These summer dinner ideas are everything you’ve been looking for! They’re effortlessly easy, packed with vibrant, in-season produce, and full of bright, fresh flavors that scream summer.

Greek chicken burger lettuce wrap.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Why You’ll Love These Summer Dinner Ideas

Summer cooking should be simple, satisfying, and get you back outside as quickly as possible (or better yet, keep you outside around the grill). That’s exactly what these summer dinner ideas are all about. So whether I’m meal prepping for the week, throwing together a last-minute cookout, or hosting a relaxed dinner with friends, here’s why these summer meals are on repeat at my house:

  • They make the most of summer produce. Think juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and lots of zucchini. Cooking with in-season ingredients means better flavor and better value.
  • They’re fresh, healthy, and no-fuss. These are three things I always prioritize when making light and delicious summer meals!
  • They’re perfect for summer entertaining. Whether you’re whipping up grilling recipes or assembling big summer salads these meals are sure to impress.

Best Easy Summer Dinner Ideas

When I want dinner on the table fast, these favorites are my go-to lineup. They’re fresh, satisfying, and no-fuss!

Zucchini fritters piled on a plate with yogurt sauce.

Zucchini Fritters: Crispy on the outside and tender inside, these low-carb zucchini fritters are made with parmesan and herbs, and served hot with my homemade garlic aioli. These are always an August favorite!

Turkey burger lettuce wrap

Turkey Burgers: Lean and flavorful, these turkey burgers are the perfect summer cookout recipe! Lettuce wraps are my way of serving (since I’m gluten-free), but feel free to pile them on buns with all your favorite burger layers.

A big bowl of taco salad.

Taco Salad: Whenever I make a batch of my taco seasoning, this hearty taco salad is a weeknight favorite. A bed of greens is loaded with seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, red salsa, cheese, and more!

Chicken salad in a white bowl with spoon.

Chicken Salad: Tender poached chicken is tossed with crunchy celery, grapes, and a tangy yogurt-mayo dressing. It’s perfect for light lunches, laid-back dinners, and my favorite, summer salad meal prep!

Zucchini lasagna with basil leaves

Zucchini Lasagna: When zucchini season comes around, this zucchini lasagna is always on the menu. Layers of thinly sliced zucchini, marinara, ricotta, and mozzarella bake together into a light, veggie-forward twist on the classic.

Shrimp scampi in a large pan with a spoon

Shrimp Scampi: The dinner I always default to when I want a restaurant-quality seafood summer dish in under 30 minutes. You can enjoy these shrimp on their own or tossed with zucchini noodles for an extra veggie boost. And if you want to omit the white wine, try this garlic butter shrimp instead!

A bowl of chicken bacon ranch chopped salad.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Chopped Salad: Turn my grilled chicken recipe into the most delicious summer chopped salad! Think of this like a deconstructed BLT with chopped greens, chicken, bacon, veggies, and the best creamy ranch dressing.

Lemon pepper chicken in a pan.

Lemon Pepper Chicken: Juicy pan-seared chicken breasts seasoned with zesty lemon-pepper is a bright and flavorful way to serve chicken this summer. You can serve it with a side salad, grilled veggies, roasted potatoes, and more!

Assembling chicken lettuce wraps.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps: When I’m feeling a bit lazy, this is the best 30-minute dinner to make! Minced chicken is stir-fried with ginger, garlic, and hoisin sauce, then spooned into crisp lettuce cups with the best crunchy toppings.

Ratatouille in a pan.

Ratatouille: A colorful, veggie-packed medley of summer eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes baked to perfection. Enjoy this as a light vegetarian main or as a flavorful vegetable side dish.

A large bowl of Cobb salad.

Cobb Salad: You can never go wrong with this protein-packed salad for dinner. It’s a classic salad staple, packed with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, and blue cheese over a bed of crunchy greens.

Mediterranean chickpea salad in a large white bowl on a table.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad: A refreshing mix of chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and feta tossed in a fresh lemon vinaigrette.

Grilled Summer Dinner Ideas

It’s time to fire up the grill! These grilled dinner ideas lean into the best meats and seafood, for fresh, smoky flavors, and a memorable time spent outdoors.

A plate of grilled shrimp skewers.

Grilled Shrimp: Whether it’s for a cookout or a quick, simple dinner at home, I love to make these super-easy shrimp skewers. They’re paired with the best garlic herb marinade and grilled to perfection.

A plater of grilled chimichurri chicken thighs.

Chimichurri Chicken: This has quickly become a community favorite with my fresh, homemade chimichurri sauce. It’s fast, easy, and incredibly delicious.

A plate of rosemary grilled lamb chops for holiday dinners like Easter or summer cookouts.

Grilled Lamb Chops: Lamb chops are one of my favorite meats to toss on a grill, especially these chops that are covered with rosemary and garlic. They come out juicy and tender every time!

Beef shish kabobs on a tray

Beef Shish Kabob: If you’re grilling skewers, don’t forget about this recipe! It’s the most delicious combination of marinated steak, peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

Grilled chicken souvlaki on a plate

Greek Chicken Souvlaki: This is definitely one of my go-to weeknight dinners—it’s so easy! Serve it with a side of my Greek salad and fresh tzatziki sauce for the ultimate Greek dinner experience at home.

