Because worrying about dinner should be the last thing on your mind.
Mayo makes this oven-seared salmon deliciously crispy at the edges. Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Summer is when I most miss being a kid. The uncomplicated, unhurried delight of it all: waking up late with no plans, spending the day barefoot, eating strawberries hot from the garden and grilled cheese sandwiches made of butter-drenched bread and melty American cheese, then yes, drinking water straight from the garden hose.
These days, my summers are hardly indistinguishable from the rest of the year — busy, over-scheduled, gone in a snap — with the exception of more sunshine and excellent produce. And there is, as always, the matter of what to eat three times a day (double that if you have kids). So, to help, we put together a collection of 100 of our easiest, dreamiest summer recipes — salads, desserts, easy dinners, grilling and no-cook meals — that will make you and your loved ones happy, but leave plenty of time for you to do more important things like absolutely nothing.
Effortless meals for sweltering weeknights
One-pot ratatouille pasta brings summer flavors to a weeknight meal.Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
One-Pot Ratatouille Pasta Thirty minutes, one-pot and packed with summer’s best produce.
Cold Noodles With Zucchini A salty-sweet mixture of maple syrup, soy sauce, fish sauce and garlic coats stir-fried zucchini and silky ramen.
Creamy Coconut-Lime Rice With Peanuts Rice is simmered in coconut milk, then the leftover milk forms a sauce with lime and peanut butter.
Linguine With Zucchini, Corn and Shrimp To maintain their snap, zucchini, corn and shrimp are cooked quickly, then paired with pasta, basil and mint. Hello, summer.
Rotisserie chicken shaves time off this garlic-scallion chicken sandwich recipe.Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Garlic-Scallion Chicken Sandwiches Rotisserie chicken leads this perfect picnic sandwich, where scallions, garlic and vinegar-soaked currants are supporting players.
Oven-Seared Salmon With Corn and Tomatoes Crispy oven-seared salmon (thanks to mayo) lays on a jumble of raw summer corn, tomatoes and scallions.
Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp) Sautéed with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper, these shrimp deserve to be served with the crustiest bread.
Likama Roasted Salmon With Cabbage Salad Ginger, turmeric, paprika, cumin and coriander, a combination typically used to season meat, coats salmon.
Okra and tomatoes add oomph to these roasted shrimp.Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.
Roasted Shrimp With Okra and Tomatoes High heat softens okra and sweetens tomatoes, while shrimp, seasoned with smoked paprika and oregano, make it a meal.
Sheet-Pan Chicken and Tomatoes With Balsamic Tahini The broiler does the heavy lifting here, while the two-ingredient balsamic tahini makes it all shine.
Cumin Green Beans and Mushrooms Plenty of cumin (five teaspoons!) highlights the beans’ sweetness and mushrooms’ earthiness.
Salmon With Freshly Grated Tomatoes and Butter A five-ingredient dinner of fresh, tangy tomato sauce with buttery salmon.
Lemongrass lends its flavor to the marinade in this tofu stir-fry.Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Lemongrass Tofu and Broccoli A simple but bold lemongrass marinade doubles as a stir-fry sauce.
Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Using both breasts and thighs creates a juicy and textured tangle of feathery chicken.
Chicken Pesto Meatballs So, so smart. Combine pesto — store-bought or homemade — with ground chicken (or turkey), then bake until golden.
Zucchini Pasta With Tuna and Chile Paste Pantry cooking at its best. Just add a zucchini from the garden.
These lettuce cups are cooling on a hot day.Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Ground Turkey, Shiitake and Cashew Lettuce Cups A salad and stir-fry in one.
Crispy Gnocchi With Spinach and Feta This spanakopita-inspired pasta is packed with spinach, feta, dill and mint.
Spanakorizo With Jammy Eggs A daffodil-yolked jammy egg tops this much-loved Greek dish.
Miso-Chile Asparagus With Tofu A sticky sauce of miso, mirin, rice vinegar and a good hit of chile coats tofu and asparagus, which is broiled until glossy and glazed.
20 strong cases for eating your veggies
This minty, spicy cucumber salad comes together in minutes.David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Spicy Cucumbers With Mint, Scallions and Crushed Peanuts This spicy, just-this-side-of-sweet salad will save you on sweltering days.
Tortellini Pasta Salad Your favorite Italian deli sandwich, now in salad form.
Dumpling and Smashed Cucumber Salad With Peanut Sauce For a gorgeous, low-effort summer meal, add dumplings to a nutty cucumber salad.
Yogurt fills in for mayo in this chicken salad.Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
Grilled Chicken Salad This fresh, modern take on the classic mayo-based salad is made with tangy yogurt, turmeric, coriander, everything bagel seasoning and cilantro.
Tomato and Peach Salad With Berkoukes A delightfully chewy North African semolina pasta is the base of this herby salad.
Zucchini Salad With Bread Crumbs What to do with all that zucchini? Toss it in an anchovy-Dijon dressing, then top it with capery breadcrumbs.
This salad makes the most of summer tomatoes.Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Tomato Salad Find the best and brightest tomatoes, then dress them with shallot, lemon juice, olive oil and fragrant basil leaves.
