10 Easy Summer Dinner Recipes For Busy Weeknights

Summer evenings are meant for slowing down, soaking up the sunshine, and spending more time with family – not standing over a hot stove after a long day. But when everyone’s hungry and your schedule is packed, figuring out what to make for dinner can feel like one more thing on an already full plate.

That’s why I’ve rounded up these 10 easy summer dinner recipes for busy weeknights. They’re simple, flavorful, and made with everyday ingredients, so you can get a delicious meal on the table without spending hours in the kitchen. From light pasta dishes and fresh wraps to juicy chicken recipes packed with summer flavor, these easy dinners are perfect for keeping mealtime stress-free while still serving something everyone will enjoy.

Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight fix or fresh ideas to break out of your usual dinner routine, these recipes make summer cooking easy, satisfying, and full of flavor.

1.Easy Baked Balsamic Chicken Breast

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Great for whole family, even picky eaters also.
• Juicy and flavorful every time, no dry chicken used.
• Simple and wholesome ingredients that fit into a healthy routine.
• Perfect for meal prep which stays for days.

Ingredients You’ll Need For Balsamic Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• ½ cup of balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

How To Tenderize And Flatten Chicken Breast?

There are 2 options, depending on how thick was the chicken breast is and how thin the final result should be.

1. Cut each chicken breast in half through middle lengthwise.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and using a meat mallet pound to desired thickness, Be gently so the meat doesn’t get smashed.
3. Second option is just to tenderize whole breast without cutting it through middle.

How To Prepare Baked Boneless Skinless Balsamic Chicken Breast

1. Flatten the Chicken: If breasts are thick, place them between plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until for ½ inch thick.
2. Make Marinate: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, oregano, black pepper and salt together in a bowl.
3. Marinate: Add chicken to bowl and marinate evenly. And let it sit for 10-15 minutes for marinating.
4. Bake: Preheat oven at 400F and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.
5. Reset and Serve: Let chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing, drizzle with pan juices for extra flavor.

2.Southwest Chicken Wrap

Why You Will Love This Southwest Chicken Wrap Recipe

• This is a versatile spicy chicken wrap which can be served for dinner or make ahead for easy grab and go lunch.
• It’s very simple to make this wrap which is healthy veggie packed recipe.
• Homemade dressing gives this southwest chicken wrap, perfect combination of flavor and spice.
• With veggies and protein, this southwest chicken wrap is very filling.
• You can make this wrap recipe easily on your own by switching up what you decide to put into it.

Ingredients For Southwest Chicken Wrap

• Chicken Tenders: To keep this southwest wrap recipe simple, I love to buy frozen crispy breaded chicken breasts and pop them in oven. To cut back on calories, you can use grilled chicken tenders.
• Flour Tortillas: You can use your favorite flour, whole wheat, protein, low carb or spinach tortillas for these southwest chicken wraps.
• Lettuce: I love to use romaine lettuce in this wrap, but you can use your desired one.
• Tomato: Choose a couple of medium-large sized tomatoes and cut them into slices. If you don’t like them, then you can skip them.
• Black Beans: These are good source of fiber and protein. Drain and rinse black beans before adding them into the wrap.
• Corn: You can use canned or frozen corn.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese: I love to keep it simple and use the shredded cheddar cheese and other great options are Mexican, Colby Jack and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Southwest Dressing

• Mayonnaise: I love to use lite mayo to cut down on calories and fat.
• Milk: You can use any kind of milk will work for this homemade southwest dressing, i usually use 1% milk.
• Salsa: You can use homemade salsa or any kind of it will works for this dressing.
• Taco Seasoning: It adds such great flavor to this south dressing.

How To Prep The Best Southwest Chicken Wrap

• Preheat oven and bake chicken strips.
• Take a small mixing bowl and add mayonnaise, milk, salsa, taco seasoning and cumin. Mix well and set aside.
• During chicken was baking, place thawed corn into a small skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil and cook until corn gets light browned.
• Remove Chicken from the oven, then cut into small strips.
• Start assembling chicken wraps by adding a couple tablespoons of southwest dressing to lower half of tortilla. Add romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken strips and drizzle more southwest dressing on top.
• Roll the tortilla tightly, and cut it half and serve with a side of southwest dressing. Enjoy!

