Our Hot Weather Dinner Recipes are simple to prepare meals and well-suited for hot weather or summer conditions. These dishes are usually light and refreshing and often don't require you to spend much time over a hot stove, thereby keeping your kitchen cooler.
Hot Weather Dinner Ideas
Usually, these meals incorporate water-rich vegetables and fruits that can contribute to hydration during the heat. Their simplicity and cooling effects differentiate these hot-weather dinners from regular meal options.
Some of these dinners use ingredients like cucumber, mint, or watermelon, known for their cooling effects on the body, making these meals even more refreshing during the hot season.
Despite their simplicity, these dinners offer a wide range of choices. From filling salads and grilled proteins to sandwiches and chilled soups, there are plenty of options to keep dinnertime varied and interesting even when the temperature is soaring. This variety allows for personal preferences and dietary needs to be easily accommodated, making these meals practical for hot weather and a tasty and satisfying choice.
Camarones Rancheros (Mexican Style Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 20 oz shrimp peeled and deveined
- 5 roma tomatoes chopped
- ½ white onion thinly sliced
- 1 serrano pepper chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tbs olive oil
Summer Harvest Cheddar Quesadilla
INGREDIENTS
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ear fresh corn kernels sliced off
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 2 large flour tortillas
- 4 ounces grated Cabot Alpine cheddar cheese or your favorite sharp cheddar
- 3 medium ripe heirloom tomatoes sliced
- handful fresh basil leaves
The Best Chili Cheese Dogs
INGREDIENTS
- 6 all beef hot dogs
- 6 hot dog buns
- Hot dog sauce, prepared
- Nacho sauce, prepared
Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
Chicken Caesar Wrap
INGREDIENTS
- 2-3 heads of romaine lettuce
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon if using fresh
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary 1 teaspoon if using fresh
- ¼ teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon if using fresh
- Your favorite Caesar or Italian dressing. We like Newman's Own Caesar dressing
- 6 pitas cut in half
- ¼ cup bacon bits
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Chipotle Lime Grilled Chicken With Mango Salsa
ingredients
Chipotle Lime Chicken
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Mango Salsa
- 2 cups diced mango
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Kebabs
Ingredients
Huli Huli Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup sherry
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , grated
For the kebabs
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 pineapple, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 medium bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
Ground Beef Fajita
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 oz package Fajita seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon dried cilantro
- 8 Fajita Tortillas
Coconut Lime Salmon
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 6-ounce salmon filets, skin removed & pat dry
DRY RUB
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
COCONUT LIME SAUCE
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 13.5 ounce can full fat unsweetened coconut milk*
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
- 1 lime, zested & juiced
- chopped basil & cilantro, for garnish
Best Tostadas De Tinga
INGREDIENTS
- 12 Tostadas
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic or 3 fresh garlic cloves
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 chipotles in Adobo plus 2 Tablespoons of the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 3 large chicken breasts about 1 ½- 2 pounds, cooked and shredded
- up to ½ cup chicken broth
- Toppings all optional
- shredded lettuce
- fresh cilantro
- fresh tomatoes
- salsa green or red- we prefer green on these
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- avocados
- cotija or other cheese
- beans of choice
