These easy vacation meals will be a breeze to make in your beach house, rental house, or anywhere really that you need to feed the family. For the nights you don’t want to go to a restaurant but still want a yummy dining experience, keep this recipe list at your fingertips.
Depending on where you go on vacation and how much your eating out budget is, you will likely want some easy meals to make yourself. (But if you’re just looking for snack ideas for a day at the beach, head over to our Beach Food Ideas post!)
Whether you are in an VRBO, AirBnb, a townhouse, or a hotel with a kitchenette, you usually will have a few key appliances and ingredients to make these vacation meals.
I’m focusing this post on recipes that don’t require tons of spices, specialty appliances, or less common herbs you simply won’t have on hand.
Simple
Basic
Tasty
Watch How to Make Ham and Cheese Casserole
Here’s an easy ham casserole that won’t drag you down with carbs. It’s keto and great for a vacation meal. This dish works well for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Easy dinners to make on vacation
When you’re out of town and want to feed our family without having to go out to eat every night (and without sticking them with peanut butter sandwiches) try these easy vacation dinners. They are simple enough and you don’t need tons of ingredients. You also don’t lots of spices or tricky cookware you don’t have.
They’re simple, inexpensive, and satisfying. Of course, while you’re on vacation you’ll want to eat some meals out in restaurants. But for the other nights, try these dishes.
Easy Vacation Dinners
These meals are easy to make on vacation without all your normal spices, tools, appliances, and cookware. Simple and easy to make to fill your family if you want to save money while away on vacation.
This easy spaghetti doesn't require hours of cooking (who wants that when you're busy on vacation having fun?) and is tasty.
This is a five ingredient chicken dinner dish. If you need to fill up with some healthy protein, this is a healthy vacation dinner option.
This chicken feta pasta is tasty, cheesy, and healthy. It will be filling and easy to make in an evening after a long day.
With 5 ingredients (not including salt and pepper, of course) is filling and quick and easy. It won't leave you with a lot of food or ingredients that go bad.
This taco casserole blends quite a few spices, still with only a few ingredients. It's inexpensive and super tasty.
Now, if you're going for broke and want to cook something that's a crowd pleaser you wouldn't ordinarily eat at home... this is it.
This is another super easy tasty pasta dish that'll fill you up after a long day of sightseeing.
This is a sheet pan dinner (meaning, throw everything on a sheet pan and bake it, voila, SO QUICK AND EASY!) and only requires
Ramen is the KING of easy dinners. This 5 ingredient meal throws in some veggies and takes the ramen up a notch.
This chicken enchilada bake is easy to make, super tasty, and only has a few ingredients.
This cheeseburger and fry casserole is comforting, filling, and uses frozen or canned ingredients.. read: super easy and inexpensive.
These pizza chicken roll ups combine two beloved dinner staples... pizza and chicken. Put them together with a side of a roasted veggie and voila, easy dinner.
These yummy grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect dinners, serve it up with some roasted veggies or a nice salad and you'll be filled up and ready to sight see again tomorrow.
Talk about only using a few ingredients... this one is simple, inexpensive, and still super delicious.
This is one of our family's personal favorites. Easy to find ingredients, quick, filling, and a crowd pleaser on those late vacation nights.
This is beautiful, rich, creamy, and a great way to make an inexpensive vacation dinner with baked chicken.
Chicken and broccoli pasta is a family dinnertime staple for many. Use the instant pot and make it tasty and quick for a 30-minute meal.
Beach vacation meal planning
Now, we’ve already talked about beach food ideas, which are easy foods for a day in the sand. But this list is about great foods to cook during your beach vacation in your beach rental house.
Tasty, light, fresh, and great off the grill; these are quick ways to whip up an amazing meal.
Idea for Beach Dinners
These are great meals that are beach inspired, you can get easy seafood, or foods you can cook with your grill, and easy beach dinners that you can either eat on the beach or in your beach vacation rental.
