21 Easy Grilled Fish Sides

How to Build a Grilled Fish Dinner

Start with one starch, such as rice or potatoes, then add a fresh vegetable or salad. Finish with an optional sauce, salsa, or fruit topping that complements the fish's seasoning.

Lightly seasoned fish pairs well with lemon, herbs, fresh vegetables, and simple rice dishes. Smoky or spicy grilled fish can handle richer sides such as coconut rice, creamy slaw, roasted potatoes, or street corn salad.

If you're entertaining, prepare cold salads, slaws, sauces, and salsas ahead of time. Keep them chilled until serving so you can focus on serving the fish hot from the grill.

Salads For Grilled Fish

A crisp, cold salad is one of the best ways to balance the smoky char of grilled fish. These three options range from tangy and creamy to light and refreshing, so you can pick whichever fits your spread.

Sweet Coleslaw

Salads and slaws are some of the easiest sides to check off your list, since they can be made ahead and chilled until dinnertime. This crunchy, tangy coleslaw is a summer table staple.

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This sweet coleslaw recipe is super easy and delicious. It combines crunchy cabbage, a little carrot, and coleslaw dressing. Perfect for burgers, BBQ ribs, sliders, chicken, or a summer barbecue, it's a side dish everyone will love!

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Deli Potato Salad

For something heartier, this creamy potato salad never disappoints.

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This NY deli potato salad is cold and creamy, made with thin-sliced russet potatoes in a sweet and tangy mayo dressing. Just like the kind you'd find at a New York deli. No mustard, no eggs, no relish. Perfect for picnics, BBQs, or any casual get-together. Great with pastrami, roast beef, or your favorite sandwich.

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Watermelon Arugula Salad

When you want something lighter and more colorful, try this sweet-and-salty combination instead.

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Watermelon Arugula Salad with Feta is a fresh and easy summer side dish or appetizer. Made with juicy watermelon, peppery arugula, cubed salty feta cheese, sliced onions, and a lime vinaigrette. Light, sweet, and salty. Ready in 10 minutes!

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Rice Recipes

Rice is one of the easiest sides to stretch a meal and soak up extra sauce or marinade from the fish. Whether you want something sweet and tropical or savory and hearty, these three recipes have you covered.

Coconut Rice

Rice is another make-ahead side, since it reheats beautifully or holds well at room temperature. This coconut rice adds a subtly sweet, tropical note that pairs perfectly with grilled fish.

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This simple coconut rice is made with white rice, canned coconut milk, water, and salt. It's soft, lightly creamy, and perfect with fish, shrimp, chicken, and tropical-style dinners.

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Spanish Rice

For a heartier, savory option, this one-pot Spanish rice is just as easy.

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Easy Spanish Rice Recipe made with converted rice, tomato sauce, onion, green pepper, garlic, ketchup, and peas. This one-pot side dish cooks in 20 minutes and goes with chicken, beef, pork, fish, or shrimp.

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Lemon Asparagus Rice

Or keep things bright and fresh with this lemony rice studded with tender asparagus.

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Lemon asparagus rice is a simple side dish made with fluffy white rice, tender asparagus, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. It pairs well with fish, chicken, or steak and works for both weeknight dinners and special meals.

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Potatoes

You can't go wrong with a classic potato side, and grilled fish practically calls for one. These four takes are simple, comforting, and just as good served warm or at room temperature.

Crispy Roasted Baby Potatoes

Potatoes are the ultimate crowd-pleasing starch, and these crispy baby potatoes are proof.

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These crispy roasted baby potatoes are golden and crisp on the outside with a fluffy, tender center. Seasoned with garlic, onion, paprika, and oregano, they're an easy side dish that pairs well with everything from chicken and steak to fish and pork.

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Steamed Red Potatoes with Butter and Parsley

For a simpler, no-fuss option, steam red potatoes with butter and parsley instead.

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Steamed Red Potatoes with Butter and Parsley is a simple and delicious side dish. Low-starch red potatoes are steamed in a steamer basket on the stovetop for an easy healthy side dish for chicken and fish dinners. Ready in 20 minutes!

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Seasoned Roasted Russet Potatoes

Craving something starchier? These seasoned roasted potatoes taste just like French fries, without the fryer.

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Perfect seasoned roasted russet potatoes are similar to French Fries but without the frying. These crispy little potatoes are an all-around delicious addition to any meal.

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Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes

For a little natural sweetness to balance the smoky fish, these roasted Japanese sweet potatoes are the perfect way to round out your potato options, caramelized on the outside and tender all the way through.

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Japanese sweet potatoes are baked whole until the purple skin is lightly crisp and the pale yellow center is soft, sweet, and fluffy.

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Vegetables

Grilled fish pairs well with just about any vegetable, especially when it's charred, roasted, or tossed with something bright and bold. These four sides bring color and crunch to round out your plate.

