30 Recipes to Make Before Summer Ends
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An all-star collection of summer recipes that are super delicious, easy to make, and must be made before summer ends!
This summer has been delightful with warm temperatures and bright sunny days which have been perfect for BBQs and gatherings. ☀️ However, we have less than a month before this gorgeous season ends and fall commences on September 22nd.
Before we get into soup season and cozy warming fall recipes, it’s time to make the most of your grill, make some quick tasty stir-fries, and embrace the summer produce (think strawberries, tomatoes, corn and more) while the sun is still shining bright!
From delicious grilled meat favorites like Vietnamese grilled pork steaks, to light lunches like mango chicken salad sandwiches, to spectacular pasta dishes like XO sauce pasta with pork and burst cherry tomatoes and Caesar pasta bake, and to easy and simple desserts (hello no churn ice creams and boozy Baileys strawberry crisp!).
Weather you’re looking for summer appetizers, lunches, dinners, desserts or drinks, this list has got you covered!
Without further ado, here are 30 recipes that we all should make before summer ends!
Appetizers
Vietnamese Grilled Pork Steaks
Pork steaks are briefly marinated with fresh Asian aromatics, sauces, and seasonings, then are grilled until perfectly charred on the outside and deliciously JUICY on the inside! There’s no lengthy marinating time and they can be cooked indoors in a grill-pan/griddle or outdoors on the BBQ grill!
Grilled Indian Pork Cutlets
AMAZINGLY flavorful, incredibly tender and juicy mouthwatering Grilled Indian Pork Cutlets! The flavor-packed marinade makes them delicious whether you grill them indoors or on the BBQ grill. Don’t forget to serve them with some cooling and creamy cilantro and mint sauce for dipping!
Thai Basil Chicken Nachos
If you love spicy Thai holy basil chicken and you love nachos, you are definitely going to want to make these for your next party. Spicy and garlicky Thai basil chicken, jalapeño peppers, and plenty of melty cheeses get piled high onto tortilla chips and baked to crispy, spicy, and cheesy fusion nachos perfection! Serve with sour cream, mango salsa and guacamole for the ultimate fiesta appetizer!
Loaded Street Corn Salad
All the BEST fresh and bright summer flavors are loaded in this Mexican corn salad! Juicy sweet corn is first lightly pan-grilled, then tossed with zingy red onion and spicy jalapeño and sprinkled with plenty of creamy Manchego cheese and coriander. Perfect for summertime patio dinners, house parties with tortilla chips, or as a side to your grilled chicken or fish!
Tikka Masala Pork Ribs
Baby back ribs in a spicy, tangy, lip-smacking tasty tikka masala sauce! These Indian style pork ribs are super easy to make and great as an appetizer. They’re naturally gluten-free and perfect for summer entertaining!
Lunch
Chicken Tikka Naanza (Naan Pizza!)
Exploding with exotic Indian and rich Italian-American flavors, these chicken tikka naan pizzas are always a crowd pleaser! They’re made with tender spicy chicken tikka pieces, a smoky spicy homemade pizza sauce, delicious and smooth velvety milk cheeses, and topped with fresh chopped coriander! Enjoy them for lunch or dinner or a midday snack!
Chili Chicken Lettuce Cups
Indo-Chinese ground chili chicken is piled into cooling butter lettuce leaves and sprinkled with spring onion! Ready in just 35 minutes, these spicy yet cooling lettuce cups are great as a light summer lunch or appetizer, healthy, and super delicious!
BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza
Tender pressure cooker/Instant Pot BBQ chicken, a homemade spicy-sweet BBQ mayo sauce, fluffy soft pita bread, and all-star combination of cheeses with mozzarella, parmesan, and sharp cheddar bringing their A-game! They take just a few minutes to make and are super tasty with a generous sprinkling or coriander and spring onion! Easy, fast, BBQ chicken pizza for lunch, dinner, as a midday snack at your service!
Cajun Shrimp Mango Tacos
Easy to make and full of vibrant and zingy summer flavors, these Cajun shrimp mango tacos are made with just a handful of ingredients and have a tropical touch to them thanks to spicy-sweet mango mayonnaise, juicy fresh mango and a sprinkling of toasted coconut flakes!
Mango Chicken Salad Sandwich
Diced seasoned juicy baked chicken breasts, fresh chopped coriander and spring onion get tossed in a tasty spicy mango mayonnaise. The mango chicken salad is then loaded up into a bagel sandwich. You can enjoy the mango chicken salad in a sandwich, tortilla wrap, or on a bright green salad. This easy light summer lunch is gluten-free, dairy-free and perfect for meal prep!
Spicy Meat Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)
Seasoned ground lamb and chicken filling is stuffed into pita bread pockets and grilled indoors or outdoors to crispy golden brown perfection! They’re easy to make, great for lunch, dinner and incredibly delicious with garlic sauce, tahini, and a light side salad!
Spicy Lamb and Chicken Kofta
Easy to make and beautifully spiced, these lamb and chicken kofta can be cooked on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. Serve with rice, pita, salad, and don’t forget the kebab shop style sauces (creamy garlic sauce, cilantro and mint sauce, and spicy harissa mayo). They’re guaranteed to be an EPIC meal any day of the week and a hit at your next party or gathering!
