9 Portable Dishes To Make For Your Next Spring Picnic
It’s picnic season, and I’m so ready for all the deliciously portable spring picnic treats. With the weather warming up, I canโt wait to get outside and have a picnic! I put together some of my favorite, picnic perfect recipes to give you guys some inspiration with a few of my favorite easy meals to take on the go. All of these dishes can be kept room temperature or cold, and are easy to transport and enjoy without much mess. With portable foods like sandwiches, cold noodles, and salads, I’ve got something to enjoy outdoors for everyone.
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9 Spring Picnic Dishes
- Mini Croissant Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Taiwanese Scallion Pancake Beef Rolls ็่ๆฒ้ค
- Nut Free Sesame Pesto Pasta Salad
- Fresh Burrata Sandwich with Pesto and Prosciutto
- Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Buns ็็ ๅ
- Japanese Creamy Tuna Grilled Rice Balls
- Tonkatsu Sando – Crispy Pork Cutlet Sandwich
- Golden Shallot Rotisserie Chicken Cucumber Salad
Mini Croissant Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich
These Mini Croissant Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich are the easiest bite-sized spring picnic treat. Nothing says picnic like a delicious handheld sandwich. These mini croissants are perfect for sharing and super easy to make. The buttery, flaky croissants really brings together all of the flavors for the perfect finger food. They are delicious served cold, which make them a perfectly portable spring picnic option that doesnโt require any cooking!
You all know I love any excuse to use a recipe with shredded rotisserie chicken and this one is no exception. To simplify prep even further you can bring the chicken salad in a container, with the croissants on the side. Make it an activity to build your own chicken salad, which different toppings like nuts, olives, extra sauces, etc.
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken shredded
- 2-3 stalks celery chopped
- ยฝ medium sized red onion diced
- 2-3 tablespoons mayo of choice
- 1.5 tablespoons Japanese mayo
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon mustard seed
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- mini croissants
Taiwanese Scallion Pancake Beef Rolls ็่ๆฒ้ค
This Taiwanese Scallion Pancake Beef Roll might be one of the best Taiwanese picnic foods. This pancake roll is easy to eat with your hands. All you need is that iconic Taiwanese braised beef shank packed with spicy soy flavor, and crispy Taiwanese green onion pancake, and you’ll have an easy snack you can take anywhere. Take a bite, and the sweet sauce and fresh cucumber cuts right through that deep braised flavor.
To pack this dish, simply roll it up and put it in aluminum foil, or cut it up and store in a Ziplock bag or Tupperware.
- 2 Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 2 stalks Green Onions cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 3-4 slices Braised Beef Shank
- 2 tbsp Sweet Bean Sauce
Nut Free Sesame Pesto Pasta Salad
This easy Sesame Pesto Pasta Salad is vegetarian and completely nut-free! With the weather warming up, my go to has always been cold noodles. This take on a pesto pasta salad is so light and refreshing! With fresh, crunchy veggies like cucumber, bell pepper, and corn, it really hits the spot. Itโs simple to make in bulk so you can have some extras for meal prep too! Itโs also nice that this pesto in particular is nut-free so you donโt have to worry about any nut allergies. Check my tips and tricks to keep your basil SUPER green.
- 12 oz Pasta
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
- 2 cans of Corn
- 4 stalks Green Onions
Pesto
- 1 cup olive oil
- 4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt to taste
Fresh Burrata Sandwich with Pesto and Prosciutto
For a perfect spring picnic, there’s nothing quite like a Fresh Burrata Sandwich with Pesto and Prosciutto. Whenever I see burrata in the store, I love making sandwiches like this. The creamy burrata is so rich, it makes the bright homemade pesto really pop with a burst of freshness. The salty prosciutto gives a nice savory contrast, sandwiched between soft, crusty Ciabatta. Itโs a simple way to enjoy the seasonโlight, flavorful, and easy to share with friends or loved ones while soaking in the sun.
- 1 Long Ciabatta Roll
- 2-3 Tablespoons Pesto
- ยฝ cup Fresh Greens
- ยผ Cup Pickled Radishes
- 2-4 Oz Prosciutto
- 1 ball fresh burrata
Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Buns ็็ ๅ
These little Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Buns are perfect for a picnic. The crispy, golden crust and the juicy pork filling makes every bite so satisfying. They’re hearty but not too heavy, and the way theyโre pan-fried to a perfect crisp on the outside gives them that irresistible crunch. I love having them as a snack or a casual meal outdoors. They’re so easy to pop into your mouth one at a time. Plus, they freeze really well, so you can make them ahead of time and enjoy them without much effort.
