When it comes to steamy summer weather, the last thing you want to do is turn on the stove. Here are 10 easy summer dinner ideas for hot days that you can make without heating up the kitchen. Perfect for hot summer nights when it's too hot to cook!
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Whether it's the dog days of summer or an early heat wave, some days it's too hot and humid to use the stove or the oven. So I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for making healthy dinners that will keep your kitchen cool.
Like making a slow cooker whole chicken early in the week, then turning the leftovers into a no cook chicken salad a few days later.
These healthy summer recipes will make getting dinner on the table easier on a hot day.
Tips for cooking without heating up the kitchen
Here are my top meal prep tips for getting dinner on the table without using the stove or the oven.
- Slow cooker - the slow cooker is great for this weather. You can load it up in the morning while it's still cool outside and come home to a fully cooked dinner. Since it cooks low and slow, it won't heat up your kitchen.
- Instant Pot - the Instant Pot is another self-contained option. This electric pressure cooker keeps the heat inside the cooker so your kitchen stays cool. And it cooks faster so you can get dinner on the table quickly.
- Grill - if it's too hot to cook inside, take it outside! Summertime is made for grilling and all the heat stays out of the kitchen. Bonus: you can make everything from the appetizer to the main dish to sides and even desserts on the grill.
- No-cook - of course, not cooking is the coolest option of all. Build a delicious summer salad with fresh produce and leftover chicken, turkey or steak. Anytime you can throw dinner together with minimal effort is a win in my book.
Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Dinners for Hot Days
These easy summer meals cook on their own while you stay out of the kitchen.
Crock Pot Whole Chicken
Start a whole chicken in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to dinner. It cooks low all day until it's falling off the bone, with plenty of leftovers for easy meals later in the week.
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The Easiest Instant Pot Pulled Pork
This is one of my family's favorite summer dinner ideas. Serve it on a gluten-free roll with a simple coleslaw. Or serve it over cilantro lime cauliflower rice for an easy pulled pork bowl.
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Instant Pot Salsa Chicken (From Frozen)
When you forgot to plan dinner, this is the one. The chicken thighs go into the Instant Pot frozen, no thawing, and in 30 minutes you're shredding them for tacos, burrito bowls, or a quick salad. The kitchen stays cool the whole time.
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Easy Grilled Summer Dinners
Move these easy summer dinners outside, and the heat goes with them.
Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce
A tasty summer dinner recipe that's one of my favorites for grilling. It's quick, easy and so flavorful. And you can grill some seasonal vegetables like zucchini or yellow summer squash, cherry tomatoes and red onions on veggie skewers alongside the chicken. They're great with chimichurri sauce as well. The sauce combines fresh herbs with garlic for a flavor kick.
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Easy Smoked Shrimp
Smoking shrimp is so quick and you can even do it on a grill over indirect heat if you don't have a smoker. Serve it with the easy homemade garlic sauce or your favorite dipping sauce. Try it with pineapple or mango salsa for a tropical flavor. It's a real crowd pleaser and so good on a hot summer day.
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Easy Italian Dressing Grilled Chicken
This classic recipe couldn't be easier! Serve it with a fresh green salad with tomato and cucumber tossed with the Italian dressing. Add sweet potato salad if you want a second side dish, and you've got all the ingredients for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
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No Cook Summer Dinners and Salads
And on the days you don't want to cook at all, these cold dinner ideas come straight from the fridge.
Antipasto Salad with Italian Dressing
If you love hearty summer salads, this easy salad is for you. It has all the flavors of an antipasto platter, with olives, peppers, and Italian meats. You can even swap the lettuce for zucchini noodles for a pasta salad. Toss it with a quick homemade Italian dressing, and it's ready in 10 minutes.
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Avocado Tuna Salad
No mayo here, just creamy avocado doing the work instead. It's just 4 ingredients and no cooking, and you can scoop it into avocado shells or pile it over a green salad for a fast hot-day dinner.
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Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
Here's where the leftover crock pot chicken from up top turns into a second dinner. It's a no-mayo take on the classic, light and fresh, and it's ready in a few minutes. Serve it in lettuce wraps or over greens.
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Easy Shrimp Salad
With pre-cooked shrimp, there's no cooking at all. It's a fresh, creamy shrimp salad you can make ahead and chill, a great way to turn a bag of cooked shrimp from the freezer into dinner. Serve it over a bed of crisp lettuce on a hot night.
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So if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen with these easy summer recipes and dinner ideas!
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