What To Serve With Fish & Chips: 12 Tasty Sides
Whether you’re making your own at home, or heading to your local chippy and fancy changing up your usual order, there are plenty of options for what to serve with fish and chips!
Though battered morsels of flaky white fish and crispy, fluffy chips make a meal in their own right, you sometimes might want to add a little extra to your plate.
From traditional choices to side dishes that are a little out of the ordinary, here are 12 tasty accompaniments you can choose from…
1. Pickled onions
That strong vinegary taste and the pleasing crunch of a pickled onion makes it a good choice for what to serve with fish and chips!
They’re also budget friendly, easy to find in any supermarket, and will last for a long time in the fridge.
Just add a couple to the side of your plate and you’re ready to go.
2. Tartare sauce
Tartare sauce is a traditional and popular accompaniment for fish, and it’s actually really easy to make your own at home.
This quick tartare sauce recipe requires no cooking, and takes less than half an hour from start to finish.
The capers, gherkins, and shallots add a satisfying crunch, and you’ll definitely notice and appreciate the difference compared to shop-bought counterparts.
If serving for guests, place a pot on the table and allow them to serve themselves. How much you need really depends on personal preferences.
3. Mushy peas
Mushy peas are so quintessentially British, and if you haven’t tried them before, you might be a little sceptical.
After all, their often bright green colour and mushy appearance can make them seem like an acquired taste, to say the least.
If you keep an open mind though, you’ll realise that they’re an absolute joy when served with fish and chips. When making your own, be sure to use marrowfat peas for the best results.
Rumour has it that when pop star Michael Jackson visited Britain, he always used to order mushy peas when eating from a chip shop.
4. Salt and vinegar
Many would argue that salt and vinegar isn’t just a choice when it comes to what to serve with fish and chips… It’s an absolute necessity!
I love to add lashings of malt vinegar first, then grind over a little sea salt.
It’s very much a personal choice though, so again if you have guests, let them add their salt and vinegar themselves.
5. Pineapple fritter
If your local chippy offers a pineapple fritter as an accompaniment for fish and chips, don’t be scared to give it a try!
It adds a unique sweetness to your meal, and it’s surprisingly good with a little salt and vinegar.
Alternatively, you could keep it to one side and serve it as a dessert.
Some chippies also sell banana fritters. These are more often seen as an option in Chinese restaurants, but are just as good.
6. Lemon wedges
A wedge of lemon is oh so good when freshly squeezed across a piece of battered white fish.
7. Batter scraps
Many chippies, particularly in the north of England, give the option of adding some batter scraps to your meal.
These deliver a satisfying crunch, and many people consider them to be the best part of the meal.
8. Pickled egg
A pickled egg is typically hard boiled and cured in vinegar or brine. It’s a popular pub snack, thanks to it being no fuss and full of flavour. Sometimes, extra seasonings and spices are added to the jar.
You can find these in most chip shops, country pubs, and supermarkets.
Of course, if you’d prefer then you can make your own at home.
9. Curry sauce
Curry sauce is a very common choice when it comes to what to serve with fish and chips!
The main ingredients here are curry sauce and apple.
Apple may seem like a slightly unusual ingredient, but it’s what gives the sauce that element of natural sweetness and taste, so if you’re making your own, don’t be tempted to leave it out!
You can pour it over your meal, or leave it on the side for dipping.
10. Spam fritter
Growing up, spam fritters were a regular choice on the school dinner menu!
You’d be unlikely to find the likes of Jamie Oliver recommending them as part of a nutritious meal, but they’ve long since been a popular choice for what to serve with fish and chips.
Spam is a canned meat consisting of pork and ham, and it has quite a controversial reputation.
It’s thought that spam fritters were first born during World War Two when supplies in Britain were low, and we had to get a bit more creative when it came to making dinner for the family. With fish off the menu for a while, these fritters became a simple and economical way to ensure that no one went hungry.
Though you’ll find many variations of this recipe, a good contender includes a beer batter, dijon mustard, and cheese.
11. Bread and butter
Fish and chips isn’t a meal without a couple of slices of buttered fresh bread!
Some people like to use theirs to make a sandwich (or a butty, as it’s known in certain parts of England), but there are no hard and fast rules.
If you’re serving fish and chips to family or friends, it’s always advisable to have plenty of fresh bread to put in the middle of the table so everyone can help themselves.
12. Fried Mars bar
Yes, you read that right… A fried Mars bar!
It’s a delicacy that was first found in chip shops in Scotland as a little bit of a novelty item, but it’s popularity has grown ever since and it’s a common option for what to serve with fish and chips that many people love!
Of course, it’s a sweet item, so it’s better served as a dessert.
You might want to add a dusting of icing sugar, some ice cream, or some fruity jam.
A deep fried Mars bar definitely isn’t the most health conscious of choices, but it’s something that you definitely have to try at least once.
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