17 Summer Meals So Easy You’ll Still Have Time to Chill and Enjoy the Sunshine
As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs, Easy Homemade Life may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. This comes at no additional cost to you, and all the prices and availability are accurate at the time of publishing.
Summer’s too short to spend stuck in the kitchen. These easy meals let you eat well without the stress, so you can get back to what really matters, kicking back, soaking up the sun, and enjoying your people. With minimal prep and zero overthinking, this is the kind of food that keeps things simple and your summer schedule wide open.
Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles
This shrimp scampi with zoodles delivers all the lemony, garlicky flavor you love, but in a light dish that takes just 20 minutes from start to finish. It’s the kind of low-effort summer meal that lets you stay out of the kitchen and enjoy a warm evening breeze instead. Quick, fresh, and made in one pan, it’s the perfect no-fuss dinner when sunshine’s calling.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles
Italian Chopped Salad
With bold Italian flavors and bite-sized crunch in every forkful, this Italian chopped salad is a fast favorite for hot weather meals. It’s easy to throw together with hearty protein, crisp veggies, and a vibrant dressing that holds up well on warm days. This one’s a time-saving lifesaver that makes summer eating simple while leaving plenty of room to soak up the sun.
Get the Recipe: Italian Chopped Salad
Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
These slow cooker baby back ribs are your ticket to tender, fall-off-the-bone goodness without hovering over a grill. All it takes is a quick spice rub, a swipe of glaze, and the slow cooker handles the rest while you enjoy your day. It’s the ultimate easy summer meal that’s ready when you are and gives you more time to relax.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Chopped Chicken Salad
Packed with crunch and color, this chopped chicken salad checks every summer box: cool, easy, and full of flavor. It comes together fast with just a bit of chopping and is hearty enough to count as dinner without weighing you down. It’s perfect for lazy evenings or sun-filled lunches when the last thing you want is a complicated meal.
Get the Recipe: Chopped Chicken Salad
Rump Roast
This rump roast might sound fancy, but it’s all about set-it-and-forget-it simplicity that suits a summer schedule. After slow cooking to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, it just needs a quick slice before hitting the plate. You get a rich, flavorful meal with zero dinner stress, leaving more time to kick back and enjoy the season.
Get the Recipe: Rump Roast
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ham and cheese sliders are a total win for busy summer days, they’re fast to prep and baked in just minutes. With gooey cheese, savory ham, and buttery rolls, they’re a hit with the whole family and disappear just as fast as you made them. Best part? They keep things relaxed while still bringing big flavor to the table.
Get the Recipe: Ham and Cheese Sliders
Apricot Chicken
Sweet and savory apricot chicken is a summertime dinner favorite that feels special without the stress. It’s made with just a few ingredients and bakes up beautifully in under an hour, leaving you free to enjoy more time outside. Whether it’s a weeknight or a weekend, this is the kind of easy, flavorful dish that fits right into the flow of summer.
Get the Recipe: Apricot Chicken
Quesabirria Tacos
Quesabirria tacos are loaded with bold flavor and crispy, cheesy edges that feel like a total treat, but they’re surprisingly simple to pull off. Make a quick batch and dip them in that rich consommé, no one will believe you didn’t spend all day on them. This is the kind of summer dinner that lets you savor the evening without spending it over a stove.
Get the Recipe: Quesabirria Tacos
Cheap Grilled Meat
These cheap cuts are perfect for grilling season and prove you don’t need to spend big for a satisfying summer meal. With a simple marinade or seasoning blend, they’re on the grill and off your plate in no time. It’s the kind of affordable, no-hassle cooking that gives you more freedom to enjoy the sunshine without worrying about dinner.
Get the Recipe: Cheap Grilled Meat
Beef Barbacoa
Beef barbacoa is rich, tender, and packed with Mexican-inspired flavor that makes it feel like a weekend feast, even when it’s not. It slow cooks with minimal effort, so you can stay cool while dinner takes care of itself. Serve it in bowls, tacos, or lettuce wraps for an easy summer dinner that tastes like you worked harder than you did.
Get the Recipe: Beef Barbacoa
Green Bean Hamburger Casserole
This green bean hamburger casserole is cozy, cheesy, and just what you need on those nights when you want something hearty but hassle-free. It’s ready in under an hour and doesn’t require a sink full of dishes or a hot kitchen. Even in summer, comfort food like this keeps things easy and lets you get back to enjoying the evening.
Get the Recipe: Green Bean Hamburger Casserole
Sheet Pan Chicken
Sheet pan chicken is the kind of one-and-done dinner that belongs in every summer meal plan. Toss your protein and veggies on one pan, bake for 30 minutes, and dinner’s served with practically no cleanup. It’s fresh, flavorful, and easy enough to leave you plenty of time to chill out after.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken
New York Strip Steak
New York strip steak brings steakhouse vibes to your summer table, without the steakhouse fuss. A quick sear and some herbed butter are all it takes to turn a simple cut into something special. It’s one of those easy wins that lets you serve up big flavor and still have time to relax with your feet up.
Get the Recipe: New York Strip Steak
Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
These pineapple teriyaki pork chops bring a bright, tropical twist to dinner without making you break a sweat. Just marinate the pork in a sweet and savory mix, then pop it in the oven for a hands-off cook that lets you keep soaking up the sun. It’s an easy summer dinner with big flavor that lets you enjoy more time doing absolutely nothing.
Get the Recipe: Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops
Italian Beef
Slow cooker Italian beef is your secret weapon for a comforting summer meal that basically makes itself. Toss everything into the pot, let it simmer into savory perfection, and use that time for anything but standing in a hot kitchen. Whether you serve it in bowls or sandwich-style, this stress-free dinner keeps things easy while you kick back and relax.
Get the Recipe: Italian Beef
Fish Tacos
These fish tacos are light, vibrant, and full of bold flavor, exactly what a summer dinner should be. The quick-cooking blackened tilapia and crisp toppings make them a fast favorite, and that creamy avocado sauce takes them over the top. With barely any prep and zero oven time, you’ll be out of the kitchen and back to your summer in no time.
Get the Recipe: Fish Tacos
Parmesan and Garlic Wings
Parmesan and garlic wings are the kind of crispy, crave-worthy food that everyone loves but takes almost no effort to make. Whether you bake or air fry them, they come together fast and deliver big flavor without weighing you down. They’re a perfect easy win for summer nights when you want something snacky and filling without skipping the chill time.
Get the Recipe: Parmesan and Garlic Wings
