The 19 Best Summer Recipes to Make Before August Ends

Keep those warm weather vibes alive with these produce-packed mains, sides, desserts, and drinks.

By
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Editor
Mimi Young is an editor and chef.
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Updated October 24, 2024
Overhead view of icebox cake

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Aside from my little micro-climate pocket of perpetually foggy San Francisco, August is blazing sunshine, sweaty days, and warm nights everywhere. This calls for quick, simple meals that allow you time to just chill out, preferably in the shade with an icy cold drink in hand. The abundance of fresh, peak seasonal produce like corn, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, berries, stone fruit, and watermelon makes it virtually effortless to whip up meals and desserts jam-packed with flavors and textures. We've rounded up our the best summer recipes that take full advantage of everything the season has to offer, from cool one-bowl wonders, like our spicy Korean noodles and Italian-American pasta salad, to smoke-kissed grilled chicken Caesar and grilled whole fish tacos, and even updated retro icebox cakes. Kick back with one of these summer recipes that are guaranteed to keep those relaxing vibes going long past Labor Day.

  • Quick and Easy Bibim Guksu

    Bowls of Bibim Guksu topped with half a jammy egg

    Serious Eats / Matt Hunziker

    These cold, spicy Korean noodles were made for slurping on a blazing hot day. Bouncy chilled somyeon noodles coated in a sweet, slightly tangy gochujang-based sauce are mixed with crunchy cucumber, juicy Asian pear, and aromatic perilla leaves. Hard-boiled egg provides substance and richness, while crushed sesame seeds add extra nuttiness.

  • The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

    Grilled chicken caesar salad on a platter.

    Serious Eats / Kevin White

    When we say "grilled chicken Caesar salad" we don't mean for you to simply grill up some chicken breast and call it a day. To make this the "ultimate" version, we give the chicken breast, romaine, and lemon the grill treatment so the salad is properly infused with smoky char flavor. We even swapped out regular croutons for a sliced baguette, while keeping the Caesar dressing classic.

  • Skirt Steak With Warm Spicy Corn-and-Peach Salsa

    Sliced medium rare skirt steak with spicy corn and peach salsa on a black plate

    Serious Eats / Yasmin Fahr

    This wonderfully pan-charred skirt steak is ideal for those not blessed with an outdoor space to grill. The combination of charred sweet summer corn and peaches at their peak tempers some of the heat from the jalapeño and cayenne pepper.

  • Air-Fryer Southern Fried Chicken

    A blue platter with air-fryer fried chicken

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

    When you're craving some crispy Southern fried chicken but it's too dang hot to stand in front of vat of oil, the air fryer and this recipe can be your new best friends. We brine the chicken in buttermilk and pickle juice, then dredge it in a well-seasoned combination of wheat and rice flours (with a bit of baking powder) to produce an ultra flavorful, juicy, crispy air "fried" chicken supper that's quick—leaving you plenty of time to kick back with a cold beer and enjoy.

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  • Chacarero Chileno (Chilean Steak and Green Bean Sandwiches)

    Chacareo chileno sandwich with a mug of draft beer on the side

    Serious Eats / Estudio Como

    Chacarero chileno is usually reserved for peak green bean season and is as much a showcase for the beef as it is for fresh summer produce. The meat is brushed with flavored mayo before grilling on high heat to keep it tender and juicy. The smoky charred beef is then topped with slices of ripe tomato and a pile of vibrant tender-cooked green beans, all sandwiched inside a grilled roll.

  • Whole Grilled Fish Tacos

    Whole grilled fish served up on wooden platter for tacos

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

    While I do love a fried fish taco, there's just something more relaxed and rustic about grilled whole fish tacos. For one thing, keeping it whole yields a juicier fish and greatly reduces the risk of it sticking on the grill, with the skin and bones acting as heat buffers. Seasoning the fish inside and out and stuffing it with aromatics also infuses it with lots of flavor. All you have to do is lay out the fixings and let everyone break off chunks of the fork-tender meat themselves.

  • Summer Corn, Chicken, and Cheese Nachos

    Summer nachos with chicken, corn, avocado, and green chiles, drizzled with crema

    Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton

    These nachos celebrate what we love about summer: grilling, barbecue, casual entertaining, and peak seasonal produce. We've replaced the traditional beans with the bright summer flavors of grilled corn, along with juicy tomatoes, diced onion, sliced jalapeños, and pickled radishes. Shredded chicken gets a coating of bourbon-spiked barbecue sauce to keep it moist and flavorful. There's also cheese in two forms: a silky-smooth cheese sauce and shredded Monterey Jack for the gooey pull.

  • Italian-American Pasta Salad

    Overhead view of a Italian pasta salad

    Serious Eats / Greg Dupree

    What do you get when you toss together pasta and antipasti? A hearty, satisfying salad that's perfect for a picnic or enjoying on the balcony with a glass of wine on a warm night. Hand-torn fresh mozzarella, ripe cherry tomatoes, briny capers and olives, good salami, and perfectly cooked pasta are key—served at room temperature, of course.

