From steak and shrimp tacos to low country boils, these recipes bring the best of summer to your table. Dive into these 12 must-make summer dinner recipes that celebrate the flavors of the season and keep you coming back for more!
Steak Street Tacos
Cook time: 3 hours (including marinating time)
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp brine from pickled jalapeños
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ pounds skirt steak
- White onion, minced
- Cilantro
- Corn Tortillas
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, jalapeños, garlic, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and oregano. Pour into a gallon sized bag, then add the skirt steak. Marinate in the fridge for at least two hours.
- Once marinated, grill the steak for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until it reaches your desired doneness. Let the steak rest for about 10 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces.
- Put three corn tortillas in each container. Add the steak, minced white onion and cilantro. Pack with lime wedges.
Matthew McConaughey Burger
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- Lettuce, shredded
- Avocado, thinly sliced
- Red onion, sliced
- Texas heat pickles
- Pickled jalapeño
- American cheese
- Burger buns
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef and onion soup mix until the soup mix is fully incorporated into the meat.
- Divide the meat into 4 oz patties.
- Grill to your desired doneness.
- Place the burger on the buns, add all of the toppings, and enjoy!
Orzo Chicken Pasta
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups dry orzo
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled into small cubes
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
- 1 cup fresh basil, torn
Dressing ingredients:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and toss it with a drizzle of olive oil, then set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken, feta, red onion, and olives. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the basil, and stir until well combined. Add two cups of pasta salad to each container.
Honey Soy Salmon
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon filets
- ½ lb french green beans
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Marinade
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1½ tsp ginger, grated
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions:
- Put all marinade ingredients in a shallow dish and stir until well combined. Place the salmon filets into the marinade and coat. Let them marinate for 40 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler. Add the green beans to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Toss to coat, then push green beans to the side to make room for the salmon. Add the salmon to the baking sheet, then pour some of the remaining marinade over the green beans and toss once more.
- Broil for 10 min, rotating half way through. Baste the salmon once more with the leftover marinade, and broil for another 3-5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145º.
Beef Taco Bowls
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- ½ large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup dry rice
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges
Instructions:
- Put your rice into your rice cooker with water and cook.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add the taco seasoning and tomatoes. Stir to combine and cook until heated through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Wipe the pan clean, then add the oil. Add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened.
- Add ½ cup of cooked rice to each bowl. Top with 2 tbsp each of black beans and corn, ⅓ cup ground beef mixture, ¼ cup peppers and onions, and 1 lime wedge.
Sweet & Sour Pork Kabobs
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ⅓ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 bell peppers (mixed colors), cut into 1” pieces
- ½ large red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 can pineapple chunks
- Pork tenderloin, cut into 1” chunks
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375º. Put the pork, veggies, and pineapple on the skewers, alternating as you go. (if you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 min before using.) Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, water, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil for one minute, then remove from heat.
- Place the skewers on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the skewers with the sauce, making sure to coat all sides. Bake for 10 min, then coat once more with sauce on all sides. Bake for another 10 min, or until pork reaches 150º.
- Serve with rice.
Creamy Salsa Chicken Bake
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients:
- 18-25 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
- 10 Tbsp basmati rice
- 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
- 10 Tbsp cream cheese
- 1 ¼ cups salsa
- Shredded cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Lay out 5 oven safe containers on a baking sheet and add 2 Tbsp rice, a pinch of salt, ¼ cup stock, 3-5 oz chicken, 2 Tbsp cream cheese, ¼ cup salsa, and cheese to each one.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken and rice is cooked.
- Let them cool, then cover with lids and refrigerate.
Coconut Shrimp Tacos
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients:
- Frozen coconut shrimp
- Trader Joe’s broccoli and kale slaw kit
- Tortillas
- Pineapple salsa
Instructions:
- Cook the shrimp in your air fryer at 400º for 8 minutes.
- While it’s air frying, mix together your salad kit and warm your tortillas.
- Add the salad mixture onto each tortilla, then top with shrimp and pineapple salsa.
- Enjoy!
Cast Iron Pizza
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough
- Pizza sauce
- Shredded Mozzarella
- Olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Spicy honey
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 475º. Place your cast iron pan on the stovetop over medium high heat to preheat the pan.
- Sprinkle flour on a clean surface and stretch out your pizza dough into a circle roughly the same size as your cast iron pan. Put the dough into the cast iron and drizzle olive oil over the top and all around the edges. Brush the olive oil over the top of the crust. The dough should begin to bubble.
- Spoon a few dollops of pizza sauce on the dough and spread it around. Top with mozzarella, and put it in the oven for about 8 minutes (keep an eye on it), rotating halfway through cooking.
- Once you pull it out of the oven, quickly transfer it out of the pan. Sprinkle over dried oregano, then drizzle with spicy honey. Slice and serve!
Low Country Boil
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ lbs peeled shrimp
- 5 ears of corn, cut in half
- 2 lbs of small new potatoes, whole
- 1 lb of andouille smoked sausage
- 1 sweet onion
- 8 qt of water
- 1 cup of Old Bay seasoning
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- ½ cup melted butter
Instructions:
- Fill a large stockpot with 4-6 quarts of water and place on the stove over high heat. Pour in the Old Bay Seasoning, lemon slices, and garlic cloves and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the corn. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the sausage, onions, and potatoes. Boil for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Turn the stove off, then add the shrimp to the pot. Stir and cook the shrimp until they turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Drain the water from the pot, then pour melted butter over the top. Toss to coat the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables.
- Serve with cocktail sauce.
Sheet Pan Tacos
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 1 poblano pepper, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Chorizo spices
- Tortillas
Instructions:
- Set your oven to broil. Add the poblano, bell pepper, and onion to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until coated, then put in the oven for 15 minutes.
- While the veggies are cooking, add 1 tsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and chorizo spices to your chicken. Toss until the chicken is fully coated in the seasonings.
- Once the veggies are done, push them to one side of the sheet pan. Add the chicken to the other half, then broil for 8-10 min or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Put the veggies and chicken in your tortillas, then add your toppings of choice.
One Pot Pasta
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients:
- 6 oz linguine or spaghetti
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 package grape tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Shredded parmesan
- Parsley
- Pesto
Instructions:
- Prep your ingredients. Cut your onion in half, and thinly slice one of the halves. Store the other half for future use. Mince the garlic cloves. Pick about 3 tablespoons of parsley leaves from the stems and finely chop.
- In a deep skillet or pot, add your pasta noodles, sliced onion, grape tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and 2 ¼ cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Crush the tomatoes as it cooks to help form a sauce.
- Once the water is mostly evaporated and the pasta noodles are al dente, add a handful of parmesan and the parsley to the pan. Toss until incorporated.
- Plate the pasta, then drizzle with pesto to serve.
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