Best 30 Summer Dinner Ideas to Enjoy

A wonderful summer day can not end without a tasty dinner table with your family and friends. With simple recipes and clear instructions, your dinner meals will blow all the stress away and tie your family members.

From simple one-electric-skillet meals to easy oven-cooking recipes, you can find all you need on my list. I’m sure your dinner will be the most memorable meal that they have ever had.

Here Are 30 Best Summer Dinner Ideas For Family Gathering

Here you go, this is my list of dinner ideas to light up your summer. So why hesitate? Let’s hoop on and find out what they are!

Seafood & Fish

1. Tuna Salad With Avocado
2. Crab Cakes
3. Grilled Salmon Marinade
4. Grilled Blackened Sea Bass With Mixed Salad
5. Garlicky Lemon Mahi Mahi
6. Mussels In Creamy White Wine Sauce
7.  Spicy Garlic Shrimp
8. Surf and Turf Foil Packs

Chicken

9. Smoked Chicken Wings
10. Chicken Tacos
11. California Grilled Chicken
12. Parmesan Chicken Cutlets
13. Smoked Chicken Quesadilla

Pork

14. Vietnamese BBQ Grilled Pork
15. Italian Combo Sandwich
16. Air Fryer Pork Chops
17. Chili Cheese Dog

Beef

18. Korean BBQ Tempeh & Kimchi Rice bowl
19. Grilled Balsamic Steak Salad
20. Stewed Beef Soup
21.  Reuben Sandwich
22. Vietnamese Papaya Salad with fish sauce dressing

Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

23. Mushroom and Cheese Quesadilla
24. Thai Veggie Green Curry
25. Lasagna With 3 Cheese Layers
26. Caesar Salad
27. Beyond Burger
28. Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Soup
29. Breaded Buffalo Cauliflower
30. Buffalo Tempeh Burrito

Let’s scroll down for more detail.

8 Delicious Seafood & Fish Recipes For An Exciting Summer Dinner

Seafood fans, where are you? This eight-recipe list is waiting for you to explore right now! Believe me, and they are absolutely amazing.

1. Tuna Salad with Avocado

If you are struggling to find out what to cook for dinner, then try this tuna salad. It is a combination of fresh avocados and roasted fragrant tuna. The flavor is super juicy of the fish, mild and earthy of avocado, then combining the creamy taste of mayo or thousand island sauce. 

Tuna and avocado salad is said to be one of the healthy meals that can provide an adequate amount of nutrition value for everyone. So let’s make some for this dinner!

2. Crab Cakes

Crab cake is one of the dishes that you can consider making for dinner or any meal you like. The cake’s origins are from the Americans who try to remove the meat from their meal by something new but nutritious.

You can improve the nutritional values and flavors of this delectable recipe by pairing the crab cake with proper side dishes. This way, you can ensure that your summer dinner is fulfilling, delicious, and memorable.

The cake is pretty good for your health as well. Due to the omega-3 fatty acids in crab, thus, it provides many benefits to improve heart health. So why not try to make it to enjoy the dinner and also improve your physical fitness.

3. Grilled Salmon Marinade

As a true fan of salmon, then you can not pass the grilled salmon in marinade sauce. The grease taste of medium cooked salmon meat combines with a bit salty flavor of marinade sauce, as such the great fusion will be exposed in a first bite.

You can easily cook this meal by preparing all the ingredients and marinating them for an hour. Then, place it into the oven and wait for the salmon to be cooked.

You can make use of these waiting times by preparing some accompaniment for your lucious salmon. After a couple of minutes, your tasty dish is ready to be enjoyed!

I have never been this hungry before this Grilled Salmon Marinade recipe is stunning!

4. Grilled Blackened Sea Bass

My initial suggestion for the one-skillet dinner is the delicious grilled, blackened sea bass. The method “blackened” fish is an iconic Cajun cuisine. The sea bass will be coated with butter and mixed spices, cooking on high heat to create a light burning flavor of the fish skin.

By using only a skillet or a cast-iron frying pan, you can make a very healthy dinner for yourself on any day and at any time. Honestly, you can probably switch sea bass to any type of sea fish you like, and the skillet should be thick like an iron pan to avoid the fish being burned.

5. Garlicky Lemon Mahi Mahi

Mahi-Mahi is a Hawaiian migratory pelagic species which are generally found in the world’s tropical and subtropical waters. Its meat contains a high value of nutrition and is very rare in the market at present. Therefore, this meal is insanely incredible.

