The 39 Best No-Cook Recipes For When You Can't Stand The Heat

This jewel-toned salad will snap you out of your winter cooking rut. The hearty greens stand up well to the dressing, so any leftovers can be stored and enjoyed the next day.

Recipe: Citrus and Winter Greens Salad

Just stack layers of ice cream sandwiches, ice cream, whipped topping, and crushed sandwich cookies to make this towering delight of a cake. We love the chocolate ice cream, but feel free to swap in your favorite flavor for your own twist.

Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Using pre-cooked or store-bought shredded chicken makes these wraps a cinch to pull together. 

Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

As someone who first tried this sandwich at a seaside picnic, I can confirm that it's the perfect hot weather meal. Bonus points if it's made with extra-crunchy bread.

Recipe: Chickpea Salad Sandwich | Shop This Recipe

If you're saving this salad to eat throughout the week, you can prevent browning by adding the avocado right before you eat. 

Recipe: Avocado Chickpea Salad With Chili Lime Dressing | Shop This Recipe

Chopped salads are having a moment on TikTok, so we decided to recreate the viral green goddess salad. It's purple, filled with good-for-you cabbage and kale, and you can even eat it like a dip with crunchy corn chips. 

Recipe: Tasty’s Purple Goddess | Shop This Recipe

You can find sushi-grade salmon by looking out for a label on the fish that reads "sushi-grade" or "for raw consumption." If you're not sure, don't risk it and ask for assistance.

Recipe: Philadelphia Roll | Shop This Recipe

Try this refreshing chilled summer soup with a handful of croutons on top for more crunch. 

Recipe: Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup | Shop This Recipe

You can definitely use non-frozen berries for a tasty smoothie, but you'll need the frozen stuff if you want a thick, easy-to-layer mixture. 

Recipe: Ombré Smoothies | Shop This Recipe

To keep this recipe truly no-cook, buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up — or throw in some sliced chicken breast from the deli. 

Recipe: Chicken Ranch Wrap | Shop This Recipe

Turns out, avocado tastes fantastic as both a topping and as an ingredient in a dressing. Serve in a pita pocket, on naan bread, or even with some chips. 

Recipe: Low-Carb Avocado Chicken Salad | Shop This Recipe

This recipe is so easy, you could do it in a mid-afternoon post-nap stupor and still end up with this chocolatey, velvety beauty.

Recipe: Chocolate Mousse | Shop This Recipe

This combination of salty prosciutto and creamy pesto makes spiralized zucchini taste like an umami-packed flavor bomb. You can even replace the zucchini with sliced cucumbers, and you'll still end up with an unreal dish. 

Recipe: Pesto And Prosciutto Zucchini Linguine | Shop This Recipe

Surprisingly, this is the perfect recipe to use up any bread that's gone stale. And when you're done whizzing up all your ingredients, strain the whole mixture to get rid of lumps. The result will be a rich, smooth soup that is begging to be topped off with some basil, croutons, or a drizzle of cream.

Recipe: Healthy Homemade Gazpacho | Shop This Recipe

Turns out, my favorite bagel is also great as toast. Want to jazz it up? Add some dill, avocado slices, and maybe even some capers. 

Recipe: Smoked Salmon Toast | Shop This Recipe

This one goes out to anyone who's ever wanted a taste of something sweet without committing to a party-size quantity.

Recipe: 5-Minute Microwave Cheesecake | Shop This Recipe

When you wake up to your stomach growling, it's breakfast sandwiches like these that make you sprint out of bed.

Recipe: Microwaved Egg Breakfast Sandwich | Shop This Recipe

For an even more complex flavor, add some chopped garlic and tomatoes. Then, sit back, relax, and open up a bag of tortilla chips. (Don't be surprised if you finish the whole bowl!) 

Recipe: Guacamole | Shop This Recipe

My current obsession is brown flesh tomatoes, which are slightly sweeter than their cherry counterparts. Chop one into this salad for a dish you could eat for lunch every day. 

Recipe: Avocado And Tomato Salad | Shop This Recipe

It's a pocket, it's a chip, and now it's transformed into a pizza base! Is there anything you can't do with a single pita pocket? 

