Food & Drink

30 of Our Favorite Spring Dinner Recipes Perfect for the Season

written by BRETT NICOLE HAYDEN
updated by JULIA POULTER
spring dinner recipes"
spring dinner recipes
Source: Oh Sweet Basil
Source: Oh Sweet Basil

When people ask me what my favorite food is, I have so many follow-ups questions. What time of year is it? What fruits and vegetables are in season? And while I love the fresh produce that fall and summer bring, there’s something about spring flavors that bring out the foodie in me. Whether it’s earthy asparagus, peas, leaks, or green beans—all the greens of spring have me desperately searching for family-friendly spring dinner recipes.

As the days grow longer and the first hints of warmth return, spring always breathes new life into my kitchen with an array of fresh ingredients and bold flavors. I want to eat things that feel crisp and light, and bring more color into my cooking than usual. From zesty citrus salads and herb-infused dishes to light and lively mains like a veggie quiche (yes, even for dinner!), spring has me searching for recipes that feel fresh.

Whether you’re hosting a garden dinner party or simply looking to bring a touch of seasonal flair to your usual weeknight dinners, we’ve rounded up a collection of spring dinner recipes that highlight the very best the season has to offer. Below, check out 30 tried-and-true spring dinner recipes we recommend! 

Soups & Salads

1. Easy Gazpacho

I love soup, but the spring feels too hot for my favorite New England clam chowder recipe. This is a great option for those days that you just don’t want to turn on the stove to add to the heat around you. Plus, you can make it ahead.

Easy Gazpacho | Recipes Perfect for Spring
Source: Isabel Eats

2. Simple Spring Mix Salad Recipe

Radishes make their yearly debut in the spring and this recipe incorporates the crisp, zesty vegetable beautifully. Keep this recipe on hand for a healthy lunch or to add a little something seasonal to your dinner.

Spring Mix Salad Recipe
Source: Foolproof Living

3. Turkey Burger Salad Bowls

We’ve all likely heard the importance of “eating the rainbow,” meaning getting lots of colorful fruits and vegetables in our meals. This light and easy recipe is a great way to add some veggies to your day, as well as a good source of protein from the turkey burger. 

Turkey Burger Salad Bowls | Recipes Perfect for Spring
Source: Family Food on the Table

4. 15-Minute Thai Chicken Soup with Spring Vegetables

Just because it’s getting warmer outside doesn’t mean that we have to give up soup just yet. This Thai chicken soup recipe incorporates all of the best spring vegetables like mushrooms, peas, and bell peppers. 

15-Minute Thai Chicken Soup with Spring Vegetables
Source: Nutrition in the Kitch

Chicken

5. Harissa Chicken Meatballs

I haven’t met a hot sauce I don’t like, and harissa is no exception. If you want to, you can find milder versions, or substitute it all together. Also, fresh hummus is easy to make and incredibly delicious. I like to make a big batch at the beginning of the week and it’s a good base for this recipe.

Harissa Chicken Meatballs
Source: Spices in My DNA

6. Healthy Chicken Tinga Tacos

Taco Tuesday just got a whole lot more flavorful! Spice things up with this chicken Tinga tacos recipe that features a homemade sauce—it’s sure to be a family favorite all season. 

Healthy Chicken Tinga Tacos | Recipes Perfect for Spring
Source: The Movement Menu

7. Baked Honey Mustard Chicken 

Rosemary is one of my favorite seasonal herbs in the spring, and this recipe beautifully incorporates its woodsy flavor. It mixes perfectly with the sweet honey mustard to make juicy chicken breasts.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken 
Source: Cooking Classy

8. Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Grilling season is finally upon us and we can’t think of a better way to take advantage of it than with kabobs. This recipe is filled with colorful vegetables and delicious chicken. The perfect weeknight recipe. 

Grilled Chicken Kabobs | Recipes Perfect for Spring
Source: Savory Nothings

9. Chicken Milanese

A dish that incorporates a light poultry like chicken feels right for spring. This recipe is especially fitting as a key addition is an arugula salad, which happens to be in season this time of year.

chicken milanese
Source: Girl and the Kitchen

10. Chicken Saltimbocca with Creamy Lemon Sauce & Olive Orzo

Speaking of chicken, be sure to put this recipe on your must-try list as well! What makes this recipe extra-spring forward is the incorporation of seasonal artichoke hearts that add a creamy bitterness to the dish.

chicken saltimbocca
Source: Baker by Nature

11. Lemon Pepper Chicken & Potatoes Sheet Pan Meal

Light but hearty, sweet but tangy, this sheet pan meal is the perfect dichotomy that your weeknight meals have been missing. Fill up on chicken, potatoes, and broccoli in the easiest, tastiest way possible.

sheet pan meal
Source: Hello Spoonful

Beef & Pork

12. Skillet Balsamic Pork Chops with Peaches and Gorgonzola

This recipe includes flavor combinations you may have never known you needed. The tanginess of the balsamic mixed with the saltiness of the pork and gorgonzola and the sweetness of the peaches makes for a mouth-watering meal you’ll want to make again and again. 

Skillet Balsamic Pork Chop | Recipes Perfect for Spring
Source: Basil and Bubbly

13. White Bean Sausage Kale Skillet

Kale automatically makes me think of spring, and this skillet incorporates it beautifully. The hearty white beans and sausage make this a healthy weeknight meal option with tons of flavor. 

