Summer is my favorite time to cook – not because I want to spend hours in a hot kitchen, but because I genuinely don’t have to. That summer produce does all the work. Juicy tomatoes, sweet crunchy corn, crisp cucumbers, and fresh herbs that make everything taste like it came straight from the garden when really it came together in 30 minutes on a Tuesday night.
These 35 recipes are my tried-and-true summer go-tos – the ones I come back to year after year when I want dinner to feel bright, fresh, and flavorful without a ton of effort. They’re the recipes I genuinely make for my own family that never disappoint. Hope you love them, too!
The Best Summer Dinner Recipes
Salmon with Basil Sauce and Tomato Salad
We’re making a summery salmon with a beautiful, big-flavored basil sauce that is so good, you’re going to want to just drink it. Perfectly-spiced, fresh, and a dinner for everyone!
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw
THE BEST shrimp tacos loaded with avocado, spicy shrimp, and a homemade creamy lime slaw? HELLO YUMMY!
Grilled Chicken with Pepperoncini Garlic Butter
This is such a fun one! Grilled marinated chicken, a quick tomato cucumber salad, tangy bits of feta, and a zippy pepperoncini garlic butter sauce poured over the whole thing.
Smash Burgers with House Sauce
The famous Smash Burger! Deeply crisped, craggy, juicy, squashed patties covered with melty cheese, piled on a buttery bun, and topped with a dreamy zip of secret sauce.
The Best Pasta Salad
Super easy Pasta Salad – with pasta, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, spicy salami, pepperoncini, olives, and easy Italian dressing. DANGEROUSLY GOOD.
Thai Shrimp Curry with Yummy Shallot Crispies
This shrimp curry is the curry of my dreams! Incredible flavor, just a few simple ingredients, and easy enough for a weeknight!
Burger Bowls with House Sauce and Ranch Fries
A burger in a bowl! Ranch-seasoned fries topped with a burger patty and all the fixings, with a drizzle of house sauce to take it over the top!
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Restaurant-level pasta, easy enough to be SOS! Caramelized shallots folded into a silky red pepper sauce, and tossed with noodles. Heaven!
BBQ Salmon Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa
BBQ Salmon Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa! An easy and impressive dinner with yummy smoky-sweet flavor and a zip of zesty homemade salsa to take it over the top. The BEST weeknight dinner.
Summertime Fried Chicken Sandwiches with Tangy Slaw
All my friends raved about these fried chicken sandwiches! This recipe for fried chicken is surprisingly easy and SO GOOD. Just soak, dredge, and fry!
Miso Crunch Salad
Shredded cabbage and kale, shrimp, avocado, cilantro and chili-flavored peanuts, and the perfect sweet miso dressing.
Chipotle Salmon with Orange Salsa and Aji Verde
Sweet-and-smoky chipotle salmon topped with fresh orange salsa and creamy aji verde! An easy, delicious, restaurant-level salmon dinner.
Trader Joe’s Chicken Shawarma with Lemon Rice
Easy Trader Joe’s chicken shawarma bowls with fluffy lemon rice, crunchy cabbage, and creamy feta sauce. Fast, flavorful, and perfect for weeknights!
Thai Peanut Chicken Bowls
I love a shortcut dinner hack! These bowls feature caramelized peanut chicken, a tangle of vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs and cucumber salad, and peanut sauce all over top.
Bang Bang Salmon with Avocado Cucumber Salsa
Bang Bang Salmon! Creamy, sweet, savory, and punchy. Served with some steamy rice and an avocado cucumber salsa. Weeknight perfection!
Spaghetti with Crispy Zucchini
This Spaghetti with Crispy Zucchini is the perfect end-of-summer song! It doesn’t get much better than fresh summer zucchini coated in a crispy, cheesy breading piled high on top of spaghetti with fresh herbs. YUM!
