On a hot July evening, dinner can be as casual as a plate outside or something warm from the stove. Pick a grilled main when the backyard is calling, a handheld option when the table feels informal, or a stovetop meal when you want to stay inside. You get a summer dinner that matches where you want to eat.
Chicken Chow Mein
With tender chicken thighs, chewy noodles, cabbage, carrot, and red bell pepper moving through the same wok, Chicken Chow Mein brings a full takeout-style dinner together in 30 minutes. Oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth, and brown sugar form the glossy sauce, while green onions finish the pan. It makes four servings. Bring it out straight from the wok with spring rolls or cucumber salad on the side.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Chow Mein
Tuna Salad
Cool, creamy, and crunchy at once, Tuna Salad mixes water-packed tuna with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, and dill or parsley. There is no cooking step, and it takes 15 minutes from start to finish with four servings. Spoon it into sandwiches, stuff it into pita, pile it over greens, or set out crackers and let everyone build a plate.
Get the Recipe: Tuna Salad
Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Poached drumsticks are cooled, shredded, and paired with cucumber, carrot, and onion for Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken. A lemon sauce with soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, cilantro, chili, sesame oil, and toasted sesame coats the chicken and vegetables without batter or frying. It comes together in 25 minutes and serves four. Arrange it on one large platter and toss just before bringing it to the table.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Pesto Pizza
Built on a pre-cooked crust, Pesto Pizza layers basil pesto, mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil into a 20-minute dinner for four. Ten minutes in a 500°F oven melts the cheese and crisps the edges, so the rest of the evening stays uncomplicated. Slice it into triangles for dinner or small squares for a patio snack board, then pair it with a simple green salad.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Pizza
Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Briefly marinated in fish sauce and salt, Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp gets a flour-and-cornstarch coating before frying until crisp. Garlic, ginger, Thai chiles, scallions, coarse peppercorns, and salt are tossed through the shrimp after frying. The full recipe takes 35 minutes and serves four. Set it down with rice and cucumber salad, or pass the shrimp around as a hot appetizer while everyone settles in.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
After a lemon, garlic, thyme, and oregano marinade, Grilled Chicken Sandwich stacks grilled chicken with melted cheddar, bacon, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, and mustard on sandwich rolls. It makes four and lists 3 hours 20 minutes total, most of it marinating time, while active cooking takes 10 minutes. Build the sandwiches fresh and keep fries, coleslaw, or potato salad close enough for easy passing.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Philly Cheesesteak
Thin ribeye cooks fast with onion and green bell pepper in Philly Cheesesteak, a 15-minute skillet dinner that makes four sandwiches. Provolone melts directly over the beef and vegetables before the mixture is packed into buttered, toasted hoagie rolls. Keep the sides unfussy with kettle chips, pickles, or a light salad, and bring the sandwiches out while the cheese is still soft and the rolls stay crisp.
Get the Recipe: Philly Cheesesteak
Grilled Chicken Thighs
Fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and red pepper flakes do double duty in Grilled Chicken Thighs as both marinade and finishing sauce. The recipe serves four and takes 1 hour 10 minutes, including a 30-minute marinade, with 10 to 15 minutes on the grill. Plate the thighs with grilled corn, potatoes, couscous, or rice and spoon the reserved chimichurri over at the last minute.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs
Grilled Lobster Tail
Split lobster tails meet melted butter, garlic, lemon, smoked paprika, parsley, and basil in Grilled Lobster Tail. It makes two servings in 20 minutes, grilling the flesh side first for 5 to 6 minutes and the shell side for another 3 to 4. Finish with reserved herb butter and lemon wedges, then add grilled vegetables or a cold salad for a dinner that stays relaxed.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Lobster Tail
Plant-Based Copycat Impossible Burger
Portobello mushrooms, brown rice, tempeh, oats, grated beet, nutritional yeast, and steak sauce form the patties for Plant-Based Copycat Impossible Burger. The mixture is pulsed, shaped, and browned in a skillet for 2 to 3 minutes per side, with the full recipe taking 35 minutes and making two servings. Load the buns with lettuce, ketchup, pickles, or cheese, and set out extra toppings for a build-your-own burger night.
