What to Make When It’s Too Hot to Cook. Believe me, I get it! Here are 25+ low-cook and no-cook meals you can make when it’s too hot to cook!
The weather report shows that temperatures are going to hit between 116-118 degrees Fahrenheit this Saturday. That, my friends, is HOT.
If you’re like we are, you’re spending a lot of time in the sun in the summer. And, even if you’re at an air-conditioned desk all day, by the time you walk into your kitchen, it’s HOT. And that means it’s time to make something that doesn’t require a lot of oven time or effort.
Maybe it’s just me, but when the temperature is soaring in the summer, I lose some of my cooking motivation. It’s just hard for me to muster up enthusiasm over heating up my kitchen at a hot stove when it’s well over 100 degrees outside, especially if we’re ravenous from spending the afternoon swimming or running around the splash pad.
Since I know this “it’s too hot to cook!” mentality hits me hard (usually at *least* through June and July), I’m arming myself with a collection of easy, low-cook and no-cook meals and dishes I can turn to when heat has overcome my inspiration and I don’t want to stand around in a hot kitchen cooking.
Here are 25 tried-and-true delicious summer dinners for the hottest of summers…
There’s a reason this is one of the all-time most popular recipes on my blog. It’s delicious, and it’s on the table in about 15 minutes. Everyone claims their lettuce wraps are just like the P.F. Chang’s ones, but these really are remarkably close. Served on cool, crisp lettuce leaves with my favorite dipping sauce, they’re perfect on hot summer days.
P.S. Craving a flavor twist? Try these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps with peanut sauce!
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Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad
Chicken salad with is the perfect way to use leftover rotisserie, poached, roasted, or even grilled chicken. Serve on toast, in wraps, as a sandwich with bread, spooned over greens, or scooped into lettuce leaves. SO easy. So good. And this apple cranberry chicken salad always gets RAVE reviews!
This take-out dupe simplifies the prep but keeps the delicious restaurant-style Mongolian stir fry sauce you crave! Using ground beef here means this recipe is done in about 20 minutes, so it’s perfect when you want something quick! Serve it with rice or cauliflower rice and your favorite veggies, with a side of fresh pineapple or orange slices!
I love ordering big chopped salads like this at restaurants, but they’re also super simple to make at home! This easy chopped salad doesn’t require any cooking at all. Cold cuts, pantry staples, and plenty of fresh produce make this salad easy and fast. And the tangy Italian dressing ties everything all together! It’s a delicious meal any day of the week.
PRO TIP: If you’ve got picky eaters at home, try serving the components separately and let everyone build their own salad just the way they like!
Creamy, refreshing acai bowls are the PERFECT way to cool down on a hot day and make a delicious no-cook dinner. Top them with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand, plus a little granola and your tastebuds are on their way to a tropical vacation! Add a scoop of collagen or your favorite protein powder for extra protein or serve with a side of eggs or chicken breakfast sausage.
Another Flavor To Try: If you’re a PB&J fan, you’ll love these Peanut Butter Acai Bowls!
Everything you love about a BLT in salad form! You can follow my steps to cook your own bacon and make homemade croutons if you want or feel free to add pre-cooked bacon and store-bought croutons to speed things up and cut down on the already pretty minimal cooking time. (The creamy dressing is going to blow your mind!)
Pro Tip: Toss in some rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken to turn up the protein!
We LOVE a good chicken salad recipe, and this dill pickle chicken salad is PACKED with protein! Try it on toast, in wraps, buns, with crackers, in lettuce cups, or scooped up with veggies. Any way you serve it, it’s DELICIOUS.
Talk about a gorgeous salad! This Thai chopped salad uses colorful veggies, some serious crunch, and a creamy peanut or cashew dressing on top to pull it all together. All you do is slice and dice a few ingredients to toss with a yummy dressing–no oven required! Your tastebuds will never be the same again. (Use leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken to make this a totally no-cook dinner!)
Toast & bacon are the only cooking required for this flavorful sandwiches! This spin on a classic BLT packs in more protein and flavor thanks to the addition of sliced turkey, creamy basil mayo, and some fresh seasonings. They’re so good we eat them year round!
This vegan black bean tostada recipe is one of my favorite quick dinners. From the quick guacamole to the tangy slaw to the fresh mango salsa, they’re FRESH, easy and totally perfect on nights it’s too hot to cook.
If you’re willing to cook some pasta, the rest of this easy dinner comes together in a FLASH. Think taco salad + pasta salad. This is the best of both worlds, and the dressing is CRAZY good. We make this on repeat all summer long!
