The sunny summer months are the perfect time to experiment with bright and fresh flavors, which is why I’ve gathered some of my favorite dinner recipes from this season. They are all easily transportable, which makes them perfect for dining outdoors.
And because I like a little variety in my meals, I’ve included a delightful selection of dishes that, while simple, have enough of a flavor punch to make your summer evenings feel a little more special.
The 14 Best summer dinner recipes
1. Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Skewers
Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Kabobs are tender, juicy cubes of boneless chicken that have soaked up the flavor of the marinade: a delicious mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary. This is a good grilling recipe—one that gives you an aromatic and delightful dish.
It’s hard to go wrong with chicken skewers.
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Then, whisk these ingredients to combine them thoroughly. Next, add the chicken pieces (cubes) and toss them in the mixture to coat them completely. After this, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate. You can let the chicken marinate anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours for maximum flavor.
2. Prepare a medium-high heat on the grill. Skewering is an art in and of itself, but in this case, the skewers serve mostly as a means to get the marinated chicken to the grill. Leave spaces between the pieces of chicken to let the fire do its work.
3. Cook the chicken skewers on the grill for 10-12 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and has a delicious char. Serve them up nice and hot.
2. Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction
Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction is a classic Italian plate that spotlights fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and basil leaves. The salad is kicked up a notch and made fancy with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic reduction.
Ingredients
Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
Ripe tomatoes, sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Black pepper
Instructions
1. Make the balsamic reduction by starting with balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Add to the pan and place it over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You want the flavor to concentrate. Cook until it’s reduced by half. It’s going to take at least 10 minutes. Maybe more. You want it to reach a syrupy consistency. Allow to cool.
2. Place the slices of tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaves on a platter, alternating them in a way that is visually striking. This helps enhance the presentation of the traditional caprese salad.
3. Pour the olive oil over the salad that has been arranged on the plate. Then, sprinkle salt and fresh-ground black pepper over that salad and oil in amounts that together result in a very light coating.
4. Complete the dish by drizzling the balsamic reduction across the salad. Serve it at once.
3. Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
This is my brief entry on Cilantro-Lime Slaw and shrimp tacos. I make Shrimp Tacos paired with a lively Cilantro-Lime Slaw using succulent fresh Gulf shrimp, perky lime juice, and—and you knew this was coming—lots of fresh cilantro.
Unlike many fish tacos, these shrimp tacos don’t get fried or battered, so they stay light and simple. In fact, paired with the slaw, this dish comes together in less than 30 minutes, making it an ideal quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients:
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw<\LI><\UL>Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Instructions
4. Watermelon Feta Salad
Watermelon Feta Salad is a refreshing dish featuring cubed watermelon, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh mint. It is made even better with the addition of red onion, sliced thinly, and it is dressed with olive oil and lime juice.
It is a summer pleasure.
Ingredients
Watermelon, cubed (about 4 cups)
Feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
Fresh mint leaves, chopped (¼ cup)
Red onion, thinly sliced (¼ cup)
Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
Fresh lime juice (1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. In a big bowl, mix the watermelon cubes, the feta cheese crumbled, the mint leaves fresh and finely chopped, and the red onion sliced.
2. In an inconspicuous bowl, blend the olive oil with the fresh lime juice. Smoothly blend this dressing over the watermelon array.
3. Toss the salad lightly until every ingredient is well coated with the dressing. If needed, adjust the flavor with some salt and pepper.
4. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes for enhanced flavors and serve immediately. Serve immediately after removing from the refrigerator or chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, again for enhanced flavors. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes for enhanced flavors before serving.
5. BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Tender pork shoulder takes the stage in this awesome All-American—well, almost—all-American dish. What with all the paprika and the slow-cooked sauce, we’ve got something closer to a 12-hour workout for the unctuous and super-flavorful pork.
And we finish that workout by shredding it. Put it on a bun, add some sweet, crunchy cole slaw, and you’re literally a mouthful away from the satisfaction that is a weekend barbecue in the ’ribs-mountains.
