37 High-Protein Dinners You'll Want to Make This Summer

By

Updated on August 12, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Fact checked by

Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD

One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken — Photo: Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee

Get your fill of protein from sources like chicken, seafood and beef in these healthy high-protein summer meals. Recipes like our Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fajitas and One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken are delicious dinners that include amazing summer flavors from citrus, fresh veggies and mouthwatering marinades. The protein in these meals will keep you full and satisfied as you tackle all of your summer activities.

Each recipe includes at least 15 grams of protein per serving, so you can make sure you're eating enough of the filling nutrient that can support healthy hair and nails, and digestion. If you're using the summer to build muscle with resistance training, adding more protein to your meals may help you reach your goals.

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Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas in tortillas on plate — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

Fajitas make an excellent weeknight meal. These come together faster than ever, using quick-cooking shrimp and veggies all on one sheet pan so you can focus on family rather than cleanup.

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Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna

Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna — Greg DuPree

Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour.

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Skillet Caprese Chicken Casserole for Two

Skillet Caprese Chicken Casserole for Two — Brie Passano

All the flavors of a caprese salad—mozzarella, tomatoes and basil—are featured in this one-skillet dinner. The addition of chicken and pasta adds depth and heartiness to this tasty meal. This recipe was adapted from our popular Skillet Caprese Chicken Casserole to serve two instead of six.

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One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken

One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken — Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee

A simple marinade of lime juice, zest and spices like cumin and chili powder creates quick flavor in this juicy cilantro-lime chicken. Slice the chicken and enjoy over salad greens, in a taco or with rice.

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Garlicky Grilled Steak & Kale Salad

Garlicky Grilled Steak & Kale Salad — Charlotte and Johnny Autry

A bright lemon, garlic and tarragon vinaigrette coats this salad topped with grilled steak. Since the grill is already fired up, we throw on some bread for homemade croutons.

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Chicken-Quinoa Bowl with Strawberries & Pecans

Chicken-Quinoa Bowl with Strawberries & Pecans — Charlotte & Johnny Autry

This simple chicken grain bowl makes a perfect family dinner. Let everyone customize their meal by portioning the greens and grains into bowls, then serving the remaining ingredients buffet-style so eaters can pick and choose what they want to top theirs with.

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Cod Fish Tacos

Cod Fish Tacos — Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Emily Nabors Hall

Let your oven do the work for these quick and simple cod fish tacos. Broiling the cod allows the fish to stay moist and flake easily once finished. Hot sauce adds a punch of acidity and mild heat, while sour cream makes a creamy slaw that adds crunch to the taco.

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Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Chicken Caprese Sandwich — Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This chicken caprese sandwich has all the classic flavors of a caprese salad with an added boost of protein from grilled chicken. Using store-bought grilled chicken makes assembly quick and easy. This sandwich for one is made in a skillet, but would work equally well in a panini press if you have one on hand.

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Chopped Salad with Chicken & Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Chopped Salad with Chicken & Creamy Chipotle Dressing — Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Melissa Gray / Kay Clarke

This chopped salad with chicken is smoky and zesty thanks to the creamy chipotle dressing. Cilantro adds a pop of freshness to each bite.

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Lobster Mac & Cheese

Lobster Mac & Cheese — Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Styling / Ruth Blackburn

In this healthy twist on lobster mac and cheese, we add a secret ingredient to the cheese sauce: cauliflower. The cauliflower blends into the cheese sauce so you won't even realize you're eating a vegetable. Serve this impressive main dish for a dinner party or holiday meal.

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Sheet-Pan Poblano-&-Corn Chicken Fajitas

Sheet-Pan Poblano-&-Corn Chicken Fajitas — Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Christine Kelly, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin

These sheet-pan poblano-and-corn chicken fajitas are seasoned with mild ancho chile powder, paprika and cumin. The chicken and vegetables cook on a sheet pan under the broiler so you can forget working over a hot stove or grill to get dinner on the table fast. Plus, with only one pan, cleanup is a breeze!

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Chicken Casserole with Pineapple, Peppers & Rice

Chicken Casserole with Pineapple, Peppers & Rice — Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Sammy Mila

Precooked brown rice adds a boost of protein and fiber to this healthy casserole—versions of which are sometimes called "Hawaiian Chicken"—while also saving prep time. Pineapple and red bell pepper provide color throughout the dish and lend a sweet flavor to counterbalance the fresh ginger and soy sauce.

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One-Pot Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta

One-Pot Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta — Jason Donnelly

Thanks to quick-cooking shrimp, this one-pot meal comes together in record time. Tomatoes add a burst of color and acidity, while chopped basil brings freshness. Serve over pasta or whole grains.

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Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers & Onions

Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers & Onions — Kelsey Hansen

Inspired by the flavors of fajitas, this healthy chicken pasta is packed with color and spice. We use a mix of chili powder, cumin and chipotle powder to add heat and flavor.

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Loaded Vegetable Quiche

Loaded Vegetable Quiche — Will Dickey

This tender vegetable quiche is packed with produce, including onions, spinach and mushrooms. The Parmesan does double duty, providing cheesiness as well as saltiness. Sliced tomatoes make a lovely topping.

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Pesto Salmon

Pesto Salmon — Will Dickey

Herby and bright pesto coats tender salmon fillets in this quick and healthy fish dish. Colorful cherry tomatoes burst and combine with shallots to complement the pesto in this fast and simple weeknight dinner.

