When summer is at its hottest, no one wants to be slaving over a hot stove—or even a hot grill.

You could get takeout. It’s fun sometimes, but it’s not always as easy—or as tasty—as you thought it would be.

Or, you could go for a quick, easy, and satisfying summer dinner that comes together fast and with little to no cooking—no hovering over a hot stove or grill, no heating up the entire house with a blazing oven.

This option happens to be our favorite. You might have guessed.

Whether you’re entertaining guests or serving a quiet meal for two, these cool dinners and no-cook meals are perfect for when your patio feels like the surface of the sun.

No-Cook (Or Almost No-Cook) Meals

BBQ Grazing Board
You’ve heard of charcuterie boards. We call our version a grazing board. It’s easier to pronounce, and we like to stack it high with our favorite BBQ meats—brisket, pulled pork, sliced turkey or chicken, all served up hot or chilled. We love picking up our meat picks from our favorite local pitmaster or BBQ joint for this set-up. Serve with several of your favorite flavors of Head Country Bar-B-Q sauce, because variety is the spice of life.
FULL RECIPE: BBQ Grazing Board

Asian Lettuce Wraps with BBQ Pulled Pork
Leftovers from a BBQ pork shoulder get transformed in this recipe for easy lettuce wraps featuring Asian-inspired flavors. Butter lettuce and cilantro bring lush, fresh flavor, and peanuts deliver a satisfying crunch.
FULL RECIPE: Asian Lettuce Wraps with BBQ Pulled Pork

Sweet & Sticky BBQ Chicken Steamed Buns
We don’t often point you to the microwave, but when a recipe is this good and this easy, it’s our pleasure. Warm the BBQ chicken, then steam the buns. Drizzle with plenty of Bar-B-Q sauce. Top with chives or green onion for some bright, fresh flavor.
FULL RECIPE: Sweet & Sticky BBQ Chicken Steamed Buns

BBQ Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Too hot for burritos? Never. Especially for burrito bowls, complete with leftover smoked pulled pork and zesty riced cauliflower. Skip the peppers and add fresh avocado, lime, cilantro, and cilantro-lime cauliflower rice to keep this recipe no-cook.
FULL RECIPE: BBQ Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad
This salad hits all the sweet and tangy notes you crave when you want BBQ but it’s just too steamy to smoke. Use your own leftover BBQ or grilled chicken, or pick up sliced smoked chicken from your favorite local BBQ spot. Go with the freshest lettuce for that cool, refreshing crunch, and load up on the other toppings to max out the summer flavors.
FULL RECIPE: Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Lettuce Wraps
These cold, super-fresh wraps require a dab of cooking if you don’t have leftover shrimp on hand. Still, you won’t be in the kitchen long at all—shrimp are nature’s fast food. You won’t want to skimp on the fresh avocado—takes these to a whole other level.
FULL RECIPE: Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Jackfruit Tacos
We love the jackfruit tacos at the food truck, and we love how quickly these jackfruit tacos by Heather Berryhill come together. Jackfruit shreds like pulled chicken, pork, or beef, and loves to party with jalapeno, radish, and your favorite flavor of our Bar-B-Q sauce. They’re ready in about 10 minutes, keeping your time in the kitchen to an absolute minimum.
FULL RECIPE: BBQ Jackfruit Tacos

3-Minute BBQ Chicken Tacos
Shop your pantry and dip into the BBQ you couldn’t quite finish over the weekend and these shredded chicken tacos are ready in just 3 minutes—no cooking required.
FULL RECIPE: 3-Minute BBQ Chicken Tacos

Leftover BBQ Chicken Keto Taco Bowls
The only cooking happening here is running the microwave to get the cauliflower rice ready. After that, it’s just tossing together your leftover BBQ chicken from the weekend (or from your favorite BBQ joint) with some of your favorite taco-inspired flavors before supper is on the table.
FULL RECIPE: Leftover BBQ Chicken Keto Taco Bowls

5-Minute BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Start with grilled chicken (pick from your leftovers, throw a boneless breast or thigh in the air fryer, or pick up some chicken from the store) and these BBQ sandwiches stack up in minutes. Serve cold with thick-cut potato chips and pickles for an easy, refreshing weeknight dinner.
FULL RECIPE: 5-Minute BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Classic Loaded Egg Salad
Our Seasoning adds just the right depth and flavor to take this lunch-and-brunch classic from as-usual to legendary. Add to a stack of fresh greens or to toasted buns for a satisfying sandwich.
FULL RECIPE: Classic Loaded Egg Salad

Spicy Summer Guacamole
When it’s boiling outside, sometimes nothing sounds better than a pile of salty tortilla chips and a big bowl of cold, super-fresh guacamole. This recipe is great this way, or as a bright, spicy topping on chicken or tuna salad. As always with guacamole, it’s best when you use the freshest ingredients you can find. Our High Plains Heat adds just the right kick.
FULL RECIPE: Spicy Summer Guacamole

Smoked Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs can be a blank canvas, if you think about it. Grab an armload of garnishes and you have a buffet of variety for a cool, easy dinner. Try radish with paprika and chives. Bacon and blue cheese. Sriracha and cilantro. Ham, cheese, and green onion. And don’t forget to dust with your favorite flavor of Championship Seasoning.
FULL RECIPE: Smoked Deviled Eggs

Cocktails for Heat Waves

BBQ Smoked Margarita
Summer and ‘ritas. They were made for each other. Our spin on this poolside favorite makes the most of smoke flavor and trades the salt rim for a rim dusted with our Championship Seasoning. Go with our Original, try High Plains Heat for a kick, or opt for Sweet & Spicy for some sweet heat.
FULL RECIPE: BBQ Smoked Margarita

BBQ Michelada Cocktail
This concoction of beer, tomato or Clamato juice, lime juice, seasonings and hot sauce is a sure-fire cure for the summertime blues, all served in a spice-rimmed, ice-cold glass.
FULL RECIPE: BBQ Michelada Cocktail