48 Recipes to Make Before Summer Ends
Looking for some new recipes to add to your summer meal rotation? Here are 48 of the best and easiest summer dishes to make this year. From easy breakfasts, to healthy summer dinners, and to delicious no churn and Ninja Creami ice creams, find all your new favorites here. Most of these are great for meal prep too!
This summer has been delightful with warm temperatures and bright sunny days which have been perfect for BBQs and gatherings. ☀️ However, we have just a little over a month before this gorgeous season ends and fall starts on September 22nd.
Before we get into cozy warming fall recipes and soup season, 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 cottage cheese egg salad, to spectacular pasta dishes like creamy rosé pasta with shrimp and creamy lemon chicken orzo, and to easy and simple desserts (hello no churn ice creams, Ninja Creami ice creams and a boozy Baileys strawberry crisp!).
Whether you’re looking for summer party appetizers, light lunches, easy and healthy summer dinner recipes, ice creams, desserts and drinks, this list has got you covered!
Table of contents
What’s in Season in Summer?
Depending on the climate and region, foods that are in season during the summer season can vary. However, below are some common fruits and vegetables that are typically in season during the summer months.
- Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
- Other Fruit: Cherries, peaches, plums, watermelon, cantaloupe, mangoes, and pineapple.
- Vegetables: Tomatoes, corn, zucchini, bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, and green beans.
- Summer squash: Besides zucchini, other summer squash varieties that are abundant during the warmer climate are…
- Yellow squash: Yellow-skinned squash. It is very similar in both texture and flavor to zucchini.
- Pattypan squash: A small, scalloped squash with a distinct shape. It’s available in yellow, green and white varieties.
- Crookneck squash: A curved-neck yellow squash with a buttery flavor.
These fruits and vegetables are often at their peak in terms of flavor and availability during the summer months. They are a great choice for summertime seasonal cooking and eating!
I hope you find some delicious cooking inspiration in this list and enjoy these summer recipes as much as I do. 🤗
Without further ado, here are 48 recipes that we all should make before summer ends!
Party Appetizers & Potluck Favorites
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 outdoors on the BBQ grill or indoors in a grill-pan/griddle!
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. Serve them with a cooling and creamy cilantro and mint sauce for dipping!
Air Fryer Potato Wedges
Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and seasoned to perfection with everyday seasonings, these Air Fryer Potato Wedges are a comforting yet healthy side dish or snack and incredibly easy to make in your air fryer!
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, potlucks 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!
Light Lunches & Easy Dinners
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
This healthy Cottage Cheese Egg Salad is made with blended cottage cheese instead of mayonnaise and great for a high protein lunch and meal prep! It’s easy to make, customizable with your favorite herbs and seasonings, and so delicious!
Korean Chicken Wrap
Spicy gochujang chicken strips are piled onto tortillas and complimented with mayo, shredded cabbage, red onion, cucumber, coriander, spring onion, shredded seaweed and toasted sesame seeds in this easy meal prep friendly Korean Chicken Wrap!
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!
Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough
This Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough is quick and easy to make with a few staple ingredients, doesn’t have yeast or a rise time, and produces tasty homemade pizzas! Customize these healthy pizzas with your favorite toppings and enjoy them for lunch, dinner, or anytime a pizza craving hits!
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!
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! Ready in just minutes and super tasty with a generous sprinkling or cilantro and green onions!
Spicy Meat Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)
Seasoned ground lamb and chicken filling is stuffed into pita bread pockets and grilled outdoors or indoors 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!
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Learn how to cook tender, perfectly seasoned, juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts with a fuss-free easy method that works every time! You can serve them as a main with cooked veggies and potatoes. Or slice, cube, or shred them and use for meal prep!
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!
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Pasta Dinners
Creamy Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
Ready in just 25 minutes, this Creamy Pesto Pasta with Shrimp is bursting with fresh flavors! It features juicy seared shrimp, pasta, sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil in a lightly creamy green basil pesto sauce.
XO Sauce Pasta with Pork & Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Quick and easy to make and EXPLODING with savory umami notes and fresh flavors! Ground pork, al-dente bucatini, a robust burst cherry tomato and white wine sauce that’s infused with miso paste, soy sauce, the king of Cantonese condiments – XO sauce, fresh basil and mint leaves come together in this quick and easy showstopping summer pasta dish!
Creamy Rosé Pasta with Prawns
Pasta, garlic, onion, roasted cherry tomatoes, prawns, fresh basil and a showstopping rosé wine cream sauce come together in this delicious and elegant pasta dish. Perfect for date night, entertaining, or any night you want to treat yourself!
Caesar Pasta Bake
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 Caesar Pasta Bake dinner that the whole family will love!
Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo
Made with tender chicken, a lightened-up lemon cream sauce, orzo and green peas, this Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo is a delicious and satisfying meal that’s ready in just 30 minutes!
Quick & Easy Stir-fries
Garlic Shrimp Noodles
Wok fried shrimp, charred cabbage, plenty of garlic and chewy udon noodles get stir-fried is in a sticky, savory-sweet sauce with toasted sesame aromas and a spicy kick! Ready in under 30 minutes, these Garlic Shrimp Noodles are perfect for busy weeknights!
