28 Spring Dinner Party Recipes That Demand a Patio Gathering

• Time Commitment: 5 hours and 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4 to 6

This bird looks impressive but is foolproof for all skill levels, promise. "Since the back corners of the oven tend to run hotter than the center, position the chicken with the legs in the corner," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen suggests. "That way, the breast meat—which has a tendency to dry—will come out perfectly cooked at the same time as the thighs and drumsticks."

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

Forgo the tiny charcuterie board crackers for a large-scale version that guarantees salty, savory, creamy, crunchy and sweet in every bite. "The ingredients here are merely suggestions," Gillen assures. "If you prefer another meat (like soppressata or speck), cheese (mozzarella would be nice) or garnish (a balsamic drizzle?), by all means, switch it up."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 10

Catch you on the flip side, frosting. This spring dinner party recipe basically decorates itself. "As it bakes, the berries form a sweet, caramelized layer," Gillen explains, "so all you have to do is invert the cake onto a platter and…you're done."

• Time Commitment: 4 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, <500 calories, make ahead
• Serves: 24

A bouquet of flowers is great, but you know what’s even better? A batch of cupcakes, like this twist on a Southern classic. "The key to these cupcakes’ sweetness and moist texture is the inclusion of canned crushed pineapple and ultra-ripe bananas—seriously, the longer they’ve been sitting on your counter, the better," Gillen says.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
• Serves: 12

These cuties are a fruity take on the classic chocolate-vanilla black and white cookie. "They get their dreamy blush color from powdered freeze-dried berries instead of dye," Gillen notes. "You can buy them online and at grocery stores like Trader Joe’s."

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
• Serves: 4

I love a secretly easy entrée. Not only is this spring dinner party recipe totally gorgeous, it’s also ready to eat in 20 minutes. Be sure to thoroughly dry the scallops before placing them in the skillet. Otherwise, they’ll never get a gorgeous golden brown sear (and that’s kind of the best part).

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, vegetarian, gluten free
• Serves: 6

There’s something about radishes that’s just très chic (not to mention, way more interesting than a kale Caesar). “This recipe takes the classic French combination of radishes and butter and roasts the veg," recipe creator Rebekah Peppler explains. "Adding arugula at the end—just long enough to wilt the leaves—takes it from petit snack to full-blown side, or lunch or dinner for one."

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, low carb
• Serves: 6

When fresh peas hit the farmers market, I put them on everything. And if there’s burrata involved? Even better. But most importantly, this dish is ready to serve in ten minutes flat—and you won't need to turn on the oven to pull it off.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, low sugar, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8

Libations for eight, anyone? I'm not about to stir up individual cocktails for a crowd, so a pitcher of negronis is in order. This version is lightened up with Lillet Blanc instead of vermouth, because spring.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pot, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
• Serves: 4

The easiest way to win over your guests is to set out a skillet of pasta and pretend you spent all day preparing it. Don't let the leeks intimidate you. "Cut off the green part—all the fronds on top—and the rooty stem at the bottom and discard those bits," PureWow VP of editorial Candace Davison explains. "The middle portion is what you'll finely slice. They become barely noticeable texturally, but add great onion-y flavor."

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, <500 calories
• Serves: 4

Is there a more delicious way to wave goodbye to stew season than with crisp, raw spring produce? I think not. "I like to shave the raw vegetables very thin on my mandoline—it makes for a beautiful salad with lots of color and texture," recipe creator Kirsten Buck explains.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, dairy free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

Fun fact: This easy appetizer can do double duty as a stunning centerpiece. Recipe creator Sarah Copeland recommends making an extra batch of the zippy sauce to spread on sandwiches, serve with seafood and use as a dip for any veggie you love. (The leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to five days.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: low sugar, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 6

While not necessarily complicated, risotto does require a bit of stirring (OK, a lot). Make this simplified version for a smaller gathering to keep your spring dinner party as stress-free as possible.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

