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Summer is coming in hot, but don’t sweat it.
Our Summer Menu Inspiration Guide has you covered with 15 consumer-tested menu ideas featuring seasonal ingredients and perfectly paired proteins. Explore each one for links to recipes along with bonus menu insights and chef’s tips.
Inspired Ideas Fresh from Our Kitchen
· As produce and herbs rotate in and out of season, take the opportunity to explore creative recipes and LTOs without committing to long-term menu changes.
· Shareables and “street foods” are musts for those patio-perfect days when friends and families are looking for a reason to linger a little longer.
· Active summer lifestyles mean more customers are diving into lighter fare. Make a splash with recipes featuring leaner proteins and smaller portions.
Breakfast & Brunch
Breakfast Avocado Sandwich
Warm, toasted whole-grain bread layered with chilled mango salsa, avocado slices, delicate poached eggs and Wright® Brand Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Sliced Bacon. Served open faced.
Season the avocado lightly with lime and salt to keep flavors bright and lively without overpowering the delicate flavor of the poached egg.
Southwest Benedict
This is a twist on a classic featuring Jimmy Dean® Fully Cooked Pork Sausage Patties and poached eggs served on a housemade Johnny Cake smothered with creamy hollandaise. Finished with diced tomatoes, green chilies and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Finish this dish with fresh-sourced herbs and a squeeze of citrus to add a bold, balanced touch. Garnish with an orange slice or lime wedge.
72% of Gen Z consumers would go to a restaurant just for this menu item. †
Breakfast Bánh Mì
A bold global breakfast sandwich of Jimmy Dean® Sausage Patties, Wright® Brand Naturally Hickory Smoked Extra Thick Bacon, hardboiled egg slices, cucumber, jalapeño, arugula and cilantro along with pickled carrots and red onions. Finished with a green onion aioli and sandwiched in a bánh mì bun.
Prep pickled vegetables in bulk and use them across other menu items to maximize ingredients and labor.
BOWLS & SALADS
Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad
Grilled and sliced Tyson Red Label® Fully Cooked Unbreaded Roasted Chicken Breast and grilled peach wedges on a bed of arugula and spring mix. Served with ripe heirloom tomatoes and fresh-cut burrata then finished with a balsamic bacon vinaigrette.
Peaches are in season in the U.S. between May and September. Although timing can vary by region and variety, their sweet, juicy flavor tends to peak in July and August.
70% of millennial consumers described this recipe concept as new and unique. †
Spicy Beef Jalapeño Popper Burger Bowl
Iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, red onions, pickled jalapeños and pepper jack cheese tossed then topped with State Fair® Spicy Breaded Beef Bites, crispy jalapeño strips and a drizzle of creamy jalapeño popper sauce.
Breaded beef bites are a versatile ingredient. Incorporate them into other bowls or salads to expand menu variety without stocking any additional SKUs.
Caribbean Spicy Crispy Chicken Bowl
Breaded Tyson Red Label® Authentically Crispy Spicy Chicken Breast Chunks served on a bed of long-grain rice with sides of grilled mango, plantain chips, black beans and pineapple salsa. Drizzled with Jamaican Jerk glaze and garnished with lime wedges and cilantro.
For faster bowl builds, high-volume line service and easier portion control, use pre-prepared strips or chunks of the protein you’re using.
GRILLED & BBQ
Gochujang Glazed St. Louis-Style Ribs
Dial up the heat and enhance the umami of smoked ibp Trusted Excellence® St. Louis-Style Pork Ribs with a Korean-inspired glaze featuring cumin, gochugaru chili powder, smoked paprika, rice vinegar and honey.
Gochujang menu mentions were up 12% in 2025 and are projected to rise an additional 40% within four years.1
This recipe earned an overall score of 91/100 in consumer concept testing.†
Pineapple Tamarind Bone-In Chicken Wings
Tyson® Fire Stingers® Fully Cooked Breaded Bone-In Chicken Wings tossed in a sweet ginger and pineapple tamarind glaze served alongside tangy chunks of chargrilled pineapple and tender white rice.
