As spring turns to summer, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen preparing a meal. You need to be outside enjoying every second while you can! So, thankfully, we’ve curated a delicious round-up of 75 summer dinner ideas that will save you tons of time without sacrificing flavor. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, planning a picnic, or simply need a quick and satisfying family dinner, these recipes are designed to be fuss-free and can be on the table in 30 minutes or less.
From light and refreshing salads to stir-fries and on-the-grill fan favorites, we have quite the array of options, with a little something for everyone. And if you’re weren’t planning on an ice cream recipe for dessert, we’ve got a handful of summer desserts here, too. Say goodbye to lengthy cooking sessions and hello to more time spent enjoying the sun with these quick and easy summer dinner ideas you’ll want to whip up all season long.
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What fruits and vegetables are in season in summer?
While seasonal produce varies given the area you live in, it can be helpful to have a general guide to go by while browsing at the grocery store. After all, incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into your family meals can make cooking after a long day feel exciting again—it may even encourage your kiddos try some new foods, too!
Seasonal fruits in the summer include:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Raspberries
- Watermelon
- Apricots, avocados, cherries, and citrus fruits like limes and lemons are also best in the summer!
Seasonal vegetables in the summer include:
- Corn
- Beets
- Carrots
- Celery
- Green Beans
- Onions
- Peas
- Other vegetables like bell peppers, okra, and lima beans are also best in the summer!
Summer Soup & Salad Recipes
1. Strawberry Tomato Balsamic Salad
This salad is packed with seasonal flavors and topped with extra virgin olive oil for a light and cooling side dish in the summertime! The best part? There’s no cooking required! Just chop, toss, and enjoy.
2. Creamy Potato Corn Chowder
Despite a chowder typically being best for cozy fall weather, corn is in season in the summertime! And for those chillier, stormy summer nights, this is a great dinner option for the whole family.
3. Corn Salad with Tomato & Avocado
Another great summertime option to serve by the pool or at a cookout! Any salad where avocado is included is a win in my book, and as far as fruits go, this one is by far the best in the summer.
4. Easy Tomato Gazpacho Soup
Loaded with fresh veggies and perfectly cool, this tomato soup is a summer must. It’s healthy, refreshing, and can be easily packed in your kiddos’ lunch box for a quick and easy summer camp lunch.
5. Lemony Lima Bean Salad
The great thing about this recipe is how customizable it is. You can add as much (or as little) lemon as you want, and the lima beans can be swapped for arugula. However, lima beans are great in the summer—give them a try!
Chicken Summer Dinner Recipes
6. Garlic Chicken White Pizza
I love pizza nights with the family during the summertime because making a personalized pie around the outdoor pizza oven is so much fun. Garlic is best when it’s harvested in the summer, making this pizza recipe the perfect summer dish to bring back time and time again.
7. Chicken Fried Rice
A great summertime dinner idea is a dish that’s vibrant and tangy, like this chicken fried rice. It’s quick and easy for any night of the week. Plus, it’s the perfect way to up that veggie intake.
8. Chicken Quinoa Salad
Why not kick off your summer dinner ideas with a salad that’s the epitome of healthy, summery, and nourishing? Filled with clean ingredients—like loads of fresh vegetables and herbs—and protein-packed ones like black beans, rotisserie chicken, and quinoa, it’s a winner all around.
9. Crispy Lemon Chicken Thighs
These tender and crispy chicken thighs make for the perfect classic summer entree to serve with a tasty side dish.
10. Taco Stuffed Peppers
Kick your Taco Tuesday up a notch with this yummy recipe that ups your veggie intake in the most delicious way possible. While this recipe can be made with ground beef, The Movement Menu’s Matt suggests making this dish with ground chicken!
11. Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Summer is the season of pasta salad, and this fresh and spicy recipe can fill you up enough as a full dinner or be served as a side dish at your weekend BBQ.
12. Mango Chicken Teriyaki
Normal teriyaki chicken is great, but have you ever tried mango teriyaki chicken? It’s the perfect pinch of citrus to enjoy as a warm evening dinner.
13. Healthy Southwestern Chicken Bowls
Not only are these bowls awesome as healthy summer dinner ideas, but you can also easily meal prep them so dinner for the week is completely taken care of!
14. Thai Lettuce Wraps
Biting into a crisp, cool, and sweet chicken lettuce wrap on a hot day? Yes. And they only take a couple of minutes to throw together? Even bigger yes!
