Today I’m sharing with you a list of 20 delicious no cook dinner ideas that are perfect for summer. These recipes don’t require any heating in the oven, air fryer, crockpot, Instant Pot, none of those. All of these no cook dinner ideas are quick and simple and won’t heat up your house. These are perfect summer ideas when you want to grab something quick and take it out to the pool, take it to the lake, a picnic or backyard get together.

You don’t want to be spending all summer cooking in your kitchen. You’d rather be out spending time with the family, enjoying the season and freedom that comes with summer. And your dinner plans should bring you freedom too!

Check out these 20 simple no cook dinner ideas perfect for summer. It’s time to ditch the kitchen and enjoy your summer!

Pantry Staples to Have on Hand for Summer No Cook Dinner Ideas

A lot of no cook dinner ideas have similar ingredients. So, it would be great to stock your pantry with these most used ingredients. Then you’ll always have them on hand for last minute plans with the neighbors, or if you’d rather not think about planning dinners at all during the summer! If you have these ingredients on hand in your pantry and fridge you’ll be able to throw something simple together in no time.

• Avocados
• Canned Chicken
• Canned Tuna
• Rotisserie Chicken
• Pre-cooked Shrimp
• Mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip if preferred)
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Deli Meat (ham and turkey)
• Italian Meats
• Deli cheese

1. Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

I gotta be honest. In my family we prefer a simple, no frills chicken salad with mayo, some seasonings, and eggs (although you’d have to cook those). You can use a store bought rotisserie chicken or canned to allow for a no cook meal. If you’re looking for a little inspiration for your chicken salad, check out these Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps with grapes and pecans from Delish. I have to admit, even though I’m a simple chicken salad girl myself, these do look absolutely delish!

2. Tortilla Roll Ups

Roll up your favorite deli meats, cheese, and your favorite veggies in a tortilla and cut it into slices for a super simple finger food that can be eaten anywhere. Try some of these sauces to add a little zing to your tortilla roll ups!

3. Italian Sub Sandwich

Grab some artisan loaf bread and load it up with all the Italian meats, deli cheese, some tomatoes and banana peppers and drizzle with Italian dressing. In a few short minutes you have an easy no cook dinner that packs a punch! Serve with chips or fresh veggies.

4. Charcuterie Board

I have a personal love for charcuterie boards. And they’re an excellent no cook dinner option for summer. Creativity and choices of food on a charcuterie board are completely up to you and your family’s preferences. You can look at photos online for inspiration. I personally love Italian meats. Sometimes you can find an Italian trio pack at Aldi that is perfect for a charcuterie board (that’s what I used here in this photo). If you’re going to a party and a large charcuterie board that everyone will be touching doesn’t seem like the best idea, opt for individual charcuterie cups like these that I made for the 4th of July. Check out my how-to video on Instagram.

5. Turkey Wraps

Turkey wraps are a super simple no cook dinner option (or lunch). Make it as healthy (or not) as you’d like. You can find all kinds of wraps these days from thick flour tortillas to beet or spinach wraps. Keep it simple and healthy and load it up with turkey and veggies, or add some bacon, your favorite cheese and a zesty creamy sauce. The choice is up to you!

Here’s a few examples of all the tortilla style wraps that are available.

6. Ham and Swiss Wraps

So yes, the ham and swiss wrap is very similar to the turkey wrap idea. I’m just trying to help you brainstorm different options. Sometimes our minds can get tunnel vision and we forget that there are other deli meat options available! The moral of the story is, sandwich wraps make a great no cook dinner idea that doesn’t heat up the kitchen. You can basically throw whatever you have sitting in the fridge in your tortilla, roll it up, and dinner is ready!

7. Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad

My aunt made a Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad similar to this one from Natasha’s Kitchen for a family gathering a few years ago, and my husband was in love. This is a great fresh side dish to take to a summer get together. Or, if you like these ingredients, it’s delicious enough to turn into a simple summer dinner to eat out by the pool. My family is really into naan at the moment, so we’d pair it with a side of naan.

If you don’t care for cilantro or are allergic, you could substitute with dill, and you’d still have a delicious veggie dish.

8. Cobb Salad

You could pretty much put any salad in this heading. Grab whatever you have around the house, throw it on top of a bed of lettuce, and you have yourself a salad. I’m a girl who likes a lot of toppings on her salad, so that’s why I chose a cobb salad option. You can go with whatever your little heart desires. If you really love salad, grab several things to have on hand so you can mix it up with different options and have salad a few times throughout the week. It’s quick, light, fresh, and best of all, doesn’t include cooking. Pretty much all salads are great no cook dinner ideas.

So you may be asking, what about the meat and eggs in a cobb salad? Well, here’s a few suggestions. You could use cold rotisserie chicken from the store and leave the eggs out to make it truly a no cook meal. Some other options somewhat bend the no cook rule, but still they won’t take long and don’t heat up the house. If you don’t use rotisserie chicken, I would suggest having your salad on a night after you have left over chicken from another meal when you did cook.

Use pre-cooked bacon and warm it up in the microwave (it only takes a few seconds), or use real bacon bits. And, perhaps consider boiling a dozen eggs once a week. It does include a bit of cooking up front, but then you’ll have eggs prepared for the entire week to use in salads (including chicken and tuna salad), you can eat them for breakfast, etc.

