20 Summer Potluck Recipes
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 4, 2025
If you’re looking for fun potluck recipes, you’re in the right place! Here are twenty fresh and healthy recipes to bookmark for your summer gatherings.
My mom’s side of the family gets together every Fourth of July. Everyone brings something to share, and somehow, all the dishes go together well enough to create the perfect potluck meal. That’s the beauty of the summer potluck!
I hope you find a new favorite here. Be sure to bookmark this page for next year. If you’re craving more, browse all summer recipes and use the filters to find exactly what you need.
Simple Healthy Slaw
This healthy coleslaw recipe tastes amazing! It’s made with a simple lemon dressing and features toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. It’s gluten free and vegan, which means it’s a perfect potluck dish (you might want to double the ingredients if you’re serving a crowd). Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
This esquites recipe yields a deliciously creamy, tangy and spicy Mexican corn salad. Serve it in a bowl or small individual cups, as it’s typically served in Mexico. Esquites are also called elote en vaso. Recipe yields 4 small side servings and is easily doubled for a crowd; if doubling, give the corn extra time in the pan to turn nicely golden.
7-Layer Dip
Make the ultimate 7-layer dip! This notoriously creamy, cheesy dip tastes fresh and irresistible when you follow these simple steps. Store-bought ingredients yield great results. The recipe yields about 12 servings (about 6 to 7 cups of dip total).
Pesto Pasta Salad
This pesto pasta salad recipe is bursting with fresh flavor. It’s light, healthy and easy to make. Perfect for picnics and potlucks! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.
Favorite Quinoa Salad
This quinoa salad recipe is the best! Everyone loves this healthy quinoa salad made with quinoa, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, parsley and lemon. It’s vegan and gluten free, too! Recipe yields 4 medium salads or 8 side salads.
Colorful Veggie Sesame Noodles
This riff on sesame noodles features tons of colorful vegetables. This recipe is healthy and easy to prepare—perfect for bringing to get-togethers! It’s vegetarian/vegan and easily gluten free. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
This classic watermelon salad recipe features crumbled feta and fresh mint. Lightly pickled shallots and chopped pistachios make it amazing! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side salads.
Arugula Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese
This simple pasta salad is a big bowl of my favorite things—pasta, arugula, goat cheese, lemon and cherry tomatoes. Combined, they yield the most gourmet of pasta salads. Recipe yields 4 medium salads or 6 side salads.
Lentil Salad
This classic lentil salad recipe is the perfect side dish! It’s easy to make with simple ingredients like cherry tomatoes, lemon and parsley. Recipe yields about 5 cups of salad, enough for 4 hearty portions.
Herbed Potato Salad (no mayo!)
This healthy potato salad recipe is full of fresh flavor. It’s mayo-free, easy to make, and sure to be a hit at your potluck! This salad is vegan, egg free and gluten free. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Greek Broccoli Salad
This healthy broccoli salad recipe is packed with my favorite Greek flavors, including sun-dried tomatoes, feta or olives, garlic and lemon. It’s really easy to prepare and holds up well in the refrigerator, so it’s a great make-ahead side dish or potluck dish. Recipe yields about 4 side servings, so multiply if you’re feeding a crowd.
Green Goddess Hummus
This delicious green hummus recipe is flavored with fresh herbs! Use classic green goddess dressing herbs like me or change it up with other fresh, leafy herbs. (You’ll want to use 1 cup or less fresh herbs, to taste.) Recipe yields about 1 3/4 cup hummus.
Summertime Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Jalapeño Pesto
This healthy pasta salad features bold summer flavors, including tomatoes, corn and black beans tossed in spicy, fresh pesto! It’s a great vegetarian side dish for potlucks and barbecues. See paragraph above for variations and substitution suggestions! Recipe yields about 8 cups salad, which is enough for 4 main or 8 side servings.
Fresh Mango Salsa
This simple and colorful mango salsa is super easy to make! It’s sweet, spicy and absolutely delicious. Serve this fresh mango salsa with chips, on tacos or salads, or as a salad itself. It’s that good. Recipe yields about 3 cups salsa.
Cowboy Caviar
This cowboy caviar recipe (also known as Texas caviar) is made from scratch with all-natural ingredients! Serve it as a dip, salsa or salad—it’ll be a hit at your next party. Recipe yields a lot of “caviar,” about 8 cups.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Raw Squash and Feta
This couscous salad with raw squash and bold Mediterranean flavors is a simple summer side dish. Pack up a bowlful for a weekday lunch or serve with a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio or Sauvignan Blanc for dinner. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Fresh Black Bean Salad
This Southwestern black bean salad recipe is healthy and delicious! This fresh black bean salad is perfect for potlucks, parties and busy weeks. Recipe yields 4 large or up to 8 side servings.
Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
Healthy Asian slaw made with cabbage, carrots and soba noodles, tossed in a bold peanut-sesame sauce. This slaw recipe is very flexible—feel free to omit the noodles and/or brussels sprouts and buy pre-shredded slaw mix for easier preparation (you’ll need about 8 cups slaw mix). Recipe yields 4 generous servings or 8 side servings.
Mediterranean Bean Salad
This Mediterranean-style bean salad recipe is delightfully crisp and satisfying. Its fresh flavors include kidney beans, chickpeas, lemon, garlic and leafy herbs. This healthy salad is vegan and gluten free, but mostly just delicious! Recipe yields about six 1-cup servings.
Dill Pickle Dip
This dill pickle dip recipe is creamy, rich and full of fresh flavor! It’s a relatively healthy homemade dip that’s ready in 10 minutes. This dip is perfect for game day watch parties or a fun snack. Recipe yields about 3 1/2 cups dip, enough for 7 to 10 servings.
P.s. More summer recipe roundups: 18 Light Summer Dinners, 25 Fresh Recipes to Make Before Summer Ends, 25 Summer Cocktails and 29 Fresh Picnic Recipes.
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