Are you looking for chicken summer dinner ideas now that the weather is getting warmer?
If you’re anything like me, chicken is a staple in your household. Not only is it a great source of protein, but there are so many ways to make it.
The flavor itself serves as a great base for other ingredients, and it could taste completely different on what seasonings you add.
The exact same ingredients can be elevated through the use of other flavorings to make it taste like you are eating something different each time.
It’s the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, and soups, so why not get creative with how you make it?
This post is all about fun chicken summer dinner ideas.
Having a bunch of reliable meals that you can go back to when you don’t know what to make is so nice, but sometimes, it can get boring repeating the same thing every week.
It’s nice to mix it up every once in a while, so that way you can continue to love your classic dishes without losing interest in them.
Not only are there tons of different flavors and seasonings that you can add to chicken but there are also a couple of ways to cook it, too.
The ones that may come to mind are over a grill, in an oven, or an air fryer. All methods can help the result become delicious, so you can choose whatever you feel comfortable with doing.
If you are preparing chicken at the beginning of the week to add to sandwiches or salads, you may want to only have a light amount of additional flavors to complement the other ingredients that will be with the chicken.
For something like that, you can use some lemon or lime juice and garlic salt on both sides. Italian seasoning also works well or onion powder.
This is personally my favorite way to add a little bit of flavor to the chicken I am baking because it works well with other flavors instead of clashing them. It’s the perfect balance for my sandwiches and is super easy to make.
To get a strong flavor, you can use fresh herbs and a more generous amount of spices and seasoning.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with other spices too, you can create countless combinations with just a couple of ingredients.
If there are any seasonings that you really love, chances are that you will also like it on chicken. Especially because chicken by itself is on the bland side, making it a great base for spices and herbs.
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Now we can move on to some chicken summer dinner ideas!
Dinner ideas:
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken enchiladas are a great dinner recipe if you don’t want to have to continuously check on or pay attention to the chicken as it cooks. It’s super quick because all you have to do is dice it up and you can bake it in the oven or in an air fryer.
If you are not super comfortable when adding tons of seasoning, this is a great recipe to help add flavor through the other ingredients. But if your chicken does have a lot of flavor, it won’t take away from the overall taste.
Either way, whether the chicken is super flavorful or not, the recipe works well. For a faster cooking time, dice up the chicken into small pieces. this will make it easier to tell when the meat is cooked through, and it takes a lot less time, which is nice if you’re in a rush.
In a time crunch, it can be difficult to get food on the table. Diced chicken saves a ton of time and is a great source of protein, so even if you don’t use it for chicken enchiladas, it may still come in handy.
Sauteed Chicken and…
Chicken saute also doesn’t take a lot of time but you do have to account for the time it will take to make whatever else you are pairing with the chicken.
There were too many yummy options to pair with the chicken saute so I didn’t add anything to keep suggestions open.
Sauteed vegetables along with the chicken are probably my top favorite side dish to add. By sauteing everything together, the flavors get mixed together and it almost creates a chicken stir fry situation.
You can add an assortment of different veggies, or stick with one like broccoli to enhance the overall dish.
For something a little more and easier on a sensitive stomach, sauteed chicken with rice is a favorite no matter what time of year it is.
For even more variety, sauteed chicken and potatoes take the spot for number three. This may be the least time-efficient summer dinner idea unless you already have potatoes prepared, but the extra work it takes pays off in how great it tastes all together.
Grilled Chicken with Pineapple
For several years, grilled chicken with pineapple has been a frequent meal made during the summer. The combination of flavors is summery and puts everyone in a great mood.
However, I think the floor should be opened up to other fruits and vegetables that taste just as good on a grill. You can toss them all together into bowls, or make them into kabobs.
In a bowl, you can eat it all together, or add even more ingredients. my go-to combination is grilled chicken and veggies with rice and then depending on the flavor, I also add soy sauce.
If I had to eat one meal for a week straight, this would be the one. It has a great variety of protein and vegetables, and the flavors are just immaculate.
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Whether you stick with just chicken and pineapple or add other veggies or fruits, this might be my favorite inclusion in the chicken summer dinner ideas.
This meal is also very allergy-friendly, because you can include or exclude any ingredients that you need to, and the chicken can be swapped out for a different type of meat or tofu.
Barbecued Chicken
To piggyback off of the previous meal in the chicken summer dinner ideas list, barbecue chicken is a great summer meal to make.
The end result depends a lot on how long you marinate the chicken for in terms of flavor. If you aren’t sure how long you need to marinate, just remember: the longer, the better.
Barbecue chicken is good with pretty much anything. you could pair it with salad, or put it in the salad for even more flavor.
I find myself eating barbecue chicken and coleslaw very often in the summertime, and the foods have a good contrast of hot and cold.
Speaking of hot and cold, grilled chicken with fresh vegetables like carrots or celery has the same effect. If you eat it all together, the flavors will combine and you will get a similar result to grilling everything together without having to put in the time.
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Chicken Parmesan
You may be thinking to yourself, why would chicken parmesan be on the list of chicken summer dinner ideas?
Although it is a warm and filling meal that may be associated with the colder months, chicken parmesan is an easy recipe that you can prepare quickly and then leave to cook while you go about doing other things like enjoying the weather.
While the weather is hot, turning on the oven for quite a while may not sound very appealing. however, if you have an air fryer, you can make a delicious, crispy chicken parm without heating up the house by a couple of degrees.
The air fryer helps keep the chicken juicy, which would also happen in the oven but not as much. The circulation of hot air will give the chicken parm a crispy texture with a tender inside.
After trying this for the first time, it may become your favorite way to make chicken parmesan. Clean-up is easier, the chicken is juicier, and the house stays cooler.
This is a pretty hefty meal on its own, so you may just want to add a couple of chopped veggies to the side. That way, you can keep your balanced meal while not overwhelming your stomach.
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And that’s about it! Those were all of the chicken summer dinner ideas that you can make to enjoy the warm weather.
All of these recipes are quite easy to make, and a great place to start if you want to get more familiar with cooking chicken.
For the absolute easiest experience, the air fryer will be the way to go. For something super quick if you have hungry guests, barbecuing will take a short amount of time and you can serve it right away.
If you just need to prepare chicken and then not think about it after putting it in to cook, the oven will be the most use to you.
All taste delicious, but can be better for whatever scenario you need them for. But even if you don’t have access to all of these appliances, they are not necessary to cook great-tasting chicken.
That concludes the best ways to make chicken during the summer!