Dinners You Can Eat With Your Hands

This collection of Dinners You Can Eat With Your Hands is perfect for a warm evening when nobody wants to sit formally at a table or switch the oven on. It brings together Turkish tantuni wraps, stuffed pita arayes, crisp falafel and a plate of fried calamari, ideal for a relaxed family dinner where everyone builds their own. Don't forget to save this list for the next warm spell.

Turkish Beef Wrap - Tantuni

Finely chopped beef is cooked fast on a hot plate with a splash of water until the edges catch, then rolled into thin bread with tomato, onion and parsley. It is street food from Mersin and it takes minutes once the meat is prepped.

To learn more: Turkish Wrap - Tantuni

Izmir Kumru - Turkish Sandwich

A sesame-crusted roll is split and packed with sucuk, cheese and tomato, then pressed until the cheese melts into everything. It is a full dinner in one hand and needs nothing more than pickles alongside.

To learn more: Izmir Kumru - Turkish Sandwich

Arayes - Stuffed Pita

Pita bread is filled with spiced minced meat, then griddled until the bread crisps and the filling cooks through in its own juices. Cut into wedges, they are the easiest thing on this list to hand round.

To learn more: Arayes - Stuffed Pita

Authentic Lebanese Falafel

Soaked chickpeas are blitzed with herbs and spices, shaped and fried until dark and craggy outside, green and soft within. Stuff them into flatbread with tahini and salad for a meat-free dinner with real crunch.

To learn more: Authentic Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe

Adana Kebab

Minced lamb is worked with red pepper and spices, pressed onto flat skewers and cooked over high heat until charred at the edges. Fire up the barbecue while the weather holds and serve it straight onto flatbread.

To learn more: Adana Kebab Recipe

Fried Calamari (Calamari Fritti)

Squid rings are dusted in seasoned flour and fried for barely a minute so they stay tender inside a light, crisp coating. Serve them with lemon wedges and a bowl of garlicky sauce for dipping.

To learn more: Fried Calamari (Calamari Fritti)

Crispy Fried Anchovies

Small fish are coated in cornmeal and fried until the skin turns golden and shatteringly crisp. They are eaten with fingers along the Black Sea coast, with plenty of lemon and a green salad.

To learn more: Hamsi Tava - Crispy Fried Anchovies

Extra Crispy Halloumi Fries

Batons of halloumi are coated and fried until the outside crackles and the middle turns soft and squeaky. Pile them onto a board with a yoghurt dip and they disappear before anything else.

To learn more: Extra Crispy Halloumi Fries

Thai Fish Cakes - Tod Mun Pla

White fish is blended with red curry paste and green beans, then fried into springy little patties. They are quick, punchy and made for eating with a sweet chilli dip in one hand.

To learn more: Thai Fish Cakes - Tod Mun Pla

Duck Spring Rolls

Shredded duck is rolled tightly in thin pastry and fried until the outside blisters and crackles. Serve them with hoisin, cucumber and spring onion for a starter that easily turns into dinner.

To learn more: Duck Spring Rolls

Easy Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza

A tortilla base crisps up in the air fryer in a few minutes, so the toppings melt without heating the whole kitchen. Everyone can top their own, which makes it a useful dinner for a hot evening.

To learn more: Easy Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza

Easy Hot Dogs in Air Fryer

Sausages cook through and the buns warm in the same basket, with no pan of boiling water in sight. Set out mustard, onions and pickles, and let everyone assemble their own.

To learn more: Easy Hot Dogs in Air Fryer