June is THE month that summer gets officially underway, and we don’t know about you, but we’re not wasting a second of our favorite season. Now that Memorial Day is in the rearview, it’s time to kick your summer into top gear! Join us as we try and stuff all our meals with fleeting summer produce (peaches! summer squash! sweet corn!) and eat ALL our meals outdoors. We’ve got 40 recipes to help inspire you to make dinner this June—one for every day of the month, and then some.
We’ve included a good mix of entirely new recipes here, like our fish taco bowls, our dirty martini pasta, and our copycat Panera Thai chicken salad, as well as some old classics we’ve given a revamp to, like our bruschetta chicken pasta, our crab-stuffed avocados, our , and our California grilled chicken. Craving lighter meals that won’t weigh you down? Try our dragon rolls, our socca (top with whatever you like!), or our grilled chicken sandwich. Looking for heartier, family-friendly meals that’ll fuel your crowd? Try our summer bowtie pasta, our pizza orzo, our one pot chicken with adobo, or our frittata (SO good for using up leftovers).
We’re also taking inspiration from holidays in June, and have included recipes that are synonymous with Father’s Day, as well as Pride month (in memory of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising that is known for sparking the modern gay rights movement). There’s no better time of year to include a rainbow of colorful veggies in your meals, like in our Caribbean Cobb salad, our Greek stuffed chicken, or our rainbow spaghetti—check out our gallery of rainbow foods for more inspiration too. Father’s Day is synonymous with grilling, sure, but we say, the best way to celebrate your dad is to spend time with him. Rather than just relying on standard burgers and dogs for one day only, try grilling more impressive recipes together all month long. Our churrasco recipe, our , our grilled pizza, or our carne asada are all fun to tackle, and are like gifts that keep on giving (turn leftover pineapple into piña coladas, carne asada into tacos, churrasco into skewers… you get the idea).
Want more June recipe inspiration? Check out our fave healthy summer dinners, our best Father’s Day brunch recipes, our top cookout and picnic recipes, and the sweetest Father’s Day cakes too.
Crispy Fried Chicken
The quest for perfect fried chicken is not for the faint of heart. You need evenly golden brown skin, tender, juicy meat, and a combination of crisp and crunch that would make the Colonel quake in his cowboy boots. After testing with 5 whole chickens, 3 gallons of peanut oil, and over 20 iterations of the recipe, we're confident: THIS is the only recipe you'll need.
Get the Crispy Fried Chicken recipe.
Dragon Roll
Uramaki arguably reaches a peak of extravagance with the dragon roll, with its gorgeous "scales" of thinly sliced mango and avocado and drizzle of spicy sriracha mayo. The roll is wrapped in classic vinegar-seasoned rice and filled with crispy shrimp tempura, a mix of buttery avocado, and crunchy cucumber.
Get the Dragon Roll recipe.
Pizza Orzo
Perfect for the times that you're craving two things and can’t decide which to prepare, this pizza orzo combines everything you love about pizza and pasta into a satisfying and comforting June dinner.
Get the Pizza Orzo recipe.
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Caribbean Cobb Salad With Salmon
If you’re in the mood to eat the rainbow this June, this Caribbean-inspired Cobb salad is the place to start. A bit brighter than the traditional Cobb salad, this version combines fresh mango, creamy coconut dressing, crushed plantain chips, and spiced salmon to create a punchy, spicy, filling meal.
Get the Caribbean Cobb Salad With Salmon recipe.
Beef & Broccoli
In terms of popularity, this stir-fry is right up there with orange chicken, and for good reason: The combination of tender, seared beef and broccoli tossed in a garlicky, velvety sauce is practically impossible to resist, especially when it's piled next to steaming white rice.
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Fish Taco Bowl
Crispy fish and a creamy, spicy cabbage slaw are the base of these veggie-packed takes on everyone’s favorite taco. The sweetness from the diced mango and creaminess from cool avocado blends perfectly with the drizzle of a spicy crema, making this summer salad an instant staple.
Get the Fish Taco Bowl recipe.
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One-Pot Adobo Chicken & Rice
Want to jazz up your chicken and rice dinner standby? Enter: adobo sauce and chipotle chiles! They bring a little heat and spice things up, perfect for helping you cool off as the weather warms up.
Get the .