Go easy on the glaze to give these wings a bold pop of flavor without sacrificing their crispy texture.
75% of people who describe themselves as foodies said they’d visit a restaurant specifically for these wings.†
BBQ Hoisin Breaded Wings
Tyson® Wing Stingers® Fully Cooked Breaded Bone-In Chicken Wings tossed in sweet and tangy hoisin sauce, minced garlic, fresh ginger and red pepper flakes. Baked and served with a side of crisp, vibrant pickled watermelon.
With its refreshing flavor and crisp bite, watermelon is a summer standard with versatility to work across the menu, from salads to sides to chilled soups.
74% of Gen Z consumers agreed this recipe is new and unique. †
TACOS & TOSTADAS
Korean Beef Tacos
Bulgogi marinated ibp Trusted Excellence® Boneless Beef Chuck Roll grilled and chopped then served in toasted corn tortillas with kimchi crema and a side of chilled pineapple pico de gallo and fresh cilantro.
For variety and back-of-house efficiency, use your excess grilled and marinated beef across a variety of menu items such as bowls, salads and sandwiches.
Win Over Your Weekend Crowd
Looking for ways to build your brunch business? Check out our Brunch Menu Inspiration Page for recipes to make your brunch a can't-miss weekend event.
Chili-Lime Seasoned Chicken Taco with Elote
Soft warm corn tortillas stuffed with red leaf lettuce and Tyson Red Label® Fully Cooked Unbreaded Grilled Diced Chicken coated in chili-lime seasoning. Finished with Mexican street corn, queso fresco crumbles, sliced avocado and fresh cilantro.
Use chili-lime seasoning across sides and other protein dishes to create a cohesive flavor system with on-hand ingredients.
Southwest Steak Tostada
Monterey Jack cheese melted on crisp tostada shells and topped with romaine lettuce, chunked avocado, pico de gallo, cilantro and hearty slices of The Original Steak-EZE® BreakAway® Beef Steak. Garnished with a lime wedge.
Prep recipe components ahead of time and complete each tostada à la minute to help turn orders quickly and preserve extra ingredients for future shifts.
Its broad appeal and uniqueness earned this recipe concept “superstar” status with an overall score of 82/100. †
Pizzas & Flatbreads
Artisanal Pepperoni & Pineapple Pizza
A thick, hand-stretched pizza crust with a roasted balsamic cherry tomato base topped with generous portions of Hillshire Farm® Pepperoni, fresh pineapple, smoked provolone, shallots and thyme. Finished with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Summer fruits like pineapple, peach or watermelon pair well with salty meats like pepperoni, Italian sausage or ground beef.
Pre-portion pizza toppings ahead of shift to ensure flavor consistency from pie to pie, and to speed up prep time.
Pesto Flatbread Pizza
A crisp flatbread crust with thick basil pesto spread evenly then topped with Asiago cheese, Hillshire Farm® All Natural* Fully Cooked Italian Sausage, roasted cherry tomatoes and pine nuts.
Use a squeeze bottle to apply pesto evenly. Then seal and reserve to help control food costs.
Gaucho Flatbread
A shareable flatbread piled high with The Original Steak-EZE® BreakAway® Beef Steak, fresh cherry tomatoes, red onion, arugula and shaved Parmesan cheese.
For additional seasoning, brush dough with olive oil and lemon zest, pesto or chile oil.
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1 Datassential, Menu Trends, January 2026
† In December 2025, we partnered with Datassential to test our menu concepts with more than 300 consumers. Datassential Launches & Ratings tracks Limited Time Offers & New Menu Items from over 200 top chains each month; the database contains ratings on over 50,000 menu items. Items are tested online with a general population consumer sample of n=350 consumers on average. Menu items are individually rated by consumers on key performance measures including purchase intent, uniqueness, frequency, and draw, and then items are compared against one another and ranked based on performance with consumers. The menu items featured on this page were tested using the same methodology and benchmarked against existing LTOs from top chains.
*Minimally processed, no artificial ingredients
