Summer is basically here and you know what that means? Barbecue season. If you’d like a little inspiration for your next family picnic or maybe just a weekday meal, we’ve got you covered.

Below, we’ve compiled 15 recipes sure to keep you and everybody at your table cool and satisfied this summer.

Lemon Dill Salad
Everybody loves a fresh, flavorful salad in the summertime and PlantYou’s recipe is exactly that.

Salad Ingredients:

1 head butter lettuce

1 large handful parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch green onion, diced

1 cucumber, diced

1 large handful fresh dill, chopped

1 cup crumbled feta (or vegan feta like in the video)

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1/2tsp minced garlic

2 lemons juiced

1tbsp Dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste
Zucchini, Lemon, and Mint Pasta
The Pasta Queen’s recipe is the perfect light dish to have on a warm summer night.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

2 small shallots, minced

4 zucchini, shredded on the large holes of a box grater

Pinch of salt & scrunch of pepper

2 lemons, zest and juice

1lb of fusilli col buco (or your favorite pasta shape)

5oz pecorino cheese, finely grated

Fresh mint leaves
Mexican Street Style Jalapeño Dip
If you’re looking for a recipe to take to your neighbor’s Memorial Day picnic, might I suggest this dip from Half Baked Harvest?

Ingredients:

2tbsp chili powder

2tsp smoked paprika

½-2tsp cayenne pepper (to your taste)

2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 diced yellow onion

1 diced poblano pepper

2-4 jalapeños

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt & pepper

6oz room temp cream cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

4tbsp salted butter

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

2tbsp fresh lime juice

¾ cup crumbled cotija cheese

¼ cup fresh cilantro

Watch on TikTok
Lemony Chicken & Orzo
Kit Keenan, ya know, from The Bachelor? She’s got a dinner recipe I think you’ll be making on repeat this summer. I know I will be.

Ingredients:

2tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot, finely diced

3 cloves minced garlic

2 cups chicken/bone broth

2 cups water

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded

2 cups spinach

2 lemons

2 cups uncooked orzo

1tsp Italian seasoning

½tsp salt

crushed red pepper and fresh basil for serving

Watch on TikTok
Brazilian Lemonade
I know, I know. It’s called lemonade and there’s not a lemon in sight. What’s up with that? Well, in Portuguese the word for lime is limão, so Brazilians call it limonada, which translates to lemonade in English. The more you know. Anyway, Brazilian lemonade has been around for a long time, so I couldn’t point you in the direction of the original creator, but I really like Jeremey Scheck’s version of it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 washed organic limes

4 cups water

½ a can of sweetened condensed milk

ice
Tomato Salad Avocado Toast
Baked By Melissa upgrades basic avocado toast with her recipe. And honestly, what’s more summery than Jersey fresh tomatoes?

Ingredients:

Sourdough bread, toasted

cherry tomatoes, chopped

green onion, diced

garlic, finely minced

evoo

salt & pepper

garlic powder

paprika

lemon juice

white vinegar

avocado, mashed

(optional) microgreens for topping

Watch on TikTok
Limoncello Spritz
I’ve never met anybody who didn’t like a spritz in the summertime. And Cooking With Ayeh’s limoncello version is refreshing and super easy to make.

Ingredients:

3 shots prosecco

2 shots limoncello

1 shot sparkling water

Watch on TikTok
S'mores Brownies
S’mores, in my opinion, are the quintessential summer treat. And brownies are the best. So Dana Hasson’s recipe is really the best of both worlds.

Ingredients:

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chip

1 cup heavy cream

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup flour

1 cup graham crackers (or any cookie you like)

4 tbsp melted butter

Marshmallows

Watch on TikTok
Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
Summer means grilling season so we couldn’t put out this list without including at least one recipe that you could cook outside. Downshiftology’s recipe makes dinner super easy and who doesn’t love that when it’s hot out?