Popular Substitutions And Additions

• You can use any kind of tortilla for these southwest chicken wraps.
• I love to use flour or spinach ,but you can also use whole grain, low carb or even gluten free.
• If you want to avoid corn tortilla for this wrap, they don’t wrap well and may fall apart.
• For chicken, you can use breaded or fried frozen chicken. I have used even leftover homemade chicken in this southwest chicken wraps, and they turned into delicious recipe.
• You can use rotisserie chicken if you want.

3.Avocado Pasta

Ingredients Required For Avocado Pasta

• 12 ounces of spaghetti
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
• ½ cup of fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• ⅓ cup of olive oil
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup of canned corn kernels, drained and rinsed

Instructions For Avocado Pasta Recipe

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling salt and drain well.
2. Combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in bowl of a food processor to make avocado sauce. Then season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified while motor running. And set aside.
3. Combine pasta, avocado sauce, cherry tomatoes and corn in a large bowl.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy.

 

4.Garlic Butter Chicken With Lemon Asparagus

Ingredients Required

For Garlic Butter Chicken Bites And Asparagus Recipe

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 bunch of asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
• ½ cup of butter, softened
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 2 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning or herbes de province
• 1 tbsp of hot sauce, optional
• ½ cup of low sodium chicken broth
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp of minced parsley
• Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional
• Slices of lemon for garnish

For Chicken Seasoning

• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of fresh cracked blank pepper
• 2 tsp of onion powder

Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe With Asparagus

Are you looking for a quick and easy 30 minutes chicken dinner, this delicious garlic butter chicken recipe will be your new family favorite.

This recipe can make in just one skillet. Diced chicken breasts are sauteed on stovetop and result is super juicy, tender, rich and some buttery with crisp asparagus on side.

How To Make Garlic Chicken Bites With Asparagus

Preparation method of this chicken bites recipe is pretty simple: first, cut chicken breasts into cubes and season generously.

During the chicken is sitting, you can blanch asparagus in boiling to precook them so they cook faster in the skillet. 

Stir fry chicken bites until golden later add minced garlic and Italian seasoning, stir and cook with chicken bites until fragrant.

Now, deglaze your skillet with chicken broth, and add remaining butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, parsley. Then you can add blanched asparagus and toss to finish cooking asparagus. Later add chicken back to skillet, reheat, season and serve.

Tips For Chicken Recipe With Asparagus

This one pan garlic butter chicken bites and asparagus recipe is filled with full of rich, buttery herb flavors with both chicken and asparagus.

It’ll be made in one skillet for quick, easy prep and cleanup. This healthy chicken recipe for dinner is low in carbs, gluten free and compatible with keto diet. 

Few tips to make this most delicious chicken dinner recipe as follows:

• You might skip your blanching depending on the thickness of your asparagus.
• You can enrich sauce by adding some white wine.
• Do not overcrowd your pan when cooking chicken bites. You can proceed by batches, so each chicken bite has delicious crisp golden crust. Let them sit in pan, later turn from time to time so your chicken gets that nice golden sear on every side.
• For a variant of chicken recipe, you can use whole chicken tenders instead.

5.Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl

Why You Will Love This Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl

• Teriyaki chicken rice bowl cab be made quickly for a perfect weeknight dinner.
• Homemade teriyaki sauce is really delicious and it’s sure to become your new favorite!
• You can serve this teriyaki chicken with your favorite veggies.
• Sauce gives amazing flavor when you will soak down into the rice.
• Teriyaki Chicken tastes even better than takeout!
• This homemade teriyaki chicken is very simple to prepare with all ingredients you have probably.

Ingredients For Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: I love to use chicken breasts for this teriyaki chicken, but you can also use chicken thighs.
• Olive Oil: I love to use extra virgin olive oil for health benefits, but you can use also use vegetable oil.
• Low Sodium Soy sauce: It will cut down on Salt content in this teriyaki chicken and rice bowl recipe.
• Water: Needs for teriyaki sauce.
• Brown Sugar: This adds sweetness to homemade teriyaki sauce. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Rice vinegar: It is commonly used in Asian dishes.
• Sesame Oil: It adds a great flavor to your homemade teriyaki sauce, but this is also optional.
• Minced Garlic: I love to use fresh minced garlic over garlic powder.
• Ginger: Ground ginger is great for homemade teriyaki sauce. It is easy to use and most people have it on hand.
• Cornstarch: Adding this to teriyaki sauce with thicken the sauce to coat chicken.
• Rice for serving: You can quinoa, brown rice or white rice.
• Vegetables for serving: Use fresh steamed carrots and broccoli compliment this teriyaki chicken great.

