30 Lazy June Dinner Ideas to Make Every Night This Month
If there's one thing our post-Memorial Day brains want this month, it's to do the least amount of cooking possible while still taking advantage of seasonal produce (looking at you, heirloom tomatoes) and warm weather. With these June dinner ideas, we can all spend a little less time in the kitchen and a little more time in the yard soaking up the summer sun—and sipping wine. Read on for 30 of our favorite meals to serve this time of year, including plenty of no-cook gems.
40 Quick Summer Dinners You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less
June 1: Green Goddess Pasta
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
Your favorite herb-packed salad dressing, but make it pasta sauce. A trio of fresh tarragon, basil and chives is the key to this vibrant dish's magic (the dollop of ricotta on top doesn't hurt either).
June 2: Sheet Pan Honey Tahini Salmon with Chickpeas and Couscous
Peter Som
Minimal prep, modest cooking time and almost no cleanup? Yes, please. (TBH, if those boxes aren't checked, we're not turning on the oven.) You could use the tahini-honey glaze on another kind of fish, like halibut or cod, if salmon isn't your thing.
June 3: Strawberry, Basil and Arugula Salad with Lots of Black Pepper
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
Make the most of strawberry season with this simple, ten-minute salad. The fruit is marinated in rice vinegar and honey, which releases all its juices and dresses the greens. Add grilled chicken or baked tofu for more protein.
June 4: Buffalo Chicken Wraps with Blue Cheese and Celery
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
With a store-bought rotisserie chicken on your side, the dinner options are endless. Here, it's tossed in bottled Buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing for 20-minute wraps that don't require a moment of cooking (well, besides toasting the tortillas to make them pliable).
June 5: 15-Minute Cucumber-Avocado Blender Soup
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Whoever said soup was reserved for cold weather never had the pleasure of eating this mind-blowingly simple meal that comes together in a blender. Don't skip the crusty, cheesy baguette on the side—it's the ultimate dippable pairing.
June 6: Sheet Pan Persian Lemon Chicken
Allison Day/Modern Lunch
A whole chicken? Fine. A whole chicken with potatoes and spinach, finished with tangy yogurt and pretty pomegranate arils? Divine. The entire dish can be prepped in about five minutes, and any leftovers will keep in your refrigerator for up to four days. (That's what we like to call lunch plans.)
June 7: Five-Minute Bean Salad
Heidi Swanson/Super Natural Simple
It's incredible what a difference fresh herbs and lemon zest can make. They're crucial for zhuzhing up this lightning-fast salad starring canned white beans. Smash the beans over toast, serve them atop greens or wash them down with white wine.
June 8: 20-Minute Shrimp Scampi Zoodles
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
It's buttery and bright like the O.G., but contains a fraction of the carbs, thanks to spiralized zucchini. Even better, you'll only need ten ingredients to pull off the dish, and most of them are likely in your kitchen right now.
June 9: Jalapeño Popper Omelet
Katherine Gillen
When in doubt, breakfast for dinner is an easy win. Turn your favorite game day app into a cheesy, savory omelet that's low-carb, keto-friendly and downright delicious. Did we mention the recipe only requires eight ingredients?
June 10: Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta and Basil
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
'Tis the season to stuff every farmers market squash you can get your hands on into your roomiest tote bag. This one-pan skillet pasta is the best way to show off your haul. Substitute zucchini if you'd like—just be generous with the ricotta.
June 11: Summer Vegetable Steak Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Eva Kolenko/The Modern Proper
Despite its gourmet appearance, this elegant dinner is only 25 minutes away. You can cook the skirt steak on the grill if the weather's right, but the recipe calls for charring it under your broiler instead for fuss-free prep.
June 12: Sheet Pan Pierogi with Caramelized Cabbage, Onions and Dill
Katherine Gillen
It doesn't take much to transform store-bought pierogi into something spectacular. The trick is finishing it with fresh dill for an herbaceous kick, as well as dunking each bite in lemon-dill sour cream before indulging.
June 13: 15-Minute Herb-Crumbed Fish
Kate Sears/The Modern Table
Foolproof, fast and nutritious, this is arguably the most flexible weeknight dinner of all time. Prepare the herb crumb and store it in the fridge a few days ahead to save time, or swap in crumbled potato chips as a salty substitute for breadcrumbs.
June 14: Joanna Gaines’s Peach Caprese Salad
Amy Neunsinger/Magnolia Table
When summer's tastiest peaches are ripe for the taking, why worry about cooking? Simply slice, season and assemble them on a plate with fresh mozzarella and torn basil. Add heirloom tomatoes or prosciutto to the mix if you'd like.