Sliced carne asada on a cutting board

Carne Asada: With my homemade carne asada marinade (inspired by all my Mexican travels), this grilled steak always gets rave reviews for taco night.

Chicken kabobs on a plate

Greek Chicken Kabobs: This is similar to my chicken souvlaki, but with added veggies! Great for summer cookouts and all-in-one dinners.

Summer Dinners For A Crowd

If you’re big on summer entertaining like I am, these dinner favorites will surely hit the spot. They’re great for cooking big batches for making buffet-style assembly plates, tacos, sliders, and more.

Slow cooker pulled pork is juicy, flavorful and delicious. The best slow cooker recipe!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork: It’s not the 4th of July without pulled pork on the menu! This recipe delivers the most tender, juicy pork with the ease of a slow cooker. Then, serve this as tacos, sliders, or on a plate with your favorite BBQ sides.

Hot honey chicken drumsticks with limes on a plate.

Hot Honey Chicken Drumsticks: I’ve seen many Downshifters make this one, and it’s a hit every time! The hot honey sauce gives a surprising, flavorful kick.

Carnitas tacos on a plate.

Carnitas Tacos: Slow-cooked shredded pork packed with bold spices, served on tortillas for fiesta-ready tacos! If you’re craving beef instead, these birria tacos or slow cooker barbacoa are equally delicious.

A skillet of cilantro lime chicken thighs.

Cilantro Lime Chicken: If you love fresh, bright, cilantro lime flavors, I’m confident this will be your new favorite summer dinner. I’d even serve this with my cilantro lime rice to pack in extra cilantro flavor!

Greek chicken burgers on a plate with lettuce.

Greek Chicken Burgers: Juicy chicken patties are packed with the best Mediterranean flavors! I love to enjoy these wrapped in lettuce, with a dollop of tzatziki sauce, but you can also crumble them on top of a Mediterranean salad for a protein boost.

A skillet of chicken fajitas.

Chicken Fajitas: This is one of those no-brainer 30-minute summer dinners that’s a hit every time. You can enjoy the fajitas on their own on a plate with Mexican rice or with tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.

Summer Seafood Dinner Ideas

I always crave bites of seafood on warm evenings, so here are all my favorites that are light, flavorful, and ideal for summer days!

Shrimp salad in a large white bowl

Shrimp Salad: This creamy and zesty shrimp salad is perfect for a summer salad meal prep! Enjoy it on its own or serve with butter lettuce leaves for a fun and fresh dinner.

Grilled salmon tacos on two plates

Salmon Tacos: Grilled salmon is flaked into a tortilla and topped with two sauces— homemade salsa verde and creamy chipotle sauce—for the most amazing flavor. Then topped with shredded cabbage and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for the finishing touches.

Air fryer salmon on a plate with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon: When I don’t want to turn on the oven, I always look to my air fryer. This salmon turns out perfect every time in under 15 minutes! It’s great for pairing with a simple side salad or your favorite grilled veggies.

Salmon salad in a large white bowl

Salmon Salad: Whether you make air fryer salmon or baked salmon, flake it into this creamy salmon salad! It’s layered with crisp veggies and the freshest lemony dressing. Another meal prep winner!

Shrimp tacos on a plate next to avocado

Shrimp Tacos: Boy are these shrimp tacos jam-packed with flavor! The shrimp is cooked with bold spices and topped with a cilantro lime bacon coleslaw, creamy avocado, and my homemade lime crema.

Blackened salmon in a skillet.

Blackened Salmon: When I’m craving a Cajun-spiced dinner, this blackened salmon always makes an appearance. The filets are coated in my Cajun seasoning, then seared until perfectly charred and blackened.

Cods en papillote on a baking sheet

Mediterranean Cod en Papillote: I love making these packets when I need a low-effort dinner to impress guests. Pieces of cod are cooked with tomatoes, zucchini, olives, shallots, and herbs in under 30 minutes!

If you try any of these summer dinner ideas, let me know how they turn out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.

30+ summer dinner ideas.

Summer Dinner Ideas: Greek Chicken Burgers

Author: Lisa Bryan
Serves 4 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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Description

These summer dinner ideas are everything you've been looking for! They’re no-fuss, packed with in-season produce, and full of fresh flavors—just like these Greek chicken burgers! Watch the video below to see how I make them in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Optional Items for Serving

  • butter lettuce
  • tzatziki sauce
  • crumbled feta cheese
  • sliced onion
  • sliced tomato
  • sliced avocado

Instructions 

  • Make the burger patties. In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, red onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together. Divide the mixture evenly and form 4 large patties.
    Mixing Greek chicken burger patties.
  • Cook the patties. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the patties for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Alternatively, you can grill the chicken patties.
    Greek chicken burger patties in a pan.
  • Assemble the chicken burger. Enjoy the patties plain or assemble them into chicken burgers with your favorite toppings and condiments!
    A plate of lettuce and chicken burger patties.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 1070mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5661IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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