15. Honey Garlic Chicken
This recipe is a total crowd pleaser that’s a great choice if your little ones are pickier eaters who only want to eat chicken tenders (you’re welcome).
16. Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Salsa
This colorful, nutrient-rich dinner option just screams summer! It’s quick (can be made in under 30 minutes, actually), light, and delicious—perfect to make on a busy summer night for the entire family.
Beef & Pork Summer Dinner Recipes
17. Melon Salad with Prosciutto
Bring the Cape Cod summertime vibes to your own backyard with a melon salad with prosciutto. The melon, mint, and homemade vinaigrette are definitely tastes of summer!
18. Tuscan Steak with Marinated Cherry Tomatoes
With May already here, that means it’s primetime tomato season. Feeling a little fancy for dinner? Whip up this delicious Tuscan steak with marinated cherry tomatoes. It only takes a total of 30 minutes to prep and cook, but make sure you give yourself enough time to marinate the steak for at least one hour.
19. Pizza Sliders
These aren’t just any sliders! They’re made with toasted golden Hawaiian rolls and are stuffed with pepperoni, sausage, and gooey mozzarella cheese. While technically this recipe clocks in at 35 minutes, we promise those extra five minutes will be worth the yum.
20. Pulled Pork Crescent Ring
Get ready to skip the utensils and dive right in, because once you’ve made this crescent ring it’s going to be all hands on deck. BBQ sauce lovers’ mouths will be watering when they smell this recipe’s juicy pulled pork tucked into warm, buttery croissants.
21. Grilled Sausage and Peppers Pizza
Grab some pre-made pizza dough from your local supermarket and have an easy pizza-making night! This amazing sausage and pepper pizza is perfect if you want to step outside of your classic cheese and pepperoni.
22. Easy Homemade Mini Corn Dogs
Capture some carnival or amusement park vibes with these adorable corn dogs. It’s one of those summer dinner ideas that many a kiddo can’t seem to get enough of. Plus, if you’ve never fried your own corn dogs before, consider it your new summer rite of passage!
23. Korean Beef + Toasted Sesame Rice
There’s nothing like making a little rice and some simple protein for a quick and easy dinner, but this recipe adds some unique seasonings to amp it up!
24. Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Your little ones are going to be absolutely obsessed with this incredibly simple dinner that’s perfect to throw together if you want that summertime vibe without committing to a full-blown grilling moment.
25. Ranch Burgers
What would a summer dinner ideas round-up be without a burger, right? These ranch burgers will instantly be the stars of your BBQ, whether you have 50 guests or it’s just you and your kiddos.
26. Big Mac Sloppy Joes
Summertime sloppy joes can make for a festive go-to dinner, and with these bad boys being drizzled in a homemade mac sauce, they’re definitely not just your average joe.
27. Taco Stir Fry
Can’t decide between tacos and stir fry for dinner? Well, now you can have both with this taco stir fry fusion that’ll mix up your weekly dinner menu!
28. Skillet Beef Enchiladas
The avocado, yellow onion, carrots, and tomatoes used in this recipe make it a great (and nutrient-rich) summer recipe you won’t want to miss out on this year. If ground beef isn’t your family’s favorite, you can easily swap in ground turkey.
Seafood Summer Dinner Recipes
29. Boiled Lobster Tails with Garlic Lemon Butter
Lobster is a luxurious meal but, believe it or not, cooking and prep time is so easy. I love that this recipe gives instructions on how to properly prep the lobster tail, too. Dress it up with a yummy garlic butter sauce with a splash of lemon, and you’ll feel like you’re eating on the coast.
30. One Pan Shrimp Fajitas
A one-pan meal is the perfect way to go, especially if you want more time enjoying dinner and less time cleaning up. Serve these fajitas on a bed of rice or as a taco.
31. BBQ Salmon Salad
Remember: salads do not have to be bland and boring! This recipe is the perfect dinner if you’re looking for a healthier option but still want something delicious and super filling.
32. Fish Sticks
If you’ve got kiddos who are into fish sticks, this DIY recipe is a breezy way to skip the pre-packaged processed kind. Even better, they’re coated in a creative cornflake batter for extra flavor and crunch.
33. Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos
Whip up some of these spicy shrimp tacos to transport yourself down to the sunny beaches of SoCal, where fish tacos are an absolute summer staple!
34. Bhetki Fish in Citrus Basil Butter Sauce
A light and lemony fish is one of the best dishes to enjoy in the summertime—serve this one up with a crisp side salad and you’ve got the ultimate dinner moment.
