Here are 25 Easy and Light Dinner Ideas for Summer including chicken recipes, beef, seafood, and meatless recipes. You can prep or cook these dinners ahead and your family will love them!
Updated May 18, 2024
Ahhh, Summer…the weather is warmer, sun is out more, the days are longer, and there is no school. Summer is the time to get outdoors. We all get a bit more exercise (or maybe a lot more) and we want light Summer meals to help lift us up and not weigh us down. For dinners, lighter is great, but easy is necessary for busy families with busy weeknights. That means it’s time for Easy and Light Dinner Ideas for Summer!
What these Easy Summer Dinners have in Common
- PREPPED OR COOKED AHEAD – Summers days are longer and packed with outdoor activities, camps, work, and more. So, when dinner time rolls around, you need easy dinners that come together fast! That’s where prepping or even cooking the meal entirely ahead comes to the rescue.
- IN SEASON – Each recipe includes bright and fresh summer flavors, simple ingredients, and Summer produce that are in season. This means that you should be able to find all ingredients easily and even at a discount. Produce will be fresher as it can come in from local farms vs. far away places.
- LIGHT & HEALTHY, BUT DELICIOUS – The word ‘healthy’ often scares off kids and many adults too. However, healthy can be yummy. It doesn’t have to be boring or bland food, it just means eating balanced meals that provide you with the vitamins and nutrients to give you energy for your Summer days!
Here are 25 Easy and Light Dinner Ideas for Summer that you can prepare ahead and finish fast at the end of long summer days!
25 Easy and Light Dinner Ideas for Summer
1. Korean Bulgogi Sauce Beef Tacos
On a scale of Good to OMG, these Korean-Inspired Beef Bulgogi Tacos are definitely OMG and beyond! The super easy marinade and sauce comes together in just minutes giving the steak the most intensely perfect flavor. The Soy sauce brings salt, the sesame gives nuttiness, the vinegar gives acidity, the brown sugar brings sweetness, and the ginger and garlic bring loads of spice and flavor!
Then, there is the crispy and crunchy Sesame Cabbage Slaw with creamy mayo-sesame-honey dressing. PLUS a creamy, cool, Cilantro Lime Sriracha sauce! For Summer, this one is great because you can make the coleslaw and sauce 1-2 days ahead. Then marinate the steak the night or morning before. Then come home and quickly cook the steak and let everyone assemble!
2. Mexican Marinated Chicken and Rice Skillet
On hot Summer nights, turning on the oven is likely the last thing you want to do. However, skillet dinners are perfect for light dinner ideas for Summer! This Mexican Marinated Chicken and Rice Skillet is a perfect example and an easy make-ahead weeknight dinner.
This delicious recipe is a one pan meal filled with flavor and texture! First, the Mexican chicken marinade is so incredibly easy, you can always have it on hand in the freezer or ready to cook in the fridge. The chicken in this recipe is infused with so much smokey, savory flavors from the fresh garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Then, tomatoes, green chiles, corn, more Mexican spices, rice, cheese, and scallions are added. Easy and delicious!
3. Quinoa and Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Creamy Lemon Dressing
This Quinoa and Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Creamy Lemon Dressing has everything you could ever want in a meal. It’s fresh, light, and bright from the lemon dressing, kale, scallion, and red pepper. Then it’s hearty, nutty, and salty from the quinoa, roasted chickpeas and Feta Cheese. And then you get a burst of fresh sweetness from the pomegranate seeds. And all of the different textures will make your mouth so happy!
The best part about this salad is that you can make it ahead and the kale stays crisp and the flavors just get more deliciously melded! Consider making a double batch of this one because it’s great for lunches and dinners and easy to pack up for on-the-go.
