Recipes for summer dinner ideas, when you come in late on those summer nights and need something quick and easy to feed your family.
Since it’s summertime, you will also love these food ideas for a romantic picnic and these summer snack ideas! Or, if it’s too hot outside, an indoor picnic may be a better idea, and you can serve these summer dinner ideas on a blanket, in your floor!
I always keep summer meals and dinner recipe ideas handy for those warm nights when I want to:
- Avoid heating up the oven – at least for hours.
- Make something QUICK and easy.
- Make something light, instead of heavy.
Summer Dinner Ideas
Here is a collection of my favorite summer dinner recipes ALL in one place, so when you need something quick and easy, it will all be right here! But before you dive in, remember that I have a great collection of pasta salads that can be a great, easy, light dinner option in the summer too.
This marinated shrimp recipe is so tasty. Grill these and serve them with tacos, or on a salad for a light summer dinner. Or, if you’re a fan of fried shrimp, it’s one of the most popular recipes here!
These sandwiches might be small in size, but they have such a delicious, big flavor! Serve them with chips or summer corn on the cob for a simple meal everyone will enjoy.
Fettuccine with corn and tomatoes makes for a simple summer meal that has so many fresh flavors in the mix. Make this on a hot night when you want a light meatless meal. You could also serve these mozzarella wraps with this pasta as a side dish or use any leftover ingredients to make them the next night.
Cod is a great meal no matter how you serve it. This recipe uses panko crumbs for a crunchy crust that is unbeatable.
Smoked Cornish game hens make for such a nice summer meal. They are small in size but have such a delectable smoky flavor!
Make juicy turkey burgers in your air fryer for a fast family dinner. You can pile these high with summer veggies for a complete meal, or serve them with some really yummy air fryer eggplant fries.
I know heating up the oven isn’t ideal in the summer but you’ll only need to cook these hot dogs for 10 minutes so it shouldn’t heat up the house too much. Baking hot dogs in the oven is a great way to cook them when you need a large amount for a summer party too!
No need to stop for take out on the way home. This orange chicken cooks in a flash in the instant pot for a great dinner.
If you are too tired to fuss with the grill tonight, this recipe for stove-top burgers is just what you need. These flavorful and juicy burgers are sure to be a family favorite. Or, kick things up a notch and make these cowboy burgers, with all the fun toppings.
Summer is the perfect time to make a great salad and make a meal of it. With garden fresh veggies and your favorite dressing there is a lot to like about this salad. You can even add a quick protein to this salad to make it main dish.
This is not your mama’s macaroni salad! It has chicken mixed in for a dish you can dig into for an easy summer meal.
These pinwheels have so much fun all wrapped up in a couple of bites! They’re a meal that is cool, delicious, and super simple on a hot summer night.
Salmon patties are fried to a golden-brown color, yet still light enough for a summer dinner, that won’t weigh you down. Similarly, these crab cake sandwiches are also a great summer dinner idea. Have an air fryer? Try these Air Fryer Salmon Patties too!
You can’t go wrong with a classic like ham and cheese. Pop these in the oven, or toss them on the grill for an easy summer dinner that never goes out of style.
Love this spin on a traditional cheeseburger recipe. If you love blue cheese, then you’ll love how the crumbles are built right in to your burger! Or for a really fun spin on burgers, that are perfect for summer flavors, these Aloha Burgers are a hit!
This old recipe is sometimes called a “loose meat sandwich” and is similar to a traditional sloppy joe, and has been around for ages. It’s a great, easy way, to make a sandwich in the summertime.
Sweet and Smoky Grilled Pork Chops
These pork chops are sweet and smoky and grill fast! You only need a few minutes per side to get a great dinner on the table.
With some simple ingredients like beef, beans, salsa, and cheese you can wrap up a great family-friendly meal. Who could resist these burritos? You can make them ahead of time and freeze them for those nights you need a hand with dinner. Love Mexican food in the summertime too? These chicken fajitas wraps and steak quesadillas are great to put on the dinner rotation.
Sometimes called, “funeral sandwiches” these sliders aren’t just for funerals or parties! Sliders are a great summer dinner idea to keep things easy and bite-size! Spice things up a bit and also give these buffalo chicken sliders a try!
Noodle bowls are always a good idea! This recipe is packed with veggies for a gluten free vegan meal option.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders
These tenders are low carb and so tasty. Make these for a guilt-free dinner that the entire family will love. Or if you have a smoker, these smoked chicken tenders are easy to make and so full of flavor.
Sloppy joe sliders are small in size but have all of the bold flavors of Sloppy Joes! Pile these high with saucy meat and cheese for a dinner the kids will LOVE. (They’ll also love these chicken bacon ranch sliders too!)
Who doesn’t love pizza and fries? Combine the two and you have an amazing easy dinner idea! Watch these disappear quickly! Love having pizza in different forms? These pizza sliders are amazing too, and you can use leftover ingredients to make these the next night.