Steak Ingredients:

1&½lb skirt steak

Salt & pepper

Chimichurri sauce

Chimichurri Ingredients:

½cup parsley, finely chopped

1tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped

1tbsp red chili pepper, finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup extra virgin olive oil,

2tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt & black pepper

Watch on TikTok
Protein Pesto Pasta
Herby sauces scream summer to me. And who says a bowl full of pasta can’t keep you full? Kit Keenan’s version of pesto pasta will do just that.

Ingredients:

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

1tsp olive oil

1/3 cup parmesan

juice of half a lemon

3tbsp pine nuts

salt & pepper to taste

12 oz of your favorite pasta

Watch on TikTok
Fresh Homemade Guac
I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things to do in the summer is to sit outside at my local Mexican restaurant and eat a big bowl of guacamole. But sometimes, I’d rather do that at home. So if you’re anything like me, you’re going to love Everything Delish’s homemade version.

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

½ cup red onion, diced

1 jalapeño, diced

1 tomato, diced

the juice of 1 lime

zest of ½ a lime

salt & pepper

Watch on TikTok
Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad
It seems like everybody and their grandmother want to bring pasta salad to the barbecue. It can get a little basic sometimes. But this recipe by Marissa Mullen is definitely not your run-of-the-mill pasta salad and is great for shaking things up.

Pasta Salad Ingredients:

1 14oz bag frozen cheese tortellini

1 cup halved mini mozzarella balls

¾ cup diced Italian hard salami

1 diced cucumber

½ of a small green bell pepper, diced

½ cup halved cherry tomatoes

¼ cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

½ small red onion, diced

¼ cup pitted black olives, sliced

1tbsp finely chopped dill leaves

1tbsp finely chopped basil leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

2tsp honey

1tsp balsamic vinegar

1 clove minced garlic

¼tsp dried oregano

salt & pepper to taste

Watch on TikTok
Crispy Salmon Tacos
Just imagine it: you’re sitting on a boat, eating fish tacos, and watching the sun set. Sounds like the perfect summer evening to me. Now, I can’t provide you with a boat, but I can provide you with this recipe for crispy salmon tacos from Half Baked Harvest. Basically just as good.

Taco Ingredients:

4 (4-6oz) salmon filets cut into bite sized chunks

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1-2tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

3tbsp honey

1tsp paprika (smoked or regular)

1tsp dried thyme

salt & pepper to taste

warm tortillas for serving

shredded cabbage/lettuce for serving

sliced avocado for serving

¼ cup cotija cheese for serving

Salsa Ingredients:

1-2 jalapeños

1 cup diced pineapple

½ cup diced mango

½ cup roughly chopped cilantro

2tsp grated ginger

juice of 1 lime
Watermelon Feta Salad
Can you even have a proper summer without watermelon? No, you can’t, sorry. Just kiddingggg. But for real though, if you love watermelon, you’re going to love this recipe by Everything Delish.

Ingredients:

½ a watermelon, cubed

2 ripe avocados, diced

1 block feta, cubed

1 handful of mint, chopped

1 handful of basil, chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

3 baby cucumbers, diced

1tbsp olive oil

1 splash red wine vinegar

juice of 1 lime

2tbsp honey,

salt & pepper to taste
Cowboy Caviar
If you spent any time on TikTok last summer, then you probably know what this is. This dish went super viral, and for good reason. It’s refreshing and takes no more than 10 minutes to make. A bunch of people made their own little tweaks to the original recipe, but I like Nutrition By Kylie’s version the most.

Ingredients:

1 chopped red bell pepper

1 chopped orange bell pepper

1 chopped yellow bell pepper

3 chopped roma tomatos

½ a chopped red onion

1-2 chopped jalapeño

1 diced avocado

1 can of black beans (drained)

1 can black-eyed peas (drained)

1 can yellow corn (drained)

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

2tsp chili powder

1tsp sugar

2-3tbsp lime juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Tortilla chips for serving