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  • Kimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls)

    Rows of sliced kimbap on a plate

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Kimbap is having its moment—popping up everywhere from fast casual Asian restaurants to Costco and Trader Joe's. They're the perfect light snack—or in my case, light summertime supper—that's extremely versatile. You can roll up a variety of chilled ingredients such as cucumber, crab sticks, shrimp, peppers, julienned carrots, and pickled radish.

  • Tomato-Watermelon Salad

    A dark bowl with tomato-watermelon salad, sprinkled with mint and feta,

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

    Attention to detail is what makes this ultimate pairing of two summertime superstars work. We use three types of tomatoes, seasoning them differently and letting them sit to draw out excess moisture, which practically allows the the dressing to "make itself." To maintain watermelon's crisp texture, it gets added to the tomatoes just before serving. We sprinkle on feta and mint last so their flavors don't become muddled by the dressing.

  • Seriously Crunchy Zucchini Fries With Herby Feta Dip

    Baked Zucchini fries on a white dish, with a bowl of dip on the side. The table has green printed table cloth and two glasses of water.

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    During peak season, it's stall-to-stall zucchini at the farmers' market. I invariably end up buying more than I know what to do with—there's only so much zucchini bread I can bake. Enter these baked zucchini "fries," dredged in a Parmesan-laced panko coating and baked until crisp and golden outside—making them all too easy to dunk in herby feta dip and consume by the plateful. Problem solved!

  • Chilled Beet and Cherry Summer Soup

    A bowl of beet and cherry soup with a swirl of sour cream

    Serious Eats / Hannah Hufham

    Here, fresh cherries, both pureed and left whole, add pops of sweetness that perfectly balance the earthiness of fresh beets. The gorgeously vibrant chilled soup also has a bit a richness and tang from sour cream (or yogurt) that's carefully tempered into the hot soup base to prevent curdling.

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  • Watermelon Gazpacho With Calabrian-Chile Crema

    Watermelon gazpacho with chile crema in blue ceramic bowl

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This refreshing take on the chilled Spanish classic combines summer garden staples—watermelon and tomato, both at their peak of flavor. Toasted almonds (not bread) give this soup its body, lending a nutty flavor and creamy texture. Crema and Calabrian chiles bring tang and heat to balance the sweetness of the watermelon. And, of course, a drizzle of really good extra-virgin olive oil completes the soup.

  • Strawberry Icebox Cake

    Slices of strawberry icebox cake on a dark marbled surface

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    I may have baking in my blood, but even I can't resist a fantastic no-bake dessert—especially one as incredibly easy and stunningly beautiful as this strawberry icebox cake that practically screams summer. All you need is a loaf pan and the patience to let your "cake" chill out for at least six hours in the fridge to allow the vanilla wafer cookies time to absorb moisture from the cream and quick-cooked fresh strawberry compote and soften to the ideal texture. Trust us, the payoff is spectacular.

  • S'mores Icebox Cake

    Overhead view of smores icebox cake sliced up

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    As I pastry chef, I've created many fancified variations of the campfire classic, but none were as effortlessly eye-catching as this icebox s'mores cake. No homemade graham cracker cookies or mile-high marshmallows necessary—just store-bought graham crackers brushed with coffee, layered with chocolate mousse, set in a loaf pan to chill for six hours, then frosted with Italian meringue and toasted with a kitchen torch. Easy-peasy.

  • Bolis de Jamaica (Mexican Hibiscus Ice Pops)

    Overhead view of picking a boli out of a freezer

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    No popsicle molds or popsicle sticks? No problem. These refreshing Mexican hibiscus ice pops are frozen in little plastic bags, making them much more portable. Simply place the bag upright in a cup and fold over the top to keep it open, then slowly pour in the sweet tangy boli mixture, tie it up, and freeze until solid. To enjoy, cut or bite off a corner of the frozen bag, then mush it with your hands to turn it into a slurpable slush (watch out for brain freeze though!).

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  • Blueberry Cornbread Cobbler

    Blueberry cornbread cobbler in a cast iron skillet

    Serious Eats/Jen Causey

    Blueberry cobbler is the quintessential summer bake, and one of the easiest desserts to make. There's no fruit to peel, pit, or cut up. All that's required is a bit of cornstarch to thicken up the juices and a touch of cinnamon to amplify the natural blueberry flavor. Pairing it with a lemony cornbread topping gives the cobbler earthiness and texture.

  • Mazagran Coffee (Iced Coffee Lemonade)

    Side view of Mazagran iced coffee

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Step aside Arnold Palmer—there's a new lemony cooler in town, and it's made with coffee. The combination of cold, strongly brewed coffee (or coffee concentrate), freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sugar (or simple syrup) makes for such a bright and refreshing alternative to iced coffee that you'll be kicking those flavored iced lattes to the curb.

  • The Upgraded Paloma

    The Upgraded Paloma served over ice and garnished with citrus peel

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    The Paloma is my summertime go-to cocktail, and I think this upgraded version is well worth the extra effort. Homemade grapefruit cordial is mixed with blanco tequila, lime juice, and Campari, then topped off with bubbly seltzer. Now that's a Paloma I can sip on all day.

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