43 Valentine’s Day Dinners You’ll Love
You’ve got the perfect gift. The most lush-looking chocolate dessert recipe has been bookmarked on your phone for weeks. But the main portion of your Valentine’s dinner? You haven’t found the one—meaning the right recipe—yet.
We’re here to help. Is your ideal romantic meal something lavish or are you on more of the comfort food beat? Either way, you’ll find something for your Valentine’s Day menu among the recipes below. Some are portioned for couples; others are larger mains for a family affair; and there are plenty of delicious things for people who are taking the special occasion to celebrate themselves. Whether you’re boo’d up or flying solo with a heart full of love and hands full of buttery Valentine’s cookies, our best Valentine’s meals will fill you with that tingly feeling. (We’re talking about hunger. Wait—what did you think we meant?)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Gerri Williams1/43Balsamic Mushroom and Sausage Pasta
2/43Tomato-Roasted Onions With So Much Paprika
Don’t think of this as a side dish. Seared, then gently roasted with paprika and tomato paste until spoonably tender, humble onions prove they can hold their own as the main event.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley3/43One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Olive Gremolata
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley4/43Sake-and-Soy-Braised Pork Belly
We’re fans of a sweet and salty combo when it comes to Valentine’s Day dinner recipes. This one’s a slow cooker, but those two hours of braising are worth it to achieve sticky, caramel-glazed pork.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Gerri Williams5/43Gnocchi-Leek Soup With Greens
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley6/43Coffee-and-Bourbon-Braised Short Ribs
Instant espresso powder lends big flavor to a braising liquid that’s just begging to be served atop a bowl of mashed potatoes. Keeping with the theme, you could work some more espresso powder into your Valentine’s Day dessert, like this gluten-free panna cotta.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Gerri Williams7/43Double Pepper Diavolo With Shrimp
Fra diavolo is a stalwart among the classic Italian American pasta dishes. Here, jarred roasted red peppers take the place of traditional canned tomato to play off the sweetness of the shrimp.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley8/43French Onion Tart
Cut this tart into small squares for a two-bite appetizer (and consider pairing it with a Valentine’s Day cocktail) or serve larger slices alongside a green salad for dinner.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua9/43Extra-Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Gerri Williams10/43Spinach-Artichoke-Dip Pasta
Speaking of vibes, this one’s all about cheese. Not feta. Not brie. The mixture of cream cheese, Parmesan, and mozzarella is a must. So is hot sauce.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley11/43Mustardy Cider-Braised Pork Chops
Photograph by Gerard + Belevender12/43Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Triple-Cream Cheese
Why use breadcrumbs as a topping when you can use crunchy dukka? We’ll let the ingredients themselves explain why the answer is, “Well, we wouldn’t”: toasted coriander, cumin, fennel, and pumpkin seeds blitzed with sugar, smoked paprika, chile-lime seasoning, olive oil, and salt.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley13/43Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua14/43Creamy Lemon Pappardelle With Crispy Prosciutto
Beware: This sauce is garlicky. Go with this creamy pasta as your Valentine’s Day dinner idea only if you and yours embrace the volatile organic sulfur compound called allicin. (This is what gives crushed garlic its odor.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley15/43Dark and Stormy–Braised Pot Roast
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley16/43Baked Mushroom-Rice Porridge
Use this hands-off mushroom congee—it’s baked, so there’s no standing over the stove—as a canvas for chili crisp, soy sauce, and thinly sliced scallion greens (or whatever else you’re dreaming of today).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris17/43Butteriest Black Pepper Fish
Imagine this black-pepper-heavy seared fish with a side of creamy, cheesy polenta. Yeah, it looks like pure bliss in our minds, too.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski18/43Brown Butter–Basted Steak
Some may go for filet mignon, but there’s just something provocative about a thick, bone-in, steakhouse-quality rib eye. Don’t forget the mashed potatoes and wedge salad.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley19/43Orange-Wine-Braised Chicken Thighs
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Stying by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua20/43Pomegranate-and-Honey-Glazed Duck With Rice
A whole roast duck is a glorious sight, and the process of getting there is actually as easy as roasting a chicken. Yes, tangy-sweet lacquer and all.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kat Boytsova, prop styling by Gerri Williams21/43Creamy Ricotta Gnocchi
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser22/43No-Fail Roast Chicken With Lemon and Garlic
Few Valentine’s meals would make for a more romantic dinner than a bronzed and beautiful roast chicken. If you want a version that’s been turned up a couple notches, try this Honey Mustard Pretzel Roast Chicken.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime23/43Pesto-ish Risotto
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gerri Williams24/43Pork Adobo Pull-Apart Sliders
For some, this might read more Super Bowl appetizer than Valentine’s dinner. For others, nothing says amour like tender pork adobo, shredded and stuffed into King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Molly Baz25/43Date Night Pork Chop
Rubbing a little honey across the surface of the pork before searing guarantees a shiny, caramelized crust. Pair that with a lemony endive and apple salad, and you’ve got the ultimate dinner for two.
Alex Lau26/43Seared Scallops With Brown Butter and Lemon Pan Sauce
One of the easiest, most impressive Valentine’s meals (or weeknight dinners) we know. Round it out with some roasted asparagus and a crisp white wine.
Photo by Alex Lau27/43Instant Pot Coq au Vin
Oh Instant Pot, sweet Instant Pot. Let us count the ways. Because of you, this classic French braise only needs 15 minutes instead of hours in the oven.
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio28/43Halloumi Saganaki
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton29/43Drunken Clams and Noodles
These clams got drunk on rice wine, and we’re not mad about it. Together with ginger, garlic, Thai chiles, and oyster sauce, it makes for an eminently flavorful soup that we’d consume too much of if given the chance.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson30/43Grilled Crispy-Skinned Salmon With Whole Lemon-Sesame Sauce
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food styling by D'mytrek Brown31/43Hoisin-and-Balsamic-Glazed Lamb Chops
The hoisin-and-balsamic marinade gets transformed into a sauce—juiced up with butter and toasted sesame oil—completely envelops the chops with rich flavor and tons of umami.
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Prop Styling by Paige Hicks32/43Spicy Skillet Lasagna With Ricotta and Spinach
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou33/43Soy and Ginger Steamed Fish
You can use this foolproof steaming method to cook any sturdy fish—salmon, snapper, black cod, or arctic char would all be great.
Alex Lau35/43Steak Pizzaiola
Can you use store-bought marinara for this Italian-esque rib eye? Who are we gonna tell? Just make sure you cook the tomato sauce long enough to really bloom its flavor.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Pearl Jones36/43Sweet-and-Sour Pork Tenderloin
The tangy, mouthwatering sauce here is inspired by agrodolce, an Italian sweet and sour sauce made by reducing vinegar, sugar, and spices. That’s lots of flavor in this Valentine’s recipe.
Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott38/43Fettuccine Alfredo
With no cream to get in the way of the Parmesan flavor, this silky sauce is streamlined and comforting—and those cracked pieces of black peppercorns scattered across of the otherwise monochromatic dish look so stylish.
Photo by Emma Fishman41/43Geng Dang Muu
There’s a lot you can do with red curry paste (and, yes, store-bought is okay). Here, it’s worked into a Laotian pork and coconut stew, but you could also consider this ode to pasta alla vodka and so much more.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski42/43Slow-Roasted Salmon With Harissa
The low cooking temperature and abundance of olive oil make this Valentine’s Day dinner idea impossible to mess up. You’ll forget there’s any other way to prepare fish.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio43/43Chicken With Mushroom Purée and Swiss Chard