Light Summer Dinners

When it’s too hot to cook and you don’t know what to eat, these 70 Light Summer Dinners will become your new go-tos. You’ll find some new grilling favorites and flavorful dinner salads. From my simple chicken marinades with 10 flavors to the super popular Grilled Caprese Chicken , there’s a little something for everyone. These light dinners are satisfying right through the heat waves of summer.

Summer is fantastic for the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. However, there’s nothing like a heat wave to leave you uninspired in the kitchen.

And there seems to be something about hot summer nights that leaves you wondering what to eat for dinner. Luckily, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here that won’t heat the house, and leave your tummy satisfied.

Light but filling and simple ingredients are my main qualifications for the perfect summer dinner. So I hope you find some new favorites, and you’ll find my personal favorite listed below as well.

Before we dive into the specific recipes for light summer dinners, I wanted to give you my super simple summer dinner formula.

This way, you can mix and match according to what you have on hand. And once you get the hang of it, you barely need recipes to cook this way.

Summer Dinner Formula

Protein + 1-2 Veggies + 1 Sauce = endless yummy dinners!

The way this works for us is to choose a protein we want to grill. From there, I pick out whatever veggies I have on hand. Often, I’ll slice a couple of potatoes to grill as one of my veggies. Then I love to add a sauce to drizzle over everything.

You don’t need much in the way of recipes to cook like this, really just a sauce recipe will do. But I’m including my grill platters below, and some basics to get you started. Once you get the hang of what you like grill, you’ll have endless yummy dinners.

Easy Summer Dinner Ideas

Best Chicken Marinades + 10 Flavors

Try pairing any of my 10 Best Chicken Marinades with veggies and skip making a sauce. You’ll find 10 dinner ideas listed in that blog post as well for how to use these marinades.

Pair them with my Grilled Vegetables and Sliced Grilled Potatoes , which are mainstays in the summer and will give you lots of inspiration to get started.

If you grill up plain protein and veggies, choose a sauce recipe over on my sauce category page that suits what you’re craving.

Our 5 Favorite Summer Sauce Recipes

1. Basil Aioli – perfect for an abundance of fresh basil. This is our favorite sauce to pair together with grilled veggies, potatoes, and grilled protein.
2. Cilantro Chimichurri – is great paired with any fish, seafood, steak, pork, or chicken along with veggies. We also love drizzling this over grilled potatoes.
3. Garlic Butter Sauce – this sauce can be drizzled over just about anything you can think of!
4. Sriracha Mayo – we love making this as a change of pace from the Basil aioli. Make it as spicy, (or not) as you like.
5. Honey Mustard Sauce – is extra tasty with grilled chicken, pork, and veggies.

Grill Platters & Sheet Pan Dinners

1. Italian Sausage Grill Platter – sausage and veggies grilled and served with balsamic basil dressing over the top. This is gorgeous for entertaining but easy enough for weeknights.
2. Greek Grill Platter – halloumi cheese and veggies grilled and flavored with a grilled lemon garlic dressing.
3. Lemon Chicken Grill Platter – chicken and veggies grilled and topped with a lemon basil dressing.
4. Teriyaki Salmon Sheet Pan – easy and light with takeout flavors.
5. Lemon Chicken & Asparagus – one of our most popular recipes, this one is sure to please and great for entertaining. I also cook this sheet pan dinner right on the grill when I don’t want to turn on the oven.
6. Healthy Chicken Sheet Pan Fajitas – everything you love about fajitas made easily on a sheet pan, (no stovetop mess!).
7. Garlic Butter Chicken & Potatoes – garlic butter flavors make the classic chicken, potatoes, and green beans a treat made on a sheet pan.
8. Honey Garlic Chicken & Veggie Sheet Pan Stir Fry – stir fry flavors without any mess, all cooked together on a sheet pan.
9. Italian Chicken and Veggies Sheet Pan – Summer veggies paired with chicken and Italian dressing cooked on one sheet pan.

