60 Summer Chicken Recipes You Can Enjoy All Season Long
We know what we're eating this summer. (Hint: It's chicken!)
They say that chicken is "what’s for dinner”... We say that's especially true come summertime. Chicken pairs perfectly with all our favorite summer veggies, like summer squash and tomatoes; takes to all our favorite warm-weather cooking techniques, like grilling and air frying; and makes for some of the best potluck dishes for picnics and BBQs. Check out our 60 summer chicken recipes for ideas—from mains to sides, they’re ALL winners.
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When it’s hot out, we love getting out of our warm kitchens and into the great outdoors, and we’re taking chicken with us. You can turn it into a super-easy weeknight dinner on the grill with our Hawaiian chicken foil packs, our grilled chicken breast, or our grilled chicken kebabs. It’s also great for celebratory dinners (for Memorial Day or Father’s Day, maybe?)—check out our piri piri chicken, our pineapple teriyaki chicken (served in a pineapple), or our brick chicken recipes; they’re sure to impress. You could also turn them into surefire summer party crowd-pleasers, like our curried chicken salad, chicken pasta salad, or our sheet-pan green chile chicken nachos.
We wait all year for our favorite summer fruits and veggies, so we take advantage of them as often as we can when they’re in season. That means if we’re serving chicken, it’s getting paired with all our faves, like bell peppers, zucchini, and corn. Check out our elote (Mexican street corn) tacos, our chicken chowder zucchini boats, and our honey mustard chicken, tomato & zucchini foil packs for ideas. One of our favorite tricks? If you’ve got a favorite winter or fall chicken recipes, summer-fy it by adding some grilled veggies or juicy summer fruit—you never know, you might discover a new favorite!
Want more summertime inspiration? Check out our ultimate grilling recipes, our fave summer salads, and our top summer desserts too.
Strawberry Jalapeño Chicken
Seasoned chicken breast gets pan-seared until golden brown, smothered in a strawberry chipotle sauce, and topped with fresh strawberry-jalapeño salsa to create this playful, bright dish. Sweet-and-spicy lovers, this is bound to become your springtime go-to dinner.
Get the Strawberry Jalapeño Chicken recipe.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Tired of your same old Caesar salad? Add chicken and penne pasta to transform it into the BBQ side dish of your dreams.
Get the Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe.
Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca
Glance at the ingredient list for this Caprese-inspired chicken saltimbocca recipe, and it reads like an all-star roster of deliciousness. Prosciutto and chicken? Present. Ciliegine (aka, tiny balls of mozzarella) and juicy cherry tomatoes? They're here too. Finally, the dynamic duo of basil leaves and balsamic vinegar take it OTT.
Get the Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca recipe.
Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Bowls
The pineapple in this recipe doesn't just serve as a pretty serving vessel. Use the juice that pools at the bottom of your pineapple when scooping out the chunks to add a fresh and vibrant sweetness to the teriyaki sauce too.
Spicy Chipotle Chicken Burgers
Chicken burgers are easy to throw together, making them the perfect any-night dinner. These are extra special thanks to chipotle chiles that give them a little extra kick and lots of flavor.
Peach Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Grilling fruit brings out all its juicy sweetness, and while you can always go the sweet route with your grilled peaches, they're just as good paired with this sweet and tangy balsamic chicken.
Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
If you can't get enough of the fresh flavors of bruschetta, get ready to meet your new favorite weeknight dinner. This chicken pasta—loaded with cherry tomatoes, basil, and Parm—brings the summer vibes every time it's served.
Get the Bruschetta Chicken Pasta recipe.
Best Chicken Salad
We'd argue that our balance of add-ins here is the pinnacle, but once you nail the chicken and the dressing, you can feel free to spread your wings and give it your own personal flair. Whatever you add, chicken salad is just as perfect eaten on its own as it is piled on a croissant with a side of pasta salad at a BBQ, or dolloped on a bed of leafy greens at brunch.
Get the Best Chicken Salad recipe.
Caprese Chicken Foil Packs
This recipe combines three things we love—Caprese, chicken, and foil packets—for a SUPER-easy and bright chicken dinner that only takes about 30 minutes to make. Whether you're throwing a BBQ or having a chill family meal, everyone will love them!
Get the Caprese Chicken Foil Packs recipe.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
With sweet strawberries, herby chicken, tangy feta, and crunchy pecans, this summer salad will make even so-called spinach haters fall in love after just one bite. This light and fresh salad lets sweet flavors shine, but is complemented by the sharp textures and flavors of our other ingredients.
Get the Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe.
Chicken Quesadillas
You don't really need a recipe to make this insanely popular Mexican dish, but if you're looking for some guidance, especially in cooking up some quick and easy chicken to stuff inside, this recipe won't let you down.
Get the Chicken Quesadillas recipe.
Creamy Basil Chicken Skillet With Corn & Tomato
This is a dish that evokes summer in a skillet, thanks to just-burst cherry tomatoes, kernels of sweet summer corn, and basil-smothered chicken. Serve the chicken breasts whole or remove them from the skillet and slice before serving.
Get the Creamy Basil Chicken Skillet With Corn & Tomato recipe.
California Grilled Chicken
♫ California looove ...♫ Balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, honey, oil, and Italian seasoning come together here for a lovely marinade that goes perfectly with in-season tomatoes and creamy avocado.
Get the California Grilled Chicken recipe.
Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Tacos
Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowls
While we’re all about switching things up, when we want a tried-and-true perfect meal, we always go back to the chicken burrito bowl from Chipotle. It’s classic, reliable, and completely customizable depending on our mood. Best of all? It's SO easy to make at home too, just how you like it.
Chicken Fajita Marinade
This chicken fajita marinade is made with oil, garlic, lime zest and juice, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. It transforms plain chicken breasts into juicy, flavorful strips that are perfect for folding into flour tortillas for taco nights all summer long.
Get the Chicken Fajita Marinade recipe.
Best Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled chicken breasts can be the epitome of boring—too often they're dried out or rubbery. But when soaked in a super-quick marinade with balsamic, brown sugar, and dried thyme, you're guaranteed deliciousness.
Get the Best Grilled Chicken Breast recipe.
Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
Nothing beats a street taco—super-juicy, tender grilled meat in a quick grab-and-go format, typically made possible by doubling up two smaller corn tortillas. This makes them easier to eat on the side of the street, in the car, anywhere! They're no frills yet tend to be some of the most craveable tacos around.
Get the Grilled Chicken Street Tacos recipe.
Chicken Enchiladas
When the craving for satisfying comfort food meets the need for a straightforward weeknight dinner, chicken enchiladas are a guaranteed winner. They’re easy, filling, and take less than an hour to prepare from start to finish.
Get the Chicken Enchiladas recipe.
Goddess Bowls
An easy summer chicken dinner, these bowls combine nutritious powerhouses—brown rice, avocado, roasted asparagus, and sweet cherry tomatoes—with a creamy, herby goddess dressing (trust us, this stuff beats out the pre-packaged stuff any day).
Get the Goddess Bowls recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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