Summer Dinner Ideas

Summertime, and the living’s easy… except maybe when it comes to dinner! No worries, though – we’ve got it covered with these easy summer dinner ideas.

Feeling a little tired of cooking this summer? Or maybe you’re just not interested in turning the oven on to heat up your kitchen this summer? This recipe round-up is for you!

We’ve got the best easy summer dinners your entire family will love! From grilling to quick stove top recipes, you’re going to find so much inspiration here.

A variety of dinner option on a graphic with a headline "30" easy summer dinner ideas"

When it comes to summer dinners, we tend to crave things that are light and fresh, filled with seasonal ingredients. Much like the inspiration behind these easy summer appetizers, these recipes speak to the best produce of the season!

So let’s head to the farmer’s market, pick up some incredibly fresh ingredients, and whip up something quick, easy and tasty.

We’ve got summertime delicious sandwiches, fiesta-inspired flavors, pasta dishes, and grilling favorites.

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Here’s what you’re going to love about these recipes:

Quick to Make
Pantry or No-fuss Ingredients
Light and Easy
Family Friendly

First, a few of my best tips and tricks to make dinner and more delicious easier than ever!

Tips

Looking for a chilled make-ahead option that can serve as lunch, dinner, or a delicious side dish? Don’t skip my best pasta salad recipes in this complete guide.
Get more inspiration for summer entertaining here.
Don’t forget dessert! Find all my favorite dessert recipes here.

Easy Summer Dinners

On the Grill

Firing up the grill is the easiest way to create a summertime dinner the whole family will love! Lock in that juicy flavor with these incredible recipes.

Easy Chicken Kabobs

Get all the details on the juiciest chicken kabobs you’ve ever tasted! This chicken kabob marinade creates a healthy, vibrant summertime favorite meal for the grill or beyond.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp

This lemon pepper shrimp recipe is the epitome of summertime sunshine for dinner! Use this recipe for lemon pepper shrimp on pasta, alongside a fresh green salad, or with a side of roasted veggies. It’s a fresh, healthy take on a classic favorite that works on the grill or stovetop!

Steak Kabobs On The Grill

Learn the keys to the most delicious steak kabobs on the grill! This steak kabob marinade is bursting with bold, healthy flavor in every bite. In fact, we tend to use our favorite steak for kabobs instead of traditional grilled steak – it’s just so good this way!

A white platter filled with grilled steak kabobs.

Lemon Pepper Salmon

This Lemon Pepper Salmon recipe is absolutely foolproof. In fact, it’s the most delicious and easiest way to add all the goodness that salmon offers into your dinner rotation.

The Best Bratwursts

Bratwurst are a classic, delicious and indulgent way to do dinner. They’re perfect in the summer and fall on the grill or in the oven, and they’re so easy to customize for the ultimate weeknight meal or game day party food!

A white tray filled with bratwurst sausages in buns.

The Best Juicy Burger

Learn all about how to make the juiciest burgers ever! You’ll find tips for creating a deliciously juicy burger at home, well seasoned and cooked perfectly every time.

White plate with a juicy burger, complete with lettuce, onions and cheese.

Zesty Tequila Lime Shrimp Skewers

If you love the zesty fresh citrus flavor of a good margarita, you’ll love this incredible tequila lime shrimp recipe! It’s the essence of your favorite summertime cocktail, in the form of incredible shrimp skewers – perfect for throwing on the grill.

A white platter filled with grilled shrimp skewers.

Pineapple Shrimp Skewers

There’s just something about the textural, sweet and salty flavor of this pineapple shrimp recipe! Pineapple shrimp skewers are perfect for throwing on the grill, bursting with juicy tropical flavor.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Kabobs

Learn the BEST tips and tricks for creating the most delectable summertime dinner- lemon garlic shrimp kabobs!

They’re so easy to throw together for the grill, and your hands-on prep and grilling time is under 15 minutes with the easiest shrimp kabob marinade.

A white plate with skewers of lemon garlic shrimp kabobs.

Pizza Night + Pizza On The Grill

Learn how to make pizza on the grill to take your pizza from ordinary to extraordinary in minutes! Get restaurant style pizza with a thick, chewy, crispy flavorful crust without the fuss for pizza night!

Mexican Inspiration

Tex Mex flavors can create the very best easy summer dinner ideas! The flavors are full of spices and citrus, which are wonderful for the season.

Street Tacos

Simple and authentic, you’ll be surprised just how easy carne asada street tacos are to make! Top them with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a little chopped cilantro and onion for an out-of-this-world taco night dinner.

small tacos on a white platter with lime and onions for toppings

Veggie Tacos

These veggie tacos are so filling, so savory and textural that you’ll never miss the meat! Learn how to make vegetarian tacos your entire family will love – even the meat lovers in your house.

Doritos Nachos

Doritos Nachos are the ultimate game day appetizer, after school snack or even a family-friendly dinner idea! This Doritos nachos recipe is easy to customize and it’s hard to stop yourself from going back for more.