Grilled Baby Broccoli

Round out your plate with a fresh vegetable, and let the grill do double duty. This charred broccoli picks up smoky flavor in just minutes.

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Grilled baby broccoli is an easy vegetable side dish with smoky charred flavor and tender stems. Serve it with grilled fish, steak, chicken, or burgers for an easy summer dinner.

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Mexican Street Corn Salad

Or go bolder with this creamy, tangy street corn salad.

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Mexican street corn salad is a creamy corn side dish made with grilled corn, cotija cheese, lime juice, and spices. This easy elote-style salad is perfect for tacos, grilled meats, cookouts, and summer dinners.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts might not be the first vegetable you think of for a fish dinner, but roasted until crispy, they're impossible to resist.

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This baked Brussels sprouts recipe is easy to make and adds great flavor to a simple, wholesome vegetable. The oven cooked sprouts turn crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making them irresistible. Even the crispy leaves that fall off are a treat!

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Sheet Pan Asparagus

And when you need a side that's ready in ten minutes flat, sheet pan asparagus is the answer.

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Sheet pan asparagus is a simple side dish that cooks fast and comes out tender with lightly roasted edges. It uses just a few ingredients and is ready in about 10 minutes. Roast at 400°F for the best texture and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

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Toppings and Sauces

A good sauce can turn a simple piece of grilled fish into something special. These three options range from rich and buttery to bright and spicy, so you can match the flavor to whatever you're serving.

Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

A great sauce can turn even the simplest fillet into something special. This rich lemon garlic butter sauce is ready in 10 minutes and works with almost any fish.

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Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce is rich, smooth, and full of flavor. Made with butter, garlic, and lemon juice, this simple sauce adds the perfect finishing touch to any fish dinner. Ready in 10 minutes.

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Bang Bang Sauce

For something with a little kick, try this creamy, spicy bang bang sauce with grilled fish or shrimp.

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This easy Bang Bang Sauce is creamy, sweet, and spicy. Made with mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and hot sauce, it comes together in 5 minutes and is perfect for shrimp, chicken, fries, tacos, and sandwiches.

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Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Or keep it cool and refreshing with a scoop of homemade tzatziki.

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Homemade tzatziki sauce is a creamy Greek dip made with thick yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon, and fresh dill. Cool, tangy, and refreshing, it's perfect with pita chips, vegetables, grilled meats, or Mediterranean-style dishes. The recipe can easily be doubled to make a party-sized dip.

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Tropical Fruit

Since we're cooking in the Keys, no fish dinner feels complete without a little tropical fruit on the table. These sides add a sweet, fresh contrast to anything off the grill.

Twice-Fried Green Plantains (Tostones)

For a taste of the Keys, add a touch of tropical fruit to your spread. These crispy fried plantains are a classic Caribbean side that pairs well with any seafood dinner.

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Crispy twice-fried green plantains served with a simple garlic mayo ketchup dipping sauce. This classic Caribbean side dish is easy to make and goes well with fried fish, shrimp, chicken, rice, and beans.

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Mango Pico de Gallo

This tangy mango pico de gallo works just as well as a topping or a dip.

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This mango pico de gallo is sweet, tangy, and lightly spicy, made with ripe mangoes, key lime juice, tomatoes, and crisp vegetables. Spoon it over fish, shrimp, chicken, or tacos, or serve it with tortilla chips.

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Mango with Chili Lime Salt

Keep dessert simple with sweet mango dusted in chili lime salt.

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Mango with chili lime salt is a delicious balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy flavors. Simply sprinkle the seasoning over ripe mango slices for a refreshing snack or tropical dessert.

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Dessert

No meal in the Keys is ever complete without a tropical dessert. This key lime pie recipe is the perfect way to wrap up your grilled fish dinner.

Key Lime Pie

Or go all in with a true taste of the Keys. This is a no-bake key lime pie with a sandy graham cracker crust and classic tangy custard filling.

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Authentic Key Lime Pie is the perfect way to finish a seafood dinner. Its tangy, creamy filling and buttery graham cracker crust balance the flavors of the meal. Serve it cold with a spoonful of whipped cream for a classic Florida Keys dessert.

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What Goes Best With Grilled Fish?

A good pairing usually includes one fresh vegetable and one starch. For example, serve grilled fish with tomato-cucumber salad and lemon asparagus rice, or pair it with roasted broccoli and crispy potatoes.

Choose sides that match the fish's seasoning. Citrus, herbs, rice, and fresh vegetables complement lightly seasoned fish, while slaw, coconut rice, corn, and fruit salsa stand up well to smoky or spicy marinades.

There are few strict rules. The goal is simply to balance the fish with contrasting textures and flavors. With these grilled fish sides, it's easy to create a colorful and delicious dinner without spending hours in the kitchen.