3 Slow Cooker Summer Salads for Hot Weather Dinners

I’ll admit it: the phrase “slow-cooked salad” made me a little queasy the first time I heard it. Warm lettuce? No, thank you. Turns out that’s not what’s happening at all. Your slow cooker has a hidden talent it’s been hiding from you this whole time. Let it do the heavy lifting on the main ingredients while you’re out running errands, then toss in the fresh stuff right before dinner. Cool, crisp, and you never had to touch the oven. That’s the whole trick.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

• Orange Chicken Spinach Salad with Feta
• Green Beans and Petite Reds with Albacore
• Quinoa Salad with Beets, Oranges and Fennel
• Mary’s Famous Pico de Gallo

Orange Chicken Spinach Salad with Feta

This one’s a family favorite, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it might be the best chicken salad I’ve ever made. The slow cooker handles the chicken. You handle the assembling. Everybody wins.

You’ll need: bone-in split chicken breasts, garlic, thyme, salt, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, bottled vinaigrette.

Get the full recipe →

Green Beans and Petite Reds with Albacore

This one gets a funny look every time I mention it. “Green beans and tuna… as a salad?” Just trust me on this. It’s bursting with flavor, it’s hearty enough to be dinner, and it’s perfect after a day that was too hot to think about cooking.

You’ll need: fresh green beans, small red-skin potatoes, onion, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, tarragon, salt, pepper, canned solid white albacore, and fresh baby spinach if you want it.

Get the full recipe →

Quinoa Salad with Beets, Oranges and Fennel

If lettuce isn’t really your thing, this is the salad for you. Earthy beets, sweet oranges, crunchy fennel, and quinoa doing its quiet, protein-packed job underneath it all. It’s the kind of dish that looks like you fussed over it. You didn’t.

You’ll need: fresh beets, olive oil, an orange, honey, quinoa, canned mandarin oranges, fennel, and green onion and salad greens if you’re feeling fancy.

Get the full recipe →

Mary’s Famous Pico de Gallo

And now, the recipe so many of you have asked about since I first showed off my Chop Wizard. Here it finally is.

You’ll need: Roma tomatoes, red onion, garlic, cilantro, fresh lime juice and zest, jalapeño, and a little garlic powder and cumin if you’ve got them.

Get the full recipe →

Question: What’s your go-to “too hot to cook” dinner? I’d love to steal a good one. Tell me in the comments.

EverydayCheapskate™ is reader-supported. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate advertising programs, designed to provide a means for us to earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

More from Everyday Cheapskate

3 Slow Cooker Summer Salads for Hot Weather Dinners

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260720-slow-cooker-hot-weather-meals-salads-plus-pico-de-gallo-recipes.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-07-20 21:12:192026-07-20 21:15:463 Slow Cooker Summer Salads for Hot Weather Dinners

Cucumbers Galore? Here’s What to Do With Every Single One

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260717-a-woman-holding-a-crate-of-cucumbers.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-07-17 10:11:072026-07-17 10:13:44Cucumbers Galore? Here’s What to Do With Every Single One

Back-to-School Lunch Ideas for a Week (No Boring Sandwiches)

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260713-what-to-pack-for-kids-lunchboxes-young-boy-and-girl-eating-a-banana-and-a-sandwich.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-07-13 21:54:132026-07-13 21:54:13Back-to-School Lunch Ideas for a Week (No Boring Sandwiches)

The Best Way to Make Iced Tea? Depends What You’re After

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260609-refreshing-glasses-of-iced-tea-with-fresh-lemon-slices-and-ice-best-way-to-make-tea.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-07-09 18:30:102026-07-09 18:30:10The Best Way to Make Iced Tea? Depends What You’re After

I Stopped Buying $7 Frappuccinos. Here’s What I Make Now

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260707-creamy-whipped-frozen-coffee-drink-on-balcony-with-whipped-cream.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-07-07 10:09:112026-07-07 10:09:11I Stopped Buying $7 Frappuccinos. Here’s What I Make Now

34 Fourth of July Recipes and DIY Hacks for a Stress-Free Holiday

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260630-a-lit-sparkler-with-an-american-flag-in-the-background-4th-of-july-hacks-tips-and-recipes.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-06-30 21:44:502026-06-30 21:44:5034 Fourth of July Recipes and DIY Hacks for a Stress-Free Holiday

Summer Grilled Peaches with Balsamic and Blue Cheese

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260628-Grilled-Peaches-with-Balsamic-and-Blue-Cheese-1.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-06-29 09:38:342026-06-29 09:38:34Summer Grilled Peaches with Balsamic and Blue Cheese

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake That Disappears at Family Dinners

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260620-cheesey-chicken-and-rice-casserole-in-a-baking-dish.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-06-20 13:31:162026-06-20 13:31:16Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake That Disappears at Family Dinners

3-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream (No Machine Needed)

https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/20260619-delicious-creamy-no-churn-vanilla-ice-cream-scoop-and-loaf-pan.png 800 1200 Mary Hunt https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/EC-Logo-by-Mary-Hunt-Tagline-Trimmed.png Mary Hunt2026-06-19 18:42:402026-06-19 18:42:413-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream (No Machine Needed)

Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines

Caught yourself reading all the way 'til the end? Why not share with a friend.