Tom Yum Fried Rice
Tom Yum Fried Rice combines the tantalizing spicy, savory, tangy and sweet flavors you love in tom yum soup with fried rice! Juicy jumbo shrimp, fragrant aromatics, veggies, rice and fresh herbs get tossed in a zingy flavor-packed tom yum stir-fry sauce in this quick and easy weeknight dinner!
Spicy Pork Knife Cut Noodles (Squiggly Noodles Recipe)
Knife cut noodles, ground pork, blistered cherry tomatoes and fragrant aromatics get stir-fried in a tantalizing savory-sweet sauce! Ready in under 30 minutes this Spicy Pork Knife Cut Noodles dish is perfect for busy weeknights and SO delicious!
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.
Thai Eggplant Stir-fry
Juicy eggplant strips and ground pork get tossed with aromatics and fragrant Thai sweet basil in a mouthwatering sauce featuring Thai chili paste in this quick and easy weeknight stir-fry!
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!
Healthy Breakfasts
Healthy Air Fryer Granola (Quick & Easy Recipe!)
Want granola but don’t want to heat up your kitchen by turning on the oven? Try this Healthy Air-fryer Granola! It’s quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes, full of BIG crispy clusters and downright delicious!
Matcha Overnight Oats with Berries
This Matcha Overnight Oats recipe is an easy to make high protein breakfast with irresistible matcha and vanilla flavors and a hint of warm cinnamon. Topped with fresh berries, almonds, seeds and homemade pecan butter, this is a delicious healthy breakfast that will keep you full and fueled for hours!
Almond Croissant Baked Oats
These Almond Croissant Baked Oats are quick and easy to make and a high protein and high fiber breakfast! Full of irresistible almond flavors, fresh blueberries and topped with flaked almonds, this meal prep friendly baked oats will keep you full and energized for hours!
Apricot Almond Oat Slice (Oat Bars)
These healthy Apricot Almond Oat Bars are quick and easy to make, lower in sugar than store-bought oat slices, and the perfect healthy snack or grab-and-go breakfast to have around for kids and adults! They’re made with oats, wholegrain flour, coconut, almonds, dried apricots, brown sugar and honey for some sweetness! Chewy, crunchy, sweet and simply SO GOOD!
Lemon Curd Baked Oats
Kick off your morning with these bright and zesty Lemon Curd Baked Oats that taste just like a cake! Packed with protein and fiber, full of juicy strawberries, white chocolate chips, crunchy walnuts and sunflower seeds, these baked oats are topped with a delightful, citrusy and sweet lemon curd!
Golden Milk Overnight Oats
These Golden Milk Overnight Oats are full of classic warming golden milk spices and a nourishing high protein breakfast! Easy to make in just minutes, meal prep friendly, satisfying and delicious! Top with your favorite berries, nuts, seeds, etc!
Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oats
Easy to make and taste just like a moist cake, these Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oats are packed with juicy pops of fresh strawberries, white chocolate chips, and have a surprise cream cheese filling in the center! This is a nutritious and delicious meal prep friendly breakfast!
Air Fryer Baked Oats
Want baked oats but don’t want to turn your kitchen into a sauna by turning on the oven? Try these Air Fryer Baked Oats! They have a fluffy cake-like texture and can be customized with your favorite flavorings, nuts, fruit, and more!
Ninja Creami & No Churn Ice Creams
The BEST Ninja Creami Coffee Protein Ice Cream
Ultra-creamy, decadent, full of rich and bold coffee flavors with caramel notes, this Ninja Creami Coffee Protein Ice Cream will satisfy your sweet tooth and is the perfect treat for coffee lovers!
Ninja Creami Peanut Butter Protein Ice Cream
Easy to make, ultra-creamy and full of decadent peanut butter flavors, this low calorie Ninja Creami Peanut Butter Protein Ice Cream has 35 grams of protein and will satisfy your cravings!
Ninja Creami Cookies and Cream Protein Ice Cream
This Ninja Creami Cookies and Cream Protein Ice Cream is easy to make and the perfect treat for a hot summer day or when an ice cream craving hits! It’s low in calories, has 30 grams of protein for the entire pint and tastes just like REAL ice cream!
Ninja Creami Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
This Ninja Creami Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream features a rich chocolate ice cream base with banana and REAL peanut butter pieces dispersed throughout the ice cream! It’s a feel-good healthy treat!
Ninja Creami Golden Milk Ice Cream
Ninja Creami Golden Milk Ice Cream is full of warming spices, sweet notes and infused with the floral aroma of saffron, honey and nutty pistachios! It’s a healthy creamy treat with anti-inflammatory properties, high in protein and tastes DELICIOUS!
Baileys Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream (No Churn)
This scrumptious no churn Baileys Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream is made with just 5 ingredients, perfectly balanced with salty and sweet notes, and full of creamy and nutty peanut butter swirls!
No Churn Amaretto Ice Cream (No Churn)
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!
S’mores Ice Cream (No Churn)
Toasted marshmallows, milk chocolate shards and crushed graham crackers come together in a luscious and creamy vanilla ice cream to make this summertime favorite!
Baileys Strawberries & Cream Ice Cream (No Churn)
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.
Summer Desserts & Drinks
Lemon Basque Burnt Cheesecake
A summer-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!
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.
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!
More Recipe Round-Ups
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