Looking for some easy summer dinners that are healthy and light? I've rounded up 25 of the best easy summer dinner ideas for a healthy, fresh and light meal. Recipes like salads, protein bowls, sandwiches, grilling and even Instant Pot and casseroles make hot weather cooking tolerable!
Jump to:
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken
- Healthy Turkey Burger
- Indonesian Chicken Salad
- Gluten Free Pasta Salad
- Ranch Chicken Quinoa Salad
- Burger in a Bowl
- Sweet Potato Taco Bowl
- Spinach Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Sausage and Grilled Vegetables
- Crock Pot Hawaiian Pulled Pork
- Israeli Spice Rub Grilled Chicken Pitas
- Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Burgers
- Healthy Grilled Pizza
- Dump-and-Bake Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Corn & Chicken
- Healthy Burrito Bowl with Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Cups
- Air Fryer Salmon with Skin
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Air Fryer Mahi Mahi
- How To Make Zucchini Noodles Or Zoodles
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
- Simple One Pot Lighter Healthier Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Italian Quesadillas
- Salmon with Mango Salsa (Baked or Grilled)
- FAQS
When the weather gets hot, sometimes the last thing we want to do is cook! Lazy can definitely take over when days are long and sunny and there are much more fun things to do than make dinner.
During the summer when vegetables and fruit and in season is a great time to focus on eating fresh, seasonal food. Rather than eating out, making summer dinners at home may be easier than you think!
Fruits and veggies are at their best during the months of June, July and August, making them an integral part of easy meals. Whether it's grilling some veggies and lean meats or breaking out the Instant Pot, Air Fryer or even the Crock Pot (yes summer crockpot recipes are a thing!), these 25 recipes will inspire you to cook summer dinners.
All of these ideas are great for easy weeknight dinners or summer holidays like Memorial Day, the 4th of July, BBQs and Labor Day. They are a mix of unique and classic summer dinners including vegetarian, kid-friendly and even party menu ideas.
Here are a few super simple and easy summer dinners that are healthy, light and surprisingly refreshing!
This strawberry spinach salad is a light, healthy and filling salad that’s packed with refreshing flavors and nutrients and gets a boost of protein from the grilled chicken!
The strawberry salad dressing is super refreshing and the perfect way to make use of the seasonal produce this summer. Great for lots of summer dinners!
The BEST juicy healthy turkey burger recipe you’ve ever had! Quick to prep and ready to grill in less than 10 minutes!
One of our favorite summer dinners with the most delicious moist spinach and feta turkey burger recipe you’ll find! Full of hidden veggies like spinach and zucchini!
This is the salad for people who might not think a main-course salad is really a thing. (And if you've ever ordered Chinese Chicken Salad on a menu, this is for you.)
This is one of those dishes that calls to us on restaurant menus, that satisfies the desire for a combination of textures, colors, and a symphony of flavors that makes our mouths feel happy.
Summer veggie pasta salad is the ultimate in summer dinners! Bursting with healthy vegetables, Italian dressing and gluten free chickpea pasta. This Italian pasta salad is the most flavorful side dish you can add to your picnic this summer! Quick and easy to make ahead in less than 15 minutes!
Top this recipe with some grilled chicken, air fried shrimp or salmon for a filling, yet light entree salad.
This ranch chicken quinoa salad is quick, easy, and healthy. It uses rotisserie or leftover chicken to make it even faster!
For the ranch dressing, you can either use a homemade version or just use the bottled kind.
Burger in a bowl is a fun twist on your favorite classic burger and is one of the easiest summer dinners! All the best savory burger toppings like tomatoes, lettuce, crispy bacon, pickles, and of course that special sauce – with a healthy low carb twist.
This cheeseburger bowl is low carb, keto, gluten free and ready to eat in less than 15 minutes!
One easy way to mix up tacos is to switch up an ingredient and take away the taco.
Easy, delicious, and vibrant Sweet Potato Taco Bowl! Take taco night up to the next level with this delicious and healthy meal!
Served with loads of healthy veggies like cucumber, spinach and tomatoes and loads of fiber from chickpeas and quinoa, this power bowl is the best quinoa salad recipe I’ve ever tasted!
Spinach quinoa salad can easily be made ahead for a week’s worth of summer dinners! Full of textures and fresh Mediterranean flavors and done in just 20 minutes!
Grilled Sausage & Veggie Skewers with Pineapple BBQ Sauce
This is one super easy and healthy dinner made on the grill!
Fresh vegetables, pineapple, and kielbasa sausage skewers brushed with a simple pineapple BBQ sauce.
CROCK POT HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK
The perfect easy slider that is bursting with flavor. Great for hot summer days when you want a make ahead recipe you can put in the slow cooker.
Serve pulled pork with coleslaw, summer vegetable pasta salad or a delicious quinoa salad for a healthy weeknight meal.
ISRAELI SPICED GRILLED CHICKEN PITAS
Bursting with fresh flavor, these chicken pitas are one of the best simple and light summer dinners your entire family will devour.