Hello, layer upon layer of flavor! If you really need something light and fresh, these fruit & yogurt parfaits are calling your name! My berry puree tastes amazing with dairy or non-dairy yogurt, and you can add whatever granola or fresh fruit you fancy. (Add a side of scrambled eggs or some toast or muffins to fill this out a bit for dinner, if you want!) My kids LOVE this dinner!
Bonus trick: you can even mix these up in advance, pop them in the fridge & sprinkle with granola right before serving!
Piled high with fresh veggies, BBQ chicken, and a creamy BBQ ranch dressing, this gluten-free BBQ chicken salad recipe is summer on a plate! It’s the perfect light dinner for warm weather–fresh, easy, and no real cooking required, if you use rotisserie chicken!
These turkey hummus wraps are packed with protein and fiber, thanks to sliced turkey, plenty of veggies, and some delicious, creamy hummus. Even better? You can set everything out and let everyone build their own, which means even LESS time making dinner!
There is literally ZERO cooking required for this light, fresh taco salad recipe, but it’s absolutely jam-packed with flavor, thanks to the delicious mix-ins and zippy chipotle ranch dressing. Feel free to add cheese, beef, or chicken to turn up the protein!
This gorgeous quinoa salad can be made with all sorts of summer-ripe veggies, so feel free to mix and match from whatever looks good at the market! The easy peanut dressing will bring it all together! Look for bags of cooked quinoa in the freezer section to save time–they only need a few minutes to warm up in the microwave when you don’t feel like cooking!
Another NO-COOK meal for a hot night! If you’ve had a long day at the pool or just do NOT feel like cooking, we can’t recommend these chocolate protein yogurt bowls enough. Adding protein powder to your yogurt more than doubles the protein in the yogurt and makes these taste like a healthy dessert.
I set out fresh fruit, granola, nuts, cacao nibs, and other goodies, so we can add fiber, healthy fats, and even more flavor! Feel free to serve them with some toast or eggs on the side.
I told you we love chicken salad in the summer! This classic chicken salad with grapes is one of our most popular recipes every summer because you just can’t beat the flavor and ease. Made with leftover rotisserie chicken, a simple creamy dressing, and fresh, juicy grapes, this chicken salad is perfect on buns, bread, crackers, croissants, veggie slices, and lettuce cups.
All the flavor of a burger, with a little less fuss. Using seasoned ground beef here means no shaping burger patties and no standing over the grill. Instead, the meat cooks in about 10-15 minutes, so you can easily get this dinner on the table in 20-30 minutes, tops!
This crunchy, colorful salad has SO MUCH delicious flavor packed into every bite, thanks to a tangy dressing, juicy oranges, toasted almonds, and a few savory mix-ins. (If you want to do ZERO cooking, you can use rotisserie chicken & pre-toasted almonds here–I do it all the time.)
TBH, I think this curry chicken salad recipe doesn’t get enough attention. It’s the perfect balance between flavorful and classic, with some delicious mix-ins that make it a step above the original. My favorite way to eat this one is in lettuce cups, but it’s just as delicious on crackers, bread, buns, or croissants.
Huevos rancheros = lightly crisped tortillas topped with seasoned black beans, pico de gallo, avocado, and eggs. These yummy ranch-style eggs are delicious any time of day, and only take a few minutes of cooking!
Leftover chicken gets a flavor makeover in these buffalo chicken quesadillas! We make these at least once or twice a month, since I can get them on the table in about 15-20 minutes.
If you can bring yourself to cook pasta (I do it in the morning!), this pasta salad makes the perfect low-maintenance dinner for hot weather. Made with colorful veggies, layers of flavor, and a delicious (QUICK!) homemade dressing, this pasta salad will only be more delicious when dinner comes around!
Last, but not least is my favorite “I JUST CANNOT BRING MYSELF TO MAKE DINNER TONIGHT” hack: toast and toppings! Make toast & set out all kinds of toppings and let everyone make their own combinations. These savory and sweet toast ideas are the perfect way to get creative! You can choose from our BIG list of toast toppings or try one of our 6 favorite combinations.
Even when it’s SPICY hot outside, you can still get a delicious dinner on the table without spending a lot of time cooking. I hope these recipes gave you some inspiration! What would you add to my list?
And, if you love having someone else come up with dinner ideas for you, you might love our (FREE!) newsletter! Every week, I’ll send you fresh new recipes, tips, tricks, and more!
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Fabulous ideas for the summer holidays thankyou…..
Love this post!!! We also love to make Omelettes and sandwiches!
Thanks for the ideas! I’m going to try the ranch chicken bake for sure!
Great ideas! I am in central AZ too, so these are perfect! Thanks.