Got some fresh shrimp? Here's a great and super simple 5 ingredient garlic shrimp pasta recipe.
If you've caught some fresh fish and want to cook it up, this uses the oven (so you don't have to spend an hour on a charcoal grill!) and the result is amazing.
These can be a little more difficult to make, but if you've been crabbing and want to try and whip up some yummy crab cakes, this recipe is simple and easy to follow.
Embrace the seafood side with this easy to make and delicious glazed salmon.
Gone scalloping? Here are some easy recipes to cook a delicious meal with scallops that are wrapped in prosciutto... which is always a winner.
Get some sausage with that shrimp and make an awesome cajun jambalaya one evening.
New to the shrimp boil? This is a no frills shrimp boil that you can make as long as you have a pot, shrimp, potatoes, and corn. This is one of our favorite beach house dinners because it's so easy and delicious.
Ever wanted to try your hand at cooking a WHOLE FISH? Now's your chance to be the chef of this dish. Plus, you know the kids would think it's fun.
This shrimp dish is another one of our favorite evening meal recipes for when you're on vacation and want to whip up something quickly. It looks fancy but is super easy to pull off.
This tilapia with corn salsa will please even the pickiest of seafood eaters. Plus it's simple and can be baked.
25+ Easy Vacation & Beach Meal Recipes
Ingredients
Easy Vacation Dinners
- 15-Minute Spaghetti https://www.averiecooks.com/easy-15-minute-spaghetti/
- 5-Ingredient Caprese Salad https://www.seasonalcravings.com/five-ingredient-caprese-chicken/
- Chicken Feta Pasta https://www.wellplated.com/chicken-feta-pasta/
- Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli with Penne https://southerneatsandgoodies.com/instant-pot-chicken-broccoli-pasta/
- Broccoli Mac and Cheese https://audrasappetite.com/broccoli-chicken-mac-and-cheese/
- Taco Casserole https://www.theseasonedmom.com/lightened-up-taco-crescent-casserole/
- Chili Dog Pizza https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-dog-pizza/
- Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, & Garlic https://cupofjo.com/2014/07/pasta-with-tomatoes-basil-and-garlic/
- Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken https://neighborfoodblog.com/sheet-pan-pesto-chicken-and-vegetables/
- Ground Beef Teriyaki Ramen https://dinnerthendessert.com/ground-beef-teriyaki-ramen/
- Chicken Enchilada Bake https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-enchilada-bake/
- Cheeseburger & Fries Casserole https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cheeseburger-and-fries-casserole/
- Pizza Chicken Rollups https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pizza-chicken-roll-ups/
- Best Grilled Cheese https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a19610233/how-to-make-best-grilled-cheese/
- Best Buttered Noodles https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a25636049/buttered-noodles-recipe/
- Easy Crescent Taco Bake https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/easy-crescent-taco-bake/9c2bd5f7-63f7-4a6c-afa3-56baeedbc35a
Dinners Perfect for the Beach
- Garlicky Shrimp Pasta https://www.cookingforkeeps.com/5-ingredient-garlicky-shrimp-pasta/
- Oven Baked Tilapia https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a19665918/oven-baked-tilapia-recipe/
- Crab Cakes https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a58704/best-crab-cakes-recipe/
- Balsamic Glazed Salmon https://www.cookingclassy.com/balsamic-glazed-salmon/
- Prosciutto Wrapped Scallops https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249554/prosciutto-wrapped-scallops-with-spinach/
- Express Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252103/express-shrimp-sausage-jambalaya/
- No Frills Shrimp Boil https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/no-frills-shrimp-boil
- Fried Whole Fish with Tomatillo Sauce https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/fried-whole-fish-with-tomatillo-sauce
- Grilled Shrimp with Old Bay and Aioli https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-shrimp-with-old-bay-and-aioli
- Tilapia with Corn Salsa https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tilapia-with-corn-salsa/
Instructions
- Select meal from list above.
- Follow link provided for the recipe.
- Prepare and enjoy!
Great list, thank you!