The quick answer: The best sides for Italian beef sandwiches are ones that cut the richness or add crunch. Lead with the Chicago classic – French fries – then add something bright and acidic. Top picks:
- French fries (crinkle-cut hold up best to the jus) – the traditional pairing
- Giardiniera or sweet peppers on the side for tangy, spicy crunch
- A sharp Italian chopped salad or vinegary coleslaw to balance the fat
- Italian street corn or roasted vegetables / broccoli rabe for a cookout
- A chocolate cake shake for dessert – the authentic Chicago finish
Keep reading for all 15 sides, what to skip, and the drink and dessert pairings.
There is a particular kind of silence that falls over a table when a tray of Italian beef sandwiches lands in the middle of it. Everyone reaches, everyone drips jus down their wrists, and for about ninety seconds nobody talks.
I’ve watched it happen at a cousin’s backyard party in the suburbs and at a paper-lined counter in Chicago, and the reaction is always the same.
But here’s the thing nobody warns you about: the Italian beef is so good, and so rich, that the wrong side dish can quietly sink the whole meal. Serve something heavy next to it and you’ll feel like you need a nap before dessert. Serve nothing at all and the plate feels unfinished.
I’ve cooked for a lot of these dinners, eaten my share in Chicago, and made plenty of mistakes along the way (more on those later). So instead of dumping forty random recipes on you, I want to walk through why certain sides work, then give you the ones I actually reach for – including a few the internet sleeps on.
@ruccusworld23 Italian beef The MAY WAY 😮💨🙌🏾🔥
First, what are we actually balancing?
If you’ve never had one, the Italian beef sandwich is a Chicago invention: thinly sliced roast beef simmered and served in its own garlicky gravy (the “jus”), piled onto a crusty roll. You order it “dry,” “wet,” or “dipped,” and it comes topped with either sweet peppers or spicy giardiniera – a pickled, oil-cured vegetable relish that gives the sandwich its crunch and bite.
So the flavor profile you’re working against is: rich, salty, beefy, garlicky, and dripping wet. A good side does at least one of three jobs:
- Cuts the richness with acid or freshness (vinegar, lemon, pickled things, crisp greens).
- Adds a different texture — because the sandwich itself is soft and saucy, you crave crunch.
- Leans into the Chicago tradition and just doubles down on the fun (yes, that means fries).
Keep those three jobs in mind and you’ll never pair badly again. Now, the sides.
The non-negotiable: French fries
Let’s not overthink the classic. In Chicago, the beef-and-fries combo is so standard that even Wikipedia notes the sandwich is typically served with a side of French fries. Walk into Portillo’s, Al’s #1, or Johnnie’s and the fries are right there next to the register for a reason.
My honest take after years of doing this: fries are the correct answer, but the style matters more than people admit.
- Crinkle-cut (the Portillo’s school) hold up to dunking and have more surface area for salt. My personal favorite for a wet sandwich.
- Cheese fries with crispy potato-skin edges (Al’s #1 is famous for these) are gloriously over-the-top — best reserved for when you’ve skipped the giardiniera and want richness on richness.
- Sweet potato fries are the contrarian pick I’ve come around on. The natural sweetness plays beautifully against the salty beef, and they feel a touch lighter.
Pro move I swear by: save a small ramekin of the leftover jus and dip your fries in it. People will look at you like you’ve invented something. You haven’t — but you’ll be glad you did it.
The Chicago “combo” move: add an Italian sausage
This isn’t really a side, but it’s the most authentic upgrade on the list, so it earns a spot. In Chicago you can order a “combo,” which tucks a char-grilled Italian sausage right alongside the beef in the same roll.
If you’re cooking for a crowd, grill a few sausages and set them out so people can build a combo or eat one on the side. It’s smoky, it’s a little spicy, and it makes the spread feel like a genuine Chicago beef stand.
Giardiniera and sweet peppers — on the side, not just on top
Giardiniera usually lives on the sandwich, but I always put an extra bowl on the table, and it’s the first thing to disappear. That tangy, spicy crunch is exactly the acid-and-texture contrast a rich beef needs.
If you want to make your own – which I highly recommend – Food Network’s homemade giardiniera is a reliable starting point, and a jar keeps in the fridge for weeks.
A bowl of warm, soft sautéed sweet bell peppers does the same job for anyone who doesn’t want heat. Slick them with a little olive oil and good Italian herbs and you’ve got a side that quietly elevates every bite.
Tangy coleslaw
If I could only put one “real” side dish next to an Italian beef, it might be slaw. Not the sweet, mayonnaise-drowned kind — I mean a sharp, vinegary slaw, or better yet a buttermilk-and-horseradish version. The cold crunch and the acidity reset your palate between bites. It’s the cooling counterweight the whole plate is asking for.
Bright Italian salads (the smartest pairing)
This is where I think most people under-deliver. A cold, acidic salad is the single best way to make a heavy beef dinner feel balanced instead of brutal.
- Italian chopped / antipasto salad — salami, provolone, olives, pepperoncini, tomatoes, and a red wine vinaigrette. It echoes the flavors of the sandwich without competing. If you want to turn it into a centerpiece, build out a full Italian antipasto board and let people graze.
- Simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette — the minimalist’s choice. Sharp lemon and good olive oil do all the work. Browse a few ideas in the salad recipes here if you want inspiration.
