31 Easy August Dinner Recipes to Make Every Night This Month
It’s August, which means you’re either sweating, working or wishing you were on vacation…or all three. But no matter what, you still have to eat dinner every night, and we’re guessing that you don’t want to spend a whole lot of time in a hot kitchen figuring out what to make. Presenting our plan for 31 totally foolproof, seasonally appropriate and—most importantly—delicious August dinner recipes to make all month long.
RELATED: 76 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas That Everyone Will Love
August 1: Cheater’s Skillet Lasagna
Corn and tomatoes are in season, which means we’re officially using them in as many meals as possible.
August 2: Seared Scallops with Green Peas, Mint and Shallots
It’s time to debunk the myth that cooking seafood at home is time-consuming and difficult. This dish is less than ten ingredients and ready in 20 minutes. (Bonus: There’s bacon.)
August 3: Corn Fritter Caprese with Peaches and Tomatoes
Since you only have to cook the corn fritters, this meal comes together easily. You wouldn’t know that from looking at it, though.
August 4: BLT Tacos
It’s hard to beat a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. But we think these tacos beg to differ.
August 5: Slow-Cooker Pulled Chicken
PSA: You can—and should—use your slow cooker in the summer. The less time in a hot kitchen, the more time outside in the (OK, equally hot, but more fun) sun.
August 6: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sriracha and Lime
When you’re in the mood for light dinner, serve these sweeties with a yogurt sauce and roasted chickpeas.
August 7: Spicy Corn Carbonara
Sure, you could make this amazingly creamy-but-still-light pasta any time of year. But it’s so much better in August, when the corn is fresh.
August 8: Cheater’s Spicy Sausage Pizza with Burrata
Bless you, store-bought pizza crust. Bless you, 35-minute dinner. Bless you, burrata.
August 9: Cold Lemon Zoodles
For the true dog days of summer, when it’s too hot to turn on any kitchen appliance. (Plus, you’ll use up all the zucchini that you bought at the farmers market).
August 10: Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
We’ve never really met a burger we didn’t like, but we borderline L-O-V-E these juicy turkey burgers. And we want to spread that yogurt sauce on everything.
August 11: Tomato Salad with Grilled Halloumi and Herbs
This is basically the summer version of grilled cheese and tomato soup. It’s also ready in 10 minutes, natch.
August 12: Shrimp Boil Skewers with Corn, Sausage and Potatoes
Summer on a stick, anyone? Everything gets cooked on the grill, so you can spend less time cleaning and more time eating.
August 13: Skillet Chicken with Apricots and Fresh Herbs
Is it worth waiting all year to make this when apricots are in season? Unequivocally yes.
August 14: Blackberry-Peach Grilled Cheese
The tartness of the berries and sweetness of the peach cut the richness of the cheese. It’s heaven on a plate.
August 15: Sriracha Shrimp Skewers with Collard-Peach Salad
Burgers and hot dogs are fine, but let’s face it, they’re kind of a snooze-fest after the 15th night. These skewers are just as easy, but spice things up a bit.
August 16: Low-Carb Zucchini Enchiladas
An abundance of in-season zucchini means finding creative ways to use it up. These guys have all the cheesy goodness of the originals, minus the carbs.
August 17: Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
Why wait for Tuesday? Make every night taco night.
August 18: Tomato-Poached Cod with Fresh Herbs
It’s easy, good for you and can be made on a night when you want to look fancy and feel good with minimal effort.
August 19: 20-Minute Burrata Salad with Stone Fruit and Asparagus
Who needs caprese when you have fresh cherries and peaches?
August 20: Cheater’s Skillet Paella
While it’s not authentic, our version of Spanish paella is delicious and attainable. All you need is one pan, an oven and a glass of white wine.
RELATED: 13 Skillet Recipes That Are Perfect for Warm Weather
August 21: Sweet-and-Sour Pork Skewers with Pineapple
It’s the ideal evening to fire up the barbecue—but instead of hamburger patties, make these quick and easy skewers. Serve ’em with a side of rice pilaf if you’re feeling fancy.
August 22: Skillet Roast Chicken with Peaches, Tomatoes and Red Onion
If you have an hour, you can make a meal to eat alfresco with only one pan to clean later on.
August 23: Greek Chicken with Feta and Kalamata Olives
With a little foil or parchment paper, all the cleanup is eliminated. Serve it with a big green salad, why don’t ya?
August 24: Whole-Wheat Feta Tart with Caramelized Onions and Herbs
We’ll take any excuse to eat cheese—and pie—for dinner.
August 25: Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Strawberries
What’s the forecast? Oh, right, another scorcher. No worries: You’re not turning on the oven tonight.
August 26: Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
The very best part about this stunning dish? You can prep everything the night before, then blend the ingredients and put it all together in less than 10 minutes, right before serving.
August 27: Pork Milanese with Cucumber Yogurt
You must be a fancy restaurant chef or something.
August 28: Watermelon Poke Bowls
It’s cool, it’s crunchy, it’s photogenic to boot. Need we say more?
August 29: The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Grilled chicken sandwiches tend to be a bit...uh…boring? Not this one. With tzatziki, fried onions and plenty of crunchy veggies, it’s a revelation.
August 30: 15-Minute Cheater’s Pad Thai
The takeout urge is real. Tame it with this (easier, faster, healthier) version.
August 31: Cherry Tomato Galette with Garlic and Herbs
Be still our tomato-loving heart. It just doesn’t get summerier than this.