- 1 Cup of Warm Water
- 1 tsp of Sugar
- 1 tsp of Yeast
- 3 cups of Flour
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 2 cups of Ground Pork
- 6 stocks of Green Onion (chopped)
- 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp of Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp of Oyster Sauce
- 1 tsp of White Pepper
- 1 tbsp of Dashi Powder or Chicken Powder (Optional)
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp of Fresh Ginger (grated)
Japanese Creamy Tuna Grilled Rice Balls
Japanese Grilled Rice Balls might be the easiest Japanese snack to slip into your pocket. If you’ve ever had Japanese 7-11 onigiri, you know that making these from scratch and grilling them makes them EVEN BETTER.
Savory, creamy, and slightly spicy, these rice balls packs a bit of a kick. They’re made with simple ingredients you probably have at home, like canned tuna, soy sauce, and furikakke. Wrap these in seaweed and plastic wrap, and they’re the most portable snacks ever!
- 2 cup of Cooked Rice
- 1 can of Tuna (dump excess water and oil)
- 0.5 tablespoon Sesame Oil (optional)
- 3 tbsp of Japanese Mayo
- 1 tsp of Black Pepper
- 0.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp of Furikake Seasoning
- 1 tsp of Korean Chili Paste (optional)
- 1 tbsp of Melted Butter
- Roasted Seaweed
Tonkatsu Sando – Crispy Pork Cutlet Sandwich
This Tonkatsu Sando is your next picnic must-have. These pork sandwiches are so easy to devour! This is a perfectly balanced sandwich – with thick pork chops, crunchy cabbage, and the fluffiest Milk Bread! The sweet, slightly sour tonkatsu sauce ties everything together, and gets soaked up so perfectly into the bread. These sandwiches are made for picnics – they hold their shape well and the ingredients stay fresh. If you want to make it festive, use the pink Beetroot Milk Bread for an extra spring pop of color!
- 2 Pork Chops
- 1 Eggs
- ยผ cup of Flour
- โ cup of COLD Water
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 cups of Panko
- 4 slices of Homemade Milk Bread
- ยฝ cup of shredded cabbage
Tonkatsu Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp of Sugar
- 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp of Ketchup
- 3 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp of Roasted Sesame Seeds (grounded)
Golden Shallot Rotisserie Chicken Cucumber Salad
This tasty Rotisserie Chicken Cucumber Salad is an easy addition to take on-the-go with you for a picnic! Made with kai dong’s Four Season Scallion Sauce and Golden Shallot Oil, this salad has the right touch of that mild onion-scallion flavor. Since we’re using rotisserie chicken, this salad is even easier! Just shred, chop, and mix – itโs so simple! This can be used on its own as a salad, placed into a sandwich, or put over top of noodles. Itโs really versatile and the perfect picnic addition for your Spring outings!
- 2 cups leftover Rotisserie chicken
- 1 whole cucumber
- 1 carrot, optional
- 2.5 tbsp Four Season Scallion Sauce
- 2 tbsp Golden Shallot Oil
- 2 stalks green onions
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ยฝ tsp white pepper
- 1.5 tbsp sesame seeds
Spicy Taiwanese Sesame Cold Noodles
If you want something with a little more kick for your picnic, my Spicy Taiwanese Sesame Cold Noodles is a great alternative. You can make the base sesame sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. I eat this a lot for lunch so I generally always have some on hand. It’s super quick and easy to cook some noodles and whip this up in just a few minutes. It’s a tasty, healthy option for an outdoor picnic with so many nutrient rich veggies.
- 2 pack of Noodles
- 1 cup of thinly sliced Cucumber
- 1 cup of shredded Carrots
- 3 Eggs
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 2 tbsp of cooked Sesame Paste
- 1 tsp of Sugar
- 1.5 tbsp of Black Vinegar
- 2 tbsp of Hot Water
- Homemade Chili Oil
I absolutely love how Tiffy brings authentic Asian flavors to life with these easy-to-follow recipes โ every dish feels like exactly what i need! Your photography and step-by-step guides make cooking so approachable and fun.