How To Prepare The Best Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl

This teriyaki chicken is so easy and quick to make. It’ll take less time to prepare it, than to take order and pick it up.

Start it by heating oil in large skillet on medium heat, add cubed chicken.

Cook until no longer pink in the middle of chicken. Drain excess liquid if there.

While chicken is browning, make teriyaki sauce. Take a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cornstarch together.

Once chicken is browned add homemade teriyaki sauce to skillet and continue to cook and stirring until sauce has thickened.

Serve immediately with brown or white rice and veggies you like. Garnish with sesame seeds & green onion.

If you love extra teriyaki sauce with your meal, prepare extra to drizzle on top of your rice bowl.

6.Chicken Salad

Why You Will Love This Asian Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing?

I usually eat salads very regularly and I love them. But i love salads which has lots of flavor, nutritious and plenty of crunch . This Asian Chicken Salad is also termed as Chinese Chicken Salad which fits for all of my salad requirements.

This is such a fresh and delicious salad with lots of flavor from light ginger dressing, sweet Mandarin oranges and crunchy chow mein noodles.

This chicken salad is a regular lunch rotation at my home because I make it lot and ready for a few days. This asian chicken salad is great for meal prep which takes no time to whip together.

This Chicken Salad is easy to customizable. If I have extra veggies in refrigerator then I’ll add those for extra nutrients.

I like to use rotisserie chicken in this Asian Chicken Salad but it is also delicious with grilled shrimp.

Nutritious: This Salad is light and has plenty of protein and vegetables for a complete meal.

Customizable: You can add what you like to make the salad on your own.

Meal Prep Friendly: You can pack the salad and dressing separately for perfect make ahead for lunch or dinner during work week.

Did you love cakes, try these.

Required Equipment

• Skillet
• Large mixing bowl

Key Ingredients for Healthy Asian Chicken Salad

• Coleslaw mix: It will available in produce section of grocery store. I’ll use slaw mix because it makes salad more easy because I don’t have to slice cabbage. Mostly mixtures has nice assortment of both green and purple cabbage and a bit of carrot are added for color.
• Green Leaf Lettuce: It adds little textural difference.
• Cilantro: This can really adds a fresh herbaceous flavor to salad.
• Chicken: You can also use leftover cooked chicken or shred rotisserie chicken for this chicken salad.
• Sliced almonds: Add toasted sliced almonds which is a great crunch to the salad.
• Sesame seeds: You can add this to enhance the taste of salad.
• Mandarin oranges: Use fresh or jarred Mandarin oranges.
• Garlic: It adds great flavor to dressing.
• Ginger root: Use fresh ginger root which gives dressing amazing flavor.
• Olive oil: It balances the tanginess of vinegar.
• Rice vinegar: It’s a mild flavor vinegar, there are different flavors but I get plain variety.
• Soy sauce: It adds a bit of salty umami flavor to dressing
• Honey: This adds natural sweetness to dressing.
• Red pepper flakes: This adds a bit of spice. You can also add a small amount of Sriracha to dressing instead.
• Chow mein noodles: This are crunchy noodles which enhances flavor.

Step-by-step instructions for Asian Chicken Salad

Heat skillet over medium flame. Dry toast sliced almonds, sesame seeds to bring out their flavor.

It will take around 5 minutes.

During almond seeds, sesame seeds are toasting add chicken, coleslaw mix, lettuce, cilantro, and sliced green onions to a mixing bowl.

To prepare salad dressing, add olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and sesame oil to a small bowl.

Use fine grater to grate ginger root and garlic clove into dressing. Stir it well to combine and pour on the salad mixture and toss well.

Add Mandarin oranges and crunchy dried chow mein noodles top to the salad and serve immediately.

7.Cajun Chicken Pasta

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe

This is one pan dinner which can ready under 30 minutes.

