36 Quick and Easy Summer Recipes For When It’s Just Too Hot For the Stovetop

By Southern Living Editors
June 04, 2018
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

There’s nothing more fun than a summer spent down South, but there’s also nothing hotter. When the temperature starts to spike, the last thing you want to do is stand over a hot stovetop and heat up the entire kitchen at dinnertime. To keep your house cool, your wallet safe from too many dinners out, and your family dinners on track, we rounded up the best summertime dinner ideas for hotter-than-hot days.

These recipes take minimal effort, make use of handy kitchen hacks that save time, and taste like a family favorite waiting to happen. With refreshing shrimp-topped salads, no-fuss pita sandwiches, slow-cooker spectaculars, and sheet-pan dupes for grill classics, you won’t need to touch that stovetop. Dinner tonight? Done!

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Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas

Pick whichever pasta you prefer and combine with an easy honey-lemon vinaigrette and fresh veggies for a side dish that goes with anything. 

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

This taco night classic just got way easier by being able to make it all in your slow cooker, which leaves you ample time to savor the summertime breeze outside. 

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Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches

Use that rotisserie chicken to the bone with these delicious sandwiches that are perfect for lunch or dinner. The chicken salad mixture can be made a day ahead for extra ease when assembling your sandwiches. 

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Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad

This savory salad is delicious and hearty enough to enjoy for a quick summer dinner on the patio. Toasted sourdough croutons and juicy steak take it from basic to super special.

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Heirloom Tomato and Chicken Toss

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato and Chicken Toss

This colorful dish might be the prettiest no-cook recipe we’ve ever seen. There isn’t a better way to show off produce that’s fresh from the farmers’ market. Our test kitchen recommends serving this salad with a side of crusty bread to soak up all the tomato and dressing goodness.

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Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Greg Dupree

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Let the slow cooker do the work on the pork, and throw the tacos together with a healthy salsa recipe when you get home for dinner.

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Creamy Broccoli Slaw

Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Slaw

Because every easy summer main dish needs a hard-working side, and that's exactly what this creamy, crunchy slaw is here to do. 

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Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These healthy lettuce wraps are no-cook and all good. The light chicken salad mixture brings both heat and sweet for a 15-minute recipe that’s anything but boring. Serve in lettuce wraps, wheat wraps, or over a bed of greens.

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Easy Egg Salad

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Easy Egg Salad

Southerners do love to smear up an egg salad sandwich on the go, so pack up a basket of these to eat outside on your porch or at the park. 

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Watermelon Gazpacho

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Recipe: Watermelon Gazpacho

We didn’t know a five-ingredient recipe could look and taste fancy, but this chilled soup is proving otherwise. If watermelon is your favorite summer fruit, this recipe is a unique, fun, and delicious way to prepare it.

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Shrimp Cobb Salad with Bacon Dressing

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Shrimp Cobb Salad with Bacon Dressing

The only thing you have to prep for this salad is the bacon, and once you taste this dressing, you won’t mind the few minutes you spent cooking it. This light recipe feels so much more indulgent than it is.

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Greek Grilled Chicken Pita

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Greek Grilled Chicken Pita

This is worlds away from that boring deli chicken sandwich, while still being easy enough to whip up on the busiest of days. 

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Tuna Pasta Salad

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Tuna Pasta Salad

This isn't your great-aunt's tuna salad, and thank goodness for that. Packed with fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, and some pickled peppers for a pop of heat and color, this tuna pasta salad is a crowd-pleaser. 

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Instant Pot Crack Chicken

Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Instant Pot Crack Chicken

Made with a winning combination of pepper Jack cheese, sour cream, chicken, and bacon, this family-friendly recipe is what we turn to when we need something comforting and no-fuss. 

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Slow-Cooker Pork Roast with Carrots, Turnips, and Potatoes

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pork Roast with Carrots, Turnips, and Potatoes

A boneless pork loin makes for an inexpensive and satisfying meal, especially when paired with all-time classic veggies like potatoes and carrots. Set the slow cooker and forget about it. 

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Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables

This zingy dish just tastes like summertime. Okra and sweet peppers add color and flavor to classic pickled shrimp. 

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Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

Would you believe us if we told you these beautiful noodle bowls only require the use of your microwave? Time to see for yourself! You’re going to make this easy one-bowl recipe all the time.

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Salmon Bagel Sandwiches

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Salmon Bagel Sandwiches

Stay cool with this recipe that you can eat from brunch to dinner. Cook the salmon ahead in the slow cooker and assemble the best bagel sandwich you’ve ever had.

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Wedge Salad with Turkey and Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Wedge Salad with Turkey and Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing

This homemade salad will be so much more satisfying than the pre-packaged one from the store.

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Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Using this convenient shortcut to typically skillet-toasted carnitas, you can broil the meat on a sheet pan to brown and crisp the entire batch at once before popping in a slow cooker until oh-so tender. 

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Marinated Tomato-and-Herb Salad

Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Recipe: Marinated Tomato-and-Herb Salad

When it’s too hot to cook, we look to our farmers’ market baskets and get creative. This chunky tomato salad will be your new favorite side dish to throw together.

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Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup

This refreshing summer soup gets a peppery bite from radishes, hot sauce, and chile powder that is wonderfully balanced out by creamy avocados, tangy whole buttermilk, and a little honey for sweetness.

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Field Pea Fattoush Salad

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Field Pea Fattoush Salad

This salad makes the most of your summer peas. Bright and fresh in flavor from mint and lemon, it gets great added crunch from both the crisp romaine and toasted pita.

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Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

Don't worry about bringing a big 'ole pot of water to boil—because this easiest-ever recipe makes your corn perfectly tender and steamy right in the oven. No tongs required. 

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Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables

Victor Protasio

Recipe: Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables

When it's just too hot to fire up the grill outside, this sheet pan supper will satisfy your family’s desire for steak.

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Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

Your frying skillet has no place here. Get all the crunch and crispiness of fried shrimp in just 30 minutes with this mess-free recipe that uses your air fryer. 

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Sheet Pan Fajitas

Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Sheet Pan Fajitas

Get all the fun of Taco Tuesday without having to tend to a hot skillet for an hour. Pop in the oven and you're ready to go in less than half an hour. Minimal hands-on time is always a plus. 

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Instant Pot Potato Salad

Recipe: Instant Pot Potato Salad

Imagine having your favorite Southern potato salad recipe ready in just half an hour with all the tangy, creamy, dill-infused flavor you could desire. Potatoes and eggs cook together in your Instant Pot in minutes for what we like to call the ultimate prep hack. 

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Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas

Pre-peeled shrimp, frozen peas, and store-bought pesto makes this tasty pasta come together in a jiff. Just like that, you have a hearty summertime dinner up your sleeve.

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Air Fryer Okra

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Air Fryer Okra

You already know and love our pan-fried okra recipe. This one goes out to those who don't even want to go near the stovetop. A little dredging is all it takes before heading into the air fryer. 

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Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich

You can snag all of these ingredients at the grocery at the start of each week and dole out these hearty sandwiches filled with turkey, hot pepper jelly, Dijon mustard, brie cheese, and more whenever you don't feel like cooking. Ask for thick-cut t