Our 18 Most Popular Summer Recipes
From gazpacho to barbecue to warm peach cobbler, behold the warm-weather knockouts we can’t stop cooking.
Summer is great, but it makes us panic. It’s the culinary paradox of choice: There are just too many great seasonal ingredients to cook with. As our kitchens burst with tomatoes and blueberries and watermelon and zucchini—somehow, always way too much zucchini—we hem and haw over whether to grill this or fry that, whether to turn that bushel of cukes into salad or blitz it into soup. Happily, there are no wrong answers, as our most popular summer recipes go to show. So fire up the grill, queue up that summer playlist, and don’t overthink it. Just get cooking.
Adobo Chicken Wings
Crisped under the broiler as opposed to on the stove, these mess-free Filipino-inspired chicken wings are simultaneously crisp and sticky—and phenomenally flavorful. Get the recipe >
Sweet Corn Pakoras
Chickpea flour acts as a savory binder in these Indian corn fritters that go wonderfully with mint-cilantro chutney. Get the recipe >
Okroshka (Chilled Russian Buttermilk Soup with Fresh Herbs)
A quintessential Russian summer soup, okroshka is tangy and fresh with heaps of torn herbs. Grated horseradish and spicy mustard make it anything but bland. Get the recipe >
Gazpacho Andaluz
There are as many versions of gazpacho as there are abuelas in Spain, but this creamy tomato-based Andalusian rendition is the most famous of the lot for a reason. Get the recipe >
Paneer Tikka Kebabs
Not grilled cheese. We’re talking grilled cheese—spicy marinated char-grilled skewers redolent of cumin, ginger, garlic, and lime. Get the recipe >
Marinated Tomatoes with Mint
Cool off with this pitch-perfect salad that plays well alongside barbecued meats and fish. Get the recipe >
Summer Panzanella
Day-old country bread gets a second life in this garlicky tomato salad ribboned with torn fresh basil. Get the recipe >
Watermelon, Feta, and Jalapeno Salad
Watermelon-feta salad gets a Southeast Asian twist in this refreshing starter or side flavored with fish sauce, chiles, and Thai basil. Get the recipe >
Char-Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Barbecue eminence Sean Brock has a grilling trick to share: You can turn your grill into a smoker. This knockout rib recipe will show you how. Get the recipe >
Shrimp Satay
Everything tastes better on a stick—especially coconut-marinated shrimp. Get the recipe >
Blackberry Plum Lattice Pie
Turning up to the barbecue or summer potluck with a lattice-topped berry pie is a culinary flex that—trust us—virtually any baker can pull off, as proven by this minimal-fuss recipe. Get the recipe >
El Quijote Sangría
Upgrade your picnic punch with this recipe from Manhattan’s most iconic Spanish restaurant. Get the recipe >
Warm Red Potato Salad
Grilling the potatoes adds a smoky undertow to this vinegary potato salad that can be doubled or tripled for a crowd. Get the recipe >
Sweet Tea
This classic Southern sweet tea recipe comes to us from the founder of the Southern Sweet Tea Sip-Off, so yeah, you know it’s legit. Get the recipe >
Pasta Alla Norma (Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Eggplant)
What better way to use up a bumper crop of eggplant than to fry it into melty submission and stir it into bucatini? Get the recipe >
Pikliz
All summer long, we pile this undressed version of the classic Haitian coleslaw on sandwiches and salads for extra crunch. Get the recipe >
Blueberry Pancakes
Our favorite blueberry pancake recipe incorporates seltzer for fluff and yogurt for tang. Get the recipe >
Peach Cobbler
Toasted almond streusel, bubbling peach filling, a scoop of vanilla ice cream—peach cobbler is one of summer’s most heavenly treats. Get the recipe >