These are my favorite summer dinners to beat the heat! Most are made with up to 8 ingredients and are quick, healthy, and budget-friendly. Some are grilled meats and seasonal vegetables, cold pasta salads, and fresh weeknight meal ideas.
Table of Contents
Watch me make one of our best summer dinners step-by-step!
They are so good, that I find myself making them on repeat! My family loves them, including my kids!
To spend less time in the kitchen I got a few strategies that involve meal prepping:
- I prepare sauces such as this chimichurri and condiments such as our pickled red onions in advance and refrigerate them for when you need them.
- You can grill larger portions of meats and vegetables and divide them into containers, refrigerate or freeze them to heat them in the microwave later.
- Use leftovers to prepare quick cold sandwiches, chilled summer soups (e.g. gazpacho), and pasta salads for your summer recipes for dinner.
Easy Summer Dinner Ideas
These delicious and easy summer dinner recipes call for fish or shrimp, barbecued or grilled meats, seasonal ingredients (i.e. corn, pineapple, watermelon, peas, snap peas, summer squash, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic), and cold dishes such as sandwiches and salads. Some are quickly grilled indoors or outdoors or cooked in the air fryer, while others take a little more time when made in the slow cooker with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
This Italian pasta salad made with whole-grain bow-tie pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella pearls, and basil tossed in tangy balsamic dressing makes the perfect 20-minute vegetarian main dish for dinner or backyard barbecues, potlucks, and more! It has been my go-to summer pasta salad for years!
Grilled Salmon Recipe (with Mango Salsa)
You can marinate this delicious 8-ingredient salmon and then grill on a gas grill for 10 minutes. Serve with a refreshing tropical pineapple mango salsa and enjoy a restaurant-quality meal for a fraction of the price.
Grilled Flank Steak Recipe
Grill this marinated flank steak indoors or outdoors until tender! After resting for a few minutes, thinly slice it to serve in salads, sandwiches, and more.
Air Fryer Tilapia Recipe
Air frying is one of the healthiest cooking methods to prepare a meal without heating the kitchen, agree? Flavored with Cajun seasonings and lemon, this tilapia in the air fryer for 10 minutes makes a flavorful light summer dinner meal for busy weeknights. I love to serve it with summer veggies such as corn, new potatoes, and green beans!
Berry Salad Recipe
tossed with a lemon poppy seed dressing for a healthy, nutritious, and refreshing side that you can make in just 15 minutes for your summer party or barbecue gathering. It is gluten-free, low-carb, and vegetarian and perfect for Memorial Day and the 4th of July!
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (with Asian BBQ Sauce)
Prepared in just 10 minutes and then cooked low and slow until tender, this Asian BBQ chicken in the crockpot makes a fuss-free, super tasty simple dinner for summer. It is one of my family's favorite summer dinner ideas!
Easy Beef Brisket
Seasoned with a dry rub and then cooked in the crockpot or Instant Pot with a yummy BBQ sauce until tender and juicy, this summer dinner recipe is pure comfort food and won't make your kitchen warmer.
Slow Cooker Pulled Brisket (with BBQ Sauce)
Cook beef brisket in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce in the crockpot until falling-apart-tender and then shred it with forks to make BBQ sandwiches, tacos, salads, and more delicious summer dinners.
Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
This Brazilian cold sandwich calls for shredded rotisserie chicken, carrots, raisins, and celery tossed in a light and tangy mayonnaise dressing sandwiched between slices of whole-wheat bread. It is a popular quick meal in Brazil and perfect for a beach lunch or to make ahead and serve for a light dinner meal.
Homemade Pizza Margherita Recipe
Made with just 5 simple ingredients, this easy Italian pizza is baked in a standard oven, and ready to eat in 30 minutes, believe it or not. Forget your pizzeria order, and make your own at home, saving big bucks!
Air Fryer Shrimp
Prepared from fresh or frozen, this shrimp in the air fryer is ready in just 10 minutes. I enjoy it with a delicious remoulade sauce and a side of asparagus. No need to order it in a Cajun restaurant!
Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
Seasoned with a Cajun seasoning and cooked in the air fryer for 10 minutes until crispy outside and tender inside, this tasty and healthy summer dinner recipe is a keeper! I can't get enough of it!
