'So quick, sooo good.' 8 ridiculously easy dinners for nights it's too hot to cook.

Summer hits and suddenly the thought of standing over a stove fills us with dread.

You're sweaty, your energy has evaporated and the idea of cooking a fancy dinner? That's out of the picture.

It's the time of year when dinner needs to be light, fast and require the absolute minimum of effort.

If you're deep in your lazy-girl era, these eight easy summer dinners are here to save you, as recommended by the Mamamia team.

Watch: Need more weeknight dinner inspo? The Mamamia team has you covered. Post continues below.

Halloumi tacos.

Image: Mamamia.

A delicious recipe that is probably the easiest of the lot. It literally takes like 10 minutes. And you can get as creative as you desire (a personal favourite of mine is mint and Greek yoghurt, rocket and pomegranate).

Serves: 2 (but alter as you need.)

Ingredients:

Small tortillas.

Avocado.

Red onion.

Rocket or desired salad greens.

Halloumi block.

Method:

Fry your halloumi until golden brown on both sides.

Heat your tortillas.

Add desired toppings.

(See, we weren't lying about it being easy!)

Lemon and broccoli pasta (Love and Lemons).

Image: Mamamia.

Nothing says summer like a lemony, cheesy pasta. I'm salivating just at the thought.

It's simple, light and makes for a perfect mid-week dinner. You can whip it up in just 20 minutes.

Serves: 2.

Ingredients:

8 ounces spaghetti (take your pick of pasta type, but a long pasta like spaghetti or linguine works best).

4 Tbsp unsalted butter.

2 garlic cloves, minced.

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving.

2 Tbsp lemon zest, plus more for the garnish.

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup of broccoli (We go off recipe here, but it adds some veg and balance to the dish).

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Chopped parsley, for garnish.

Method:

Full recipe by Love and Lemons.

Middle Eastern lamb meatball salad.

Image: Mamamia.

Oh, herby Middle Eastern-inspired salad, how we love you so.

Okay, so admittedly, this one is a bit of a Mamamia creation, so feel free to go wild with adjustments. But trust us that the combination is incredibly tasty.

Set aside about 30 minutes for this one.

Serving size depends on how big you make your salad. Go wild.

Ingredients:

Lamb meatballs (We use store-bought, but make your own if you're feeling fancy).

Cauliflower.

Halloumi.

Cucumber.

Red onion.

Tomatoes.

Ground cumin.

Ground coriander.

Mint, chopped.

Parsley, chopped.

Pine nuts.

Olive oil.

Sea salt and pepper.

Dressing:

½ cup Greek yoghurt.

1 garlic clove, minced.

1 tsp lemon juice

Sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Method:

Cook meatballs until browned.

Wash and dry cauliflower before cutting into bite-sized florets.

Season cauliflower with salt, olive oil, ground cumin and ground coriander.

Roast at 180C until golden brown.

Fry halloumi until golden brown.

Chop red onion, tomatoes, cucumber (and any other veg you fancy) and add to bowl.

Add halloumi, cauliflower and meatballs.

Add salad dressing and combine.

Garnish with parsley, mint and pine nuts.

Dressing:

Combine Greek yoghurt and lemon juice in a bowl and mix together until smooth.

Mince garlic and add to bowl.

Add salt and pepper to your taste.

Baked feta pasta.

Image: Canva.

If you were on the internet in 2021, chances are you already know this one by heart. Ah, TikTok feta pasta, how you took the world by storm.

Well, apparently, it still has its place in 2025 and is loved by our team as an easy summer dinner.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, smashed.

2 pints, cherry tomatoes.

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided.

Pinch of chilli flakes.

1 block feta.

Pasta of your choosing.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200C.

Put your tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish.

Pour the olive oil on top of the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Place your feta block in the centre.

Add more olive oil and sprinkle with chilli flakes.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta as per the packet instructions.

Remove your tomatoes and break them up.

Keep stirring until all the feta has mixed.

Add in a touch of pasta water.

Add your cooked and drained pasta and stir.

Halloumi souvlaki.

Image: You Totally Got This.

You might be sensing that we like halloumi in this office... Feel free to swap in a meat if you feel inclined, but halloumi makes for a speedy dinner. It takes just 15 minutes — so quick and so yummy.

Take some creative liberty with this one and add whatever filling your heart desires. Olives and lettuce are also a good addition.

A note from chef Syd: "So quick, sooo good."

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Greek pita bread (We just use store-bought ones; this is easy dinners, after all).

Halloumi block.

1 cucumber.

1 tomato.

1 red onion.

Tzatziki.

Method:

Cut halloumi into slices and fry until golden brown.

Lightly fry pita bread on a plan until just golden.

Cut tomato, cucumber and red onion.

Assemble goodness.

Tuna poke bowl.

Image: Kayla Cappiello.

Our take on a poke bowl. This is very much the 'easy girl' version, but, again, feel free to add whatever toppings you like and swap the canned tuna if you fancy cooking. Tofu or shrimp make for a delicious alternative, and try out some pickled vegetables, kimchi or edamame on top.

Serves: 1

Time: 10-20 minutes

Ingredients:

Spinach, chopped.

Can of tuna.

Rice (we used microwave rice cups for peak lazy girl cooking, but you can, of course, use a rice cooker or cook over the stove).

Half an avocado, sliced.

Broccolini.

Oil, for cooking.

Clove of garlic, sliced.

Cucumber.

Kewpie mayo.

Soy sauce.

Chilli oil or chilli crisp.

Nori

Method:

Cook your rice according to package instructions.

Fry your broccolini in a hot pan with olive oil and garlic until a vibrant green.

Open the can of tuna and using a fork, flake it into bitesize pieces.

Chop cucumber and any other desired vegetables.

Add rice, tuna, cucumber, nori and broccolini to the bowl.

Dress with Kewpie mayo, soy sauce and chilli oil.

Grilled lamb chops with Greek salad (RecipeTinEats).

Image: Canva.

It's grilling season, baby! The sizzle of lamb chops on the grill is one of the great sounds of summer, and what better to pair it with than with a fresh Greek salad.

This one takes a little longer — the lamb needs at least two hours to marinate. But once that's done, it only takes 15 minutes to pull together.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Lamb chops:

600-800g lamb chops (4-8, depending on size).

Oil, for cooking.

Marinade:

2½ Tbsp red wine vinegar.

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

1 Tbsp honey.

3 garlic cloves, minced.

1¼ tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried.

½ tsp dried thyme.

¾ - 1 tsp sea salt.

Black pepper.

Salad:

3 tomatoes.

4 Lebanese cucumbers.

½ small red onion.

1 small green capsicum.

250g feta block.

125g black kalamata olives.

1 tsp dried oregano.

Dressing:

1 garlic clove, minced.

1 tsp dried oregano.

¼ tsp salt.

Freshly ground black pepper.

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar.

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

Method:

Lamb chops:

Full recipe via RecipeTinEats.

Greek salad:

Full recipe via RecipeTinEats.

Mango salad (Moon and Spoon and Yum).

Image: Moon and Spoon and Yum.

Quick and easy, this salad is perfect for when you're in a rush or feeling ultra lazy. It's fresh and flavourful and will leave you feeling oh so summery. Oh, and it only takes 15 minutes.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced.

1 capsicum, diced.

1 cucumber, diced.

½ red onion, thinly sliced.

½ cup fresh basil, sliced.

Dressing:

2 Tbsp lemon juice.

2 Tbsp honey.

1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil.

1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, grated or minced.

¼ tsp red chili flakes.

¼ tsp salt.

Method:

Full recipe via Moon and Spoon and Yum.

Feature image: Mamamia.