Get the Recipe: Plant-Based Copycat Impossible Burger
Pork Fried Rice
Cold day-old jasmine rice gets crisp around the edges in Pork Fried Rice, where hoisin-glazed pork tenderloin, scrambled eggs, carrots, peas, bean sprouts, scallions, garlic, and ginger share the wok. Soy sauce and sesame oil pull the 35-minute recipe together for four servings. Bring it to the table in one large bowl with egg rolls or steamed broccoli, then let any leftovers handle tomorrow’s lunch.
Get the Recipe: Pork Fried Rice
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Slow-cooked pork shoulder turns tender under cumin, oregano, chili powder, onion, garlic, orange, lime, and chicken broth in Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas. It makes eight servings in 5 hours 25 minutes, and an optional broil adds crisp edges after shredding. Pile the pork into warm tortillas or bowls with red onion, avocado, and cilantro, keeping the cooking juices nearby to moisten each portion.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Baked Salmon
Glossy with honey and fresh orange juice, Baked Salmon cooks with garlic and thyme at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes. The full recipe takes 25 minutes and serves two, using one pound of salmon plus fresh orange slices over the top. Spoon the pan sauce back over the fish and round out the plates with asparagus, green beans, rice, quinoa, or a lemony salad.
Get the Recipe: Baked Salmon
Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce
Skewers of curry-seasoned sirloin, red bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion make Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce easy to portion from the grill. Parsley, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic form the sauce, while the stated total is 35 minutes for four servings. The instructions also call for at least 30 minutes of marinating, so plan that separately before grilling and pass the chimichurri on the side.
Get the Recipe: Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce
Chicken Cutlets
Golden breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan coat thin chicken pieces in Chicken Cutlets, which fries for about 2 minutes per side after a flour-and-egg breading. Garlic powder and Italian seasoning flavor the crust, while lemon wedges and parsley finish the plate. The recipe takes 25 minutes and serves six. Tuck the cutlets into sandwiches, lay them over pasta, or slice them beside a crisp salad.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Cutlets
Beef Tacos
Chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, tomato paste, and water turn one pound of ground beef into the filling for Beef Tacos. The 30-minute recipe serves four with eight corn tortillas, lettuce, shredded Mexican cheese, tomatoes, and red onion. Set the seasoned beef and toppings out separately so each person can assemble a plate, with rice, beans, salsa, or guacamole filling in the rest.
Get the Recipe: Beef Tacos
Chicken Shawarma
Greek yogurt, lemon, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, garlic, onion, and cardamom coat chicken thighs before Chicken Shawarma roasts on skewers for about an hour. The stated total is 1 hour 15 minutes for four servings, although the instructions require at least 2 hours of marinating first. Slice the chicken into warm pita with yogurt sauce, cucumber, red onion, lettuce, parsley, and mint.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Shawarma
Slow Cooker Ribs
Brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder sit under barbecue sauce in Slow Cooker Ribs, using one rack of baby back ribs for four servings. The full recipe takes 4 hours 20 minutes, with 3 to 4 hours on high in the slow cooker and an 8 to 10 minute oven finish for caramelized edges. Put them on a platter with coleslaw, baked beans, corn, or potato salad and extra sauce nearby.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Ribs
BBQ Chicken Quesadilla
Shredded chicken, barbecue sauce, sweet corn, and Mexican-style cheese fill BBQ Chicken Quesadilla before each folded tortilla turns crisp in a skillet. The recipe takes 27 minutes and makes three servings, with cilantro, sour cream, and jalapeño as finishing options. Cut the quesadillas into wedges, set out salsa or guacamole, and let the platter work for either dinner or a low-key backyard snack.
Get the Recipe: BBQ Chicken Quesadilla