45 No-Oven Recipes to Cook Every Night During Summer
No offense to ovens, but in the heat of summer, they’re kind of the worst. Luckily, you don’t need one to prepare a super-satisfying meal. Forget about turning on your stove and make these 45 no-oven recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights, on-the-go lunches and whenever else you just don't feel like cooking.
RELATED: 25 Low-Maintenance Summer Dinner Party Recipes
1. Watermelon Poke Bowls
Introducing what might be the most refreshing dinner you’ve ever eaten.
2. Chopped Chickpea Greek Salad
Extra goat cheese, please.
3. Chilled Cucumber Salad
Some days, you might crave a salad that’s loaded with all kinds of good stuff. Others, you might crave something simpler. For the latter—especially during the dog days of summer—turn to this chilled cucumber salad recipe.
4. Fancy Hot Dogs
Celebrate America with grilled dogs.
5. Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce
…Then appreciate the culinary genius of the Greeks.
RELATED: 16 Satisfying Summer Skewer Recipes
6. Grilled Flatbread Pizza with Artichoke, Ricotta and Lemon
This fancy-looking grilled pizza has a secret: It starts with store-bought flatbread.
7. Cold Lemon Zoodles
Pasta, who?
8. Grilled Peach and Halloumi Salad with Lemon-Pesto Dressing
Meet the grilled peach and halloumi salad with lemon-pesto dressing. Spread it out on a big platter and it’ll wow everyone at your next dinner party, or stash it in a leftovers dish to make lunch the highlight of your day.
9. Cold Sesame Cucumber Noodles
You don’t have to boil any water to make this crunchy, savory and satisfying “pasta.”
10. Caprese Salad with Grilled Zucchini
Best served with a glass of Sauv Blanc.
RELATED: The Ultimate Summer Grilling Guide
11. White Bean Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
We’d eat this dressing on pretty much anything.
12. Shrimp Avocado Salad
A refreshing seafood salad for a hot summer day.
13. HONEY-LIME CHICKEN AND VEGGIES IN FOIL
Dinner doesn’t seem so hard when there’s no cleanup involved. Each portion of this honey-lime chicken and veggies cooks inside a little foil packet that you place directly on the grill. Once everything’s cooked, just throw away the foil.
14. Sweet-and-Sour Pork Skewers with Pineapple
Fire up the barbecue and ditch those frozen burgers
15. Grilled Vegetable Salad with Giant Croutons
Do it for the giant chunks of grilled bread.
16. CHARRED CORN AND GOAT CHEESE AVOCADO TOAST
Topped with corn, chives, lemon, salt and pepper, this is not your average avocado toast. (Thanks, Coterie member Gaby Dalkin.)
17. Grilled Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Sandwich
Get peach and prosciutto involved, and this sweet, salty and savory sammy will quickly become your new favorite lunch.
18. Shredded Thai Salad with Avocado
Ready in 30 minutes or less, this easy lunch of shredded cabbage, peppers and other fresh veggies—topped with vibrant slices of avocado—is too beautiful not to share.
19. Smoked Salmon Pizza
Pizza night just got easier.
20. Kelp and Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
Coterie member Jodi Moreno recently stopped by the PureWow test kitchen to whip up this light and flavorful kelp and zucchini noodle pad Thai. If you haven’t cooked with kelp noodles, we guarantee this recipe will have you hooked.
21. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Stuffed Peppers
Lightened-up chicken salad still has all the creamy, tangy flavor you crave—minus the whopping dollop of mayo. Plus, the recipe makes a giant batch, so you can use the leftovers all week long.
22. 15-Minute Gazpacho with Cucumber, Red Pepper and Basil
In December, you’ll gladly stand over the stove for hours on end, cooking homemade soup from scratch. But in summer, and it’s hot, dammit. Luckily, with some ripe produce and a blender or food processor, you can whip up this equally tasty 15-minute gazpacho recipe—no heat (or effort) required.