35. Lemon Butter Scallops
Toss these delicious and citrusy scallops on top of pasta, rice, or serve with any side dish your heart desires.
36. Mediterranean Baked Cod
This is one of those dinners that makes it seem like you tried way harder than you actually did, so it’s perfect for a summer dinner party where you’ll be cooking for your guests!
37. Garlic Scallop Pasta
If you’re into those scallops we mentioned earlier but want a full dinner recipe to go off of, look no further—we got you covered.
38. Creamy Garlic Salmon
Salmon cooks super quickly and is easy to perfect, so it’s a 10/10 option for a summer entree along with this yummy cream sauce.
39. 5-Minute Seared Tuna
Five minutes? Say less. This is a clever and different take on a fish dish that’s incredibly easy and takes you on a Hawaiian beach vacay.
40. Salmon and Pasta with Tomatoes
There’s no limit to the amount of family-friendly meals you can make with salmon. Using fresh, in-season tomatoes, this salmon recipe is nutrient dense and delicious, making for a flavorful summer dish everyone will love.
Summer Pasta Recipes
41. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
When it comes to picky eaters—AKA kids—I know pasta is an easy winner no matter the ingredients. This recipe calls for only four ingredients. It’s truly a win-win for mom and the kids!
42. Lemon Butter Pasta with Chicken
The bright and buttery lemon notes of this recipe make it an excellent choice for summer dinners, especially when you need something quick, easy, and healthy. It’s also a sweet option for an at-home date night!
43. Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
There’s nothing like a trusty pasta dinner if you need to make something fast and hassle-free, and this sun-dried tomato sauce recipe is ideal for warm weather.
44. Caprese Pasta Salad
Perfectly cool and delicious for summertime, the classic combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil makes this a staple in my household—and it should be in yours, too. The best part? It can be made in just 25 minutes! Whether served as a main or a side, your family will love it.
45. Broccoli Pesto Pasta
If you’re looking to sneak in some veggies for your little ones, then this super tasty pesto pasta is absolutely the dinner for you and your family.
Vegetarian Summer Dinner Recipes
46. Black Bean Burgers with Pineapple Salsa
Even if you’re not a vegetarian, making something like a black bean burger gives some tasty variety to your summer dinner meal rotation. Plus, the pineapple salsa sounds delicious.
47. Carrot and Cabbage Noodle Stir Fry
Cooking a stir-fry dish is one of my favorite meals when I need something quick. When all the flavors marry together, you would think it took hours to make it.
48. Portobello Mushroom Tacos
Craving a bit of a kick to spice up your next summer dinner? This recipe’s creamy cashew-based jalapeño sauce that accompanies a hearty combo of avocado and grilled portobello (and any other favorite taco fixings) will have mouths exploding in fun flavors.
49. Vegetarian ‘BLT’ Sandwich
For a cool twist on a traditional BLT, try building this bacon-free alternative. You’ll have to check out the recipe to see the secret ingredient she swaps in for bacon, but let’s just say that unless you’re a die-hard bacon fan, it definitely works.
50. Lemon Orzo Salad
As far as summer dinner ideas go, this light and tasty orzo salad is great for adding some cool, fresh veggies to your plate on a hot day.
51. Vegetarian Cobb Salad
Here’s a fan-favorite, classic salad recipe that’s so simple and tasty it’ll become one of your go-to dinners for the next couple of months.
52. Veggie Wraps
On a hot day, these wraps are a refreshing option that require no cooking or heating. After some slicing, dicing, spreading, and assembling, voilá, you’ve got a veggie-forward meal in minutes.
53. Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Step it up from a canned tomato sauce and try out this recipe that will impress all of your guests and family with how ~fancy~ it is (but it was really done in 20 minutes with only a few ingredients!). Note: though the ingredient list calls for chicken broth, we’re including it as a vegetarian option since you can easily swap in a veggie-based broth.
54. Loaded Veggie Nachos
What’s a summer meal without the vibe—at least once—of sitting down to an outdoor Mexican restaurant with colorful icy cold drinks and some bomb nachos? Now you can create the experience from the comfort of home with this fiesta of vegetarian-friendly ingredients.
55. Cauliflower Rice Skillet
Tossing all of your ingredients in a skillet and popping it in the oven is one of the best fuss-free ways to get a yummy dinner that’s perfect for sharing on the table, so give this cauliflower rice recipe a go!
56. Tahini Kale Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas
Like we said, salads don’t have to be boring! This tahini salad is loaded with protein and inviting aromas—you’ll never go back to your typical caesar again.