4. Grilled Flank Steak Salad w Basil Dressing
When it comes to light dinner ideas for Summer, salads might be an obvious one. But this is no ordinary salad. No, this falls into the category of hearty Summer salads. This Grilled Flank Steak Salad Recipe with Creamy Basil Dressing is such a hearty, healthy, fresh, and vibrant Steak Salad Recipe! It has tender strips of garlic-rubbed grilled flank steak over grilled romaine, bright cherry tomatoes, and fresh cool basil yogurt dressing. The romaine lettuce is grilled so it gets this slightly charred, slightly nutty, deep new amazing flavor that is nothing like the boring lettuce you know. So few ingredients, but so much flavor!!
For this recipe, you can make the Creamy Basil Chive Yogurt Dressing up to 5 days in advance. All ingredients go into the blender and it takes only minutes! You can also make the marinade and marinate the flank steak 2 days in advance.
5. Shrimp Baja Tacos with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Crema
The next up on our list of light dinner ideas for Summer are Grilled Shrimp Baja Tacos with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Crema! They are a healthy, delicious, and EASY 30-minute family dinner. You can save time by making the salsa and crema ahead too!
These shrimp tacos are fresh, bright, and delicious. Succulent shrimp are seasoned with chili powder and cumin and then grilled to perfection. Then they are layered into corn tortillas with a bright, sweet and savory Mango, red pepper, and jalapeno salsa. Finally, as if this couldn’t get any better, creamy Chipotle Crema and tangy Cotija cheese are added. You can grill the shrimp outdoors during the Summer or cook indoors for a taste of Summer anytime! You can also turn these into fish tacos.
6. Chinese-Inspired Chicken on a Stick Recipe {Garlic Sesame Sauce}
This Chinese Chicken on a Stick Recipe is so incredibly easy and has the most delicious sweet and savory flavor. Great for an appetizer or fun family dinner!
This recipe has a sweet garlic sesame soy sauce that’s irresistible! The flavorful sauce is first used to marinate the chicken, infusing it with incredible flavor. Then that same delicious sauce is used as a dipping sauce for after the chicken is cooked. You can cut chicken breasts into strips or use chicken tenders. The chicken skewers are easily cooked under the broiler or on a grill.
7. Panzanella Toscana with Chicken and Mozzarella
During the Summertime, grilling is a go-to option and grilled chicken breasts are just the best! My tip is to always grill more than you need and then use the leftover chicken pieces for dinners like this Panzanella Toscana Salad. Chicken turns this salad into a satisfying and complete dinner.
This is a perfect prep-ahead, hot day, family weeknight dinner. Is there really a better tasting salad that one made up of bread? This Panzanella Toscana Chicken Salad Recipe has toasty bread, bright tomatoes, cool and crisp cucumber, red onion, herby fresh basil, and creamy fresh mozzarella cheese, all tossed in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette. It really is perfection. I love it for lunch, but it would be a great Summer dinner as well. And the best part is that you don’t need to wait for your bread to stale, you can simply toast it in the oven for 15 minutes, toss it with the other ingredients, and enjoy.
8. Quick Garlic Steak Kabobs with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
Nothing says Summer dinner recipes to me more than grilling a good kabob! These Garlic Steak Kabobs with a Creamy Cilantro Sauce are my favorite Summer family dinner. Beef filet is cut into chunks and then marinated with a delicious garlicy sauce. Skewered and grilled with onion and red pepper, they are tender, flavorful, and utterly mouthwatering. Then, drizzle with or dip into a cool and bright Creamy Cilantro Sauce for the perfect bite! Kabobs are also such an easy Meal Prep idea because you can prep them entirely ahead and then simply grill them when you’re ready to eat! You can also make a double recipe to have leftovers of this delicious meat and then slice for steak sandwiches, a quick stir fry, or add to a mushroom sauce over pasta!
9. Sweet & Sour Chicken Kabobs with Green Rice
In sticking with the kabob theme…Get ready for a symphony of flavors and textures because this recipe has got it all! Sweet and Sour Chicken Kabobs with pineapple, onion, and red pepper are one of the best light dinner ideas for Summer.
