Too Hot to Cook? 9 No-Cook and Low-Heat Dinners
Caprese plates, chicken salad wraps, cold noodle bowls, snack boards and more for summer nights when the oven stays off.
When the kitchen is already hot, turning on the oven feels like a bad joke. These dinners need no cooking at all, or just a few minutes on the stove or in the microwave.
Keep food cold and safe in the heat
Cold dishes such as chicken or pasta salad should stay at 40°F or below. Do not leave them out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, which is easy to forget at a backyard dinner.
Caprese plate
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- Fresh basil
- Olive oil and balsamic
- Crusty bread
Slice and layer the tomatoes and mozzarella, add basil, drizzle and season. Serve with bread.
Rotisserie chicken salad wraps
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1 celery stalk
- 1/2 cup grapes, halved
- 4 large tortillas
Mix the chicken salad, then roll it up in tortillas with lettuce.
Cold sesame noodles
- 12 ounces spaghetti or soba
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 cucumber
Cook and rinse the noodles under cold water, toss with the whisked sauce and top with cucumber.
Snack board dinner
- Sliced meats and cheeses
- Crackers
- Hummus
- Cut vegetables and fruit
Arrange everything on a big board and let everyone graze.
Chickpea Greek salad
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
- 1 cucumber
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup feta
- 1/3 cup Greek dressing
Toss everything together and serve with pita.
Shrimp lettuce tacos
- 1 pound cooked, peeled shrimp
- Butter lettuce leaves
- 1 mango, diced
- 1 avocado
- Lime and chili sauce
Fill the lettuce cups with shrimp, mango and avocado and finish with lime.
Turkey club sandwiches
- Sliced bread
- Sliced turkey
- Precooked bacon
- Lettuce and tomato
- Mayonnaise
Layer in the right order so the bread stays crisp.
Gazpacho and grilled cheese
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Blend, chill and season the soup. A quick stovetop grilled cheese is the only cooking.
Smoothie bowls
- 2 cups frozen fruit
- 1 banana
- 1 cup yogurt
- Granola and fruit to top
Blend thick and top with granola. Light, but it counts on the hottest nights.
Questions, answered
What should I eat for dinner when it is too hot to cook?
No-cook meals such as caprese plates, chicken salad wraps, cold noodle salads, snack boards and gazpacho keep the kitchen cool.
How long can cold salads sit out in summer?
No more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90°F. Keep them on ice when serving outside.
