Healthy Summer Party and Grilling Recipes

Hello!! I hope you’re all having a great week! I thought I’d pop in and share some healthy summer party and grilling recipes if you’re planning any fun family nights or get-togethers.

I LOVE grilling season, it’s such an easy and healthy way to make dinner. The best part: very little cleanup. Something about veggies and meat on the grill lets us all know that summer is officially here. We have some fun get-togethers planned over the next couple of months, and I’ve started to brainstorm and remember my favorite summer grilling and party recipes.

Here’s a little list if you’re looking for inspiration, too!

Healthy Summer Party And Grilling Recipes

Party Grill Recipes For Summer

Appetizers

Goat Cheese Queso With Green Chile

This appetizer is melty, cheesy, and oh-so good. It’s perfect to snack on while waiting for the main meal, and, it has turkey bacon! Even though I grew up around Mexican food, the appetizers aren’t my strong suit. But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make and how much everyone loved it!

Eggplant Pizzas

Eggplants—I love eating them, I love incorporating them into dishes, but actually cooking them feels like a whole ordeal. What I forgot though (until making this recipe) is that eggplants really don’t need that much to taste good—these egg plant pizzas prove that! They’re also super nutritious which is always a plus.

Marinated Grilled Vegetables With Avocado Whipped Feta

Struggle with eating vegetables sometimes? We’ve all been there, I’m guilty myself! But all you truly need is a grill and good, flavorful marinade. I’ve had this appetizer for an actual dinner a time or too, but it’s lightweight enough to serve as a side or a pre-meal snack.

Chicken Manchegos and House Guacamole

Not only is this appetizer SUPER good, it’s even easier to make! It’s got the protein, the veggies, and the gooey manchego cheese. If you’re having people over for a night of grilling, set this out for them to try.

Kalamata Olive Dip and Crudités 

I originally made this to cure my True Food Kitchen’s dip obsession, and this copycat recipe nailed it. It’s savory, it’s a little smoky, and it’s delicious. Even if you’re not a huge olive fan, this dip is packed with healthy fats and antioxidants, making it worth trying.

Sweet Potato Hummus Bites

If you’re in search of a gluten-free and vegetarian appetizer to make, this is the one. They don’t take a ton of effort to make, and they’re super flavorful. Plus, something about hummus and sweet potato just screams summer to me!

Pioneer Woman’s Salsa + Tortilla Chips

Who doesn’t like a classic salsa and chips appetizer? Like I stated a few recipes ago, I’m not ashamed to admit that Mexican appetizers aren’t really my forte, so salsa and chips are an easy and enjoyable go-to!

Cheese Plate Tips

When in doubt, craft a cheese board! They’re yummy, easy to make, and tend to please everyone. The link I included goes more in depth (check it out!), but keep in mind that with a cheese plate, mixing up varieties and types are essential!

Buffalo Hummus

Are you someone that likes a little kick in their appetizers? This buffalo hummus keeps all of the same characteristics that people tend to like with regular hummus, but the hot sauce adds a nice spicy touch. You can also customize it depending on how spicy (or non-spicy) you’d like it!

Salads and side dishes

Crowd-Pleasing Broccoli Salad or This Broccoli Raisin Salad

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I love salads for their versatility. You can add as many ingredients as you please for your idea of a perfect salad. For a healthy summer party, a broccoli (or broccoli raisin) salad tends to be a crowd pleaser.

Chicken, Bacon and Balsamic Potato Salad

Chicken and bacon together in one dish? Sign me up! This salad may not sound super healthy, but you would be surprised! It’s got less sugar, more protein, and a healthy amount of flavor. You can eat it alongside the main meal without feeling like you’re overindulging.

The Best Savory Kale Salad

Soft kale, crunchy almonds, creamy dressing—yum, yum, and yum! Even though mashing the avocado and pairing it with almond butter is a bit more time consuming, it’s absolutely worth it. It’s nutrient-dense and incredibly delicious.

Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad

This is the ultimate healthy summer salad. It has tons of textures, flavors, and nutrient-dense ingredients that make it just as good as it looks. Also, if you’re someone who prefers not to make meals the same day you’re having people over, this is an incredibly easy salad to prep the day before!

Fruit Salad With Mint and Orange

What is summer time without an abundance of fruit? As soon as the weather starts to warm up, you can bet that I whip this recipe out for the whole family to enjoy. The orange zest and freshly chopped mint are everything you didn’t realize you were missing in your summer salad!