So versatile, this Israeli Spice Rub Grilled Chicken can be used for pitas, in salads, or simply as grilled chicken with couscous or rice.
If you have extra zucchini growing this summer, this recipe is a delicious way to use them up!
Zucchini Lasagna Rolls are one of the easiest summer dinners to make using fresh zucchini! Zucchini, cheese & sausage is a low carb and healthy lasagna alternative!
Make these Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Burgers at your next backyard BBQ and have the whole family smiling! These burgers are so full of flavor, and have a fun tropical twist.
Try these on your favorite gluten free bun or as a chicken burger lettuce wrap.
Healthy grilled pizza is made with homemade flatbread pizza dough and topped with cheese and veggies! This flatbread pizza crust is easy to make at home.
Grab your favorite meats, cheeses and garden veggies to top this delicious and super easy to make pizza at home.
DUMP & BAKE SUMMER VEGGIE PASTA
It's so simple and so fast because you don't even have to boil the pasta! Just stir the ingredients together in one dish and pop it in the oven!
This Dump-and-Bake Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Corn, Tomatoes, and Chicken is a quick, light, and easy dinner that your family will love.
HEALTHY BURRITO BOWL WITH CHICKEN
Making a homemade healthy burrito bowl with chicken will satisfy your Chipotle cravings - and make one of the easiest summer dinners you can find! These bowls are super easy and quick to make while being cheaper and lower calorie than Chipotle.
Perfect for meal prepping making summer weeknight meals so quick and painless!
These mouthwatering lettuce cups call for a topping of crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and a dollop of cooling tzatziki.
Light & delicious low carb meal for hot summer nights!
The perfect healthy base recipe lots of summer dinners like for a bowl, burger or salad when you don't feel like firing up the grill or oven!
Making air fryer salmon with skin is a delicious way to get tender and flaky salmon and crispy skin! Seasoned with just olive oil, salt and pepper, this air fried Whole30 salmon is a healthy weeknight meal that is on the table in less than 15 minutes!
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta is a light pasta dish mixing shrimp, fresh parsley and a lemon garlic butter sauce. Pasta definitely has its spot in this list of summer dinners!
This seafood pasta recipe is a great for a romantic date night, a dinner party or a light weeknight meal. Pair with a good bottle of white wine, crusty bread and a salad.
The perfect light and flaky fish for a variety of summer dinners such as fish tacos, a sandwich or chop up into bites and eat in a buddha bowl. Done in just 10 minutes!
A great base recipe for low carb pasta dishes or salads!
An easy step-by-step tutorial on how to make zucchini noodles, how to avoid watery zoodles, and how to use them in any recipe calling for pasta! Great base low carb noodle recipe for a variety of summer dinners.
Juicy and flavorful air fryer bbq chicken that is easy to make and perfect to eat as your favorite barbecue main dish or in a salad! Simple ingredients and done in just 25 minutes!
Another delicious protein that is a great base recipe for tons of summer dinners. Use this recipe in a bowl, on a slider bun or in a wrap!
This garlicky creamy mushroom pasta is a weeknight delight! It’s restaurant style and quality, but made with everyday ingredients and ready in 30 minutes.
It’s healthier and lighter than a regular cream sauce and it’s packed with juicy, golden brown mushrooms and spinach.
Italian quesadillas pack simple ingredients like mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, basil, and rotisserie chicken into an easy meal your family will love! A quick weeknight meal that is ready in less than 15 minutes!
Uses simple make-ahead ingredients (rotisserie chicken works great!) to make a quick summer meal that requires no oven!
This combo of a smoky salmon rub with sweet and spicy mango salsa is easy to make and ideal for entertaining!
Make this Salmon with Mango Salsa on the grill or in your oven for a light and refreshing summer dinner.
FAQS
Summer is a great time to eat seasonal fruits and veggies. I generally like to stick to items I can grill like burgers or turkey burgers, lean cuts of meat or air fry seafood like salmon or shrimp when making summer dinners.
I use that meat to either top a mixed salad or mix into a pasta or quinoa salad.
On a hot day when you just want to be lazy and keep the oven and grill off, opt for a simple throw together bowl like a healthy burrito bowl for easy summer dinners. You can also throw together a salad with some shrimp on top.
Hot days are great to utilize appliances like the slow cooker because you can set it and forget it! Hawaiian pulled pork is one of my favorite summer crockpot meals.
Alternatively, go for items that require no heating at all - tuna salad is always a favorite for me when I'm looking for the easy route.
Some of the most popular summer foods include pasta salad, chicken salad, tacos and other items that you can grill like lean meats, salmon and veggies.
The Spruce Eats has a great resource for what fruits and veggies are in season during the different months. Eating what's in season is a great way to get the freshest flavors and not to mention, the best prices for your grocery budget!
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JustineCelina
Thank you so much for including my Crudite Style Nicoise Salad in this delicious round-up, Lyndsey!
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
Thank you so much for contributing!