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Grilled Bell Pepper-Bun Turkey Burgers with Avocado Goddess Sauce

Grilled Bell Pepper-Bun Turkey Burgers with Avocado Goddess Sauce — Brie Passano

We skipped the traditional bun and opted for sweet and tender-crisp grilled peppers instead to cut carbs and boost veggies in this flavor-packed turkey burger. The creamy avocado goddess sauce adds texture and keeps everything in place.

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Key West-Inspired Chicken

Key West-Inspired Chicken — Jason Donnelly

Chicken breast is marinated in soy sauce, citrus and honey and then grilled as a nod to the tropical Key West chicken. A garnish of chopped cilantro and orange slices keeps it sweet and refreshing.

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Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp

Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp — Jason Donnelly

Shrimp are coated in sweet heat thanks to hot honey and Sriracha. If you want to take the heat down a notch, use regular honey instead.

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Ratatouille-Stuffed Peppers with Arugula-Farro Salad

Ratatouille-Stuffed Peppers with Arugula-Farro Salad — Ted Cavanaugh

This vegetable-packed dinner features the heat-loving produce that thrives before the cooler nights of late summer set in.

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Grilled Chicken with Citrus-BBQ Glaze

Grilled Citrus BBQ Glazed Chicken — Andrea Mathis

This healthy barbecue chicken recipe is easy to make and is packed with so much flavor, thanks to the sweetness from orange zest and juice. You can make this recipe with whole chicken legs or all drumsticks or thighs. This recipe is part of our Juneteenth Family Cookout Menu.

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Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta

Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta — Johnny & Charlotte Autry

Chickpeas add fiber to this blended burger, but the real joy here is the light and fluffy feta sauce that tops the whole shebang.

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Skillet Chicken with Orzo and Tomatoes

Mediterranean Chicken Skillet — Victor Protasio

In this one-skillet Mediterranean chicken recipe, chicken thighs are infused with lemon, garlic and herbs and paired with orzo that's perfectly al dente. Charred tomatoes and onions add full flavor to complete this easy Mediterranean dinner.

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15-Minute Broiled Cod with Tomatoes & Herbed Mayonnaise

15-Minute Broiled Cod with Tomatoes & Herbed Mayonnaise — Brie Passano

Cod broils quickly in this healthy dinner recipe that's done in only 15 minutes. Sliced tomatoes on top give it a pop of color, while your favorite chopped herbs flavor the mayonnaise that tops the fish.

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Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls

Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls

This pesto chicken quinoa bowl is packed with herbs from the basil pesto and the Italian spice mix and gets a slight kick of heat from the red pepper. If you enjoy the flavor profile, this dish can also be made with orzo in place of quinoa.

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Balsamic Chicken Pasta Bake with Zucchini Noodles

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Bake with Zucchini Noodles

Packed with plenty of vegetables and tons of flavor, this chicken pasta bake is inspired by the ingredients in a caprese salad.

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Cheesy Zucchini Quiche

Cheesy Zucchini Quiche

This cheesy crustless zucchini quiche has plenty of leeks and zucchini enveloped in a light custard. Feta and fontina cheeses add a rich depth of flavor. Serve it for brunch or anytime you have extra zucchini on hand.

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Easy Shrimp Tacos

These easy shrimp tacos are inspired by the seafood tacos in Baja California.

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Salmon Caesar Salad

This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Tomato Salad

Cutting the steak immediately after cooking breaks all the rules on meat cookery, but in this recipe we do it intentionally in order to capture the juices and incorporate them into the dressing. Serve this grilled flank steak recipe with crusty bread to soak up the deliciousness.

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Strawberry-Balsamic Spinach Salad with Chicken

overhead shot of a plated salad on a light purple table — Blaine Moats

A quick blender vinaigrette does double duty as dressing for this strawberry spinach salad and, with the addition of ketchup and strawberry preserves, as a barbecue sauce for the tenders.

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Goddess Veggie Bowls with Chicken

Dark green lacinato kale contrasts with the warm tones of bell peppers and tomatoes in these hearty chicken and veggie bowls.

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Roasted Salmon Caprese

roast salmon with tomatoes and mozzarella on a white plate pictured on a blue background

This oven-ready recipe is snap to prep. Salmon fillets and cherry tomatoes roast side by side on one pan, then are drizzled with balsamic glaze to pull it all together.

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Bruschetta-Topped Crispy Baked Chicken

Bruschetta-Topped Crispy Baked Chicken

A fresh tomato-and-basil topping on panko-crusted chicken cutlets makes an easy meal for family or casual entertaining.

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Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.

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Sheet-Pan Chicken & Shrimp

This Creole-inspired variation of a shrimp boil can be made in the oven on just one baking sheet. A medley of spices gives this healthy dish of chicken, sausage and veggies a rich, complex flavor. Bonus: This easy sheet-pan dinner requires just 20 minutes of active prep time.

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Pan-Seared Halibut with Creamed Corn & Tomatoes

For this healthy fish recipe, you steep corncobs in milk; the resulting "stock" boosts the intensity of made-from-scratch creamed corn, plus extra starch from the corn contributes to its thick texture. This recipe calls for halibut—line-caught from the Pacific Ocean is the most sustainable option. Can't find it? Swap in Pacific cod or U.S. farmed tilapia instead. Serve this summery combination of seared fish, corn, tomatoes and basil for weeknight family dinners or to company on the weekends.

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