as they ripen. You can then roast them whole, sliced, or diced.

While it begins as a tough root, when you cook taro, this vegetable softens into a luxurious and starchy side dish that is similar to potatoes and perfect with chicken. Make sure that you cook it thoroughly since raw taro contains calcium oxalate which can make you sick. 

"Known for its creamy texture when cooked, taro adds a hearty, satisfying element to chicken," says Ray Comiskey. For a unique twist on French fries, toss taro wedges in oil with seasonings. You'll be rewarded with a tasty dish that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You can also bake, boil, or mash taro, just like you would potatoes. 

Taro also looks similar to potatoes when harvested, with a tough exterior that you'll need to peel. The inside is white, but can sometimes have a slight pink tint. Taro is used in traditional Hawaiian dishes but has gained popularity as a versatile veggie in other types of cooking as well.

Another starchy vegetable to serve with baked chicken is yuca, which is the root of the cassava plant. It is used to make tapioca starch, a popular ingredient used to thicken prepared dishes, but the root itself is an unsung hero when it comes to vegetable side dishes. When roasted, the flavor becomes sweet while the texture maintains some of its firmness, a perfect accompaniment for poultry dishes.

"Yuca is a starchy root vegetable that's widely used in Caribbean cooking," says Ray Comiskey. "Roasting it brings out its natural sweetness and crisp texture, which pairs well with the flavors of baked chicken."

Farwin Simaak at Love and Other Spices also recommends yuca, also known as cassava, when you want a comforting vegetable that has a hint of sweet flavor. "We'd boil cassava cubes and have it with chicken curry or even just grated coconut," she says of her upbringing eating yuca. "They're starchy too just like potatoes and would pair well with roasted chicken. You can cook them in the same pan with the chicken or separately. They can be cubed and boiled, baked or fried."

Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family that adds plenty of texture to your chicken dish while also adding a starchy element similar to potatoes or rice. Kohlrabi is also similar to turnips. However, kohlrabi are white while turnips can have more distinct coloring patterns. You can eat the root of a kohlrabi but you'll need to peel it before roasting to enjoy. 

Carissa Erzen says that kohlrabi maintains its crispiness, even after cooking in the oven. "It also packs a little spicy kick, infusing chicken recipes with more flavor." Kohlrabi has a more peppery taste compared to potatoes and can work on its own or with other roasted vegetables. The same crunch and taste can elevate your coleslaw when kohlrabi is sliced and added to the salad. But the pairing of roasted kohlrabi and chicken brings this same unique flavor to your standard dinner.

If you like roasted broccoli with chicken, swap out your standard head of broccoli for a delicate spiral of Romanesco. Also known as Romanesco cauliflower, the nutty flavor of this vegetable works well with baked chicken, whether it's roasted with the bird or prepared separately. But it's the presentation that really puts this vegetable in a category all its own. Romanesco grows in fractals, a repeated geometrical pattern that gives it a striking appearance on the plate. While broccoli florets are dome-shaped, Romanesco florets grow in pyramids. This veggie is typically bright green with a lighter center at the top of each floret.

"Slightly nutty, Romanesco offers a unique taste that pairs with the herbs and spices typically used for baked chicken," says Carissa Erzen. "And its visually stunning shape and texture will level up any roasted chicken dish." Be careful to preserve the unique shape as best you can while cooking. Steaming is a good way to get tender Romanesco and let the natural flavor come through but you can also roast Romanesco to enhance its caramelization. 

You can add both sweetness and a hint of bitter bite with roasted rutabaga alongside your chicken. Prepare the vegetable by peeling the exterior, slicing or dicing it, and putting it in the oven just like you would roasted potatoes. It adds starch to your plate that pairs well with chicken, plus it can take on the flavors of spices, sauces, or other vegetables that you serve alongside it. Add honey before roasting to sweeten its taste and bring out its caramelized notes.

Grace Vallo, founder, chef, and recipe creator at Tastefully Grace, recommends roasting cubed rutabaga with herbs like sage, which also works well with roasted chicken. "Rutabaga has a subtly sweet, slightly bitter flavor that balances the richness of chicken," she says. "It's a hardy vegetable that becomes tender and flavorful when roasted, and it adds an unexpected twist to traditional root vegetable sides." Like its close relatives turnips and radishes, rutabaga has a little hint of bitterness that will spark interest in your taste buds in a way that milder options like potatoes don't.

Sunchokes are a type of sunflower whose roots are used in cooking. Also known as Jerusalem artichokes even though they are native to North America, sunchokes can be prepared similarly to steamed artichokes, although roasting brings out their flavor even more. They soften up when roasted and bring a nut-like flavor to the dish. If you're shopping for them at the store, look for a root that is similar in appearance to ginger. For home gardeners who want to grow sunchokes, make sure that you have a dedicated plot or pot for them since they can spread and overtake other areas quickly.

With more than 40 years of experience as a fine dining chef, Dennis Littley recommends sunchokes as an unexpected vegetable choice if you want to try something new. "Sunchokes are a bit more unusual but worth it for their nutty flavor," he says. "They get soft and creamy when roasted and pair well with fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary." Since these herbs also work well with chicken, the flavors are very complementary and delicious when served together. You can also add a spritz of fresh lemon over the top of them to add some brightness to the dish.

Daikon is a type of radish, but because it looks more like a white carrot, you may not recognize it at the grocery store. White daikon is the most common variety but you can also find unique options including pink, red, and purple. Roasted daikon are delicious alongside chicken and are typically used in Asian cuisines. 

Like other types of radishes, daikon have a peppery bite but they tend to be a bit sweeter than standard red radishes. You can store raw daikon in the fridge with the rest of your produce, then pull it out when you want to prepare it. Roasting is a great option to bring out its sweet flavor and temper its bitterness, but you can also enjoy daikon raw.

You can also find pickled daikon if you want to add extra zing to your dish. It's typically served as a salad or topping rather than a vegetable side, so consider adding some to top your baked chicken if you want to bring even more daikon flavor to your plate.

A relative of broccoli and cauliflower, bok choy is a vegetable that is easy to overlook in savory dishes; but if you haven't tried it roasted or grilled, you are missing out. Most people are more familiar with this leafy green in a salad, but when you roast it alongside your chicken, it gets tender and delicate. Toss it in various oils and seasonings to play with the flavor. The leaves are crispy but the base becomes very tender when cooked. The hint of bitter bite also mellows when it's cooked, making this a fantastic option if you want to pair it with sauces or other strong ingredients.

Bok choy is native to China, where it was cultivated for centuries before being exported to other Asian countries and eventually around the world. Today, it is a main ingredient in kimchi, some soups and stews, and stir-fries. You can add garlic for a little extra flavor, but bok choy is delicious when prepared simply with oil and seasonings. Roasting or grilling bok choy also allows the surface to caramelize and adds a sweet, savory element to the overall flavor of your chicken dish.