9. Spicy Tuna Stuffed Avocados

You’re going to want to have plenty of avocados around this summer for all these delicious fresh recipes. Like this spicy tuna stuffed avocado recipe from Salt and Lavendar. This tuna packs a punch with Sriracha, and it only takes about 10 minutes to make!

10. Caprese Avocado Toast

I told you you’d need to stock up on avocado’s for the summer! Do you love caprese with the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of balsamic glaze? If so, you’re going to love this caprese avocado toast! This recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod takes all your favorite caprese ingredients and loads it on top of smashed avocado and toasted bread. Grab a multi-grain bread or a bread loaf full of seeds, and you’ve got yourself a hearty dinner. And it didn’t even take any cooking time (no a toaster does not count as cooking in my opinion).

11. Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Pre-cooked shrimp is another great option for summer dinners. It’s easy to access at the store, and the cooking is already done for you. Skinnytaste is a favorite website of mine when I’m wanting healthy meals. She has tons of comfort favorites and makes some changes to make them healthier and still absolutely delicious. This Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad from her site packs a punch and provides a no cook dinner option that’s a little different than some of the other options out there. Your taste buds will thank you.

12. Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail is a personal favorite of mine. Grab it pre-cooked from the store, and if you’re like me, dip it in a little cocktail sauce. Pair it with a simple salad or veggie tray.

13. Vietnamese Noodle Salad

Similar to ramen noodles, you do need hot water to soften the noodles for this Vietnamese Noodle Salad from Foodiecrush. My favorite method is using an electric kettle to heat the water. It’s literally no work at all. This is the electric kettle we have at home. We’ve had it for several years now, and it’s still going strong. AmazonBasics has another great option also.

This Vietnamese noodle salad can have a lot of different variations. Follow the recipe exactly as written or mix it up to fit your taste.

14. Tuna Salad

Similar to the chicken salad, my family prefers a simple tuna salad with tuna, mayonnaise, boiled eggs, and dill relish. Yes, I said dill, not sweet relish. This is where those pre-boiled eggs made at the beginning of the week would come in handy. We like to eat our tuna salad on bread for a sandwich or with crackers. Thrown in a pitted avocado would also be extra delicious. If you’re looking for some tuna salad inspiration, here’s a few creative options.

Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad – a healthy option packed full of flavor and textures with greek yogurt, celery, cucumber, chickpeas, almonds and grapes.
Avocado Cucumber Tuna Salad – this tuna salad recipe is super fresh and uses avocado to replace the traditional mayo.
Crunchy Tuna Wraps – filled with veggies like onions, celery, red pepper and water chestnuts
White Bean Tuna Salad with Artichoke Hearts – just like it sounds, this tuna salad recipe features cannelini beans and marinated artichoke hearts plus capers, onions rice wine vinegar, shallots and dill.

15. Chinese Chicken Mandarin Salad

This salad is full of crunch with cabbage and crunchy ramen and a delicious Asian-inspired sauce, all freshened up with mandarin oranges. Take it as a side dish to your friend’s barbeque, or turn it into a simple dinner!

Get the recipe here.

16. Cowboy Caviar – no cook bean salad

Cowboy Caviar is a fresh salad packed full of protein. This could be a great no cook dinner idea, especially if you’re on the vegetarian side. Or, throw these Tex-Mex ingredients and flavors together and take it to a summer picnic or top in your grilled steak. You can find a great recipe for Cowboy Caviar at Culinary Hill.

17. Zesty Chicken Soft Tacos

These Zesty Chicken Soft Tacos from Taste of Home are a delicious no cook option that uses a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, flatbread, and Tex-Mex flavors. I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I can tell you it would be a hit in my home.

18. Garden Salad

Are you growing a vegetable garden this year? If so, grab all those delicious garden fresh veggies, wash them up, and throw them together to create a salad grown with your very own hands!

19. Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas

Check out these Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas from I Wash You Dry. This is a light and fresh no cook meal that will delight your tastebuds.

20. Thai Peanut Wraps

Switch up the regular meat and cheese sandwich wrap with these Thai Peanut Wraps from Spiced. These Thai Peanut Wraps are stuffed with peanuts, cabbage, carrots, and red peppers, and best of all, it requires no cooking! If you like a sandwich with a crunch, this would be a great no cook dinner idea for you.

20 No Cook Dinner Ideas Perfect for Summer

1. Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
2. Tortilla Roll Ups
3. Italian Sub Sandwich
4. Charcuterie Board
5. Turkey Wraps
6. Ham & Swiss Wraps
7. Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad
8. Cobb Salad
9. Spicy Tuna Stuffed Avocados
10. Caprese Avocado Toast
11. Shrimp and Avocado Salad
12. Shrimp Cocktail
13. Vietnamese Noodle Salad
14. Tuna Salad
15. Chinese Chicken Mandarin Salad
16. Cowboy Caviar
17. Zesty Chicken Soft Tacos
18. Garden Salad
19. Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
20. Thai Peanut Wraps

If you don’t mind starting up the stove top or small kitchen appliances this summer but you need quick and easy dinner ideas, make sure to check out my post 40 Fast and Easy Dinner Ideas.

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