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Get a taste of paradise with these tropical recipes that brighten and enhance the season and summer and make you feel like you're on vacation every day!
So, light the tiki torches and plan a luau. Or simply enjoy these colorful, delicious paradise-inspired foods, from weeknight dinners to sweet treats and party food!
Whether you dream of a Hawaiian vacation, the Caribbean, the Baja Peninsula, or the South Pacific, these tropical recipes inspire some delicious occasions.
Whether it's a weeknight dinner, a luau (as mentioned), or a treat for a still-chilly spring.
What Flavors Are in Tropical Recipes?
It's been said that tropical food isn't a cuisine - it's an attitude! I love that. The combination of flavors in the tropics is often associated with island vacations, paradise, and, ultimately, relaxation!
This recipe collection features lime, lemon, and coconut flavors, tropical fruits like pineapple, fresh ingredients, and vibrant colors.
You will also find some roots and tubers. According to National Geographic, "roots and tubers are common food staples, particularly in tropical regions. Yams are an important food in the rainforests of West Africa. They are most commonly peeled, boiled, and pounded into a pulp to make a dough called fufu."
Tropical Recipes to Hulu Dance With
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Pineapple Mango Lemonade
A perfectly refreshing, easy tom make summertime drink. Made with a delicious blend of three delicious juices - lemon juice, pineapple juice and mango nectar. Sweet and slightly tart and so satisfying!
Huli Huli Chicken - you can't miss the tropical flavours in this Hawaiian chicken dish! A pineapple marinade with plenty of fresh ginger and garlic injects sweet-savoury flavour and makes for an excellent glaze. Brilliant BBQ grilled or pan seared.
Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken is a quick and easy, delicious meal that transports you to the tropics. Ready in 30 minutes or less, it's packed with Hawaiian flavor, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
This Pineapple Banana Bread is a delicious twist on your favorite comfort food treat. It's moist, and tender, with a hint of the tropics. Simple banana bread ingredients with pineapple, its juices, and coconut.
Hummingbird Cake is a moist and dense cake filled with ripe bananas, pineapple, pecans, and deliciously savory spices. Tweaked slightly from the original, this cake is simplified and made even easier in a Bundt pan. And, of course, drizzled in a thick cream cheese glaze for the ultimate in flavor.
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice is an incredibly easy one-pot meal with juicy, tender chicken, vegetables, and rice cooked in a sweet honey and savory sauce with mostly pantry ingredients. This delicious recipe is ready in minutes and perfect for quick weeknight dinners.
Key Lime Pie, a summer staple, is a vibrantly sweet yet tart, refreshingly cool and flavorful… and yes, incredibly easy pie you'll make all season long. Or even, all year long.
Easy Foil Wrapped Salmon in Lime Garlic Butter Sauce
This EasyFoil Wrapped Salmon in Lime Garlic Butter Sauce is one of our favorite ways to enjoy salmon. And my favorite way to make it! Crusty and tasty on the outside and so tender and deliciously flaky on the inside.
This easy Thai Rice Noodle Soup with Bok Choy and Thai Nam Prik sauce is an intensely flavored, savory comfort food dish that is ready in just 10 minutes! I love serving this hot, soothing bowl on weeknights - it is also easily customizable to your family tastes!
Planning a luau-themed party? This Kalua pork is the perfect main dish for your get-together. It will feed a crowd, it's easy to prepare, and everyone loves it. Cleanup is a breeze, too!
Coconut Mug Cake is a decadently delicious 2 minute microwave dessert that's perfect for coconut cake lovers. It's a simple moist and tender mug cake you'll fall in love with.
Thai Chicken Panang Curry is a classic Southeast Asian takeout favorite that's simple to make at home with tender chicken and vegetables simmered in a fragrant coconut curry sauce. Perfect for 30 minute weeknight meals!
Sweet Potato Hash is a quick and healthy light meal, perfect for brunch, late dinners or mid-day Saturdays. Made in one skillet, sweet and spicy… and oh-so-delicious!
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Join the Sunday Morning Tradition
If you enjoyed this post, you'll love The Sunday Edit No. 5. It’s my weekly "magazine-style" digest designed to help you reset, refine, and find beauty in the everyday. From intentional kitchen resets to curated seasonal menus, it's the 31 Daily you love, delivered with a bit more soul.
Stephanie Wilson is the founder of 31Daily.com, where she shares seasonal recipes, weekly meal plans, and teatime favorites to help readers gather around the table with joy. A certified private chef, cookbook author, and longtime event planner, she brings over 20 years of experience in catering, food writing, and media production—including network television work as a producer, director, and writer. Her work has been featured by Today.com, The Kitchn, Parade, and more.
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