29 Quick and Easy 5-Ingredient Recipes to Make All Summer
It’s a hot summer night. You want a delicious dinner but can’t be bothered with an involved, complicated dish. Well, you’re in luck, because we happen to live by the motto “five ingredients or bust.” (Kidding, kind of.) Here, 29 quick and easy 5-ingredient summer recipes to make on repeat through Labor Day. They’re all supremely tasty, and none of them require more than a handful of fresh seasonal ingredients (plus a few pantry staples you already have in your kitchen).
RELATED: 90 Easy Summer Dinners That Everyone Will Love
1. One-Pan Steak with Beets and Crispy Kale
Easy, delicious and only one dish to wash up. What’s not to love?
2. Corn and Tomato Salad with Feta and Lime
A surplus of corn on the cob calls for one thing: this tangy-sweet salad.
3. Pan-Fried Cod with Orange and Swiss Chard
Just 30 minutes stand between you and this next-level dinner, but you wouldn’t know it at first glance.
RELATED: The 17 Best Fish Recipes That Are Easy to Make at Home
4. Cacio e Pepe
If you learn one pasta recipe by heart, make it this.
5. One-Pan Eggs with Asparagus and Tomatoes
FYI, this tastes just as good for breakfast as it does for dinner. (Er, we mean brinner.)
6. Easy 5-Ingredient Corn Soup
With a crunchy sesame-seed brown butter topping, this dish is anything but boring.
7. Grilled Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Sandwich
We like to call this open-face sandwich “summer on a plate.”
8. Zoodles with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Think spaghetti pomodoro, just a little lighter.
9. Shrimp and Grits
Oh, and it happens to be paleo-friendly. Happy cooking, y’all.
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10. One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Carrots
Taste the (carrot) rainbow.
RELATED: 50 Summer Chicken Recipes That Never Get Old
11. Spinach Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
What, you thought we’d make a list like this and not include plenty of zoodles? They’re a summertime staple.
12. Lemon Chicken with Asparagus
It’s bright, fresh and basically the epitome of summer.
13. Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
You can totally pass pasta salad off as healthy when there’s kale involved.
14. Tomato Salad with Grilled Halloumi and Herbs
Can we take a second to appreciate that halloumi? It magically holds up to a hot grill, so the outside stays crisp while the inside gets delightfully melty.
15. Green Beans with Garlicky Pistachio Vinaigrette
Don’t skimp on the salt when blanching the green beans—it’s key to a well-seasoned side dish.
16. Spaghetti with Rosemary and Lemon
Lemon makes everything taste like summer, in our humble opinion.
17. Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
Bonus: This one comes together in about 15 minutes.
RELATED: 50 Surprising Ways to Cook Shrimp
18. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
If you have olive oil in your pantry, you have the makings of a very delicious dinner.
19. BLT Tacos
Nothing against sandwiches; we just have a soft spot for tacos.
20. Linguine with Bacon, Peaches and Gorgonzola
Bacon is always a good idea when there’s pasta on the table. (Peaches too. Who would guess?)
21. Pan-Seared Scallops with Citrusy Corn Succotash
Shh…these scallops are secretly so easy to make, but they look and taste totally impressive.
22. Burst Tomato and Zucchini Spaghetti with Avocado Sauce
Have vegan friends? Serve this luscious plant-based dish.
23. Melon Salad with Chili Powder, Mint, Lime and Flaky Sea Salt
Minimal effort, maximum results. We’re kind of obsessed with this spicy-sweet side dish.
24. 15-Minute Buffalo Chicken Sliders
These cuties start with a humble rotisserie chicken—kinda genius if you ask us.
25. 15-Minute Cucumber-Avocado Blender Soup
Cold soup on a hot night? We’re coming over for dinner.
26. Eggs Baked in Tomatoes
Aka how to make good use of your heirloom tomato harvest.
27. 5-Ingredient Chipotle Chicken Taquitos
They’re even better than the restaurant version, promise.
28. Grilled Watermelon-Feta Skewers
Rather than just chopping up the ingredients and tossing them with dressing, this flavorful salad-on-a-stick begins at the grill.
29. Green Goddess Quinoa Summer Salad
*Drizzles Magic Green Sauce over our entire life*
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