Charred Corn and Chickpea Salad With Lime Crema An easy version of Mexican crema, spiked with lime and garlic, dresses this summery salad.
Maroulosalata (Green Salad With Feta and Dill) Shredded romaine, fresh dill, crumbled feta and sliced scallions dressed with olive oil and lemon. Simply wonderful.
Carrot and Orange Salad Somewhere between a salad and a cold soup, this popular Moroccan dish, tinged with cinnamon, will refresh all season long.
Grated and fried halloumi adds crunch to this Little Gem salad.Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Little Gem Salad With Crispy Halloumi Grate halloumi, fry it until crisp, then add pistachios and fennel seeds for an ideal crunchy finish for tender Little Gems.
Tomato and Cottage Cheese Salad In this loose riff on Caprese salad, tomato slices are topped with cottage cheese, then sprinkled with everything bagel blend.
Snap Pea, Tofu and Herb Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce “Delicious vegan summer main!” one reader wrote.
Charred Bok Choy and Cannellini Bean Salad A maple-ginger dressing binds this smoky-sweet salad, which gets its creaminess from the white beans.
The pesto in this salad works well over beans, too.Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad Skip the Parmesan, and instead, blend together lemon, capers and lots of nuts (pistachio, almond or pine) for an umami-rich pesto.
Peach, Cucumber and Mozzarella Salad With Gochujang Vinaigrette One reader called the dressing “a revelation.”
Saladu Nebbe (Black-Eyed Pea Salad With Tomatoes and Cucumbers) Marinating everything in the lime-parsley dressing for at least two hours encourages the flavors play together.
This salmon salad brings a sparkle of color to the table.Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Salmon With Avocado and Cilantro Salad Lime, cumin, scallions and jalapeño boldly dress a delicate salad of watercress and avocado, topped with fall-apart salmon.
Chicken Gyro Chopped Salad “This was amazing!” one reader wrote.
Extra-Green Pasta Salad Sometimes it’s easy being green.
The sweetest parts of summer
Serve this cobbler warm or at room temperature.David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Easy Buttermilk Peach Cobbler Nestle juicy peach wedges into a buttermilk-browned butter batter, then bake until golden-edged and bubbly.
Panna Cotta Looks and sounds fancy, but it takes only 20 minutes to make.
Easy Chocolate Cake Sour cream adds plushness and tang to this straightforward cake, worthy of every summer birthday celebration.
This pie goes out to the coconut lovers.Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
Creamy Coconut-Lemon Pie What’s better than a coconut-graham cracker crust(!)? Filling it with a lemon-coconut custard topped with whipped coconut cream and toasted coconut.
Mango Labaniyad (Creamy Custard) Finish this creamy Somali dessert with mangoes, bananas, melons, strawberries or grapes.
Chewy Brownie Cookies A brownie and a cookie walked into a bar. …
Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies “This recipe is a historical event,” one reader wrote. Erect a statue.
A streusel-style crumble tops this plum beauty.Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Plum-Almond Crumble Ruby red plums star in this gorgeous, much-easier-than-pie crumble.
Cream Cheese Brownies They’re perfect as-is, or swirl in a few spoonfuls of jam or Nutella before baking.
Kalakand This shortcut version of the soft, chewy South Asian no-bake dessert uses condensed milk and grated paneer.
There’s no mixer required for this olive oil cake.Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
One-Bowl Lemon and Olive Oil Cake A little melted white chocolate added to the batter creates a rich, torte-like texture in this mixerless cake.
Blueberry Spoon Cake Macerated blueberries drenched in sugar, lemon zest and juice are poured over cornmeal batter, then baked in this easy gluten-free dessert.
Malva Pudding In this South African dessert, tender vanilla sponge cake is drenched in sweetened cream.
Stovetop Berry Crisp A small-batch any-berry crisp for when the mood strikes.
These chocolate chip cookies happen to be gluten-free.Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies It’s a miracle in cookie form: six ingredients (no butter, no flour and no leaveners) and ready in 30 minutes.
Nectarines in Lime Syrup Chilled, just-ripe nectarines swimming in lime syrup are an easy, elegant end to any summer meal.
Microwave Nutella Pudding Cake When you need chocolate cake, but it’s too hot to turn on the oven.
Pick your favorite combination of summer berries for this yogurt parfait.Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
Berries and Cream Macerated berries top a combination of yogurt and whipped cream for a light yet lush dessert.
Raspberry-Almond Clafoutis “Made this per the recipe was a huge hit, not too sweet and good for those gluten-free folks too!” wrote one reader. “Will definitely make again.”
Cookie Butter Blondies Speculoos cookie butter, shredded coconut and brown butter elevate the modest blondie.
Savor the outdoors while you can
Pickle juice works its magic on these pork chops.Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Grilled Pork Chops With Dill Pickle Butter Lemonade, soup, margaritas. Pickles are having a moment. Add them to butter, then slather it over chops.
Grilled Steak With Tomatoes, Basil and Cheddar A salad of tomatoes, Cheddar and basil is a perfect finish to gorgeously grilled steak.
Grilled Harissa Shrimp Toss with harissa, honey, lemon juice and olive oil for a grilled shrimp that has it all.
Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken With Tahini-Yogurt Sauce “A winner in our house,” one reader wrote. “My husband says it tastes like his favorite halal cart.”
The grill makes this panzanella something special.Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Grilled Corn Panzanella The classic tomato bread salad, but with cucumbers and corn.
Dijonnaise Grilled Chicken Breasts Flavorful Dijon and fatty mayonnaise keep boneless breasts from drying out on the grill.
Grilled Hot Dogs Pro tip: Arrange the hot dogs parallel to the grates for perfectly cooked, juicy dogs.
Grilled Chicken Thighs and Corn With Lime-Basil Butter Charred corn and boneless thighs are slicked with melted lime-basil butter.
Grilled shrimp conjure the flavors of a beach vacation, no dock required.Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Old Bay Grilled Shrimp A little baking soda keeps the shrimp snappy.
Soba Salad With Grilled Mushrooms and Tofu Noodles, grilled mushrooms and tofu, raw vegetables and maple-miso dressing mingle happily.
Grilled Hasselback Kielbasa With Jalapeño Honey Slicing kielbasa so it looks a little like a skinny accordion creates nooks to nestle the jalapeño honey.
Stuffed Pepper Tacos A taco encuerado (or “naked taco”) is a simple, but perfect thing.
These grits are produce-packed dinner without the fuss.Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Corn Grits With Charred Peppers and Broccoli Fire-kissed broccoli and peppers take cheesy, nubbly corn grits to another level.
Grilled Chicken Thighs With Tomatoes A tangy Dijon vinaigrette dresses charred tomatoes, and marinated thighs that have been crisped to perfection.
Harissa-Grilled Steak With Juicy Tomatoes You’ve heard of yogurt-marinated chicken, but here, a harissa-yogurt mixture is used for steak, giving it an enviable dark brown crust.
Grilled Salmon Perfect, every time.
Roasted peanuts, coconut milk and red curry paste do the heavy lifting in this satay sauce.Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Chicken Satay A Thai classic, chicken thighs are marinated in heady tamarind paste, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric, then grilled on skewers.
Grilled Eggplant, Herby Lentils and Turmeric Tahini Gorgeous, earthy vegetarian grilling.
Mayo-Grilled Broccoli Yes, mayo. It sticks to the florets, insulating them, so the interior stays tender and sweet, while the exterior chars.
Grilled Tahini-Honey Chicken Thighs “One of the absolutely favorite dinners I’ve ever made,” one reader wrote.
Don’t turn on the stove. Make these instead.
The charcuterie board is a summer staple.David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Charcuterie Board If you build it, they will come.
Prosciutto and Melon Salad Mozzarella and arugula round out this colorful salad.
Smoked Mackerel, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich Like a BLT, but with hunks of briny smoked mackerel in lieu of bacon.
Chilled Avocado Soup Avocado, yogurt, lime, cilantro, olive oil and a few slices of jalapeño are blended together for a creamy and bright soup.
These tostadas are a no-cook lunch or dinner.Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Spicy Tuna and Avocado Tostadas Top crunchy tostadas with a sort-of-guacamole tuna salad situation.
Tzatziki Chickpea Salad This riff on the beloved Greek dip adds chickpeas for a hearty side or a happy desk lunch.
Chilled Tofu With Gochujang Sauce Soft, yielding silken tofu is drizzled with a sweet-spicy-salty gochujang-vinegar sauce.
Chicken Galbi Noodle Salad “I’ve made this recipe pretty much once a week ever since first coming across it,” one reader wrote.
Ginger gives a kick to these green smoothies.Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Green Smoothie The secret ingredient is … vanilla extract.
Spicy Tuna Salad With Crispy Rice Combine canned tuna with sriracha and mayo, then serve it over crisped rice for a delightfully textured dish.
Pimento Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches For next-level tomato sandwiches, swap in pimento cheese for run-of-the-mill mayo.
Fresh Tomato and Yogurt Dip Grate a single gloriously ripe red tomato over a bowl of full-fat Greek yogurt. You’re welcome.
Focaccia lets the summer cook utilize the bits and bobs left in the fridge.Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Loaded Focaccia Squishy focaccia is piled with clouds of ricotta and whatever toppings you like.
Sardine and Egg Sandwich This mash-up sandwich of hard-boiled eggs and sardines offers a one-two protein punch.
Dill Pickle Tzatziki Chopped dill pickles add tang and crunch to creamy-cool tzaziki.
Easy Chicken Salad Celery and pecans give this breezy chicken salad (made with rotisserie chicken!) crunch.
Antipasto is a quick and satisfying make-ahead meal.Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Antipasto Salad Everything you love about an antipasto platter — tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, peppers, cheese and salami — in a serves-a-crowd salad.
Mango Salsa For a delightful contrast in textures, use one riper mango and one less ripe mango.
Waldorf Salad Grapes, apples, pecans, fresh parsley and mayo make for a surprisingly refreshing classic salad.
White Bean Dip With Cumin-Chile Oil This velvety dip is seasoned with cumin, lemon zest and chile flakes, then drizzled with warm cumin oil.
Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.