They are sweet, savory, tangy, and salty. The chicken is marinated in a simple Sweet and Sour marinade so that they get the most amazing sweet and savory grill flavor. The pineapple when grilled, intensifies into this deep flavor, that is still sweet, but somehow also savory from the grill and the caramelization of the natural sugars. The onion and red pepper round out the flavors and textures. The remaining sweet and sour sauce is drizzled over top for the final glazed touch. It’s party time for your taste buds!
Serve these Chicken Kabobs on top of the most flavorful herb-i-licious Green Rice Recipe. Make sure to check out this recipe which comes together in minutes. Fresh herbs…Basil, chives, and spinach are blended with a touch of sour cream and mixed with fluffy white rice. The herbs pair perfectly with the kabobs.
10. Glazed Scallops with Velvety Barley and Bacon
These Glazed Pan Seared Scallops with Garlic and Honey take only 10 minutes to make and taste AMAZING! Scallops are seared for a crispy, caramelized crust on the outside and then glazed with a sweet and succulent thick sauce. Garlic, lemon juice, and honey are added to the pan to create this easy glaze that pairs perfectly with the sweet scallops with their salty sear. Try these with my Velvety Barley Recipe with Bacon and Gruyere and you have a delicious family dinner!
11. Taco Chicken Burger Recipe
Of course there would be a burger on a list of dinners for hot Summer days! But this is a healthier take on a burger as it’s made with lean chicken. This Taco Chicken Burger recipe was a successful experiment in how tacos can transform into the most incredible burger. They are easy to make ahead, flavorful, moist, and all together taco-licious. It is chock full of smokey taco seasonings, cilantro, and scallions. Then on top you’ve got all the taco fixings you need… melty cheese, creamy guacamole, tomato, lettuce, and chipotle mayonnaise!
You can make a double batch and freeze them raw individually. Once frozen, you can combine them in an airtight container and store for up to 4 months in the freezer.
12. Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta Recipe
Just because it’s Summer, it doesn’t mean there are no pasta nights! This Chipotle Chicken Pasta recipe is such an easy weeknight dinner for busy families. It takes just 10 minutes to prep and 20-25 minutes to cook. It’s creamy and cozy pasta dinner.
This Chipotle Chicken Pasta recipe has flavorful seared chicken in a smokey, savory, and creamy chipotle sauce with a hint of lime and a hint of spice. Red peppers and onions bring sweetness and texture. The creamy sauce coats the pasta and then parmesan cheese adds a salty, nutty delicious finish. The best part is that this is so easy you can make it any night of the week or even make ahead and just reheat!
13 . Grilled Chicken and Zippy Pineapple Salsa with Avocado
Zippy Pineapple Salsa with Avocado is no ordinary salsa, it’s not even an ordinary Pineapple Salsa. Fresh, bright, sweet, creamy, crunchy, and bursting with flavor, this Zippy Pineapple Salsa has pineapple, red pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, scallion, lime, and creamy avocado.
It’s a great way to use fresh fruit in a savory way and the perfect topping for grilled chicken. It’s also just perfect for eating with chips or as a salad on it’s own! The salsa can be made in advance, with the exception of adding the avocado. Just grill your chicken, then dice and add the avocado and dinner is served!
14. Burritos with Black Beans and Quinoa Recipe
Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos are a scrumptious eat-with-your-hands family dinner! They are packed with protein and fiber, but also ooey-gooey cheese, tomato, cilantro, and sour cream! The ‘meat’ in this recipe is a flavorful taco-seasoned quinoa, black bean, and cauliflower filling. I mean, could it get any healthier!? But yet, it tastes like a burrito, it looks like a burrito, and it oozes like a burrito!
These Quinoa Black Bean Burritos are such an easy Summer Meal Prep idea because you can prep them entirely ahead and wrap them individually in foil. Then toss them into the oven to warm through and enjoy!
