25 summer dinner ideas to make on repeat
Lazy summer days means lazy summer dinners! These easy summer dinner ideas are perfect for those short on time and big on taste.

It’s hot, it’s humid, and you’re hungry.
You want something to eat but it needs to be simple, fresh and require minimal time in front of a hot oven.
After all, summer evenings are best spent sitting around with friends and family, not cooking.
These summer dinners are perfect for when you want an easy meal that won’t take long to make.
(You might also like these summer salads, cookout side dishes, and summer grilling recipes).
Summer dinner ideas
Cream cheese pasta is a rich and creamy pasta dish that's ready in just 20 minutes. It's perfect when you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
Firing up the grill for summer? These arayes (also spelled areyas) work great on the grill! You'll want them on repeat all summer long.
Make this delicious and healthy vegan plantain bowl recipe with protein-rich edamame beans, sweet pan-fried plantains, brown rice, healthy veggies, and a quick homemade chimichurri sauce—incredibly satisfying!
Caprese stuffed portobello mushroom caps are a delicious twist on your favorite summer Caprese salad – and a great way to use up those late summer tomatoes.
Chicken Milanese is a classic Italian recipe that’s super easy to make and comes together in about 45 minutes. A simple cherry tomato and Arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette makes a bright, fresh summery side dish.
A bed of fresh shredded lettuce with little cubes of roma tomato, a deliciously succulent chili lime chicken breast, some avocado, topped with a sprinkle of cotija cheese and a drizzle of cilantro sour cream is all it takes to make this easy summer meal.
If you’re looking for a mouthwatering Italian dish with seafood, lemon juice, garlic, and linguine, look no further. This shrimp linguine recipe is simple to prepare and offers a simple yet wonderful flavor.
Easy sweet and sour chicken recipe makes restaurant-quality sweet and sour chicken in less time than it takes to order takeout.
These quick and easy veggie fajitas are loaded with plant-based protein and make a satisfying dinner meal that you can make in under 30 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients.
Here's how to make the best Greek chicken bowls. Think grilled Greek lemon chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and homemade tzatziki sauce all in one bowl.
This Greek marinated chicken with tzatziki sauce uses a simple Mediterranean marinade that creates a flavorful chicken that is grilled and topped with a tangy Greek yogurt dill sauce. You will love this healthy, protein-packed summer meal.
You'll want this spicy and zesty recipe on the grill asap! It's a tasty summer dinner everyone can enjoy.
This chicken pineapple kabobs recipe is the best of sweet and savory. Chicken is marinated in a Hawaiian BBQ sauce with pineapple and veggies on skewers and grilled to perfection.
This jalapeno popper chicken is packed with flavor and is a great way to enjoy jalapeno poppers. It's perfect for summer grilling season.
With a quickly-cooked, light tomato sauce accented by fresh mozzarella, basil, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese, this recipe is a simple, classic dish.
This easy pesto pizza, with fresh tomatoes and homemade pesto, is the perfect way to turn a simple meal into a gourmet experience.
This delicious Margherita flatbread pizza recipe is going to be your new favorite flatbread pizza. It’s delicious and easy to assemble and a perfect light summer meal for when you don’t feel like cooking.
A hearty Santa Fe salad topped with pan fried chicken tenders is not only easy to make and put together, it’s perfect for that quick midweek family meal everyone will love.
These crowd-pleasing shrimp and black bean quesadillas are a simple and a delicious way to enjoy shrimp.
This is the perfect summer meal. Think cucumber noodles and smoked salmon with a creamy dill dressing. It's perfect on the patio for lunch or dinner.
This summer pesto chicken pasta salad is the easiest, quickest and most delicious recipe. It has chicken, fresh mozzarella, sweet tomatoes, and delicious homemade basil pesto.
This mouthwatering pasta is smothered in a luscious tahini sauce. It’s delicious served at any temperature, which makes it perfect for a summer dinner when you’re not in the mood for a piping hot meal.
This cowboy caviar recipe is delicious paired with tortilla chips. Plant-based and protein-packed, make extra of this recipe for a light summer dinner.
Meet your new favorite summer meal. Tortellini caprese salad is a twist on classic caprese salad with hearty tortellini pasta.
This Vietnamese chicken vermicelli noodle salad is made with cooked rice noodles and is filled with chopped fresh vegetables and a marinaded chicken breast that is tolled with a homemade Vietnamese salad dressing.
If you’re after easy hot weather dinner ideas, these summer dinner ideas have you covered.
Want more? Try these easy summer dinners to put on rotation.