This Cajun chicken pasta recipe is creamy, spicy, cheesy and so delicious.

Cajun seasoning gives right amount of spice to this dish.

This chicken pasta dinner is great way to sneak veggies into your diet.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is hearty, filling dinner which your whole family will enjoy.

Ingredients For Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe

• Bow Tie Pasta: I use bow tie pasta for this Cajun chicken pasta recipe but you can also use any pasta you like, such as penne, rotini, linguini.
• Unsalted Butter: I recommend to use unsalted butter because you can control salt content in your recipe.
• Minced Garlic: I use minced garlic in a jar because of how easy it to use. But you can also use fresh garlic for this chicken pasta recipe.
• Chicken Breasts: Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders.
• Cajun Seasoning: This is a Cajun spice blend of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, pepper and oregano. You can also use blackened seasoning for this spicy chicken pasta recipe instead of Cajun seasoning.
• Salt and Pepper: You can add more or less of them to your taste.
• Cream Cheese: Use soften cream cheese in microwave about 30 seconds prior to adding it to skillet.
• Milk: I prefer to use 1% milk in this chicken pasta recipe. But you can use any type of milk.
• Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese: It adds the most flavor to this recipe.
• Yellow Bell Pepper: You can remove seeds and slice into this slices. You can also substitute one red or yellow pepper for a green bell pepper.

How To Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe

You can cook pasta according to package directions until they become al dente. Then, drain pasta rinse it with cold water and set pasta aside.

Take a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Later add minced garlic and continue cooking about 30-45 seconds.

Now, add cubed chicken, sliced red and yellow bell peppers, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to skillet and stir ingredients until seasoning has coated chicken and peppers well. Cook it about 4-5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and peppers become soft.

Later, add milk and softened cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese has melted and the sauce becomes creamy.

Now, add cooked pasta and freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir well to combine all ingredients and coat the pasta well.

And serve immediately with garlic bread or a green salad. Enjoy!

8.Garlic Butter Steak and Potato Skillet

Ingredients Used For Steak And Potatoes

• 1 ½ lb of flank steak, sliced against grain
• 1 ½ lb of potatoes
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 tbsps butter
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp of fresh thyme
• 1 tsp of fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp of fresh oregano
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Crushed red chili pepper flakes

For Marinade

• ⅓ cup of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of hot sauce
• Fresh cracked pepper

Directions For Garlic Butter Steak And Potatoes Skillet

1. Initially, combine steak strips with soy sauce, olive oil, pepper and hot sauce in a large bowl for the preparation of the garlic butter steak recipe with potatoes wedges. And set aside and allow steak strips to marinate while you cook potatoes.
2. Now, in a large skillet over medium heat, mix 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. After butter is melted, add potato wedges. Then cook for 4 minutes. Later stir and cook for additional 5 minutes minutes until potatoes wedges are golden and fork tender. Then transfer sauteed potatoes a plate and set aside.
3. Later keep same skillet over medium heat, add remaining 2 tbsps of butter, garlic, red chilli pepper flakes and fresh herbs. Lay steak strips in one layer in skillet, and keep drained steak marinade for later. Then cook steak strips on each side about 1 minute. Until browned.
4. You can stir in reserved marinade if you like before garlic butter steak is done, and cook for a minute. Then add potato wedges back to garlic butter steak pan and heat. Then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper according to your taste.
5. Remove it from heat and serve immediately your steak and potatoes, garnish with more crushed chilli pepper, fresh herbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese over potatoes if you like and enjoy.

Tips For Steak And Potatoes Recipe

• You can also precook potato wedges in boiling salted water for about 8 minutes before browning them. This process will accelerate the potatoes cooking time in skillet and ensure nice golden crust on potatoes.
• To make this perfect steak recipe to accompany your potatoes, you can choose a piece of meat tender than flank steaks, such as ribeye steak, tenderloin, strip loin or strip steak.
• Avoid crowding your pan with beef strips, proceed in batches if necessary so you won’t have steamed steak instead.

Serving Suggestions For This Steak

1. This steak and potatoes recipe is a meal in itself, but you can add your own twist.
2. Serve this steak with roasted asparagus.
3. Roasted carrots also makes a great addition.
4. If you are a garlic lover, roast them sliced horizontally and wrap in foil for 20-30 minutes and serve it along with your steak and potatoes.