15. Chicken Summer Rolls with Garlic Honey Soy Sauce
These Easy Teriyaki Chicken Summer Rolls with Garlic Honey Soy Sauce are so light, but full of flavor, are gluten-free, and are fun to make with kids! These Chicken Summer Rolls start with Teriyaki Chicken strips, Rice noodles, carrots, red pepper, bean sprouts, and basil. All get rolled up in a light moistened rice paper. What you get is this bite of freshness that you dip into the sweet, tangy, and salty Garlic Honey Soy Sauce.
Summer Rolls are the healthier, non-fried version to egg rolls. They may seem intimidating to make, but rice paper is actually very easy to get (link in the post) and it’s really easy to use. You just dip the rice paper in warm water to make it pliable, fill, then roll! Store them covered with a damp paper towel in an airtight container in the fridge so they don’t dry out and dinner is ready when you are!
16. Chicken Greek Meatballs & Greek Orzo Salad
Next up on the list of light dinner ideas for Summer are meatballs that you can freeze. When the days are long during Summer, sometimes, it’s nice to turn to the freezer and make something directly from there. Rather than buy frozen meatballs, make these Ground Chicken Greek Meatballs!
These Greek Meatballs are so moist and bursting with big flavors from garlic, feta, parsley, and oregano. You can make them ahead and freeze for months (make a double recipe!). Then simply bake for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!
Paired with a tangy and bright Tzatziki sauce and served with a Greek Orzo Salad with Kalamata Olives, Cucumbers, and Feta Cheese. It’s creamy, tangy, crunchy, salty, fresh, bright, and irresistibly delicious. The base here is Orzo, which is the perfect size and texture. Cucumber brings a cool refreshing crunch. The kalamata olives and feta bring the saltiness and tang that keep you coming back for more…and more…and more. All of this goodness is combined with a creamy lemon dressing that’s bright and light! The meatballs and the salad are completely make-ahead for such an easy-breezy Greek dinner.
17. Stuffed Tomatoes with Chorizo & Quinoa
Do you grow tomatoes during the Summer? Even if you don’t, your store has lots in this season and they are inexpensive, so stock up! Here is a new idea for using fresh Summer tomatoes other then just in salads. These Stuffed Tomatoes are little treasures with chorizo, quinoa, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, chives, garlic, and oregano are simply divine!
Juicy tomatoes are hollowed out and the insides are mixed with these amazing ingredients and then stuffed back in. You get the warm juicy tomato with a salty and hearty center. Each bite is salty, peppery, creamy, and incredibly flavorful! These can be stuffed ahead and then baked right before serving. Have as a side or a main for the perfect Summer treat!!
18. Creamy Corn & Blackened Chicken
In my opinion, sweet corn should be in just about every Summer dinner recipe! So, here we have a Creamy Corn and Blackened Chicken skillet dinner that’s easy to make and scrumptious to eat.
The creamy corn is rich, creamy, savory, slightly sweet, and slightly smokey. The blackened chicken is coated with warm spices like chili powder, paprika, and cumin that bring huge flavor, but not a lot of heat. It finishes with a delicious salty bite from cotija cheese. Best part is that it all cooks in one large pan, can be made entirely ahead and reheats beautifully when you are ready to eat – truly a perfect dinner!
19. Low Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Cashews
Get ready for your tastebuds to start singing with these Low Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps that are such a fun and flavorful dinner! Ground Chicken, Carrots, scallions, and cashews give a meaty and crunch texture. The ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and Soy Sauce are a harmonious blend of BIG flavor!
You can also add a side of steamed white rice to bulk up the meal for the kiddos that may need extra carbs. There is plenty of sauce, so adding rice to the wraps really goes a long way.
This is one of those fantastic recipes that’s perfect for Summer because you can make 100% ahead of time. Just reheat the filling, then let everyone assemble. In just a few minutes, your family gets to enjoy a quick and fun eat-with-your-hands dinner.
