When it’s north of 90 degrees outside and the AC is blasting, the last thing I want to do is crank up the oven. I spend enough money keeping my home at the not-unreasonable temperature of 74 degrees during the summer, so heating the place back up while cooking dinner does not sound appealing. However, that no-oven-required stipulation really limits my options for summer dinner recipes. Sure, salads make great no-cook dinners, but sometimes you need something a little more substantial—or perhaps you live with a partner who doesn’t believe salads count as meals (I know I’m not the only one!). In my quest to stay cool without having to order take-out every night, I rounded up a bunch of summer dinner recipes that don’t require baking, roasting, broiling, or any other form of oven cooking. You can bet I’ll be making these on repeat from June through September.
1. Slow Cooker Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Source: With Salt and Wit
2. Summer Quinoa Bowls
Source: Two Peas and Their Pod
3. Panzanella
Source: Foodie Crush
4. Chili Mango Summer Rolls
Source: Half-Baked Harvest
5. Burrata Caprese
Source: Garnish With Lemon
6. Air Fryer Honey Sesame Chicken
Source: Fit Foodie Finds
7. Grilled Chicken Souvlaki
Source: Closet Cooking
8. Egg Roll in a Bowl
Source: 40 Aprons
9. Italian Pressed Sandwiches
Source: Oh Sweet Basil
10. Teriyaki Beef and Vegetables
Source: Bless This Mess
11. Classic Chicken Salad
Source: The Salty Marshmallow
12. Antipasto Salad
Source: Well Plated
13. Sriracha Lime Noodles
Source: What’s Gaby Cooking
14. Chicken Kabobs
Source: Kristine’s Kitchen
15. Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Source: Detoxinista