June 15: Hoisin-Ginger Noodles
Connie Miller of CB Creatives/Milk Street: Noodles
This 20-minute dish proves the power of a well-stocked pantry. We're talking hoisin sauce, sesame oil and your choice of chili-garlic sauce or sriracha, plus fresh ginger and scallions. (Lo mein, shirataki or even linguine are all fine alternatives for udon, BTW.)
June 16: Bitter Greens Salad with Herby Ranch Dressing
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Katherine Gillen
No hate to kale Caesar, but we've been craving a new go-to salad to lean on when we're feeling lazy about dinner. This gem—made with radicchio, frisée, Granny Smith apples and pistachios—will be ready to eat in a flash if you prep the herby ranch dressing in advance. Serve it with a side of grilled chicken (or, even better, chicken sausages) for a complete meal.
June 17: Cheater’s Vegetarian Pizza with Zucchini and Bell Peppers
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Thanks to store-bought flatbread (and any veggies hiding in your crisper drawer), the pizza goes from oven to table in about 15 minutes flat. The recipe calls for a summery mix of zucchini, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes, but you could add just about any produce you'd like.
June 18: Steak Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, especially those who'll get to sink their teeth into these tender, juicy skewers. Don't let the meat intimidate you: These are practically foolproof (and the chimichurri is even simpler).
June 19: Fish Taco Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Crispy fish topped with a mound of light, vinegary coleslaw is an easy win. Add fresh pico de gallo, avocado and crispy tortilla chips to the mix, and you have a salad for the books. Might we suggest drizzling the entire platter with avocado crema or chipotle mayo?
June 20: Cheater’s Whole Grilled Chicken and Vegetables
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
The spatchcocked bird cooks to perfection in an hour, you won't have to dirty your entire kitchen to make it (since it's cooked on the grill) and the leftovers will make a mean chicken salad. Any questions?
June 21: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
It’s officially summer, meaning the weather is perpetually hot. Are you turning your oven on to make this barbecue essential? We think not. Let the Crockpot do all the heavy lifting, then serve the sammies with plenty of coleslaw and mac and cheese.
June 22: Baked Sesame-Ginger Salmon in Parchment
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Want to know a secret? If you swap the parchment paper for foil, you can pop the salmon packets on the grill instead of in your oven. Your dinner will taste pleasantly smoky and you'll have minimal mess to clean up afterwards. Win-win.
June 23: Rainbow Collard Wraps with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
We usually reserve these vegan handhelds for a picnic, since they can be made up to two days ahead without getting soggy in the fridge. But they're substantial enough to serve for dinner as well, courtesy of protein-packed hummus and peanut butter dip.
June 24: Carrot-Ricotta Tart with Pesto and Pine Nuts
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
Savory pie is always invited to dinner at our place. Use multicolored heirloom carrots for a rustic look; they'll make the tart so pretty that your guests won't realize you started with store-bought puff pastry and jarred pesto.
June 25: Moules-Frites (Steamed Mussels and Fries)
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
It's a 30-minute meal that tastes like you're dining on the French Riviera, minus the hassle of a long flight. If that isn't très chic, we don't know what is. Pass the ketchup, s'il vous plaît.
June 26: Watermelon Poke Bowls
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
It’s hot and humid, so you’re craving something crisp and cool. Enter these fish-free poke bowls, which require zero cooking and are photogenic to boot. (You know, for your Instagram story.) And in case you need help cutting that watermelon, here's a step-by-step guide.
June 27: Za’atar Fried Fish with Preserved Lemon Tartare
Matt Russell, Rachel Vere and Matt Hague/The Modern Spice Rack
You'll be shocked how easy chippy-caliber fish and chips are to make at home. For impossibly crispy white fish (take your pick of hake, haddock or sole), chill it after breading to allow the egg and flour to set. This will help the coating adhere as it fries.
June 28: Summer Skillet Gnocchi with Grilled Corn and Burrata
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
This is a buttery, char-kissed dish that's best served with a glass of white wine on the patio. You can thank us once you taste it (or after your notoriously picky eater asks for a second helping).
June 29: 15-Minute Gazpacho with Cucumber, Red Pepper and Basil
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
We love all no-cook meals, but those that are ready to devour this quickly are hands-down our favorites. All you need is a blender (countertop or immersion) or food processor and a boatload of ripe summer produce to put this stunner on the table.
June 30: Skillet Salad Pizza
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
You made it to the end of June—congrats! Your reward? Homemade pizza that offers cheese, fluffy crust and garlic alongside crisp, peppery arugula, because balance. Pass the Parm, will you?
90 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas That Everyone Will Love
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