- Caprese salad — ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, a thread of balsamic. Light, pretty, and it leans into the Italian theme. A reader-favorite move is finishing it with shaved cheese; if you’re deciding which, this guide on Pecorino Romano vs Parmesan is worth a read.
Italian street corn
A play on Mexican elote with an Italian accent: grilled corn slathered with a little mascarpone or pesto and showered in pecorino and black pepper. It’s sweet, smoky, salty, and slightly creamy — and it photographs well if you care about that sort of thing. This is my go-to for summer cookouts where the beef is coming out of a slow cooker.
Roasted vegetables and broccoli rabe
For a side that feels genuinely Italian-American rather than diner-adjacent, roast a tray of vegetables — zucchini, peppers, eggplant, broccoli — tossed with olive oil, garlic, and herbs at a high heat until the edges char. The caramelization gives you a sweet, smoky note that flatters the beef.
If you want to go fully Chicago-Italian about it, garlicky sautéed broccoli rabe is the move. Its pleasant bitterness slices straight through the fatty jus. It’s a more grown-up pairing, and I love it on a Sunday.
Pasta salad – yes; hot pasta – no! 🙂
A cold pasta salad with vegetables and an oil-and-vinegar dressing is a great make-ahead side, especially for parties. It’s hearty without being hot and heavy.
Now the warning, because trustworthy advice includes the failures: do not serve a rich, hot, creamy pasta alongside Italian beef. I tried it once — a baked pasta next to dipped beef sandwiches — thinking “more Italian comfort food, what could go wrong?” The answer is everything.
Two heavy, saucy, carb-forward dishes fighting for the same space left everyone overwhelmed and no one finishing their plate. Save your carbonara for a night when it can be the star. Beside an Italian beef, it’s just too much of a good thing.
Potato salad and baked beans (the cookout crew)
If your Italian beef is the slow-cooker, feed-a-crowd kind, these picnic staples earn their place. A tangy potato salad (try a lighter Greek-style version with lemon and herbs instead of the heavy mayo kind) and a pot of smoky-sweet baked beans round out a casual spread.
The sweetness of the beans against the salty beef is an underrated combination — use the bread to mop up the sauce.
Garlic bread – with one caveat
Garlic bread is delicious and nobody will complain. My only caveat is the obvious one: the sandwich is already bread. Two breads can feel redundant. If you go this route, serve smaller pieces and treat it as a vehicle for soaking up extra jus rather than a main event.
A homemade Italian tomato sauce on the side for dipping turns plain garlic bread into something people remember.
What I’d skip
A short honest list, because knowing what not to serve is half the battle:
- Heavy cream-sauce pasta or mac and cheese — richness on richness, as covered above.
- Anything with a competing strong sauce (barbecue, heavy curry) — it muddies the garlicky jus.
- Another beefy or super-savory main — let the sandwich be the protein star.
- Plain steamed vegetables with no acid or seasoning — technically “balanced,” but boring next to something this bold.
Drinks and dessert
To drink: A crisp lager or a hoppy pale ale is the beef-stand default, and it works. If you’re a wine person, skip anything delicate — you want a medium-bodied, acidic Italian red like a Chianti or a Barbera that can stand up to the garlic and fat.
For a deeper dive into matching wine to a meal, this piece on pairing wine for every occasion is a good primer.
For dessert: Here’s the one that sounds wrong and is completely right. In Chicago, the move is a chocolate cake shake — a milkshake with a slice of chocolate cake blended in — after your beef. I was skeptical the first time. I’m not anymore. The cold, sweet, ridiculous excess is the perfect full stop after a savory, messy meal. A scoop of spumoni or lemon sorbet does a gentler version of the same job.
Quick pairing cheat sheet
| If you want… | Serve this |
|---|---|
| The authentic Chicago plate | Crinkle-cut fries + extra giardiniera + a chocolate shake |
| To cut the richness | Vinegary slaw, Italian chopped salad, or broccoli rabe |
| A summer cookout spread | Italian street corn, pasta salad, baked beans |
| Something light and pretty | Caprese or a green salad with lemon vinaigrette |
| Maximum indulgence | Cheese fries + a combo (add sausage) |
| To impress without much effort | A full antipasto board everyone shares |
Frequently asked questions
What is the most traditional side for an Italian beef sandwich? French fries, full stop. In Chicago beef stands, fries are the default companion, and a side of giardiniera or sweet peppers is nearly as common.
What’s a healthy side for Italian beef sandwiches? A crisp green salad with a lemon or red wine vinaigrette, roasted vegetables, or garlicky broccoli rabe. All add freshness and acidity without piling on more richness.
Can I serve pasta with Italian beef? Yes, but choose a cold pasta salad over a hot, creamy pasta. Two rich, saucy dishes side by side overwhelm the palate.
What should I serve at an Italian beef party for a crowd? Set out fries or potato salad, a big antipasto or chopped salad, a bowl of extra giardiniera, and Italian sausages so guests can build a combo. Finish with something cold and sweet for dessert.
The bottom line
The Italian beef does the heavy lifting – your job with the sides is to give people contrast and a reason to keep eating. Lead with fries because tradition is tradition, but earn your stripes with something bright and acidic on the table too: a sharp slaw, a chopped Italian salad, a bowl of giardiniera that disappears before the sandwiches do.
Get that balance right and you’ll recreate that ninety-second silence at your own table. Just keep plenty of napkins handy.
Made a great spread? I’d love to hear what you served — drop your go-to side in the comments.