9.Tuscan Chicken

How To Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken Thigh Recipe:

Key Ingredients:

• Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Butter
• Garlic
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Baby Spinach
• Oregano
• pepper
• Parmesan
• Heavy Cream
• Lemon Wedges

Directions To Do Tuscan Chicken Recipe:

1. I started this recipe with heating olive oil in a skillet with medium flame. Once oil gets heat it’s ready.
2. I add Chicken Thighs which are sliced into required size, place them properly with properly spacing. And add season with salt, oregano and pepper. cook chicken for about 8 minutes each side.
3. When we observe golden crust on both sides ,then it’s a good  sign that chicken has cooked. Now remove the chicken from skillet and cover until reintroduce it.
4. Next, I add Butter to same skillet and stir it as it melts, then add garlic and stir it for until fragrant about a minute.
5. Then, I add cherry tomatoes and season with Salt and pepper.
6. Cook the tomatoes until skin separates then add in spinach and cook until it become wilt.
7. When The spinach wilts, i add in heavy cream and parmesan and stir the mixture wait for it combines, until it was thicken.
8. Then  now reduce heat to low and add sauce and stir it wait for thick consistency, this should take about 3 minutes.
9. When sauce has become into desired consistency then now reintroduce chicken into skillet and allow it to cook in sauce, this should take another 5-7 minutes.
10. Now our plate serve with lemon wedges and enjoy the recipe.

What Can We Serve With Tuscan Chicken Thighs Boneless:

You can serve this dish with bread or with rice or over pasta, but don’t forget to use Tuscan sauce which is incredible and recommended if you love it.

10.Zucchini Fritters For Summer Dinner Recipe

Ingredients Required To Make Zucchini And Feta Cheese Fritters:

• Zucchini
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Baking Powder
• Dill
• Eggs
• Feta Cheese
• Breadcrumbs

If you are making yogurt dipping sauce, you’ll need:

• Yogurt
• Salt
• Dill
• Garlic

No deep work needed and not a lot of messy prep work.

You can also use a food processor to grate Zucchini. I grew up by eating zucchini and potato fritters and also sorts of fried foods.

These are moist on inside and lightly crunchy on outside and not greasy at all.

How To Make This Zucchini And Feta Fritters

1. Place grated zucchini in a mesh strainer over a bowl, sprinkle with salt and stir to evenly distribute it. Let zucchini sit for 20 minutes, so they can release liquid, reason for that is salt has ability to draw water out of zucchini. This way fritters are crunchier and not mushy.
2. After 20 minutes squeeze out as much liquid out of zucchini as you can.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Combine zucchini, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, baking powder, dill, eggs, feta cheese and breadcrumbs in a bowl.
5. Shape for about 2 tbsp patties and place them on the baking sheet, and leave some space in between.
6. Bake at 350 F until golden for 20 to 30 minutes.

Make piping sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.

I’ll serve these Greek style zucchini fritters with garlic yogurt dill sauce, this sauce I’ll serve with grilled or fried zucchini.

You can make or tzatziki, it’ll work great. Addition of it makes the perfect Mediterranean inspired meal. This flavor pairs well with the zucchini.

Feta Cheese adds perfect saltiness to these cakes and helps in retain moisture inside.

What’s important to make perfect healthy oven baked zucchini and feta cakes it to drain liquid from zucchini very well. 

You can add salt to the grated zucchini and let them sit for about 20 minutes.

Then squeeze as much as you can drain the liquid. This is one of the most important steps for this recipe.

No Flour (breadcrumbs) Zucchini  Fritters:

I’d made these feta and courgette fritters quite a few times and I’d to substitute the flour (breadcrumbs) with either crushed pork rinds or almond flour, both these ingredients are worked great, producing gluten free zucchini and feta fritters.

Flourless zucchini fritters that I made with crushed pork rinds were more moist than ones made with the almond flour. Baked zucchini fritters made with almond flour were slightly more dry and chewier but still tasted good.

You can substitute ¾ cup of breadcrumbs with ¾ cup of crushed pork rinds or ⅔ cups of almond flour. It’ll be the low-carb Zucchini fritters. And also gluten-free.

If you want to use almond meal, you got your paleo zucchini feta fritters.