Dinner Worthy Summer Salads

• Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad – grilled pineapple combined with teriyaki chicken and fresh veggies make this one a crowd-pleaser.
• Turkey Taco Salad – a little lighter with ground turkey, this salad is the perfect combination of fresh & filling.
• Italian Chopped Salad – serve this one as is or add more protein by grilling some steak, chicken, pork chops, or seafood to serve with it.
• Salmon Chopped Salad – this one is the perfect way to use up any leftover grilled salmon you might have. You can also add grilled chicken instead.
• Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad – fresh and crunchy with all the favorite buffalo flavors. Skip the crispy chicken if you don’t want to cook inside and grill the chicken instead.
• Cheeseburger Salad – with secret sauce dressing is one recipe we make every single week in the summer. We simply can’t get enough of this fresh way to enjoy burger flavors.
• Guacamole Chipotle Chicken Salad – grilled chipotle chicken over crunchy romaine with all the guacamole flavors, what’s not to love?!
• Caprese Chicken Salad – with pesto dressing is stunning and perfect for easy entertaining.
• Chicken Shawarma Salad – with tahini dressing checks the box for all the shawarma flavors with plenty of fresh veggies.
• Vietnamese Chicken Salad – think bun noodle bowl flavors but lighter and packed with more veggies.
• Grilled Chicken BLAT Salad – with avocado ranch has those classic sandwich components in a satisfying dinner salad.
• Sweet Chili Chicken Mango Salad – sweet juicy mango paired with slightly spicy chili paired with fresh veggies make this a salad you never get tired of.
• C hipotle Chicken Street Corn Salad – all our favorite Mexican summertime flavors piled into a salad with a cilantro dressing.

And there are so many more! So if you’re looking for more inspiration, head on over to the salad recipe category .

Light Summer Dinners for the Grill

1. Grilled Tortilla Pizza – super easy and you can customize this one with your favorite pizza toppings.
2. Fish Taco Bowls – so easy and packed with flavor, this is one of our most popular recipes that we also enjoy often.
3. Grilled Greek Salmon – salmon grilled on a cedar plank and topped with fresh Greek Salad and tangy feta is the easiest showstopper I’ve ever made!
4. Tuscan Steak – so easy to make and perfect for entertaining. My latest menu for entertaining was to pair this one with my Italian Chopped Salad listed above.
5. Balsamic Grilled Chicken – topped with Caprese salad and a side of zucchini is one of our favorite weekday dinners and my go-to for entertaining.

Gluten-Free Burger Flavors on the Grill

1. In and Out Lettuce Burgers – a lettuce wrap burger with In and Out flavor, but you can chop it up as a burger bowl too.
2. Aloha Teriyaki Burger Bowls – grilled pineapple with classic burger ingredients and teriyaki sauce.
3. Banh Mi Burger Bowls – all our favorite Banh Mi flavors combined into a veggie-packed burger bowl.
4. Caprese Turkey Burgers – classic Caprese flavors turned into a burger on a mushroom bun. Use lettuce buns or anything you like if you don’t like mushrooms.
5. Meatlovers Pizza Burgers – Italian sausage burgers combined with pizza flavors make this mushroom burger a crowd-pleaser. You can also use lettuce buns here.
6. Gyro Lettuce Burgers – with tzatziki sauce is so fresh and flavorful! All the classic gyro flavors in a simple lettuce burger.
7. Pesto Turkey Burgers – on sweet potato buns and fresh tomatoes, so much flavor!
8. Mexican Avocado Burgers – with corn salsa and lots of Mexican-inspired flavors.
9. Jalapeno Turkey Burgers – with creamy slaw are on repeat in our house during the summer.
10. Buffalo Burgers – with blue cheese slaw on sweet potato buns. We make these as sliders and we can’t get enough of them!

Fish Taco Lettuce Wraps

Keep it simple when it feels too hot to eat with lots of fresh veggies and with just enough protein and carbs to feel satisfied. You’ll find over 70 awesome recipes for the hot summer days to choose from here, from dinner salads, to sheet pan dinners and all things grilled!

Any of these 70 recipes are perfect dinners for the summer. Be sure to pick something to make with fresh veggies and fresh fruit in mind, but with plenty of protein and carbs to keep it satisfying.

Honey Sriracha Grilled Chicken

Easy Summer Dinner Recipes

1. Jalapeno Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken – serve this as is or with my strawberry mango salsa for a showstopper.
2. California Sushi Bowls – sushi rice topped with the usual California roll fixings and a Japanese togarashi mayo – so good.
3. Smoked Chicken Breasts – can be served with your favorite veggies and sauce. Or make large batches to use in Adult Lunchables or in any chicken salad.
4. Honey Sriracha Grilled Chicken – sweet spicy flavors this one is so easy and crowd-pleasing.
5. Chicken Zucchini Stir Fry – an easy dish to put together and it uses up so much zucchini too.
6. Korean Ground Beef Bowls – easy to make with no special ingredients requires we make this one all the time.
7. Sausage Broccoli Pasta – perfect for fresh summertime broccoli, this easy pasta dish is perfect for weeknights or entertaining.
8. Shrimp Fajitas – classic fajita flavors made with shrimp. Add all the toppings you’d like!
9. Instant Pot BBQ Chicken – bbq flavors made easily in the Instant Pot . We like to serve this with baked potatoes and creamy slaw.
10. Ground Beef Stir Fry – super easy to make with any veggies you have on hand in the summer months.