Quinoa Citrus Salad With Orange Dressing

It’s hard to think of summer party and grilling recipes that aren’t mayo-based, right? Not that they’re not delicious, but they’re impossible to leave out on the table for too long. This salad is light, summery, and you can indeed leave it out for people to snack on. It’s crunchy, sweet, and so fulfilling.

Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti Salad

For this recipe, we’re swapping out carb-filled spaghetti noodles and using zucchini instead. It’s light, fresh, and you won’t feel unnecessarily full when you’re done. Plus, the bell peppers, cucumbers, and red onions provide a fresh crunch that I love.

Cold Quinoa Salad

Another quinoa-based recipe because why not incorporate it as much as we can? Quinoa is full of amino acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants… you get the gist. It also just so happens to make the most one of the most delicious summer party and grilling recipes. The cucumber and pineapple make it refreshing and even more exciting to eat.

Entrees

Easy Grilled Pizza

Entrees don’t always need to have endless ingredients, seasonings, and additives—sometimes a few quality ingredients go a long way. Pizza is one of those meals that fresh ingredients truly belong on, and cooking the pizzas on the grill makes them all the better.

The Pilot’s Famous Turkey Burgers

I could, of course, whip up a typical turkey burger, but why not let the Pilot take over and show off what he can do? They’re truly incredible, and they don’t even take that long to make! With a little bit of turkey, a handful of seasoning, and lots of chopped jalapeños, it doesn’t get any better than this! Check out recipe post for the final secret ingredient.

Pineapple Chicken and Veggie Kabobs

If you’ve seen my spicy chopped salad post and loved it, you’d really enjoy these kabobs—they’re basically the grilled version! You just need some cuts of meat, bell peppers, pineapple, a zucchini, and an onion. Refreshing, crunchy, and super good.

Grilled Chicken Pita Flatbreads

One word for this entree: YUM. The flavor and texture go hand in hand to create a masterpiece as far as healthy summer party and grilling recipes go. The chicken mixed with the creamy feta and fresh herbs? Chefs kiss.

BBQ Salmon

My family and I love eating salmon so inevitably I’ve found tons of different ways to cook it. One of our favorites is with BBQ! And it just so happens that what goes best with healthy summer party and grilling recipes? That’s right, BBQ. Check it out!

Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers

Burgers are a classic go-to for grilling, but what if there was a healthier alternative? Turkey burgers are just as full of flavor and are guaranteed to be a hit for any guest you invite to the cookout. Choose the toppings of your choice and feast away!

Desserts and cocktails

My FAVORITE Sangria

The world of sangria is vast, and you can really use whichever fruits are your favorites. For this recipe, I opted for apples, oranges, lemons, and limes, and then sprinkled a bit of sugar on top with (of course) tequila and red wine. Go for the cheap stuff, trust me!

The Crazy Elvis

Grain-free, dairy-free, and it’s a dessert? Does it get any better than that? I can brag about it for days, but you have to look at the post to see pictures of it—words truly don’t do it justice.

Almond Butter Lava Cakes

Lava cakes, not to sound cliche, are dessert heaven. Chocolate on chocolate on… more chocolate, they’re delicious. But realistically, they’re not healthy in the slightest. Instead, try out this Paleo-friendly molten chocolate lava cake that skips out on refined flour, refined sugar, and butter.

Peach Crisp for Two

Peaches scream summer delicacy to me, so naturally this peach crisp made the cut for healthy summer party and grilling recipes. They’re crispy, they’re crunchy, they’re sweet and they’re delectable. Watch your guests’ mouths’ drop as they taste this for the first time and you get to tell them it’s healthy!

Cashew Brownie Batter Bites

Raw desserts still amaze me, especially ones that are made without sugar, flour, or butter. It’s softer than a truffle, and it tastes kind of like raw brownie batter. For all the vegans, this one is for you!

Strawberry Crumble with Coconut Whip

Spring or summer, this strawberry crumble dessert is a quintessential warm weather dessert. It seems extremely sweet and indulgent, but it’s much healthier than you may think!

Skinny Margarita

Margaritas, as good as they are, can sometimes be a guaranteed stomach ache due to all of the sugar. If you fall victim to this, a skinny margarita will be your saving grace. Plus, there’s no “right” or “wrong” flavor, you can choose whichever citrus juice you please!

What’s your favorite summer party or everyday recipe? Grill favorite??

Now that you’ve reached the end of all of these healthy summer party and grilling recipes, which ones are you excited to make? Grilling just brings the start of summer to life, and to endless food options! Let me know in the comments what’s on your menu this week, and tell me some of your favorites that may not be on here! I’d love to try them out.

xoxo

Gina

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