If you ever have one of those nights that you just aren’t sure what to serve for dinner, you can’t go wrong with Texas toast pizzas! These are tasty and so easy to make after a day of summer fun. Now, not as quick as these Texas Toast pizzas… but this school pizza recipe will make the kids love summertime even more.
If you love the grinder sandwiches, making them in salad-form is such a great, light dinner idea for those warm days.
Too hot outside to stand over the grill? No sweat, you can make the best brats in your air fryer while you soak up some AC on a hot day. Or, make stove-top brats to keep the heat down in the house too!
This shrimp recipe is so easy when you use your air fryer. These are crunchy and pair perfectly with cocktail sauce. Have more shrimp on hand? This Boom Boom Shrimp recipe is out of this world!
Get bbq chicken flavor without having to host a cookout. This recipe makes for such a tasty pasta that captures the flavor of summer perfectly. I know pasta can seem heavy in the summer but recipes like this creamy lemon pasta too, are light enough and won’t weigh you down in the heat.
Sliders are awesome for summer meals. They aren’t too big or heavy for a hot day, but they bring so much flavor to the table. These roast beef sliders are also a fun recipe to make for an easy dinner!
Tuna Salad Sandwich – The BEST!
I know a tuna salad sandwich isn’t anything new but wait until you try this one! There’s something about the flavors that come together in this recipe, that has everyone leaving 5-star reviews!
This recipe for crab salad is great on lettuce, or your favorite bread. It is so tasty you might want to just eat it as it is for a cool summer meal.
Have you ever had a taco salad with Catalina dressing in it? I’m telling you what, this recipe is packed with flavor and has become my husband’s new favorite dish.
If you have 20 minutes you can make this creamy pasta for a comforting meal. You only need 7 ingredients to recreate this simple dish that gets rave reviews every time.
As if tacos could get any better… oh wait, they can! If you haven’t tried making fried tacos yet, this is your sign to make them! Or, even though slow cooker recipes in the summer aren’t that popular, I think it’s a great way to make and enjoy shredded beef tacos, so you’re not hovering over the stove!
Everyone loves a good cheeseburger, so why not mix them up from time to time, and serve them differently? We love our burgers in the oven but it’s so fun to whip up these cheeseburger subs too!
This bolognese uses chicken for a tasty twist that is healthy and delicious. Pair this with a salad for an easy summer dinner you can have ready in 30 minutes.
This stuffed pepper recipe is so good! Use garden fresh peppers and frozen meatballs to make an easy and tasty dinner that is perfect for a busy summer night.
Bring two favorites for dinner together into one amazing stuffed potato. This recipe has a creamy cajun sauce that compliments both the shrimp and the baked potato, making it a perfect summer supper.
These leafy lettuce wraps are so yummy. You are going to love this bold Asian flavor in a healthy wrap that makes a healthy meal. Then, if you’re a fan of using chicken for an easy dinner, it doesn’t get much easier than these salt and pepper chicken bites!
This recipe brings street taco flavor to your kitchen. You won’t need to chase down your favorite food truck to get a great and easy meal on the table tonight!
Clean out your freezer and make an awesome meal in the process with this easy dish. It uses all of the best flavors like cheese, bbq, and whatever meat you have on hand.
Chopped salad makes for such a good summer meal. Use prepackaged coleslaw mix and whip up a delectable homemade dressing to change up your salad game from the standard lettuce and tomato option.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches
Why are the ingredients, chicken, bacon, and ranch, together, so delicious? The creaminess of these flavors on a bun, will knock your socks off!
Tuck juicy chicken into a grilled cheese for a delicious, protein-packed summer meal. You can pair this with a salad, or some fresh veggies and dip for easy eating.
This shredded chicken cooks low and slow while you are at work for such a good dinner. Make sandwiches or tacos with this, or toss some shredded chicken into a great side salad for a healthy summer meal.
If you love ordering chicken salad at your favorite cafe, you’ll likely get chicken salad similar to this one, which has grapes, apples, and pecans in it, giving it that amazing creaminess and crunchy textures. Or, for a fun twist, you can make this curry chicken salad too! Love cold salad sandwiches? This egg salad recipe is easy to make and great to keep in the refrigerator for easy dinners.
Although we do pop these in the oven, I feel like they are a great, light, summertime dinner option. Or, you can make other fun slider recipes like these salmon sliders and fish sliders.
Tilapia makes for such a healthy and light meal. Make this on a hot summer night, and let your air fryer for the cooking while you unwind after work.
This unique pizza recipe uses French bread as the crust, and this recipe is made to keep a crispy, not a soggy, crust.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
I wanted to wrap up this amazing list of dinner ideas with a classic that we can sometimes forget about. Yes, I know you probably know how to make a PB&J but did you know that there are ways that you can make it even better? It’s true! Or, you can also make a fried peanut butter and jelly to take the classic to a new level.
More Dinner Ideas
If you love easy dinner ideas, you’ll want to make sure you check out some of our most popular dinner ideas here:
We love gathering recipes for you, depending on cuisine, ingredients, holiday, or season! See all of our amazing recipe collections!
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