57. Instant Pot Parmesan Risotto
For a fast meal, an Instant Pot will always be your best friend. Make this creamy yet light risotto when you’re in a pinch but still want something flavorful and filling. This is another one that calls for chicken stoc that can easily be substituted with vegetable stock for a vegetarian meal.
58. Asparagus Pasta with Lemon
You truly can’t go wrong with a cheese and veggie pasta dish, and this recipe is no exception to that staple summer rule.
Summer Slow Cooker Meals
59. Apple BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Apples are a fruit that is good year round, but especially in the summer! Plus, you really can’t go wrong with tender chicken in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, especially the kind you can let sit in the crockpot all day while you enjoy family time.
60. Apricot Chicken
Apricot jam, soy sauce, and honey slowly cook together with chicken and broccoli to make a dinner your whole family will love. Plus, this recipe has all the sweet flavors you’ll crave in the summer!
61. Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup
This recipe is full of seasoned beef, rice, bell peppers and plenty of rich flavors—all the best summer things! It’s hearty and warming, making it a great choice for cooler summer nights when you something cozy, but in season.
62. Mexican Grilled Corn Dip
The perfect side for taco night with the family (or a delicious snack), this grilled corn dip is a dump and pour recipe you won’t be able to get enough of. And if you have family or friends over, they’ll surely be asking for seconds.
63. Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes
Sometimes you just need something quick, delicious, and in season. The chicken thighs in this recipe are savory and tossed in gravy, and the carrots and potatoes are perfect for a summer dinner.
Summer Dessert Recipes
64. Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Whether it’s a summertime barbecue cookout or a picnic at the park, one way to win everyone over is with a strawberry shortcake. Personalize it and make it a mess-free dessert by portioning it out into mason jars that are easy to grab.
65. Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles
During the summer, popsicles are on repeat in my household. No need to run to the store when you can make your very own at home in 10 minutes. It still needs a few hours to freeze, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some as a refreshing drink before it’s ready. Grab the ingredients and the kids because it’s a fun activity they’ll love making, too.
66. Quick and Easy Blueberry Cobbler
Plump, juicy blueberries are bursting with the essence of summer, and this no-nonsense cobbler features tons of them alongside a scrumptious biscuit topping made from scratch.
67. No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes
From the looks of it, who would’ve guessed this dessert is even vegan? Fluffy “cheesecake” rests atop an Oreo cookie crumble crust, and is finished off with a velvety chocolate ganache drizzle and, of course, the pièce de résistance—PB cups!
68. Easy Berry Icebox Cake
Berry recipes are in! A cool and blissful summer evening treat, this icebox cake is brimming with fresh cream, strawberries, blueberries, and generous stacks of graham crackers. Ready in 15 minutes or less, just remember to leave a few hours for it to set in the fridge before serving.
69. Key Lime Tartlets
Of all the summer dinner ideas, these zesty little key lime tartlets make for a delightful bite-sized dessert to quench your family’s sweet tooth after a satisfying meal.
70. Easy Baked Strawberry Donuts
Another beloved summer fruit, ripe strawberries take center stage in these soft and fruity brightly-colored doughnuts. To jazz them up even more, top them with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
71. Air Fryer Banana Split
If you haven’t tried air frying bananas before, this is a fantastic recipe to start with. Bananas are sliced and embedded with peanut butter and mini chocolate chips before being air fried to melty perfection. Add a scoop of ice cream for a real sundae special.
72. Easy Cookie Dough Fudge
Who else wishes the quantity of cookie dough in your go-to pint of ice cream was amped up a notch? Now you can control it by making this indulgent fudge recipe, and pairing it with whatever ice cream your family’s in the mood for!
73. Grasshopper Pie
With the sound of grasshoppers adding to summer’s soundscape, it seems like the right time to make this vibrant and minty grasshopper pie, layered with an Oreo crust, marshmallow sauce, and homemade whipped cream. Note: while this can be easily prepped in 20 minutes, it will need to rest in the freezer for a few hours before serving.
74. White Chocolate Funfetti Blondies
Splash summer dessert time with a rainbow of colors by making these smooth and chewy gluten-free blondies, swirled with creamy cashew butter, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles.
75. Grilled Peach Crumble
Peaches are in season, and this crumble recipe really makes them shine by brushing them with melted butter and cinnamon sugar and popping them on the grill for a few minutes. And obviously the crumble and ice cream à la mode are welcome additions, too.
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