60 Easy Summer Dinner Recipes for Nights When You Don't Want to Cook
Hot weather won't stop you from enjoying a good meal.
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Nothing feels better than first warm days of summer. But that also means you probably want to spend less time in a hot kitchen and more time enjoying the sunshine. With that in mind, this list of summer dinner ideas is sure to save the day. Whether you're looking to fire up the grill or pack picnic foods for an outing to the park, here you'll find all the summer recipes you need to make dinnertime easy. We're talking 30-minute meals, marinated chicken recipes, pasta salads, and tons of ways to cook with seasonal summer vegetables.
If you're looking for easy grilling ideas, you can't have a roundup without plenty of burgers (beef burgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, and more), plus creative ideas for hot dogs including one to make in your handy air fryer. Looking to make the most of seasonal garden produce? Try the show-stopping tomato pie, stuffed zucchini, or a summer pasta made with fresh pesto. If keeping cool is your objective, make a splash with fun pool party food ideas like sunrise fruit salad and shrimp skewers. Or skip the grill and stove completely and make a refreshing summer salad featuring creamy burrata and marinated tomatoes instead. Of course, you'll want to round out any of these meals with some frozen desserts and a batch of refreshing summer cocktails to really beat the heat.
Burrata Salad
Sweet cherry tomatoes, spicy arugula, and creamy burrata are tossed in a dreamy combination of garlic oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil. This salad is meant for summer.
Get the Burrata Salad recipe.
Garlic Shrimp
How often do you get to say, "Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes?" Well, with this recipe, you can! With some Creole seasoning and a squeeze of lemon, you'll be amazed how quickly you can develop flavor.
Get the Garlic Shrimp recipe.
Chicken Drumsticks with Grilled Peach Salad
Grilling peaches make them extra sweet, and there's no better time to enjoy them than at their peak in the summer. They pair so well with roast chicken.
Get Ree's Chicken Drumsticks with Grilled Peach Salad recipe.
Teriyaki Meatball-Broccoli Kebabs
Full of flavor and done so fast, kebabs really are such a great summertime solution for dinner. Serve on a bed of rice and you've got yourself a complete meal in a flash.
Get Ree's Teriyaki Meatball-Broccoli Kebabs recipe.
Lemon Pasta
Dinner will be on the table in less than 30 minutes with this easy, zesty pasta dish. If you want to add protein, try grilled salmon or shrimp which is just as fast to cook.
Get the Lemon Pasta recipe.
Beer Brats
Crack open a cold one and get this summer cookout classic on the dinner table. You can even use regular hot dogs if that's what you've got in the fridge. The seasoning will transform them!
Get the Beer Brats recipe.
Southwestern Salad
Corn, peppers, beans, avocado: This salad has a lot of good-for-you ingredients. Toss them all together with a zesty avocado dressing and you'll have everyone asking for seconds.
Get the Southwestern Salad recipe.
Rigatoni with Summer Vegetables
Chances are you've got an abundance of corn, yellow squash, and sugar snap peas. Toss them together with a little lemon and some cheese, and you've got yourself dinner.
Get Ree's Rigatoni with Summer Vegetables recipe.
Greek Chicken Kebabs
Dinner is always fun when it's served on a stick, so fire up that grill and make this Greek-inspired dinner tonight. Don't forget to grill up a few sides of pita, too.
Get Ree's Greek Chicken Kebabs recipe.
Air Fryer Hot Dog
If you need a night off from the grill, you can still get hot dogs that are crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. All you need is your air fryer! Dinner will be done in no time.
Get the Air Fryer Hot Dog recipe.
Juicy Lucy
Take one bite and you'll know how this cheesy stuffed burger first earned its iconic name back in the '50s. Don't forget to pile it high with onions and pickles.
Get the Juicy Lucy recipe.
Esquites
You can't go wrong with corn during the summer! This recipe gives the charred, sweet corn a burst of flavor thanks to the poblano peppers and creamy chili powder-infused dressing.
Get the Esquites recipe.
Upside-Down Tomato Cornbread
BBQ and cornbread go hand in hand, but this tomato-topped cornbread might just steal the show from the ribs or steaks you plan to grill.
Get the Upside-Down Tomato Cornbread recipe.
Pretzel Dogs
Skip the traditional hot dog bun in favor of this salty, homemade pretzel bun instead. Kids and adults will both love this one.
Get the Pretzel Dogs recipe.
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
This recipe is comfort food with a summery twist! Just like loaded baked potatoes that you might enjoy in winter, this potato salad version is packed with cheese and bacon.
Get the Loaded Baked Potato Salad recipe.
Grilled Pizza
You don't need a pizza oven for this easy summer dinner. The grill gets scorching hot so it can cook up the pizzas quickly.
Get the Grilled Pizza recipe.
Cauliflower Steaks
Cauliflower steaks are so versatile, you can make them your own based on your family's preferences. Try using a BBQ rub or blackening seasoning, or serve the "steaks" with fresh corn salsa.
Get the Cauliflower Steaks recipe.
Feta Pasta
There's a reason why this pasta became so popular on TikTok—it's incredibly easy, cheesy, and loaded with summer tomatoes.
Get the Feta Pasta recipe.
Cowboy Steak
This must be Ladd's idea of the perfect summer dinner recipe. It's a giant steak topped with a meltingly delicious ranch-infused butter.
Get the Cowboy Steak recipe.
Caesar Salad
Keep things simple with a homemade Caesar salad. You can serve it as a fresh side dish, top it with grilled chicken or stuff it into tortillas for a Caesar wrap!
Get the Caesar Salad recipe.
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