Easy Thai Recipes for Summer Cooking

Simple Summer Style Thai Food Recipes

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 05/2/20
10-Minute Thai Cucumber Salad

The Spruce

These Thai recipes are easy to make and taste amazing. Some Thai food is complicated to put together, but these are everyday Thai recipes that you can make on weeknights. The bright flavors, fresh tastes, and colorful dishes are tasty, healthy, and perfect for summer meals. 

  • 01 of 16

    Vegetarian Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

    Vegetarian Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

    This easy fried rice can be made at home. It's as good or better than take-out fried rice! Thai jasmine rice is stir-fried up with chunks of pineapple, cashews, and peas are added to a curry-flavored sauce. Once you've mastered this vegetarian dish, try some other types of ​Thai fried rice.

  • 02 of 16

    Easy Thai Tossed Green Salad with Coconut Milk Dressing

    Thai green salad

    Kanawa Studio / Getty Images

    This easy tossed green salad recipe can be put together in a matter of minutes. Thai green salad makes a wonderfully cooling side dish to spicy Thai curries and other Thai dishes but is equally tasty for everyday meals. Tip: double the salad dressing and keep any extra in the refrigerator for a quick and scrumptious tossed salad anytime!

  • 03 of 16

    Classic Thai Cucumber Salad Recipe

    10-Minute Thai Cucumber Salad

    The Spruce

    This Thai cucumber salad recipe is easy to make and brimming with the quintessential tastes of Thai cooking. It literally takes 10 minutes to prepare! Serve this unique and healthy salad as a side dish at dinner, or as a light and tasty lunch or snack. It's also a great salad recipe for a party, BBQ, picnic, or potluck party since it can be made as you're going out the door!

  • 04 of 16

    Easy Thai Salad with Mango and Basil Dressing

    Thai Mango Salad

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    This mango green salad with basil dressing is fat-free but not lacking in flavor. The texture is light and tasty. It is great as a side dish with nearly any meal. It can also be made into a dinner or lunch salad by tossing in cooked shrimp, tofu, grilled fish, or chicken.

    Continue to 5 of 16 below.
  • 05 of 16

    Classic Thai BBQ Grilled Chicken

    Classic Thai BBQ Grilled Chicken Recipe (with Tangy Dipping Sauce)

     Yaowalak Thongpoonkaew / Getty Images

    This classic Thai bbq grilled chicken turns ordinary chicken breasts or thighs into an amazing-tasting meal. It's easy to make either on the grill or baked in the oven. Use the homemade Thai sauce as either a dipping sauce or glaze.

  • 06 of 16

    Easy and Amazing Thai BBQ Steak

    Best-Ever Thai 'Weeping Tiger' Beef

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

    This Thai BBQ steak is easy to make and will get rave reviews. Just stir together the simple marinade mixture, massage into the steak, and marinate for as long as possible (up to 24 hours).

  • 07 of 16

    Easy Thai Chicken Satay

    Thai Chicken Satay

     lifeispixels / Getty Images

    This easier version of Thai chicken satay is authentic, juicy, and flavorful. It can be made in the oven or the grill, so you have cooking options depending on the weather. Serve it with easy peanut sauce and rice on the side, or just enjoy straight off the stick for a great party food!

  • 08 of 16

    Thai Grilled Tom Yum Shrimp

    Thai Tom Yum Grilled Shrimp

    Darlene A. Schmidt

    This Thai recipe for grilled shrimp on skewers (brochettes) is succulent, delicious, and easy to make. Shrimp are covered in a marinade with lemongrass, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, and other seasonings for a colorful and tropical summertime barbecue treat. The skewers are a superb meal for a barbecue, dinner party, or cookout.

    Continue to 9 of 16 below.
  • 09 of 16

    Grilled Salmon With Thai Lemongrass-Coconut Sauce

    Grilled Salmon With Thai Lemongrass-Coconut Sauce

    Joff Lee / Getty Images

    This simple recipe for grilled salmon is easy to make and tastes truly heavenly. The special Thai marinade is a perfect match for the richness of salmon, enhancing and bringing out all of its succulent taste. 

  • 10 of 16

    Thai Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

    Thai Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    This Thai beef and broccoli stir-fry is even more delicious than the Chinese version, with more depth of flavor and slightly more spice, which can be adjusted according to your liking. The beef is cut thinly and stir-fried quickly with broccoli, red pepper, and a delicious stir-fry sauce. Serve this with plain steamed jasmine rice for an easy Asian comfort food dish your family will love.

  • 11 of 16

    Thai Chicken Stir-Fry With Coconut, Chili, and Lime

    Thai Chicken Stir-Fry With Coconut, Chili, and Lime

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    This easy Thai chicken and vegetable stir-fry is quick to make and tastes better than take-out! It's also extremely healthy, and the recipe is very versatile. You can easily alter it according to how many people you're serving or the ingredients you have on hand. The dish turns out 'saucy' rather than dry, with the spicy-salty-sweet flavors of Thai cuisine coming through beautifully. Add some rice to the dinner and you're done!

  • 12 of 16

    Easy Thai Coconut Rice

    Easy Coconut Rice

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    Coconut rice makes a terrific accompaniment to many Thai and Indian dishes, but it's equally wonderful with many Western-style entrees. Quick and easy to make, this coconut rice recipe will come in handy when you want to make dinner extra special. It's also vegetarian and vegan. 

    Continue to 13 of 16 below.
  • 13 of 16

    Easy, No Churn Mango Ice Cream

    No-Churn Mango Ice Cream

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    Try this fantastically easy recipe for mango ice cream for your next dessert. It's creamier than most, halfway between sorbet and ice cream, but still light and full of mango flavor. There's no stove involved; you only need a blender or food processor to make this. It can be made ahead of time, so keep it in mind for your next Thai dinner party.

  • 14 of 16

    Beautiful and Easy Thai Fruit Salad

    Thai Fruit Salad With Coconut Lime Dressing

    The Spruce / Darlene Schmidt

    This beautiful Thai fruit salad recipe is a taste of paradise. Tropical fruit, or a mixture of tropical and local fruit, is tossed together in a sweet coconut-lime fruit salad dressing. The dressing enhances the luscious taste of the fruit. Choose your own combination of fruit for this easy fresh fruit salad. 

  • 15 of 16

    Gluten-Free Thai Crème Caramel

    Gluten-Free Thai Creme Caramel

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

    A Thai version of the classic crème caramel dessert that is super-easy to make, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and healthier than traditional creme caramel. Great for serving company, as you make it ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until ready to eat. Best of all, this recipe can be whipped up and in the oven in less than 10 minutes!

  • 16 of 16

    Thai Iced Coffee

    Thai Iced Coffee

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

    This easy Thai iced coffee is simply heavenly, plus it's easy to make. If you enjoy Starbucks iced coffee, try this one at a fraction of the cost! Serve it over ice on a hot day, or add some of your favorite liqueur for a delicious afternoon or after-dinner drink.