Ingredients
3-4 lbs pork shoulder (also known as pork butt)
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
6-8 hamburger buns
Instructions
1. The pork shoulder should be seasoned with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. It must then be placed in the slow cooker on top of the sliced onions.
2. Put the chicken broth and a cup of barbecue sauce over the pork. Put the lid on. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the pork is really tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
3. Take the pork out of the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. Discard any excess fat.
4. Put the pulled pork in the slow cooker and add remaining barbecue sauce. Mix well and serve on hamburger buns.
6. Zucchini Noodles with Pesto
Zucchini Noodles with Pesto is a pleasing plate of food that comes from spiralizing fresh zucchini into noodles and tossing them with pesto. For the sake of this recipe, we’ll call the pesto a sauce, given the way it coats the noodles.
Pesto is made by blending basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor. It’s the most basic form of pesto.
You could call the dish a plate of Pesto Noodles with Zucchini, but it’s not as cute as Zucchini Noodles with Pesto.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchinis
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Use a spiralizer to make noodle-like strands from the zucchini, and set those aside.
2. In a food processor, blend the basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic until very finely chopped.
3. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Immediately serve the zucchini noodles tossed with the pesto.
7. Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
Salmon fillets are grilled to combine tender fish with an avocado salsa to make a vibrant dish. The fish (4 fillets) is the heart of the dish.
The recipe calls for seasoning the salmon with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cooking it over a hot flame until it is tender and lightly caramelized. The salsa (2 ripe avocados, diced and mixed with other ingredients) is the color contrast—green and slightly brown salmon, with a pink interior, topped with a light green, almost creamy salsa.
Ingredients
4 salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 ripe avocados, diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
1. Get your grill ready and up to a temperature of medium-high, around 375 to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, prep your salmon by brushing it with olive oil and then seasoning it with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the salmon on the grill for 6-8 minutes per side, placing the fish on the grill skin-side down and cooking until the salmon is cooked through and has nice grill marks.
3. As the salmon grills, I ready the avocado salsa by mixing diced avocados, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro in a bowl. I season it with salt to taste.
1. Combine diced avocados, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro in a bowl.
2. Add salt to taste.
4. Present the salmon on the grill that has been dressed with a hearty helping of salsa made from avocados. Savor your dinner in the summery twilight!
8. Spicy Thai Basil Chicken
Thai basil chicken is a vibrant stir-fry dish made with the same potent, paring-prone ingredients scientists used to test Thai basil’s flavor profile back in the ’80s: sliced chicken thighs or breast, fresh Thai basil leaves, and a potent mix of garlic, red chilies, soy, oyster, and fish sauces.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs or breast, sliced
Fresh Thai basil leaves
Garlic, minced
Red chilies, chopped
Soy sauce
Oyster sauce
Fish sauce
Instructions
1. Warm some oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Include the pressed garlic and the sliced red chilies with the oil, and then, do what you shall to make them smell good. You want to make them smell so good that your freshly remodeled kitchen feels like a different universe, one where everything is sunny and warm.
2. Add the chicken, which has been sliced, to the pan and cook until it is browned and cooked through.
3. Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce in the pan, ensuring the chicken is well coated. Cook for another minute or two.
4. Finally, add the leaves of Thai basil and stir-fry until they are wilted. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
9. Peach and Prosciutto Flatbread
Uncover the blissful balance of sweet and savory in my Flatbread with Peach and Prosciutto. With fresh flatbreads, luscious peaches, prosciutto, goat cheese, and arugula as the base, you could say this dish positively sings.
And finishes, in a sense, with a sweet note, since it could be considered a dessert.
Ingredients
Fresh flatbreads or naan
Olive oil
Fresh peaches, thinly sliced
Prosciutto slices
Crumbled goat cheese
Fresh arugula
Balsamic glaze
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Use olive oil to brush each flatbread, and then set them on a baking sheet.
2. Fresh peaches and prosciutto are thinly sliced and layered over the flatbreads. Cumbled goat cheese is then sprinkled on top.
