These are the easy summer Crockpot meals you should make during your next beach trip. Check that your vacation rental has a slowcooker and then plan these easy recipes for a delicious dinner that can be waiting for you after a long day in the sun.
Of all the beach condos we've rented over the years, my favorite vacation rentals always have a kitchen stocked with a Crockpot for an easy summer meal.
Pop these easy recipes into the slowcooker, go about your business of having the best beach trip ever, and come home exhausted from all the sunshine and ocean waves to find a hot meal ready and waiting for you.
While the kids shower off, pop one of the easy grocery store side dishes into the oven and dinner is ready!
Why the Crockpot is Perfect for Summer
Most people think of their slowcookers in the fall and winter for cozy stews but I think a Crockpot is the perfect summer kitchen tool.
A Crockpot helps you keep your house cool since you don't need to turn on the oven and heat up the whole kitchen.
But when you're on vacation, a slowcooker is even better because you can enjoy your family time all day long and come home to an easy homemade dinner that is waiting for you.
Now THAT feels like vacation!
Supplies You Need
To make these easy summer Crockpot meals, you'll need a good sized slowcooker available at your vacation rental. Be sure to call ahead and confirm before you set on this meal plan.
The rest of the recipes are easy enough that no special equipment beyond a chef knife and cutting board should be required.
Easy Summer Side Dishes
The list of Crockpot meals below all cook the main dish for you.
To round out your meal plan, just add a few of the following easy side dishes:
- Fresh Summer Fruit: Watermelon, peaches, pineapple, strawberries, whatever you can find locally will taste even better!
- Tortilla Chips & Salsa: There are a lot of taco-inspired meals on the list that would taste great with chips and salsa.
- Frozen Potatoes: Tater tots, frozen french fries or potato wedges, or even prepared mashed potatoes would be an easy fix.
- Rice: Buy bags of rice from the freezer section and you could just pop them right into the vacation rental's microwave.
- Bagged Salad & Dressing: Buy a big bag of salad, a package of croutons, some cherry tomatoes, and your favorite prepared dressing for easy salads all week.
- Raw Veggies & Dip: Grab a bag of baby carrots, raw broccoli, celery, or bell peppers and a container of your favorite veggie dip.
More Beach Trip Meals
Planning a week at the beach? Don't miss my easy vacation meals for beach rentals, I've put together the entire meal plan plus shopping list for you.
If you're heading out for a family reunion at the beach, you may prefer my 40 easy meals for large groups on vacation.
Summer Crockpot Meals to Make on a Beach Trip
A summer trip to the beach is the perfect time to use a slowcooker for an easy family dinner! Set it all up before you head out to the beach for the day and come back to your vacation rental to a warm, fresh meal waiting for you.
Chicken tacos are a lighter way to do Taco Tuesday during your beach trip. Add this shredded chicken meat to a tortilla or rice bowl or use it for a taco salad. Pair it with my favorite pineapple salsa right on top or a spicy peach salsa with tortilla chips for an easy side dish.
This easy slowcooker jambalaya is perfect for the beach with the spicy sausage and tender shrimp. You can eat it as a low carb stew or serve it over rice for a heartier meal.
Serve a southern classic pulled pork bbq platter with ease. Shred the slowcooker pulled pork and serve it as sandwiches or on a plate with your favorite easy side dishes like baked beans, crispy coleslaw, or chilled potato salad.
Sloppy joes are always a great choice, but this slowcooker version keeps them heated up and ready so when the kids are starving after a day at the beach, dinner is all ready to be served! Serve with potato chips or toss a bag of frozen french fries into your vacation rental oven.
This crockpot chicken chili is perfect for using with plenty of fresh summer produce for toppings. You could eat it as a rice bowl with fresh corn, tomatoes, or even bell peppers and top it with sour cream and shredded cheese. Don't forget the fresh green onions for sprinkling over the top!
Another delicious slowcooker shrimp recipe for summer is this spicy stew loaded with summer corn and peppers. Serve it alongside fresh baked biscuits or a batch of cornbread for an easy going dinner.
These awesome bbq chicken sliders start with slowcooker bbq chicken that's been shredded. You can have the chicken waiting for you after the beach and then just assemble the sliders and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes.
I love this sweet slowcooker bourbon chicken when I'm not in the mood for a traditional taco. You could wrap this up in a pita, serve it over rice, or even make a fun variation on nachos with a sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles and green onions.
Pile up the tender shredded Italian beef on crispy sub rolls with provolone cheese and sandwich relish. This spicy sandwich is just what you need to go with a cold beer or chilled glass of wine after a day in the hot sun.
These family-favorite cheesy potatoes have a crispy cornflake topping and pair well as a side dish for most of the meals on this list but could even bulk up something easier like plain hot dogs or hamburgers on the grill.
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