Recipe: Microwaved Caprese Pita Pizza | Shop This Recipe

For the best results, refrigerate this dessert overnight. You'll be able to get cleaner slices of cool and creamy dulce de leche cheesecake that melts in your mouth.

Recipe: No-Bake Dulce De Leche Cheesecake | Shop This Recipe

You can make these crostini in a classic flavor combination like pesto Caprese, or shake things up with ten other variations, including lox, cream cheese, and chicken bánh mì. Whatever you choose, it's an easy-to-personalize party snack or appetizer that doesn't require a single minute in the oven.

Recipe: Pesto Caprese Crostini | Shop This Recipe

While it comes in tons of variations throughout the Arab world, fattoush is mainly characterized by its use of fried stale bread, in-season vegetables, and herbs. In this case, you can totally use crunchy pita chips for the same delicious result.

Recipe: Middle Eastern Pita Salad (Fattoush Salad) | Shop This Recipe

To avoid a rubbery texture, don't let the shrimp sit too long in the lime mixture!

Recipe: Easy Shrimp Ceviche | Shop This Recipe

One of my favorite budget-friendly recipes is this burrito, which I often prep for the week and thank myself for later. Enjoy with a spicy salsa or guacamole. 

Recipe: Chicken, Rice & Bean Burritos | Shop This Recipe

It's surprisingly easy to make this recipe if you have a package of wonton wrappers on hand. Just make the filling using chopped vegetable, fold them into the wrapper, then microwave the dumplings in a water-filled bowl.  

Recipe: 2-Minute Vegetable Dumplings | Shop This Recipe

Originating from Hawaii, poke bowls are now one of the culinary world's favorite fresh seafood dishes. They go great with sushi rice — or even without, as in this dish. 

Recipe: Lomi-Lomi Salmon Poke Bowl By Brooke Williamson | Shop This Recipe

The star of this quick recipe is the spicy peanut sauce, which is simple to make with only four ingredients: peanut butter, Sriracha, lime juice, and water. 

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Zucchini Noodles With Spicy Peanut Sauce | Shop This Recipe

If you're unsure what to eat, a Caesar salad is never a bad option. If you already have bacon crumbles or fried onions on hand, you don't even have to turn on the stovetop to put together this variation. 

Recipe: Bacon Avocado Caesar Salad | Shop This Recipe

I may have an oven and a full-fledged kitchen now, but these four-minute BBQ nachos still hit the spot, every time. 

Recipe: Microwave 4-minute BBQ Chicken Nachos | Shop This Recipe

If you're pulling your tortillas straight from the fridge, make sure to give them some time to warm up to room temperature. If you try and fold them while cold, they may tear!

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Toaster "Quesadilla" | Shop This Recipe

In a blender, drop in berries, banana, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and peanut butter, and blend until smooth. I find that crunchy ingredients like sliced almonds, cacao nibs, and granola pair best with this ultra-creamy yogurt base (but honestly, anything goes). 

Recipe: Berry Smoothie Bowl | Shop This Recipe

I love making a giant bowl of this salad and enjoying it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's cool, refreshing, and a hydrating meal for those hot summer days.

Recipe: Chopped Mediterranean Salad | Shop This Recipe

Save some time by using store-bought ranch dressing or sour cream.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps | Shop This Recipe

Refrigerate your peanut butter mixture for at least ten minutes. When it's out of the fridge, work quickly to form the balls before the peanut butter melts and gets too sticky to work with. 

Recipe: No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter M&M Balls | Shop This Recipe

If you love a classic tuna salad, then you'll enjoy this easy variation that substitutes creamy avocado for mayonnaise. 

Recipe: Crunchy Avocado Tuna Wraps | Shop This Recipe

For those days when you want a snack for dinner, whip up this yogurt dip and enjoy it with a crunchy tortilla or pita chips.  

Recipe: Spinach Yogurt Dip | Shop This Recipe

There's a reason coleslaw is a summertime classic. It's crunchy, it's easy to make in large quantities, and its creamy flavor is hard not to love. 

Recipe: Coleslaw | Shop This Recipe

You don't have to step outside to enjoy this picnic sandwich, which uses lemon zest and garlic powder to enhance all the flavors. 

Recipe: Summer Picnic Sandwich | Shop This Recipe