12 Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas (In 30 Minutes Or Less!)
Summer vacation is here! And we want healthy and easy dinner ideas that minimize time spent in a hot kitchen. Enjoy more of the summer sunshine while still getting delicious meals on the table quickly.
Reclaim your summer with these 12 easy-to-make, lazy dinners. They simplify cooking during the hot months.
Delicious Recipes For Quick Summertime Meals
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Fresh Flavors
1. Pesto Pasta Salad
Use grape tomatoes and prepared pesto to eliminate all prep work. Add shredded rotisserie chicken to make this a complete meal!
Taco Bowl Tuesday
2. Mexican Chicken Taco Bowl
Ground chicken, rice, and your favorite additions combine to make a delicious and easy taco bowl.
Pro Tip: Double the ground chicken on this recipe and freeze half for another easy summer dinner.
Super Easy & Delicious
3. California Club Wraps
These easy California Club Wraps are loaded with smashed avocado, crispy bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and rotisserie chicken with a delicious dressing. You’ll love this West Coast twist on the classic club sandwich.
Plus, this is a mostly no-cook recipe for when it’s just too darn hot to turn on the oven.
Optional: Sub out the rotisserie chicken for turkey meat
Make ahead
4. Cold Rice Salad (Italian Style)
Transport yourself to Italy with this easy cold rice salad recipe that’s filling and refreshing for summer. Make it in advance and eat it all week!
Related:
Gluten-Free
5. Grilled Lemony Chicken and Kale
Use the grill to make this entire simple, delicious, and healthy meal.
One-pan, Less-mess
6. Spicy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
All it takes is 3 easy steps to get to your first bite of these tasty shrimp lettuce wraps!
Up Your Pasta Game
7. BLT Pasta Salad
Red onion, cooked bacon, cherry tomatoes, and baby arugula get tossed with your favorite pasta, giving you the flavor of a delicious BLT in every bite.
Simple & Delicious Classic
8. Salmon Caesar Salad
Add this easy grilled salmon to a Caesar salad for a quick and delicious dinner. The entire family will enjoy this 15-minute meal!
Pro Tip: Use a Caesar salad bag kit from the store!
10-minute recipe
9. Chicken Stir-Fry
This is the ultimate lazy meal. It is made with fresh or frozen veggies and rotisserie chicken! Healthy and tasty!
Fast & Fabulous
10. Sheet Pan Nachos
Use whatever protein and toppings you have on hand to make these quick nachos.
Pro Tip: Leftover meat works great!
Related: Easy & Delicious Freezer Meals and Awesome Weeknight Crockpot Meals
Easy Crowd Pleaser
11. Grilled Chicken Ranch Burgers
This is one of the most fantastic, flavorful burgers I’ve ever made. Ranch is a favorite in dips and dressings, and believe me, it doesn’t disappoint in these burgers, either! —Kari Shifflett, Lake Mills, Iowa
Kid-approved!
12. Cheeseburger Quesadillas
I created these fun cheeseburger-quesadilla mashups in honor of my family’s two favorite foods. They are so yummy and easy to make! —Jennifer Stowell, Deep River, Iowa
5 Hacks To Make Summer Dinners Easy
1. Grill Outdoors
Take advantage of the nice weather and grill your meals outside. This keeps the heat out of your kitchen and adds a tasty smoky flavor to your dishes.
Pro tip: Do you have busy summer days? Grill chicken breasts, hamburgers, hot dogs, and any other meats you love to eat all at once. Use for lunches or busy weeknights all week long.
2. Opt For No-Cook Meals
Create refreshing salads, wraps, and cold pasta dishes that require minimal cooking. These meals are quick to prepare and perfect for hot summer days.
3. Use Fresh, Seasonal Ingredients
Incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your meals for easy, healthy, and delicious dishes and sides.
4. Embrace One-Pot Meals
If you cook inside, reduce cleanup time by making one-pot meals. Dishes like stir-fries, skillet dinners, and sheet pan meals are quick to prepare and require minimal cleanup.
Grab more one-pot meal ideas and skip the mess!
5. Prep Ahead
The kids are at home and always hungry. Chop veggies and wash fruits at the beginning of the week for easy snacks and sides. This will also help with quick meal assembly throughout the week!
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More Great Healthy Dinner Ideas
What’s Next?
Make family meals easier with these 5 sanity-saving meal time hacks!