Light Summer Dinners Meal Prep Options

• My Healthy Tuna Salad Meal Prep or Spicy Tuna Salad both make a great light dinner that can be made ahead. Plus no cooking is required!
• Vietnamese Noodle Salad – these noodles keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days and are the perfect combination of fresh but filling. It’s also perfect for summer fresh herbs.
• Try my Best Classic Chicken Salad , Curried Chicken Salad , or Healthy Chicken Salad for more make-ahead, no-cook options. Use rotisserie chicken, or grill the chicken so you never have to turn on the stove.
• Both my Thai Chicken Meal Prep and Greek Chicken Meal Prep have minimal cooking and can be adapted to grilling.
• Both my Spring Meal Prep and Summer Meal Prep have lots of options with minimal cooking or grilling. My S ummer Meal Prep has almost everything done on the grill. And there are lots of options for how to mix and match your meal prep into meals.

Light Summer Date Night Recipes

Summer Antipasto Platter on our tailgate makes a wonderful date night with no cooking required!

• Balsamic Chicken topped with Caprese Salad – entertaining or date nights, this recipe is my go-to. It’s a full meal made on the grill with a side of zucchini.
• Tuscan Steak – super easy and feels like a special occasion kind of recipe.
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad – our all-time favorite date night recipe that we make together almost every single week. Make it even easier with rotisserie chicken.
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken – minimal cooking and this one is perfect paired with the abundance of fresh veggies available.
• Easy Antipasto Platter or my Summer Antipasto Platter – there’s no cooking required and both of these recipes are perfect for summer date nights.
• Easy Sausage and Peppers – we love this one with the cherry tomato variation in the summer. When it’s hot outside, I cook this sheet pan dinner on my pellet grill for extra smoky flavor.
• Grilled Bruschetta Chicken – balsamic marinated chicken on the grill and topped with classic Bruschetta tomato topping.

Classic Chicken Salad

Pasta Salad Recipe Inspiration

• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Pesto Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad
• Creamy Pasta Salad
• Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad

I really hope you find some new light summer dinner inspiration today! If you do get a chance to make these recipes, be sure to let me know.

Our best 50 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas, plus tips and tricks, are compiled below! Enjoy gluten-free and dairy-free options for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks as well. These healthy recipes contain our personal favorites that we make all the time. You’ll also find my 4 main ways to meal prep and tips for how to find what meal-prepping style works best for you.

Meal prep is the single biggest thing we ever did to start eating healthier! There’s no doubt eating food you prepare yourself does take some time. But it doesn’t need to take ‘too’ much time or be complicated.

There are 4 main styles to meal prep listed below. And I think all four ways have many benefits depending on your schedule.

With a little experimenting, you can find what works best for you. My main tip for healthy meal prep ideas is to start small!

There’s no need to prep every single meal you need all week to get started. My encouragement would be to prep something… anything at all ahead and see how your week goes.

From there, make adjustments to prep more as needed.

4 main styles of meal prepping

1. Prep all or most of your meal beforehand – this works best for anyone with a super-packed schedule.
2. Prep individual pieces from the recipes you’ll make that week – for instance, prepping some veggies, sauces, etc.
3. Prep 1 or more recipes on hand – like my Granola , Energy Bites , or a batch of Zuppa Toscana .
4. Bonus meal prep option – make more than you need each time you cook and enjoy the leftovers.

We have found a mix of 2, 3, & 4 to work best for us. I try to have something prepped for the pantry or freezer, like my Granola or Energy Bites .

From there, we’ve found having something healthy prepped for lunch really helpful. In the summer, I grill a large batch of meat and vegetables. Then we’ll eat the leftovers cold or heated up for lunch. Or make one of our favorite salad recipes listed below.

In the colder months, I almost always have a batch of soup made ahead to reheat. Then when I cook dinner, I always make more than we need to reheat for lunches and dinners.

I also love to prep sauces or dressing ahead of time to use for a quick salad or even as a marinade.

My Dairy Free Ranch or the Greek Yogurt Dressing pictured above are favorites for healthy snacking with veggies like carrot sticks or celery.

Now, let’s dive in and talk about my best healthy meal prep recipe ideas!

Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas

• Overnight Oats + 10 Flavors
• Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
• Healthy Breakfast Salad – use my make-ahead option
• Air Fryer Sausage Links
• Sausage Egg Muffins
• Turkey Breakfast Sausage
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits
• Homemade Granola
• Mexican Sweet Potato Bowls
• Meal Prep Egg Muffins 3 Ways
• Sweet Potato Sausage Apple Hash
• Meal Prep Sweet Potato Avocado Toast

We love these recipes for breakfast, but also some of them make great snacks. I make the Air Fryer Sausage Links almost every week to have in the refrigerator for a quick protein snack. The Turkey Breakfast Sausage is another favorite for a quick afternoon pick me up and good energy.