Cashew Crunch Salad with Sesame Dressing
This Cashew Crunch Salad is loaded up with crunchy veg, chow mein noodles, edamame, and roasted cashews and it’ll make you ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT A SALAD. And the sesame dressing – OMG!
Roasted Tomato Puttanesca
The easiest Roasted Tomato Puttanesca with all the silky, all the briney, and all the zippy summer freshness.
Coconut Lime Grilled Chicken and Rice
Grilled marinated chicken, fluffy rice, and excessive handfuls of mint and cilantro, finished off with a generous drizzling of big and flavorful creamy coconut lime sauce.
Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes
This Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Pasta is seriously delicious and seriously vegan! Perfectly chewy rigatoni, blistered juicy tomatoes, a creamy-but-cream-less roasted red pepper sauce, all sprinkled with fresh chives and basil.
Honey Chipotle Chicken Skewers
These chicken skewers are a family favorite! Very easy, deliciously smoky, nice and sweet, with a good amount of spice and bite. Air fryer, grill, and oven-friendly!
Spicy Shrimp with Peach Salad
This is summertime in a bowl! Spicy shrimp with all the delicious heat, smoke, and sweetness we want, alongside a fresh peach and cucumber salad.
Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa
Super easy salmon tacos loaded with a mango, sweet corn, and cucumber salsa!
Summer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
This juicy salad tastes like summer! With chipotle chicken, sweet corn, avocado, cilantro vinaigrette, bacon crumbles, and fresh strawberries for a pop of sweetness.
Banza Chicken Bowls with Calabrian Chili Sauce
This bowl has it all! The crunch of the tomato cucumber salad, the thin slips of bitey red onion, the golden crisped air fryer chicken cut into tender little strips, a big pile of perfectly chewy Banza, and a dollop of tangy calabrian chile sauce on top.
Spicy Shrimp Veracruz
Shrimp Veracruz – my new favorite recipe!! Juicy shrimp in a pepper / tomato spicy, briny sauce served over rice. Oh my gosh, THIS IS SO GOOD.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Lime Drench
These lettuce wraps are a SUMMER DREAM. Mountains of crumbled-crisp ground chicken, fluffy quinoa, and/or rice for added satisfaction, and garlicky gingery sautéed veggies in crisp butter lettuce leaves.
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Corn and Tomatoes
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Corn and Tomatoes! A seriously delicious fresh summer pasta. Creamy, silky noodles, garlicky shrimp, and a punch of fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, and basil.
Crunchy Roll Bowls
A block of tofu, nicely browned in teriyaki sauce, served on a bed of sticky rice with edamame, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, and a handful of crushed-up crunchy onions, buried under a thick drizzle of extra teriyaki and spicy mayo.
One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Kale
This One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Kale is a straight-up DREAM! Rustic farro cozied up to cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, and kale. So good and so wholesome!
Ginger Chicken Meatball Sandos
Golden brown chicken meatballs cozied up next to fixings like cucumbers, shallots, kewpie mayo, mint, a bit of chili crisp, and some fresh cilantro to make the ultimate chicken sando!
Roasted Peanut Kale Crunch Salad
OOOH BABY, this salad is so good! Crunchy kale and cabbage, fresh herbs and fresno peppers, chopped peanuts, and a perfect roasted peanut vinaigrette that tucks into all the salad nooks and crannies.
Gochujang Chicken Burgers with Kimchi Bacon Jam
Wow wow wow! These Gochujang Chicken Burgers are next-level good. And a perfectly sweet-spicy kimchi bacon jam piled high on top? Yes, please!
Garlic Shrimp and Tomatoes with Parmesan Orzo
Shrimp laced with buttery garlic and thyme and a burst tomato sauce served on a creamy Parmesan orzo.
Burst Tomato Pappardelle with Zucchini, Sweet Corn, and Pan-Fried Chicken
Meet your next fave summertime pasta! Egg pappardelle tossed in a luscious cream sauce with fresh, bursty summer veg and the best crispy pan-fried chicken. Here we goooo!