How to cook it? – The fish is actually easy to cook. After searing both sides, make a simple lemon butter garlic sauce with your skillet. Once the fish is perfectly cooked, gently place it on a beautiful dish to enjoy.

6. Mussels In Creamy White Wine Sauce

As a seafood-holic, I extremely love this combination of mussels with white wine sauce. The common thing I usually concern about is will the mussels be fishy. Honestly, the white wine sauce has solved the problem and created a super fancy dinner delicacy as well.

Another option if you can not consume white wine or any type of alcohol is the green onion sauce. This one is even easier to cook, heating the olive oil on the pan and mixing in cut green onions. However, the sauce is quite mild, so you should enjoy it with lemon pepper.

7. Spicy Garlic Shrimp

Behold, one of the most catchy shrimp dishes ever. Spicy garlic shrimp is super easy to cook, and technically you can eat it on any meal of a day. It is a combination of pan-fried shrimp with garlic, chili, and olive oil.

You can try it with some baguette slices, or white rice is also a good choice. In my opinion, spicy garlic shrimp is very quick and easy to make by using just a pan or a skillet. Additionally, the flavor of the shrimp is pretty catchy as well.

Find out how to make this yummy Spicy Garlic Shrimp in just 4 minutes.

8. Surf and Turf Foil Packs

How about making some variety for your dinner set. The surf and turf is a dish containing both seafood and meat suiting everyone. 

I personally suggest combining something easily made but quite diverse a bit. Actually, making surf and turf is a good chance for you to show your creativity.

Especially if you make this dish for your gathering party on Sunday nights, feel free to add any ingredients that your guests like. This way, your surf and turf will turn into a big platter for everyone to share with each other, creating family bonding too!

5 Summer Dinner Ideas Made From Juicy Chicken That Will Surprise You

Looking for recipes that can turn your daily-eating meat into a juicy one? My top-picked dinner ideas are everything you need. Let’s have a look at it, shall we?

9. Smoked Chicken Wings

Let’s make some homemade smoky chicken wings for everyone. A batch of good chicken wings will make everyone enjoy the party a lot. Smoked chicken wings may take some effort to make, but it is totally worth it.

Although chicken wings are already hearty and addicting on their own, it’s better that you pair the chicken wings with some side dishes. You’ll find that your dishes will taste much better. And for a healthier meal, salad sides are definitely a must.

There are so many sauces that you can eat with tender meat and crispy skin chicken wings. BBQ, honey mustard, lemon pepper, or honey garlic. I personally like separate sauces to dip in instead of mixing them already.

Smoked chicken wings are very familiar to Americans where they join each other for a football game. Enjoying some beers while the team is playing seems to be a very good source to be fond of.

10. Chicken Tacos

What’s a better way to make delicious dishes for a family dinner than whipping up some tacos? This popular dish from Mexican cuisine is widely known as one of the most healthy and easy to make in the world. The taste is really succulent and flavorful.

Moreover, tacos are considered to be a quick dinner for quick dinners. By pan-searing the chicken or roasting it, then making some guacamole and adding some sour cream on top.

11. California Grilled Chicken

In my viewpoint, making BBQ for dinner parties is a good activity to create relation bonding for everyone. Therefore, I want to suggest to you a version of grilled chicken with California style, which is very tasty and easy to make.

Prepare some marinated chicken breasts a couple of days before the party, then grilled to perfection and topped with some avocados, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Trust me, kids and adults, everybody will love it so bad.

12. Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

If you are a fan of fried chicken, then you can not skip this one. Parmesan chicken cutlets can be simply done by cooking parmesan chicken cutlets in a large, heavy skillet or a cast iron pan.

It can be served with some spicy Korean sauce, or some lemon peppers are pretty nice too. Crispy and crumbly covers combined with soft chicken inside, these chicken cutlets will never let you down.

13. Smoked Chicken Quesadilla

In my perspective, quesadilla is one of the easiest dishes to make at any time. All you have to do is place all the ingredients like chicken, cheese, and onion into the tortillas. Then, just put the whole thing into the oven and grill for a couple of minutes.

In addition, you can fill anything you like in the quesadilla, from left-over smoked chicken to KFC fried chicken is also good too. In summary, quesadillas are very easy to cook and interesting to enjoy.

What About Dinner Recipes For Juicy Pork? 4 top Picks Of Pork Ideas Only For Your Summer

Pork is rich and delicious, and I’m sure once you are at this section, you can not leave. Now, let’s jump right into these pork recipes.

