29 Summer Dinner Recipes You And Your Family Will Love
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When summertime hits, vacation brain hits hard. And things like meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking can often feel like way too much effort to even think about. That’s why we’re here to help, with a list of our favorite summer dinner recipes the whole family will love!
Turn cooking into an opportunity to connect with loved ones over good food this summer. (And enjoy a great meal outside, if you’re lucky enough to have a backyard for dining). Whether you’re looking for something light and fresh or craving a more satisfying meal after a long day of summer fun, let the 29 dinner recipes below help you out when you’re racking your brain for ideas this summer!
Chipotle Lime Black Bean Burrito Bowls
This 30-minute summer dinner recipe is perfect when you’re craving something light and fresh. Drizzled with a flavorful chipotle lime aioli, the flavors of this bowl just scream summer! It’s also vegetarian, but you can easily add grilled chicken or steak to amp up the protein.
Mediterranean Pita Pockets
This healthy dinner is one you can prepare ahead of time and dig into as soon as you get back from the pool, beach, or summer camp. Sounds too good to be true, right? But all you have to do is roast a sheet pan of veggies and make some quinoa, mix it all together, and stick it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Bonus: everyone can assemble their own pita pockets DIY-style at the dinner table!
Pasta With Zucchini And Tomatoes
Using in season produce is always important to us because it comes with so much great flavor! We grow zucchini and tomatoes in our garden so we’re always looking for ways to use two of our summer favorites. The sauce for this pasta is made from some of the sautéd zucchini, tomatoes, and onion for freshness in every bite!
Asian Inspired Fried Fish Rice Bowl
Instead of fish and chips, try fried fish and rice this summer. Drizzled with a spicy aioli and fresh lemon juice, this dinner is the ideal summer comfort food. It’s light and bright, yet it will satisfy any cravings you might have for a heavier, more indulgent meal.
Bruschetta Burger
Thinking of throwing burgers on the grill? Dress them up with fresh tomato bruschetta and garlic herb spreadable cheese for a unique alternative to cheeseburgers! Served on toasted brioche buns, this burger mimics tomato crostini with Alouette. So it’s perfect for the nights you’re craving charcuterie but need to fill up on something more satisfying.
Crockpot Pina Colada Chicken
This tropical chicken is one of the best summer crockpot recipes. Let it cook while you’re out having fun in the sun, and come home to delicious pineapple coconut shredded chicken that can easily be made into tacos or served alongside cilantro lime rice and avocado. Check out our next recipe for a delicious bowl featuring our pina colada chicken!
Tropical Chicken Bowls
Nothing says summer quite like tropical flavors. A little fresh mango, avocado, and Tajin pair perfectly with our pina colada inspired shredded chicken. Served on a bed of cilantro lime rice and you have a summer ready meal that’ll transport you to a tropical vacation. You’ll be craving this meal all summer long.
Hawaiian Pulled Pork Tacos with Tropical BBQ Aioli
Pulled pork tacos always hit the spot on a summer evening. Start by making our slow cooker pulled pork overnight, then simply reheat it before serving with corn tortillas, a quick-pickled slaw, and some delicious Hawaiian BBQ aioli. Dinner will be on the table in 15 minutes or less, so it’s ideal for those busy summer days when you come home ready to eat.
Caesar Salad Flatbread
Flatbread pizzas are the perfect summer dinner – they’re easy, quick, and super customizable so everyone can eat what they want! For a light and fresh flatbread dinner, try this Caesar salad inspired recipe. It tastes like garlic bread and Caesar dressing (yum), and you can make it in just 20 minutes.
Caprese Pesto Pasta
Nothing says summer like tomato, mozzarella, and basil pesto! Combine them all into one delicious pasta dinner that’s light and fresh tasting. Use your favorite store-bought pesto for ease, or make our nut free pesto with fresh ingredients from your garden for extra deliciousness!
Hawaiian Pulled Pork Bowl
This recipe is based off of many of the great meals we had in Hawaii. And because food is so easily attached to memories, we love making this recipe to take us back to the warm weather and sunny beaches. The salty, savory pork is balanced so well with the sweet, fresh mango, and acidic slaw. Get a little bit of everything for the perfect bite.
Caprese Pizza
Pizza on the patio is one of my favorite summer dinners, no matter the pizza! However this caprese pizza really takes it to another level. The fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and basil pesto bring so many great summer flavors and just really hits the spot. Add in a cold beer and my summer nights are set.
Cashew Crusted Fish Tacos
These upscale fish tacos look – and taste – like they’re from a fancy seafood restaurant. But you can easily make them at home in just 30 minutes! Crusted with pulverized cashews for added protein, you’re going to love digging into these after a long day at the beach.
