Transform the humble chicken into delicious dishes that are perfect for the season! Summer dishes are all about bright colors and vibrant flavors. Like a ray of sunshine, these meals give us comfort and joy. In this round-up of summer recipes, I have 25 scrumptious dishes for you to choose from. Some are hot, others are cold, but all of them are amazing. From salads to sandwiches to kebabs, each dish captures the essence of summer. They’re celebration-worthy but easy enough to prepare on a weeknight. Whether you serve them at home or bring them to your next potluck, they’ll be a certified hit! Winner winner, chicken dinner, indeed. Let’s get cooking!
1. Peach-Glazed Chicken
Want a delectable dish that will make the most out of summer produce? This peach-glazed chicken has you covered. Tender juicy chicken topped with a sweet and tangy caramelized peach glaze: yeah, that’s what I’m talking about! Not only is this dish drool-worthy, but it’s also healthy and a breeze to make. Five ingredients and one skillet: that’s all you’ll need to pull off this sweet and savory dish.
2. Chicken Piccata
No time to make a fancy meal for your weekend dinner? Chicken piccata is the solution. It’s a quick and simple dish that tastes as if it took hours to make! This dish features juicy fried chicken cutlets drenched in a buttery lemon sauce, with capers to boot. The savory chicken and the bright and zesty sauce make the perfect combination. Did I mention this dish only takes 20 minutes to make? It couldn’t get any easier than that. This easy recipe for chicken piccata is a simple yet superb dinner that’s ready in no time!
3. Grilled Greek Chicken Salad
This salad isn’t your ordinary appetizer. First of all, it’s loaded with romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, avocado, and feta. From that alone, you can tell how flavorful and colorful this salad is! Then, there’s the protein. What could taste better with a salad than grilled chicken thighs? Seasoned with oregano, basil, thyme, paprika, and garlic powder, the chicken is not only tender and juicy but also packed with flavor. Tying it all together is a rich and creamy tzatziki dressing made of Greek yogurt, buttermilk, dill, lemon, garlic, and pepper. Toss all the ingredients in a bowl, and you’ll get one heck of an appetizer.
4. Chicken Pasta Salad
Chicken pasta salad is summer comfort food at its best. It’s ridiculously rich, creamy, and savory. It’s served chilled, too, making it so refreshing and addictive. With a combination of pasta, carrots, celery, bell peppers, avocado, cheese, and bacon, this salad is bursting with color and flavor. Taking things to the next level is a mayo-sour cream dressing. It’s so good, I can eat an entire bowl!
5. Coca-Cola Chicken
Aside from chicken, you know what else is versatile? Coca-Cola! Aside from being a refreshing beverage, it also makes a fantastic ingredient to desserts and savory dishes. Case in point – Coca-Cola chicken. Soaking chicken in a Coke marinade not only gives it a sweet and smoky flavor but also makes it super moist. Apart from Coke, the marinade also contains ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to give the most tremendous balance of flavors.
6. Primavera Stuffed Chicken
We all know how chicken breast is prone to being dry and dull. With this recipe, though, you can kiss that problem goodbye. Primavera chicken is a delectable dish made by stuffing chicken breasts with seasoned tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion. Apart from flavor and texture, the stuffing also helps keep the chicken moist. It doesn’t end there! The chicken is also topped with mozzarella and baked to golden perfection. Delish.
7. Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed bell peppers are a rustic dish that will give excitement to any boring weeknight. First of all, let’s take a moment to appreciate just how colorful this dish is. I mean, just look at it! Gorgeous. More importantly, though, this dish is ultra-loaded with flavor. Crisp and sweet bell peppers are stuffed with well-seasoned chicken fajitas and rice, topped with cheese, and baked until golden. It’s already phenomenal in and of itself, but you can make it even more irresistible by topping it with guacamole and sour cream.
8. Ritz Cracker Chicken
Juicy chicken cutlets are coated in salty Ritz cracker crumbs and baked until golden brown. How awesome does that sound? Sure, nothing beats the goodness of crispy fried chicken, but we all know eating fried food on the daily is not a healthy option. Good thing we can trust the oven to crisp up chicken without needing all that grease! With this recipe, we get to enjoy the goodness of a tender and juicy fried chicken, minus the fat.
9. Honey Lime Chicken
This dish features pan-roasted chicken thighs with a bright honey-lime dressing. Try it once, and you’ll make it again and again. It’s perfectly fine because this dish is weight watcher-friendly! The sauce is a blend of honey, lime juice, and soy sauce. Coat chicken with it, and you’ll get the most beautiful medley of sweet, tangy, salty, and savory flavors. Trust me, you’ll gladly eat this every day.
10. Salsa Verde Chicken
Salsa verde chicken is a baked chicken dish that calls for 5 simple ingredients. The result, however, is epic. All you’ll need is to top chicken breasts with a jar of salsa verde, Mexican blend cheese, and salsa, and pop it in the oven. It’s a simple dump and bake recipe that you can make even on a busy day. Pair this dish with salad or rice and dinner is served.
11. Fiesta Lime Chicken
This Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken puts your favorite restaurant item to shame. What makes it so special, you ask? Let’s break it down, shall we? At the bottom of the casserole, you’ll find crushed corn chips… so crunchy and perfectly salty. In the middle is juicy chicken that’s seasoned perfectly… wonderfully sweet, spicy, and tangy. On top of that is a rich mayo, sour cream contrasted by a refreshing salsa dressing. Finally, there’s a layer of ooey-gooey melted cheese. And yes, you can make all of that on your own. It’s surprisingly easy and impossible to mess up!
12. Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These chicken lettuce wraps are so mouth-watering, PF Chang’s is shaking! Juicy chicken and sweet and smoky sauce with water chestnuts wrapped in lettuce: my goodness, how can you resist? This popular Chinese dish seems difficult to make at home, but with this copycat recipe, nothing is impossible. Just because it’s a clone, doesn’t mean it’s no good. I personally think it’s even better than the original!
13. Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is arguably the epitome of summer salads. Picnics and potlucks are not complete without this cold and creamy dish. This shredded chicken and mayo combo is absolutely amazing. Apart from its sheer deliciousness, I also love how it’s so versatile recipe. So much so that you can use any leftover chicken and it will still taste incredible.
14. Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
I’m not exaggerating when I say this chicken really melts in your mouth. Who says chicken breasts always have to be tough and dry? The secret is to top the chicken with a combination of mayo and parmesan. Apart from flavor, the dressing also protects the chicken from drying up in the oven, keeping it super moist and tender.
15. Hawaiian Haystacks
This dish is as fun and crazy as its name! The ingredients list may sound strange, but trust me, it works. Here goes: Rice, gravy, chow mein noodles, cheddar cheese, mandarin oranges, tomatoes, pineapples, onions, celery, coconut — again, trust me. Give it a chance! The combination makes such interesting and unique flavors, you’ll crave more. It’s sweet, savory, tangy, rich, creamy, basically every flavor your taste buds can comprehend. And yes, it’s delicious.
16. Pina Colada Chicken
Okay, definitely don’t put chicken in your drink, but you should 100% try this dish! Chicken tenders are baked in coconut, pineapple, macadamia nuts, and a pina colada dressing. It sounds good and tastes even better. Talk about summer in a bowl! Sweet and salty with a citrus twist, this tropical dish will get you pumped up for the summer.
17. Applebee’s Chicken Salad
The chicken salad is definitely a must-try at Applebee’s. But if you’re on a budget and not in the mood to leave the house, this recipe is all you’ll need. Crunchy noodles, colorful veggies, and a rich dressing – this salad has the brightest, most delectable infusion of Asian flavors! I’m not a fan of salads, but this one I’ll gladly eat again and again.
18. Cobb Salad
Nothing beats the classics. The timeless cobb salad is a medley of chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, blue cheese, chives, and more! Dressed in a light and refreshing red wine vinegar dressing, this salad hits all the right notes. Is it colorful? Yes. Full of flavor? Definitely. Easy to make? Sure thing. In short, it has everything you’ll want in a classic salad. You really couldn’t ask for more.
19. Apricot Chicken
What do you get when you cook chicken breasts in sweet apricot preserves? A hearty, healthy, and drool-worthy dinner, that’s what. The sweetness from the apricots, the tang from the mustard, and the richness from Russian dressing make chicken breasts ridiculously delicious and ultra-moist. You can even transform leftovers into tomorrow’s lunch! Just toss it with a nice green salad and you’re all set.
20. Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Is your weekday lunch getting a little too boring? Liven it up with buffalo chicken wrap! In this dish, chicken is drenched in a rich buffalo sauce and garnished with tomatoes and bacon. It’s dressed with creamy ranch and hugged by a warm flour tortilla. That’s definitely a show-stopping dish, alright!
21. Caprese Chicken Kebabs
With these grilled chicken kebabs, your backyard party will never be more awesome. Skewers of juicy chicken, sweet cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella drizzled with pesto and a balsamic glaze – that’s the ultimate kebab, right there! Best of all, these bad boys come together in as little as 30 minutes. Less time in the grill means more time for entertaining.
22. Lemon Chicken Pasta
This dish gives the classic Alfredo sauce a bright and zesty twist. While there’s nothing wrong with the rich and creamy pasta sauce, it also couldn’t hurt to switch things up a little. All you’ll need is a bit of lemon juice, and the transformation is complete! The combination of creamy and citrusy is just sublime. Top this lemony pasta with fried chicken cutlets and lunch is served.
23. Rotisserie Chicken Salad
You’ll just need leftover rotisserie chicken, grapes, almonds, celery, whipped cream, and mayo to make the most stunning chicken salad. Just picture how rich and creamy this side dish is! This is one salad I can eat all day. Aside from the flavor, the ingredients also create wonderful texture contrasts. You’ll get everything from soft and tender to crisp and crunchy in one bite.
24. Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice
Serve this pineapple chicken fried rice in a hollowed pineapple and boom, you’ll have a festive dish. Rice, chicken, carrots, peas, and pineapple flavored with sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and scallions: that’s what I call stir-fry perfection. Fried rice is technically a side dish, but it’s so loaded with starches, veggies, and protein that you can serve it on its own.
25. Chicken Waldorf Salad
Chicken Waldorf salad is a fantastic combination of fruits, chicken, walnuts, and a creamy dressing. Thank you, Waldorf Hotel, for this genius creation. It’s sweet, creamy, rich, tangy all at the same time. The medley of tastes and textures creates beautiful fireworks in your mouth. It’s so delicious, it’s hard to believe it’s easy to make. You won’t need to turn on the stove or oven. Just toss the ingredients together and you’re done! Click on a star to rate it!
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