14. Vietnamese BBQ Grilled Pork

Have you ever tried the famous Vietnamese BBQ grilled pork? Trust me, you should definitely try it, it will not disappoint you.

Vietnamese BBQ grilled pork is one of the popular street foods that you can easily find at any corner in Vietnam. In fact, it is likely the other regular BBQ but Vietnamese variation. The BBQ pork is served with steamy broken rice, pickles, and especially the sweet-sour fish sauce.

In general, the whole combination is a mixture of smoky BBQ pork, sweet and sour taste of the fish sauce, pickles, and a bit of onion fat. The flavor will remind you of something familiar but very unique.

Look at how this Vietnamese Chef makes this grilled pork, so simple right?

15. Italian Combo Sandwich

I want to introduce you to amazing Italian cuisine besides the famous pasta or spaghetti. Italian club sandwich is inspired by a local American in Newyork city. It is likely an American club sandwich but with Italian dressing, some mayo, cheese, ham, salami, and mortadella.

The sandwich may be a bit salty but really catchy, combining with the crispy buns. It is ideally suggested for an easy-going but quality breakfast or even dinner.

16. Air Fryer Pork Chops

Another example for your easy dinner on busy nights. All you have to do is to prepare all the ingredients, marinate folk cutlets and additional vegetables with seasonings. Then place them in the air fryer cooker and wait for a couple of minutes.

In my viewpoint, the air fryer method is super convenient and simple to cook. Moreover, it is also a better way to fry foods than frying in oil. The method cuts about 70% to 80% of calories and has a lot less fat. Thus, dinner is not only easy to cook but also healthy to enjoy.

That’s why, if possible, you should utilize your Ninja air fryer to make dishes as often as you can. With the vast variety of dishes you can prepare with this kitchen appliance, healthy summer dinner will be easier than ever.

17. Chili Cheese Dog

Chili cheese dog is actually a combination of regular hot dogs versus stewed beef chili soup. The flavor is very diverse, including sweet, tangy, and a little bit bold.

Chili cheese dogs are served in a bun, topped with stewed beef chili sauce and cheddar cheese. The style originated in variations of the United States with unique sauce ingredients, types of buns, or types of hot dogs.., creating diverse versions of chili hot dogs.

Only For Beef Fans Right Here! 5 Beef Recipes For Amazing Summer Dinner

I know you are looking for a tasty beef recipe because now you are in the right section. Believe me, and I won’t let you down.

18. Grilled Balsamic Steak Salad

The balsamic vinegar creates a delightfully sweet and a bit sour taste for the salad. Combining with the smoky, juicy steak that will make the salad become an ideal dish for everyone.

Technically, this salad is certainly appropriate for any occasion. You can probably make it to summer dinner, a family meeting, or a pool party.

19. Stewed Beef Soup

Besides smoked or fried meals, why not try stewed foods. Stewed beef soup is very thick and full of fillings. It is usually found at plenty of American restaurants because of its high nutrients and good flavor.

This delicious summer soup is a bit spicy, but it is balanced with beef gravy to create a great mixture. Place meat, tomatoes, and black beans to a soft boil on the stove, then transfer it to the oven to give the soup a mushy texture and fusion taste. After a few minutes, it is ready to enjoy.

20. Reuben Sandwich

When talking about the best recipes for sandwiches, it’s impossible not to mention the Reuben sandwich. Reuben sandwich is a combination of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. Generally, making corned beef may be the longest preparation.

You marinate beef brisket in the brine for 5 to 7 days to simmer it for the meat to be tender. Trust me, and it is worth the time to wait. As a first bite, it will be super juicy, mild, a bit salty, and combined with the tenderness of the beef, the Reuben sandwich deserves to be waited on.

21. Vietnamese Papaya And Beef Jerky Salad

Have you ever tried a tropical fruit like papaya that is used to make salads? Indeed, this authentic recipe from Vietnam features unripe papaya and fish sauce for a bold flavor that you’ll never be able to forget.

The salad is made by grating young papaya into thin strings. Then, mix the papaya with sweet and sour fish sauce. Add on top some roasted peanuts to highlight the dish to enjoy.

OMG, this Vietnamese papaya salad is so tasty, you have to try it.

22. Korean BBQ Tempeh & Kimchi Rice Bowl (Bulgogi Tofu Bowls)

As one of the traditional dishes in Korean cuisines, the kimchi rice bowl is an everything-into-one dish. The locals love to make it because it is very convenient and simple to make. You just need to put anything you have into a bowl and mix it.