Chicken Caesar Sandwich
We took our favorite salad and made it into a sandwich for a fun, light dinner we can make in just a couple of minutes. We often bring this sandwich to the waterfront for an easy picnic, but you can make it into a larger meal with a side of roasted veggies or good ol’ french fries. Cause who doesn’t love french fries with their Caesar salad?
California Veggie Pizza
How about a Southwest style veggie pizza for dinner this summer? This is one of our favorite vegetarian recipes for summer, since it’s packed with so much flavor thanks to all the different toppings. Tip: make pizza night a fun summer activity by making dough from scratch as a family!
Burrata Pasta With Blistered Tomatoes
This dish is one of our all-time favorite summer pasta recipes! It’s bursting with summer flavors thanks to juicy blistered tomatoes and fresh basil. Plus, we can never get enough of creamy burrata cheese. Indulge in this dinner with a glass of your favorite rosé this summer.
Grilled Chicken Sliders
Grilled chicken sandwiches, but make them mini. Because who doesn’t love bite-sized sandwiches, especially during the summer when everything should be more fun? Top them with your favorite condiments and crisp lettuce, tomato, and onion for an easy dinner you can grill in no time.
Stuffed Cheese Burger
Take your cheeseburger game to the next level by stuffing the cheese inside your burger! This gooey, decadent, burger requires a little extra work, but makes dinner so much more fun. We keep this recipe simple by just adding a couple classic toppings, but let your imagination go crazy with this one. We’d love to hear about all the different stuffed burger creations you come up with!
Sun Dried Tomato Basil Spaghetti Bake
Spaghetti doesn’t exactly scream summer, but trust us when we say this sun dried tomato basil spaghetti is a perfect summer pasta dinner! It bakes in the oven so you don’t have to sweat over the stove all night. Plus, it’s packed with tomato and basil for a fresh summer flavor everyone will love. Enjoy it on the patio as the sun goes down, and you might just want to eat spaghetti in the summer more often!
Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
An easy and healthy dinner of chicken, rice, and hummus will satisfy any crowd this summer. This recipe is easy to scale, so you can serve the whole family or have leftovers that can be made into lunches to-go the next day.
Chicken Tinga Tostadas
Shake up Taco Tuesday by serving tostadas instead! This fun alternative can be served as a build-your-own style meal at the dinner table, so everyone can customize their tostadas to their own liking. Simply make a batch of our crockpot chicken tinga while you’re out at the beach, and return home to pair it with your favorite toppings for an easy and delicious family dinner.
Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese Burger
Two of our favorite summer flavors, blueberry and lemon, come together in this decadent gourmet burger recipe. Paired with creamy goat cheese and fresh arugula, this is hands-down one of the most flavorful burgers we’ve ever eaten! Pair it with a blueberry beer to bring craft brewery vibes to your own backyard this summer.
Spinach Cottage Cheese Pasta
If you’re craving a cheesy, more decadent pasta in the summer, but don’t want anything too heavy, you’ll love this spinach and cottage cheese pasta. By using cottage cheese as the base for the cheese sauce, we can get a gooey, decadent feeling sauce, but without the heaviness of a traditional cream based pasta. Plus this recipe has plenty of protein to keep up with all your summer goals!
Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken
Grilled chicken is an old standby for easy summer dinners. Dress it up with fresh tomato bruschetta and a flavorful balsamic marinade with this simple recipe! We recommend serving it alongside a starch and a vegetable, like these smashed potatoes and parmesan green beans.
Healthy Green Chicken Enchiladas
We love the acidity and freshness that comes with salsa verde, and it pairs so well with our cottage cheese queso, grilled chicken, and black beans in these healthy green enchiladas. Make a big batch for when you have family over this summer and want an easy dinner that everyone will love.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
These buffalo chicken salads are packed with enough protein to make them a satisfying summer dinner. You can cook the chicken on the grill, or prep it on the stove if it’s too hot to go outside. Simple and straightforward!
Fried Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa
Nothing hits the spot quite like fish tacos on a hot summer day! Topped with fresh mango salsa, these seafood tacos are a light and bright dinner you can make in just 30 minutes.
Cottage Cheese Flatbread Pizza
These cottage cheese flatbreads are another one of our favorite easy summer recipes. Quickly whip up a creamy cottage cheese spread and slather it on a store bought flatbread, then top it with fresh tomatoes and spinach (for added protein) or basil (for more of a margherita pizza flavor). Simple and delicious!
Spinach and Tomato Pasta
The best summer pasta recipes are light, fresh, and easy to make – just like this spinach and tomato pasta! Dressed with a simple combination of olive oil, tomatoes, and sautéed spinach, this pasta doesn’t have a typical “sauce.” Which makes it light and bright for any summer evening.
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