23. TUNA SALAD AND CHICKPEA-STUFFED AVOCADO
This easy dinner has it all: It’s low carb, full of protein and healthy fat and it's kind of adorable. Plus, the creaminess of the avocado means you can go totally mayo-free (a little Greek yogurt will do the trick).
24. Buffalo Chicken Wraps with Blue Cheese and Celery
Thanks to rotisserie chicken and store-bought buffalo sauce, these buffalo chicken wraps with blue cheese and celery come together in 20 minutes flat. Wrap them in waxed paper and lunch is done.
25. RAINBOW “RAW-MAINE” TACO BOATS
These little lettuce boats are stuffed with all sorts of goodies—veggies, avocados, quick beet hummus—and drizzled with an addictive tahini dressing.
26. Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Lemony Tahini Dressing
Well, aren’t you cute?
27. Green Goddess Detox Salad
Easy, healthy and tasty. The trifecta of summer dinners.
RELATED: 20 Summer Salads You Can Whip Up in 20 Minutes or Less
28. Greek Wedge Salad
Contrary to popular belief, wedge salads don't need to be buried in blue cheese and bacon.
29. BEET NOODLE, PEA AND ARUGULA SALAD
Topped with a lemon garlic-tahini sauce, this crunchy salad is the ideal cold dinner for a warm evening.
30. Rainbow Collard Wraps with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
Healthy and easy to assemble, these rainbow collard wraps are pretty much the perfect portable lunch—or party app.
31.: Zucchini and Fresh Corn Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
A pretty rad way to end the month, if you ask us.
RELATED: 9 New Ways to Cook with Corn
32. Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board
Forget the bowl, serve this salad on a big cutting board so that you can see (and access) all the gorgeous toppings.
33. Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
We adore salads with a million toppings. Bring on the olives, avocado, croutons and goat cheese medallions. But sometimes we’re in the mood for a simple salad that’s packed with protein but still feels light. And on those days, kale salad with crispy chickpeas is absolute perfection.
34. 10 minute white bean artichoke basil toasts
Toast: It’s not just for breakfast. This recipe's made for a summer lunch.
35. Italian Deli Pinwheel Sandwiches
Sure, you could throw some deli meat between two slices of bread and call it a day. Or you could take ten extra minutes and whip up bite-size Italian deli pinwheel sandwiches that’ll have you looking forward to lunch all morning long.
36. Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Parmesan
Somehow, we always have too many zucchinis in the summer (we blame the neighbor’s overzealous garden). Instead of succumbing to sugary zucchini bread, make this nutritious dinner instead.
37. picante tuna salad tacos
Find the albacore tuna in your pantry and whip up this satisfying dinner.
38. Grilled Watermelon-Feta Skewers
You’ve probably seen this dish on every menu in every restaurant in town during the summer months--and for good reason. Sweet watermelon and tangy feta cheese is the new tomato and mozzarella.
39. FIVE-MINUTE SPICY TUNA ROLLS
Introducing the easiest one-bite snack for keto lovers (and everyone else).
40. Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Sure, you could put these out as an app at your next party. But we’re pretty happy keeping them all to ourselves for a quick main course. Just make sure to use the freshest tomatoes you can find.
41. NO-NOODLE PAD THAI
Come for the raw zucchini, carrot and daikon ribbons. Stay for the lime-honey peanut sauce.
42. HONEY-MISO SUMMER SALAD BOWLS
Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? And you’re definitely going to want to put this savory-sweet dressing on just about everything.
43. SPIRALIZED SUSHI BOWL WITH SALMON SASHIMI AND GINGER MISO DRESSING
PureWow Coterie member Ali Maffucci gave us this beautiful (not to mention colorful) bowl and we are forever grateful. Taste the rainbow.
44. Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Strawberries
This dish is almost no-cook, takes less than 30 minutes and can be made up to one day in advance. Just toss the strawberries in right before serving so they don’t get mushy.
45. CANTALOUPE AND MOZZARELLA CAPRESE SALAD
This classic twist on a caprese salad subs cantaloupe for tomatoes. Great balls of melon.