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Summer is one of the best seasons for food. There are picnics, BBQs, and outdoor parties. It’s also the best season to showcase the best summer ingredients, from fruits to fresh seafood.
Summer makes it easy to create flavorful meals teaming with fresh produce. Farmers markets are in full swing, and the weather invites us to sit outside for easy summer meals.
Dinner Ideas For Summer Nights
When it’s hot and humid out, the last thing that crosses your mind is to stand in balmy kitchen. When it comes to easy summer dinner recipes, simple ingredients are best.
Showcasing the best and freshest summer ingredients, are also a must.
What you need are a few, easy summer dinner ideas that you can keep in your back pocket to whip out on nights when you need a quick, satisfying meal.
Scroll below for 20+ easy dinner ideas for summer nights.
Grilled Steak Salad
Looking for a salad that doesn’t taste simple, but simple enough to put together for a delicious summer dinner?
Combine grilled steak with cherry tomatoes, blue cheese and a tangy dressing for an impressive, but easy dish.
Grilled Steak & Lemon Couscous
A light and fresh couscous salad, packed with fresh herbs, is the perfect accompaniment for grilled steak.
Porterhouse
The accompanying au poivre sauce is bright and floral, courtesy of the sauce consisting of peppercorns, basil and mint – perfect for an end of summer dinner.
Steak Kebabs
Who doesn’t love a bright and flavorful meal?
Juicy tender pieces of flavorful, marinated beef and colorful veggies of red onion, red pepper, and green bell peppers provide an enticing and easy weeknight dinner that can be served over a bed of rice.
Chimichurri Chicken
Chimichurri sauce is a great way to upgrade chicken.
The marinade comes together quickly, and extra marinade can be stored for busy weeknights.
Fresh parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil are the foundation for this simple, yet flavorful dressing.
Chicken Tzatziki Bowl
Yogurt, a touch of lemon juice, and smoky spices give the chicken the perfect balance of savory and heat.
The tzatziki really ties these bowls together- zesty, creamy sauce made up of plain Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, garlic and fresh herbs.
Serve over a simple salad for an easy meal.
Burrata Chicken Milanese
Chicken breasts don’t need to be bland and boring with this quick weeknight dinner recipe.
Thinly pounded chicken breasts with marinated plum tomatoes and creamy burrata are pure bliss.
Greek Lemon Chicken
It doesn’t get easier or more delicious than flavorful grilled chicken.
With minimal effort, this recipe should be on rotation for when guests pop by or for those long days, when you are not sure what to whip up.
Florentine Butter Chicken
This is the season for fresh summer tomatoes – and this dish celebrates the season. Enter: butter chicken.
A delectable one skillet dinner that comes together in just a few minutes, with plenty of tomatoes and fresh basil thrown on top.
Chicken Lemon Thighs
Laced with plenty of citrus and fresh herbs under the skin of crispy chicken thighs – you can bet ever single bite of these is going to be packed with a pop of fresh flavor!
Lamb Meatballs
This easy dinner dish relies on bold, intense flavor.
The yogurt sauce provides tang and richness and provides a nice balance to the flavorful lamb. The perfect dish to serve guests on a hot day.
Garlic Butter Lamb Chops
Pan seared, with plenty of fresh garlic, these lamb chops are impressive and come together in less than twenty minutes.
Serve with a hearty salad for an easy summer dinner.
Lobster Thermidor
Lobster is simple to cook with this recipe.
Tender lobster is baked in a decadent creamy Cognac sauce, and topped with gruyere cheese for an impressive main course.
Pan Fried Cod
A healthy meal that is easy, especially after a long day, is my kind of dinner.
Any type of fish – salmon, tuna or swordfish – works for this dish. The simple flavors of this dish makes it easy to pair with all summer sides.
Pan Seared Scallops
The sweet summer corn and spicy chorizo provide the base for this summer dish. A high impact dish with little fuss.
Garlic Grilled Shrimp
Grilled shrimp is a quintessential summertime staple.
Jumbo shrimp are marinated in a delicious garlic herb mixture, and grilled to perfection.
Lime Crusted Salmon
Summertime calls for fresh crunchy, colorful salads straight from the local farmers market.
Adding a crispy, lime crusted salmon adds a flavorful impact.
Baked Salmon with Corn & Tomatoes
The combination of corn, burst tomatoes and basil vinaigrette works beautifully with the salmon.
This summer mixture would work with any protein, it would be great with steak or any type of fish.
Linguine with Clams
Perfectly cooked pasta with a garlicky white wine sauce loaded with herbs, garlic and lemon is an easy dish that can be easily doubled for guests.
This classic Neapolitan dish wraps encompasses all of the best feelings of the season.
It’s bright, fresh, beautiful yet casual.
Lemon Zucchini Pasta
Light and bright pasta with julienne tender zucchini is great for a busy weeknight.
Lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan transforms the sauce into a lush pasta sauce.
Corn & Ricotta Pasta
One pot pasta is easy as it comes with this dish.
The luscious sauce made with creamy ricotta cheese and packed with sweet corn is a light, yet comforting dish.
Lemon Pasta
Lemons, butter and sea salt constitute this beloved pasta dish. It’s easy, quick, and uses just a few basic ingredients that are pantry staples.
Chili Lime Corn Salad
There is nothing quite like grilled sweet corn in the summer.
Its smoky-sweet grilled flavor is balanced by a tangy chili lime juice which makes it a summer favorite.
Asparagus Salad
There are plenty of diverse summer salads, but crisp asparagus, creamy avocado and salty feta, are the ultimate summer salad combination.
The dijon vinaigrette adds a bit of tang and sweetness to the dish.
Watermelon & Feta Salad
Looking for a no-cook summer dish?
This refreshing salad with a mix of watermelon and feta cheese, is unassumingly simple but couldn’t be more perfect for a warm summer night.
Caprese Salad
Grab a ball of fresh mozzarella, a handful of basil, and fresh tomatoes and make this salad.
Finish the salad with generous dollops of basil pesto or store-bought pesto to add freshness to this salad.
Tomato Sheet Pizza
A meal that the whole family will love.
This pizza is the perfect mix of summer flavors – savory and sweet – from the fresh tomatoes, to a hint of sweet honey and savory black pepper.
If you are pressed for time, store-bought pizza dough works great too.