If you like oatmeal for breakfast, I highly recommend out Overnight Oats Recipe because there are 10 flavors to choose from and they’re so tasty.

Meal Prep Snack Recipes

• No Bake Energy Bites + 10 Flavors
• Coconut Chia Pudding
• Peanut Butter Granola Bars
• Coconut Chips
• Rosemary Almonds
• Paleo Honey Mustard Trail Mix
• Paleo Zesty Ranch Trail Mix
• 3 Easy Apple Slice Snacks
• Slow Cooker Applesauce

The No Bake Energy Bites are our most-made healthy snack ever! They’re so easy to make and taste like cookie dough.

They keep well in the fridge and freezer so we almost always have them on hand. But don’t overlook some of the pantry options as well like the Coconut Chips, Rosmeary Almonds, and both trail mix recipes go with us hiking all the time.

Meal Prep Lunch Ideas

• Healthy Tuna Salad
• 15 Healthy Adult Lunchables
• Turkey Taco Salad
• Curried Chicken Salad
• Healthy Chicken Salad
• Spicy Tuna Salad
• Greek Chicken Meal Prep
• Thai Lettuce Wraps
• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
• Italian Sausage Butternut Soup
• Creamy Taco Soup
• Chicken and Broccoli Soup

The healthy lunches are so easy to make, and I highly recommend hopping over to that recipe for the make-ahead and budget-friendly options!

And as I mentioned above, we’re all about the salads in the summer and a big batch of soups in the winter. Every single recipe I listed above is a longtime favorite we make often.

Easy Meal Prep Dinner Recipes

• Instant Pot Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Garlic Herb Chicken and Asparagus
• Korean Ground Beef Bowls
• Carnitas Burrito Bowls or Barbacoa Burrito Bowls
• Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
• Slow Cooker Whole30 Chili
• Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
• Creamy Taco Soup
• Slow Cooker Salsa Beef
• Creamy Broccoli Chicken Soup
• Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken Asparagus

We rarely prep a dinner recipe ahead of time. But I always make at least twice what we need of these recipes so we can reheat them for dinner. Or for a healthy lunch option.

I have found the healthiest foods to meal prep are the ones you’ll eat! Rather than going all out with meal prep for every meal, try prepping a few veggies ahead of time for the recipes you’ll make that week. We prep our protein ahead to have on hand, like cooked chicken breasts and hard-boiled eggs. Meal prep some healthy snacks and lunch options to have on hand. Then, experiment to find what works best for you.

Not all foods will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator, so it’s best to prep a dish you know will keep that long. Also, foods like hard-boiled eggs will keep all week if you peel them as you need them. Other great things to prep are sauces, dressings or marinades.

Spring Meal Prep

Tips & Tricks

• It’s worth saying twice to start small , even just one thing prepped ahead! I love prepping ahead, like these seasonal meal prep photos when we have really busy weeks. But my mainstay for healthy meal prepping is to prep just one thing per week to help me stay on track.
• Prepping certain basics ahead can go a long way! Hard-boiled eggs are a mainstay because they’re the perfect grab-and-go option. My Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes are also prepped every single week in our house. With the potatoes cooked, you can pan-fry them quickly for breakfast or dinner.
• Meal prepping sauces is a great time saver too! My Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette , Stir Fry Sauce , Dairy Free Ranch Dressing , and Honey Mustard Sauce are on repeat in our house.
• If you’re new to meal prepping, try prepping recipes that don’t spoil for months , like granola, coconut chips, or one of the trail mixes. I store them in sealed Mason jars in the pantry. See how you enjoy having something on hand, then add something new from there.
• Expanding my tips on the #2 way to meal prep from above, I like to prep things like homemade dressings or marinades ahead. Or prep individual ingredients : grate some cheese you need, or cut up veggies like onions, bell peppers, or broccoli that will keep for 2-3 days.
• Cook your own beans from scratch on the stove or Instant Pot like chickpeas, black beans, or pinto beans. These can be on hand for Taco Bowls , or freeze for the future. You can also cook some grains ahead as well for easy healthy meal prep. Quinoa is great cooked ahead to reheat or make into salads. I also like to cook rice ahead of time to make a quick fried rice with the leftovers.

Summer Meal Prep

Seasonal Meal Prep Ideas Recipe

• Spring Meal Prep Ideas
• Summer Meal Prep Ideas
• Fall Meal Prep Ideas
• Winter Meal Prep Ideas
• How to Meal Prep for the Week

For all of my meal prep recipes, head on over to the meal prep category for more recipe inspiration!

I really hope you enjoy these Healthy Meal Prep Recipes! If you do get a chance to make these recipes, I’d love to hear from you.