20. Garlic Lime Shrimp & Tzatziki Sauce
I love to combine big bold flavors with cool, refreshing flavors. Enter THIS flavorful Garlic and Lime Shrimp Recipe with a bright and delicious Tzatziki Sauce. The Tzatziki Sauce has cool and creamy yogurt with fresh cucumber, lime zest, garlic, and scallion. Serve with Cilantro Lime Quinoa and you have a complete and delicious meal! The Quinoa and Tzatziki can be made entirely ahead, then just take a few minutes to cook the shrimp when you’re ready to eat! It’s one of my favorite light dinner ideas for Summer.
21. Lentil & Zucchini Cakes Recipe
Crispy outside, soft and warm inside, these Lentil and Zucchini Cakes are so satisfying! The flavors are simple but perfect with parmesan bringing a salty and nutty backdrop and oregano adding an herbaceous note. The scallion gives a mild onion flavor.
But of course, the stars here are the meaty and earthy lentils and the fresh zucchini. Formed into a perfect cake and pan fried in just a bit of olive oil. You can either make the raw patties ahead and then cook them right before you want to eat or make them ahead and reheat!
22. 30-Min Korean Bulgogi Ground Beef and Rice Bowls
30-Minute Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls are the perfect weeknight family dinner! The mouthwatering sauce comes together in just minutes and gets added to the ground beef in the pan for the most intensely perfect flavor. The Soy sauce brings salt, the sesame gives nuttiness, the vinegar gives acidity, the brown sugar brings sweetness, and the ginger and garlic bring loads of spice and flavor! Served over rice with with a simple cool and crunchy radish garnish, it’s a hearty and delicious dinner! You can make each component of this dish ahead, reheat the beef and rice, then top with garnishes.
23. Easy Thai Vegetable Stir Fry With Tofu And Peanut Sauce
Get ready for a flavor explosion with these Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles with seared tofu and veggies! The sauce is nutty, tangy, salty, slightly sweet, and spicy with peanut butter, teriyaki, Thai red curry paste, sesame oil, and garlic! The tofu is seared for a perfect outside and creamy inside. The zucchini, peppers, and peanuts on top add crunch and texture. The noodles, well they let you slurp everything up perfectly! It’s irresistible!
This is perfect for a prep-ahead and last-minute-weeknight-cook dinner. The cooking only takes about 15 minutes, so most of the work is the prep for the tofu and the veggies.
24. Asparagus & Tomato Quinoa Risotto
During the Summer, no one wants to stand in front of the stove inside adding broth to risotto every 5 minutes, so I have a quickie version for you! Asparagus and Tomato Quinoa Risotto is such a hearty, delicious, and healthy dinner. This is yet another way to incorporate that fantastic superfood, Quinoa, into your dinner rotation!
The Quinoa beautifully absorbs and plumps up with all of the flavor from the broth, onions, garlic, tomato paste and oregano. Then cut asparagus is mixed in along with nutty and creamy parmesan cheese for a perfect finish. Make this entire dish ahead and simply reheat it for dinner with grilled steak or chicken or fish!
25. Ground Beef Taco Quinoa Bowls
Making a Ground Beef Taco Quinoa Bowl is so darn tasty and perfect for busy Summer nights! Everything can me prepped and cooked ahead, so you only need to reheat and enjoy. The base of these bowls is the Quinoa, which is lightly seasoned and is a perfect fluffy backdrop. It’s topped with saucy ground beef that’s loaded with savory and smoky Mexican flavors from the chili powder, cumin, garlic, and scallions. Corn that is slightly seared brings a pop of sweetness. The Cotija cheese brings tang and creaminess and the tomato a burst of freshness. The avocado adds rich creaminess and the cool cilantro lime crema brings that final bright finishing touch. Overall, this is one harmonious dinner filled with bright, creamy, savory, smokey, and delectable flavors and textures!
What are YOUR favorite easy and light dinner ideas for Summer? Please share in the comments!
😍 Carrie
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