The party begins with store-bought puff pastry and ends with you enjoying every bite. If you have meat eaters at the table, feel free to finish these handhelds with crumbled bacon, leftover ham or prosciutto.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: dairy free, gluten free, high protein
• Serves: 4

Psst: There are tiny strawberries tucked between the salmon and fennel to add a sweet, tangy pop of flavor. "The salmon offers a satisfying richness, the couscous adds heft and the creamy dressed vegetables feel indulgent but aren't in the least," recipe creator Maggie Battista raves.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: one pan, dairy free, high protein
• Serves: 2

You love to order steak in a restaurant, but you’re too nervous to cook it at home. Allow me to change your mind with this one-pan, foolproof meal that's as attainable as it is impressive.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
• Serves: 4

Fresh fruit for dessert sounds boring on paper, but when you add freshly whipped cream and cookies, it’ll become your new favorite party trick (especially if you're a fan of no-bake desserts). Finish it all with a touch of flaky salt for contrast.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Grilling season starts early this year, OK? "Charring your chicken breasts for ten minutes adds a little je ne sais quoi to the classic dish," recipe developer Erin McDowell writes. Even picky kids won't mind the spinach (well, probably).

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

If your strawberries aren’t quite ripe, no worries. Roasting them in the oven brings out their juicy sweetness. "It looks fancy and everyone will think it took a lot of effort, but really, you can just throw this together on a weeknight," McDowell assures.

• Time Commitment: 12 hours (includes freezing time)
• Why I Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 4

Did you know making homemade ice cream is as easy as whipping cream? It is—when you have condensed milk on your side. "Condensed milk is created by removing all excess water, so it helps make ice cream that's smooth and scoopable instead of gritty and icy, even without endless agitating," recipe creator Adrienne Cheatham explains.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 9

Oh hi, five-ingredient dessert. This just might be the easiest spring dinner party recipe of all time. "Just roll out premade dough, pile rhubarb slices in the middle and fold up the edges to hold it all together—then snap a pic of the gorgeous results," McDowell urges.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan, gluten free
• Serves: 4

I'm a firm believer that just a few fresh ingredients can take a dish from boring to brilliant. "By chargrilling in a drizzle of avocado oil, you're getting a dose of healthy fats, while a grating of lemon zest transforms the flavor," recipe creators Megan Hallett and Nicole Jardim explain.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, low sugar
• Serves: 4

It sounds fancy, but it's just as easy to make as a chicken cutlet. "Whenever I make an herby dip, I like to use the herb stems since they hold so much flavor," recipe creator and chef Tyler Kenny writes. "This is one of those dips that's very versatile. I love the spice that builds from the garlic in the yogurt, so sometimes I do five cloves of garlic instead of two or three."

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, dairy free
• Serves: 4

Pass the dairy-free ranch, please and thank you. Here, a whole head of romaine is topped off with all the classic fixings, plus a cup of ruby-red sliced strawberries for a spring-inspired spin. Once the bacon is cooked, the rest is all assembly.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Peppery radishes turn surprisingly sweet when roasted in the oven, and an herb butter has never made anything worse. (This dish will work with baby turnips or carrots, too.) The butter would also taste divine on steak or garlic bread.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4 to 6

Lamb loin chops are similar to rib chops, but they’re leaner and lack the long, attached rib bone. They’re also slightly larger, which means more surface area to catch that creamy, nutty sauce. Bookmark this now for Easter dinner.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
• Serves: 6

This savory pie—a twist on the traditional French apple tart—is as impressive as it is easy to pull off, thanks to store-bought puff pastry. "If you're picturing melting sugar on the stove until it reaches an exact temperature, stop right there," recipe creator Deb Perelman writes. "This one is as easy as sautéing carrots in all of the things that make sau­téed carrots delicious—butter, salt, pepper, thyme, balsamic vinegar and a little honey."

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 2 to 4

Leeks usually take a supporting role as a substitute for onions, but when given a little TLC (like in this spring dinner recipe), they can shine on their own. Braised in butter and white wine and steeped in aromatics, these leeks are so tender they almost melt in your mouth.