Mediterranean Pasta Recipe
Prepared in just 15 minutes with whole-wheat pasta and assorted Mediterranean veggies, this pasta makes a complete vegetarian summer family dinner that is comforting and satisfying.
Grilled Picanha Steak
Full of juicy, melt-in-your-mouth flavors, this Brazilian picanha steak is grilled on a charcoal grill until tender, taking about 30 minutes to be ready. It is like bringing a Brazilian steakhouse to your backyard! It's one of those fun summer dinners to share with family and friends!
Grilled Mushroom Steak
Marinate portobello mushrooms and grill them indoors or outdoors until tender and browned. They are ready in 30 minutes, making the best vegan, low-carb summer dinner meal for busy weeknights!
Chick-Fil-A Grilled Chicken Nuggets
Would like to save time driving to Chick-Fil-A? Make this copycat grilled chicken nuggets at home! They are simple to prepare with few ingredients and quite yummy! My kids love them!
Watermelon Gazpacho
Craving soup in summertime? No worries! This cold watermelon gazpacho is refreshing and satisfying, making summer dinners a quick and easy task.
Blackstone Pork Chops
These 6-ingredient, bone-in pork chops are well-seasoned and grilled indoors on a griddle until juicy and tender, making a delicious 30-minute summer dinner meal. I love to serve them with an herbaceous chimichurri sauce.
Grilled Eggplant Tacos
These summer tacos have grilled eggplant slices topped with cheese, black beans, corn, and a cilantro tomato salsa, making one of the most delicious summer recipes for dinner.
Halibut with Lemon Butter Sauce
This pan-seared halibut is light, flaky, and tender! It comes smothered in a tasty lemon butter sauce. Twenty minutes is all you need to prepare one of the best easy summer dinners!
Grilled Pork Kabobs
These pork kabobs with pineapple and bell pepper call for just 7 ingredients and are grilled in 10-15 minutes or until tender. They are perfect for a summer party dinner!
FAQs
The best summer dinners call for seasonal vegetables, barbecued or grilled meats, and refreshing dishes such as fresh salads, cold soups, and light sandwiches. They are cooked outdoors or can be quickly prepared indoors avoiding heating your kitchen.
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PIN AND ENJOY!
21 Easy Summer Dinners to Beat the Heat
Equipment
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 large serving bowl
- 1 Mason jar
Ingredients
For the Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing (OPTIONAL):
- ½ cup light olive oil (or avocado oil)
- Zest of a lemon )optional, add it to the dressing only if you love tangy dressings!)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (or lime juice or red wine vinegar)
- ¼ cup honey (or pure maple syrup). If on a keto diet, use sugar-free maple syrup or a sugar substitute!
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- A dash of ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
For the Berry Salad:
- 6 ounces blueberries
- 6 ounces blackberries
- 6 ounces raspberries
- 16 ounces strawberries ,hulled and quartered
- 16 ounces watermelon ,peeled and cut into cubes (Replace with more berries if you are on a keto diet)
- 12 fresh mint leaves (or finely chopped)
- Zest of 1 lemon (or ½ to 1 tsp)
- ¼ cup goat cheese , crumbled (or feta cheese) -- OPTIONAL
Instructions
For the Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing:
- In a large glass measuring cup, or in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the oil, lemon zest and juice, honey, salt, pepper, and poppy seeds.
- Whisk or shake until well combined. Let it sit at room temperature while preparing the salad in order to allow the flavors to blend.
For the Berry Salad:
- To make our berry salad recipe, start by washing your berries under cold water and then laying them out on a clean towel or paper towel.
- Pat them dry gently to remove excess water (or they will become too soft). Hulled and quarter them! Place the watermelon cubes into a large salad bowl and top with the berries.
- Sprinkle the mint and lemon zest over. Spoon over 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing and gently toss to combine. Top with the crumbled goat cheese!
- Cover with a plastic wrap and chill until serving (in up to 30-60 minutes). If it'll take more than one hour to serve the salad, only mix the salad with the dressing right before serving. You may store both the salad and dressing separately in the fridge to avoid sogginess.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Hina says
This surely does look good!
Silvia - Garden in the Kitchen says
What an amazing selection of summer recipes. I’ve saved a few to try!! Thanks for sharing this!
Denise Browning says
These summer dessert recipes will help many to get some refreshment in these high temps. I live in Texas and yesterday was 96 F.