White Bean Sausage Kale Skillet
Source: RachL Mansfield

14. Spring Burger with Swiss and Leeks

Burgers are always a good idea, and this recipe makes them undoubtedly spring. Topped with caramelized leeks and shallots, this is one of the tastiest burger recipes out there and one you’re going to want to try ASAP. 

Spring Burger with Swiss and Leeks
Source: DomestikatedLife

15. Gua Bao With Slow Cooker Hoisin & Ginger Pulled Pork

Light and airy steamed buns, slow cooker pulled pork, and fresh ginger are a match made in spring dinner recipes heaven. Perfect for a weekend venture, turn to this recipe when you have some extra time and want to try something new.

spring recipes
Source: Drizzle & Dip

16. Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe with Sneaky Veggies

Is there anything better than a healthy recipe with sneaky vegetables to serve the fam? Kids (and adults!) love Sloppy Joes, so this dish will surely make it into your weekly meal plan time and time again.

spring dinner recipes
Source: The Movement Menu

Seafood

17. Salmon Fillet with Rhubarb Glaze

Fish is always a favorite of mine, but I prepare it even more in the spring and summer because it’s such a lovely light protein. Rhubarb is a nice surprise in this recipe. I’ve always baked with it, but now I’m thinking of more ways to expand my repertoire.

Salmon Fillet with Rhubarb Glaze
Source: Whisk it Real Gud

18. Grilled Jerky Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

We can’t think of a better combination than jerk spices mixed with the sweetness of a refreshing pineapple. This recipe mixes the best of both worlds and is perfect for welcoming in grilling weather.

Grilled Jerky Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers
Source: Closet Cooking

19. Pan Seared Salmon with Orzo Salad

It doesn’t get much more refreshing that a delicious piece of salmon. This recipe includes lightly seasoned salmon with a homemade orzo salad that is simply delicious. 

Pan Seared Salmon recipe
Source: Garnish with Lemon

20. Easy Fish Tacos

For a simple weeknight meal that’s light and can be topped with fresh seasonal avocados, look no further. These fish tacos have just as much vibrant flavor as they do color.

fish tacos
Source: Kristine’s Kitchen

21. Easy Italian Baked Fish

Made with just two ingredients (yes, seriously!) this baked fish really is easy to make. Pair it with pasta, a side salad, or veggies for a great weeknight meal.

spring dinner recipes
Source: Family Food on the Table

Pasta

22. Spring Ham and Asparagus Lemon Cream Pasta

‘Tis the season of asparagus and we plan to take full advantage of it. This refreshing pasta is light and delicious, filled with ham, asparagus, peas, and parsley. 

Spring Ham and Asparagus Lemon Cream Pasta
Source: Oh Sweet Basil

23. Spinach Ricotta Pesto

I love pesto in the spring. I usually have a deck garden where I grow a lot of herbs and basil grows like a weed. There’s a lot of different ways to make pesto. This recipe uses spinach but if you have an overabundance of herbs, you can use any number of them. Paired with pasta, you’ve got a meal!

Spinach Ricotta Pesto
Source: As Easy As Apple Pie

24. Healthy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Nothing says summer is coming than a pasta salad. This unique recipe takes just five minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook—easy peasy!

spring dinner recipes
Source: Eat the Gains

25. Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta

This Italian-style dish is light yet oh-so tasty. The recipe can be made using pasta or you can sub in spiralized vegetables to make squash or parsnip noodles.

spring dinner recipes
Source: Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

26. Easy Spring Penne with Asparagus and Guanciale

As far as spring dinner recipes go, this one perfectly utilizes a spring staple, asparagus, in a creative and delicious way. The earthy asparagus tastes great mixed with the salty guanciale. Plus, who doesn’t love penne pasta?!

Spring Penne with Asparagus and Guanciale
Source: SugarLoveSpices

Vegetarian

27. Sheet Pan Ratatouille with Polenta

Ratatouille is a great movie and a great meal. Taking fresh vegetables and roasting them up for the evening is easy and delicious. And if you throw on the Disney movie Ratatouille, the littles can enjoy bringing the film into their homes.

Sheet Pan Ratatouille with Polenta
Source: Vegan Richa

28. Farm Vegetable Quiche

After the chilly winter months, I can hardly wait for fresh produce to hit the grocery stores and farmer’s markets again. This vegetable quiche is a great way to celebrate the changing of the season. Keep the recipe on hand as a breakfast option, or for a refreshing dinner. 

Farm Vegetable Quiche | Recipes Perfect for Spring
Source: A Classic Twist

29. Farmers Market Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Skinny Pesto

For many areas, the return of spring means the return of farmer’s markets. This recipe is the perfect dish to make with all of your seasonal farmer’s market finds like mushrooms, red peppers, and asparagus.

Farmers Market Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Skinny Pesto
Source: With Salt and Wit

30. Healthy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

There’s just nothing like an easy-to-make (but delicious!) casserole to get a weeknight dinner on the table. This healthy recipe is made with just a few ingredients including quinoa, frozen broccoli, chickpeas, and shredded cheese.

spring dinner recipes
Source: Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
julia poulter the everymom
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julia Poulter, Senior Managing Editor

With more than 10 years of editorial experience, Julia is passionate about bringing motherhood stories to life and providing moms with interesting and informative parenting content. Prior to joining The Everygirl Media Group in 2019, she served as Executive Editor at Closer Weekly. As The Everymom’s Senior Managing Editor, Julia helps manage the brand’s editorial calendar and content strategy.

 

brett nicole hayden
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brett Nicole Hayden, Former Assistant Editor

As a former Assistant Editor, Brett worked with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living. She’s also a baby names and family movies expert!