3. In the preheated oven, bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the flatbreads are golden and the cheese is melted.
4. Take it out of the oven, add fresh arugula on top, and drizzle some balsamic glaze on it before serving.
10. Grilled Eggplant and Halloumi Burgers
Eggplant and halloumi burgers combine two kinds of savory grilled cheese and tender eggplant brushed with olive oil, along with fresh tomato and basil, and a toasted burger bun. They are next-level grilled cheese sandwiches.
Ingredients
Eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
Halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Burger buns
Tomato, sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
1. Set your grill to a medium-high temperature. Coat both sides of the slices of eggplant with olive oil, and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the eggplant slices on the grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side. They should be tender and have nice grill marks. Meanwhile, grill the halloumi slices. They will take about 2-3 minutes on each side to get golden and slightly charred.
3. On the grill, toast the burger buns for 1-2 minutes until they are only lightly browned. To assemble the burgers, layer the grilled eggplant, halloumi, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves onto the buns. Serve without delay.
11. Cucumber Gazpacho
Chilled Cucumber Gazpacho is a refreshing, perfect-for-warm-weather soup. It features blended smooth cucumbers, a creamy yogurt base, and aromatic garlic just underneath a whisper of hinting olive oil and white wine vinegar.
(I garnish mine with fresh dill, but you can also use chives.)
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers, peeled and seeded
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh dill, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
1. Chop the cucumbers coarsely and blend them until smooth in a blender or food processor.
2. Mix the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and white wine vinegar together, then blend until fully combined.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste to the chilling solution, and then place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.
4. Serve chilled, decorated with fresh dill.
12. Tandoori Cauliflower Steaks
Change a large head of cauliflower into tandoori cauliflower steaks by marinating the big slices in the following half-recipe for a yogurt-tandoori masala marinade. Beat together until smooth:
1 cup plain yogurt (or a nondairy substitute)
1/4 cup tandoori masala (store-bought or homemade; see note)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil (or other cooking oil)
4 cloves garlic, minced (or use garlic powder)
Salt, to taste
This marinade has some heat, thanks to the tandoori masala.
Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tandoori masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Cut the cauliflower into thick slabs, approximately 1-inch thick.
2. Combine the yogurt, tandoori masala, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well to form a marinade.
3. Cover the cauliflower steaks with the marinade, making sure they are completely saturated. Allow them to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes, or as long as 2 hours, in the refrigerator.
4. Your oven or grill should be set to medium-high heat. If you’re using a grill, then get it ready. You want to cook the cauliflower steaks for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. If you’re using an oven, set the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or 200 degrees Celsius. Cook the steaks for 25 to 30 minutes. No matter how you cook them, you want them to be tender and slightly charred when you take them off the heat. Serve them hot.
13. Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Poblanos
Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa and Black Beans is a simple, wholesome—actually, quite impressive!—vegetarian dish featuring large poblano peppers. They’re stuffed with a savory, hearty mix of quinoa, black beans, corn, and cheese and seasoned with cumin, a spice I just love.
Like you, I’m sure. Especially in this context.
Ingredients
4 large poblano peppers
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) ahead of time and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise, then cut them in half again. Remove all seeds and membranes.
3. In a big basin, combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, cheese, cumin, salt, and pepper.
4. Fill each half of the poblano with the quinoa mixture, and set them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through.
14. Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Sesame Seeds
Introducing Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Sesame Seeds
a delightful dish featuring eggplants brushed with a savory mix of white miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar, finished with toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients
2 medium-sized eggplants
3 tablespoons white miso paste
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
1. Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and score the flesh in a crisscross manner, taking care not to cut through the skin.
2. Combine the ingredients—miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar—in a small bowl. Mix until smooth.
3. Coat the cut side of each eggplant half with vegetable oil, then spread the miso mixture evenly over the top.
4. Put the eggplants cut side up on a baking sheet and roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are tender and glazed. Before serving, sprinkle them with toasted sesame seeds.