The Best Beef Tacos

The best beef tacos are ready start to finish in just 10 minutes with a few simple ingredients. This beef taco recipe is always a crowd pleaser, incredibly flavorful and low in calories, too!

beef taco recipe on white plate with lime wedges and cilantro

Taco Salad

This Taco Salad is loaded with fresh lettuce, juicy chicken, tomatoes, fresh shredded cheese, red peppers, and optional cilantro and red onion for a light but flavorful effortless lunch or easy weeknight dinner.

Chorizo Taco Recipe

This chorizo taco recipe is a must for your Taco Tuesdays and Cinco de Mayo. So quick and easy to make, these tacos are topped with pineapple salsa and a cilantro lime crema for a delicious sweet and spicy taco.

marble surface with three chorizo tacos loaded with toppings, pineapple salsa to the side.

Carne Asada Tacos

Amazing marinated Carne Asada Tacos that are full of flavor and always a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re serving them for taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo! Steak Tacos are easy to make, naturally gluten-free, and made in less than 30 minutes hands on time.

Chicken Over Rice Fajita Bowl

Learn how to create this light and easy chicken over rice fajita-inspired bowl! This flavorful, delicious dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes start to finish – who knew a chicken fajita bowl could be so good?

A bowl of chicken over rice, peppers layered in between.

Soft Chicken Tacos

These easy soft Chicken Tacos are perfect for an easy weeknight meal and they are packed full of flavor. The chicken is perfectly juicy and it hardly takes any time to prep!

Close up of a chicken taco topped with fresh taco ingredients.

Cheese Enchiladas

Try these chicken enchiladas or beef enchiladas, too! These enchiladas are so easy and restaurant worthy. Wholesome and authentic, the creamy cheese and zesty sauce combine for a flavor explosion the whole family will love!

Sandwiches

Sandwiches are great for a summer dinner idea, whether served hot or cold. They’re just so easy!

Grilled Ham And Cheese

A grilled ham and cheese sandwich is a classic comfort food loved by many! A hot ham and cheese toastie is salty, buttery and filled with creamy melted cheese.

Bonus? It just doesn’t get any easier than this! It’s a combination that has been popular in delis and diners for years, and with good reason. Learn how to make this incredibly simple throwback sandwich with a few of my favorite tips!

sliced grilled ham and cheese on white bread.

Tender Steak Sandwich Recipe

This steak sandwich recipe is the thing of dreams! Steak is marinated and served with blue cheese, caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes and are great to serve to a crowd. Easy to make, these steak sliders are sure to wow your guests!

Close up of a steak sandwich on a bun, stacked with toppings.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

This gourmet grilled cheese recipe is an easy way to elevate your favorite sandwich! Easy and simple to make, these grilled cheeses are loaded with caramelized onions and green apple for a deliciously indulgent treat.

Quick to make, a grilled sandwich never looked so good!

White plate with a sliced gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, chips in background.

St. Louis Gerber Sandwich

Enjoy a classic St. Louis sandwich at home! This Gerber sandwich is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, game day and more.

It’s a delicious open faced sandwich topped with garlic butter, ham and provel cheese that will have you begging for more!

gerber sprinkled with paprika on a white plate

Incredible Chicken Wrap

Keep it light with this easy and delicious Chicken Wrap recipe filled with fresh lettuce, grated cheese, juicy chicken, tomato, red onion, optional cilantro and more!

Summer Chicken Recipes

Throw these summer chicken recipes into the air fryer, the oven, stovetop or of course the grill! Bursting with seasonal flavor like lemon, herbs and more, they speak to the season.

Lemon Chicken

Light and flavorful Lemon Chicken. This Lemon Chicken Recipe is naturally low carb, gluten free, keto friendly and also fits a low fat low calorie diet! But diet or not you’re going to love this amazing lemon sauce for chicken and make it again and again!

Greek Chicken

This Greek chicken is a moist and juicy recipe, infused with the essence of fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh fragrant herbs. It’s the ultimate Greek chicken marinade that creates the most succulent end result!

California Chicken

This California Chicken recipe is so easy, beginning with a savory marinade and ending with healthy and flavorful toppings. Grilled or baked, this chicken is easy, moist, and delicious!

Three Ingredient Pesto Chicken Recipe

Pesto Chicken is the juiciest, most flavorful baked chicken recipe. This easy Pesto Chicken recipe is foolproof and takes less than five minutes hands on time!

Enjoy it with veggies, mashed potatoes or on a bed of pasta.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Lemon Pepper Chicken is juicy and loaded with flavor. It’s high in protein and low in fat and calories, and ready to serve in less than 30 minutes. Make it in the oven, stovetop or on the grill!

Chicken In White Wine Sauce

Chicken in White Wine Sauce is an easy, low calorie, delicious dinner entrée. It can be served with a side of vegetables or enjoyed on a bed of pasta with white wine sauce. White Wine Chicken is light, yet full of flavor and takes less than 25 minutes to make!