Chicken Shish Kebab Rolls
Chicken shish rolls with juicy grilled spiced chicken chunks, crisp lettuce, sliced onion, tomatoes, lashings of garlic sauce, chili mayo, and creamy cilantro and mint sauce. I promise you it’s as good OR even better than your favorite kebab shop!
Dinner
Creamy Rosé Pasta with Prawns
Pasta, garlic, onion, roasted cherry tomatoes, prawns, basil and a showstopping rosé wine cream sauce come together in this delicious pasta dish. Perfect for date nights, entertaining, or any night you want to treat yourself!
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice
Super easy to stir-fry on any given weeknight! It’s exploding with garlicky chili and peppery basil flavors and full of perfectly seasoned tender chicken thigh pieces Sweat out the summer heat with this Thai favorite, or make it mild with less chilies and enjoy the wonderful flavors!
XO Sauce Pasta with Pork & Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Quick and easy to make and EXPLODING with savory umami notes and fresh flavors! Ground pork, perfect al-dente bucatini, a robust burst cherry tomato and white wine sauce that’s infused with miso paste, soy sauce, spicy XO sauce, fresh basil and mint leaves come together in this showstopping summer pasta dish!
Sichuan Dry-Braised Shrimp (Gan Shao Xia)
A quick and easy stir-fry that’s EXPLODING with flavor and ready in under 30 minutes! Juicy jumbo shrimp get briefly dry-braised in a lip-smacking and addictive spicy garlicky sauce.
Hoisin Chicken Stir-fry with Tofu
Spicy, sweet, sticky and so DELICIOUS with steamed rice, this easy stir-fry is guaranteed to have you licking your plate clean! Tender chicken pieces, tofu, and Welsh onion get tossed with fragrant aromatics in a delicious spicy-sweet sauce!
Spicy Pork Pad Thai
A Bangkok street vendor style Pad Thai with all the spicy, savory, sweet, and zesty notes! Ready in just 35 minutes, this can be adapted to be made vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free, and tastes a million times better than takeout!
Caesar Pasta Bake
A delicious weeknight dinner that’s full of everything you know and love in a Caesar salad! Juicy grilled Cajun shrimp, pasta, cherry tomatoes, baby kale, Caesar dressing, cheese, croutons, and a generous sprinkling of bacon bits come together in this showstopping hearty meal that the whole family will love!
Peanut Butter Chicken Curry
Lusciously creamy and velvety coconut milk peanut butter chicken curry that is sweet and spicy thanks to Thai sweet chili sauce and has a slight hint of tang! This beauty is quick and easy to make with mostly everyday ingredients, customizable with your fave veggies, and incredibly satisfying with steamed rice! A Thai-inspired beauty that is guaranteed to please!
Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta
Luxuriously creamy, elegant, and easy to make! Two types of linguini pasta are tossed with a gorgeous medley of seafood in a heavenly white wine cream sauce! Perfect for date nights, summer entertaining, or treating yourself on a weeknight in!
Desserts
No Churn Amaretto Ice Cream
Easy to make with just 5 ingredients, doesn’t require an ice cream maker, and wonderfully creamy, sweet, and loaded with crunchy honey roasted almonds! Toasted almond and vanilla flavors make this frozen treat absolutely delightful. This is the perfect treat to beat the summer heat!
Baileys Strawberries & Cream Ice Cream
Summer is simply not complete without strawberry desserts. This no churn ice cream is bursting with ripe strawberry and vanilla flavors thanks to Baileys Strawberries & Cream Irish cream liqueur, wonderfully creamy, smooth, and DELICIOUS! Feel free to add any nuts, chocolate chips, or other add-ins you like.
Baileys Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream
When a little bit of booze is involved – specifically Baileys heavenly Salted Caramel Irish Cream Liqueur – and you have delicious velvety swirls of nutty peanut butter in a no churn ice cream, you get a scrumptious frozen dessert that’s straight up heaven and fit for the gods!!
Baileys Espresso Crème Ice Cream
One of my all-time favorite no churn ice creams! It’s full of irresistible Colombian coffee flavors with chocolate and vanilla notes and decked out with dark, decadent hot fudge sauce swirls!
Strawberry Crisp (with Baileys Strawberries & Cream)
Strawberry Crisp with a boozy twist! It’s made with a deliciously sweet ripe strawberry filling that’s spiked with Baileys Strawberries & Cream, and topped with an irresistible crispy and crunchy golden brown oats and pecans topping! This low-effort speedy-to-make dessert requires minimal active time and can feed a large crowd.
Lemon Basque Burnt Cheesecake
A spring-forward spin on the classic cheesecake from the Basque region! It’s super easy to make and deliciously light and creamy. It also boasts the most irresistible bright lemony flavors and a caramelized burnt top!
Drinks
Thai Iced Milk Tea with Grass Jelly
A cooling, refreshing, tasty and sweet Thai milk tea drink with chewy grass jelly cubes! Served over plenty of ice, this delicious drink is guaranteed to cool you down on a hot summer day!
Biscoff Apple Milkshake
Caramelly sweet, creamy and rich! This milkshake is easy to whip up on a moment’s notice and full of irresistible Lotus Biscoff cookie butter spread. There’s also an apple thrown in to balance out the sweet and spiced speculoos flavors and make it a little healthy. Who am I kidding, this heavenly milkshake is pure sinful and downright DELISH!!
As always, feel free to check out the summer recipes collection here on That Spicy Chick. Or you can find more ideas and some new favorites by browsing the entire Recipes collection!
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