Carne Asada
Translating to "grilled meat," carne asada marinates flank or skirt steak in a flavorful, citrus-spiked mixture for several hours—or up to overnight—before grilling. The result is a juicy, beef-forward piece of meat with plenty of the smoky, signature char that's perfect for tacos, grain bowls, and more.
Get the Carne Asada recipe.
Jerk Shrimp & Pineapple Bowls
Not only is a pineapple bowl a super-cute and fun way to serve dinner, but it also guarantees that whatever you’re about to eat is going to be loaded with plenty of fresh, delicious pineapple. In this case, we’ve got jerk marinated shrimp, sweet bell peppers, and a sweet and spicy glaze that will make you want to lick your plate clean.
Get the .
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Spicy Chipotle Chicken Burgers
Chicken burgers are one of our summer go-tos, since they're so easy to throw together, even on a weeknight. The only problem? They can get a little boring. Chipotle chiles to the rescue!
Get the Spicy Chipotle Chicken Burgers recipe.
Churrasco
Experience the full Brazilian steakhouse (or churrascaria) experience at home with this recipe. Featuring flavorful and tender flank steak, this recipe is affordable and easy enough for an impromptu dinner, but fancy enough for a special BBQ occasion too. Our favorite part? The herby, garlicky chimichurri sauce spooned over top (make extra and put it on everything).
Get the Churrasco recipe.
Crab Stuffed Avocado
For these cute avocado boats, fresh jumbo lump crab gets tossed with tomato, jalapeño, mango, and cilantro, then dressed with a combo of lime and sour cream before being stuffed into a halved avocado and served with plantain chips. Pair them with a leafy green salad for the perfect light summer meal.
Get the Crab Stuffed Avocado recipe.
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Vodka Meatballs
Creamy vodka sauce is the ultimate comfort food, and with the addition of easy chicken meatballs, it becomes a simple, hearty dinner that's perfect for summer. Meatballs are a nice and filling alternative to pasta, though you can serve with pasta if you want to go all out.
Get the Vodka Meatballs recipe.
Rainbow Spaghetti
Celebrate Pride month with this zany spaghetti recipe that pairs well with everything from buttered noodles to more complex weeknight pasta dinners. Kids also LOVE this colorful idea, and it's easy to get them involved in making it. Divide your cooked pasta into plastic bags with different food coloring, close 'em up, and let your little ones go wild shaking them around.
Get the Rainbow Spaghetti recipe.
Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Nachos
Elote (or Mexican street corn) is summertime perfection. It’s such an incredible flavor combination, we're always coming up with ways to enjoy it for every meal. Our fave app solution? Turning it into skillet nachos that can be enjoyed all summer long.
Get the Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Nachos recipe.
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Balsamic Grilled Steak Salad With Peaches
Peppery arugula is the perfect vessel for this savory-sweet combo, and you just can't beat ripe, juicy peaches come summertime. We love this with funky blue cheese crumbles, but you can use feta too if you prefer.
Get the Balsamic Grilled Steak Salad With Peaches recipe.
Primavera-Stuffed Chicken
Each of these stuffed chicken breasts looks like a rainbow, perfect for low-key celebrating Pride month. Feel free to use your fave veggies, as long as you keep them colorful.
Get the Primavera-Stuffed Chicken recipe.
Summer Bowtie Pasta & Chicken Sausage Skillet Bake
We believe that summer dinners should be both quick and easy, so this skillet pasta dinner requires just a handful of ingredients—bowtie pasta, marinara sauce, chicken sausage, zucchini, bell pepper, spinach—and is SO EASY to make.
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Dirty Martini Pasta
Our rendition takes inspiration from a classic pasta al limone by using heavy cream as the base for the luscious and decadent sauce. And, just like a dirty martini, we supplement the dish with olives and brine (and booze, of course). The best part? It comes together in under 30 minutes.
Get the Dirty Martini Pasta recipe.
Coconut Lime Shrimp Bowls
Zero coconut milk goes to waste in this shrimp bowl. Some of it is used with fresh pineapple and lime juice to create a creamy and bright marinade, while the rest is used to cook the rice, and WOW—it's a total game-changer.
Get the Coconut Lime Shrimp Bowls recipe.
Camille Lowder
Digital Food Producer
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.
