Initially revealed in 2014; up to date in 2026 with contemporary summer season dinner concepts, present household favorites, and easy meal planning ideas for busy summer season nights.
Summer season 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 taken with following a strict schedule. By the point dinner rolls round, I’m normally on the lookout for one thing that checks a couple of containers: contemporary (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.
Over time, 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 luggage, basketball, cat-sitting, later evenings outdoors, and hungry children who can assist assemble their very own plates. Completely different season, identical aim: feed everybody nicely with out making dinner really feel difficult.
So in the event you’re staring into the fridge questioning what to make on a scorching summer season night time, listed here are a few of my go-to wholesome summer season meal concepts which are versatile, family-friendly, and simple to tug collectively.
My Favourite Summer season Dinner Formulation
Once I don’t really feel like following a recipe (which is very often in summer season TBH), I normally fall again on this straightforward formulation:
protein + contemporary produce + straightforward carb + sauce or dip
Which may appear 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 concept!
No-Oven Summer season Meal Concepts
When it’s scorching outdoors, 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.
Huge dinner salads- make your personal fashion: Romaine or blended 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. Strive 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.
Simple Grilling Concepts
Grilling is considered one of my favourite summer season dinner shortcuts as a result of it retains the warmth outdoors and makes even easy meals style particular.
A few of our go-to grilling concepts:
- Burgers with an enormous 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 prepare dinner further protein as soon as, then use it in a couple of totally different meals. Grilled hen can turn out to be wraps, salads, bowls, quesadillas, or snack plates later within the week.
Make-Forward Summer season Meal Concepts
Summer season has a method of creating time for dinner unpredictable. Typically we’re consuming early earlier than an exercise, generally late after swimming, and generally persons are hungry in shifts. Having a couple of issues prepped makes an enormous distinction.
Listed here are some make-ahead parts I like:
- Cooked rice or quinoa
- Washed and chopped romaine
- A container of sliced cucumbers and peppers
- Onerous-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 contemporary, are straightforward to seize, and make lunch really feel extra intentional. My two go-to salad jars are a Southwest Model 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 publish on summer season meal prep concepts, which matches into extra element on the right way to prep for busy summer season weeks with out spending your entire Sunday within the kitchen.
Pool Evening and Sports activities Evening Dinners
These are the meals I like for nights when everyone seems to be coming and going, moist towels are in all places, 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 simple to customise.
Burger bowls: All of the burger toppings over lettuce with fries, roasted potatoes, or chips on the aspect.
Easy Summer season Sides That Make Dinner Really feel Full
Typically the primary dish is straightforward, however I get caught on what to place with it. These are the easy summer season sides I come again to repeatedly.
- 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 season Meal Concepts
Listed here 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 entire 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 an enormous 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 nicely chilly.
Snack plate dinner with boiled eggs, cheese, crackers, hummus, veggies, fruit, and nuts.
And in order for you 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 difficult. In actual fact, I feel they’re higher once they’re easy.
A bit protein, one thing contemporary, one thing filling, and an excellent sauce or dip can go a great distance. Add within the flexibility to eat outdoors, eat after the pool, or let everybody construct their very own bowl, and dinner begins to really feel a complete lot simpler.
What’s in your summer season dinner rotation proper now? I’m at all times on the lookout for new concepts so as to add to the combination.