The unique ingredient of the rice bowl is kimchi, an irreplaceable dish since ancient times. It is also a rich source of various vitamins and minerals as well. How about tempeh? It is like tofu but contains a super earthy and nutty taste which is appropriate for vegan BBQ dishes.

As such, the whole mixture contains a lot of healthy ingredients that are also good nutrition improve for everyone and very easy to make.

8 Vegetarians And Vegan Recipes For Refreshing Dinner With Your Family

What else can be more healthy than a recipe full of fresh vegetables and fruits? Follow me and explore 8 great vegan and vegetarian dinner ideas for a healthy summer.

Quick note: My list contains some recipes with cheese as an ingredient, there are different types of vegetarian but cheese is usually considered vegetarian-friendly. If you can not have cheese in your meal, other recipes are delicious to try.

23. Mushroom and Cheese Quesadilla (Vegetarian)

It is a bonus for some people who are vegetarian but insanely love quesadillas. Instead of meat, you guys can probably switch with mushrooms and cheese. As I have said, quesadilla is one of the easiest foods to cook, so that you can try to fit anything you like.

Furthermore, vegetarian quesadillas can potentially be a healthy meal for anyone. The dish is fewer calories than the meat one and also brings along a great number of proteins. Therefore, you should consider trying it sometime.

24. Thai Veggie Green Curry

Whenever you are confused about what to cook, then curry is certainly a reasonable choice. Vegetable Thai green curry is a merger of the delightful balance of sweet and spicy flavor. Moreover, it is also a colorful combination of vegetables versus cream coconut milk.

Thai curry is an incredible “rice-killer”. The whole mixture is a fusion of flavorful and fragrant tastes. Besides, it is a healthy gluten-free meal and super easy to make.

25. Lasagna With 3 Cheese Layers

Cheesy lasagna loaded with vegetables instead of the regular version, why not?

One of the reasons why I highly recommend this meal for your quick dinner is its convenience. You can simply adjust the ingredients to fit the seasons or your pantry. Moreover, no-boil noodles are needed, just layering them up and placing them in the oven.

In addition, you can also make this recipe gluten-free or vegan, depending on your taste, and then adjust the whole thing.

26. Caesar Salad

The original caesar dressing is pretty creamy, rich, and tangy. It also has acidic ingredients such as lemon juice, garlic, and parmesan. However, some caesar salad has a bit of a fishy taste because of anchovies in it.  

The salad is very easy to make by mixing lettuce, tomatoes with the dressing, topped with some parmesan cheese and pepper.

27. Beyond Burger

Another meat-replace ingredient for vegan or plant-based meals. Beyond meat is an ideal factor that contains many nutrients as a good source for types of meats.

Beyond burger is not only an incredible substitute for beef patties but also retains the amount of nutrition value a regular meal requires. Moreover, the vegan patty taste is going to impress you too. It is extremely real.

In general, this meal is suited and is recommended for everyone. As a matter of fact, it is environmentally friendly and quite tasty as well.

28. Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato soup

Since ancient times, grilled cheese sandwiches have likely been a familiar dish of every American. It is very simple to make, appropriate for a rushing breakfast or even a busy dinner.

By putting bread and cheese together and placing it on a pan to grill, super convenient and easy to make. For a more quality meal, prepare a small bowl of tomato soup as a side dish, dip the whole grilled cheese sandwich in it. I guarantee that it is really delicious to enjoy.

Making this grilled cheese sandwich is so simple, you should try it.

29. Breaded Buffalo Cauliflower (Cauliflower wings)

Another vegetarian suggestion is on the way, breaded buffalo cauliflowers do not require lots of your time. Some people may know it by the name cauliflower wings because of its crispy texture and light brown color like chicken wings and actually taste a bit like chicken.

I usually like to dip whole cauliflower wings into a spicy and sour buffalo sauce. In addition, you can also enjoy the “wings” with ranch sauce and some veggie sticks.

30. Buffalo Tempeh Burrito

I would like to introduce you to another good source of delicious vegan meals. As you know, tempeh is a great component for meat replacement like beyond meat.

Tempeh burrito is a great combination of earthy and savory taste that you should try. Furthermore, burritos are also appropriate at family dinner parties, and it is very simple to make.

Let’s Make An Amazing Dinner!

If your family has to serve some guests that are vegan, try some of the vegetarian recipes mentioned above. They will impress your guests for sure. The rest of my list is also appealing to cook.

I hope that my list will give you some ideas to create an outstanding dinner for your family. If you have other recipes, feel free to share them with me. If you have tried any of the recipes, let me know the results.

Have a great dinner!