Initially printed in 2014; up to date in 2026 with recent summer season dinner concepts, present household favorites, and easy meal planning suggestions for busy summer season nights.
Summer time dinners have a persona all their very own, don’t they?
The times are longer, everybody is a bit more sun-kissed and water-logged and we’re all rather less curious about following a strict schedule. By the point dinner rolls round, I’m often searching for one thing that checks a number of containers: recent (all of the superior summer season produce is ripe, in any case), filling, and ideally one thing that doesn’t require an excessive amount of effort.
Through the years, summer season meals in our home have shifted with the season of life we’re in. There have been years of nursing infants and meal prepping throughout nap time, and now we’re within the stage of pool baggage, basketball, cat-sitting, later evenings exterior, and hungry children who can assist assemble their very own plates. Totally different season, similar aim: feed everybody effectively with out making dinner really feel sophisticated.
So should you’re staring into the fridge questioning what to make on a sizzling summer season night time, listed here are a few of my go-to wholesome summer season meal concepts which are versatile, family-friendly, and straightforward to tug collectively.
My Favourite Summer time Dinner Method
After I don’t really feel like following a recipe (which is very often in summer season TBH), I often fall again on this straightforward method:
protein + recent produce + straightforward carb + sauce or dip
Which may seem like grilled hen with corn, watermelon, rice, and tzatziki. Or salmon with roasted broccoli, tomato slices, and candy potatoes. Or taco-seasoned shrimp over rice with beans, avocado, salsa, and romaine. Pork tenderloin, straightforward inexperienced beans, farro. You get the thought!
No-Oven Summer time Meal Concepts
When it’s sizzling exterior, the very last thing I need to do is warmth up the entire kitchen. These are the sorts of meals I lean on when the oven is formally off obligation.
Taco salads: Floor beef, turkey, hen, or shrimp over lettuce with black beans, corn, avocado, salsa, bitter cream, and tortilla chips.
Greek bowls: Hen (use this marinade), cucumbers, tomatoes, rice or pita, chickpeas, olives, feta, and tzatziki.
Hen salad plates: Hen salad with crackers, fruit, uncooked veggies, and pickles.
Large dinner salads- make your personal type: Romaine or combined greens with grilled hen, salmon, shrimp, steak, or hard-boiled eggs, plus no matter veggies should be used.
Wraps: Turkey or hen wraps, hummus and veggie wraps, buffalo hen wraps, or Caesar hen wraps. Attempt my favourite low carb, excessive fiber tortillas.
Snack plate dinners: Cheese, crackers, boiled eggs, hummus, pimento cheese, fruit, veggies, nuts, popcorn, olives, and no matter leftovers are hanging round.
Straightforward Grilling Concepts
Grilling is considered one of my favourite summer season dinner shortcuts as a result of it retains the warmth exterior and makes even easy meals style particular.
A few of our go-to grilling concepts:
- Burgers with a giant easy salad
- Grilled hen thighs with rice and cucumbers
- Salmon with candy potatoes and sliced tomatoes
- Shrimp skewers with rice, beans, avocado, and salsa
- Steak salads with corn and avocado
- Grilled sausages with peppers, onions, and watermelon
- Veggie skewers with hen or shrimp
- BBQ hen with slaw and corn on the cob
One of many best methods to make grilling work throughout a busy week is to cook dinner further protein as soon as, then use it in a number of totally different meals. Grilled hen can change into wraps, salads, bowls, quesadillas, or snack plates later within the week.
Make-Forward Summer time Meal Concepts
Summer time has a approach of constructing time for supper unpredictable. Typically we’re consuming early earlier than an exercise, generally late after swimming, and generally individuals are hungry in shifts. Having a number of issues prepped makes an enormous distinction.
Listed below are some make-ahead parts I really like:
- Cooked rice or quinoa
- Washed and chopped romaine
- A container of sliced cucumbers and peppers
- Arduous-boiled eggs
- Grilled hen or shredded hen
- Taco meat
- A jar of home made dressing or sauce
- Washed fruit
- Roasted or grilled greens
- Pasta salad with protein
That is additionally the place salad jars might be so useful. I nonetheless love the idea as a result of they keep recent, are straightforward to seize, and make lunch really feel extra intentional. My two go-to salad jars are a Southwest Type Salad Jar and a Greek Salad Jar (are you able to inform I’m a fan of Greek something?).
When you like this type of prep, you may additionally like my submit on summer season meal prep concepts, which matches into extra element on the best way to prep for busy summer season weeks with out spending your complete Sunday within the kitchen.
Pool Night time and Sports activities Night time Dinners
These are the meals I really like for nights when everyone seems to be coming and going, moist towels are all over the place, and dinner must be versatile.
Rice bowls: Set out rice, protein, veggies, and toppings so everybody can construct their very own.
Taco bar: Meat, beans, lettuce, cheese, salsa, avocado, and tortillas or chips.
Pasta salad with hen: Make it earlier within the day and serve it chilly when everybody is prepared.
Rotisserie hen dinner: Hen, fruit, sliced veggies, bread, and a dip or sauce.
Loaded baked potatoes or candy potatoes: Cook dinner forward, then prime with hen, beans, cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa, or BBQ.
Quesadillas: Quick, kid-friendly, and straightforward to customise.
Burger bowls: All of the burger toppings over lettuce with fries, roasted potatoes, or chips on the facet.
Easy Summer time Sides That Make Dinner Really feel Full
Typically the principle dish is simple, however I get caught on what to place with it. These are the straightforward summer season sides I come again to time and again.
- Watermelon
- Corn on the cob
- Cucumber tomato salad
- Sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper
- Chips and guacamole
- Easy inexperienced salad
- Coleslaw
- Fruit salad
- Roasted candy potatoes
- Rice or quinoa
- Pasta salad
- Uncooked veggies and ranch
- Grilled zucchini or squash
A number of good sides could make even a quite simple protein really feel like an actual dinner.
A Few Wholesome Summer time Meal Concepts
Listed below are some straightforward combos to get the wheels turning:
Brown sugar and bourbon glazed salmon with roasted broccoli, baked candy potato, and sliced tomatoes.
Crockpot complete hen with brown rice pilaf and a easy salad.
Taco-seasoned grilled shrimp bowls with rice, black beans, romaine, peppers, onions, cilantro, avocado, salsa, and bitter cream.
Gyro burgers with a giant Greek-inspired salad.
Grilled hen thighs with corn, watermelon, cucumbers, and rice.
Hen Caesar wraps with fruit and uncooked veggies.
Steak salads with avocado, tomato, cucumber, and crusty bread.
BBQ hen bowls with rice, corn, slaw, and pickles.
Pasta salad with grilled hen for a make-ahead dinner that works effectively chilly.
Snack plate dinner with boiled eggs, cheese, crackers, hummus, veggies, fruit, and nuts.
And if you would like much more concepts, browse my dinner concepts class or try a few of our present household favorites like skillet lemon garlic hen and orzo, coconut hen thighs over rice, and creamy sluggish cooker hen burrito bowls.
Wholesome summer season meals don’t should be sophisticated. The truth is, I feel they’re higher once they’re easy.
Slightly protein, one thing recent, one thing filling, and sauce or dip can go a good distance. Add within the flexibility to eat exterior, eat after the pool, or let everybody construct their very own bowl, and dinner begins to really feel an entire lot simpler.
What’s in your summer season dinner rotation proper now? I’m all the time searching for new concepts so as to add to the combination.
