55 Best Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas for a Romantic Night in With Your Sweetheart
You'll fall in love with these recipes for two!
We won’t lie — we love a fancy dinner on Valentine’s Day. But with crowded restaurants and pricy prix fixe menus, it can sometimes be more stressful than it’s worth. Instead, put that money and effort into planning a homemade dinner. Luckily, we’ve got a ton of Valentine’s Day dinner ideas for you, ranging from simple dinners for two to projects like handmade pasta or pizza. You can even get your partner (or crush) in on the action. What’s more romantic than dusting flour off someone’s shirt?
While some of these Valentine's Day recipes are a little more challenging, most of these meals are easy enough for any home cook to tackle. Plus, we’ve got plenty of recipes to choose from depending on your vibe. Leaning more towards heavy, comforting foods? Think creamy, cheesy pasta dishes. Feeling more veg-centric? We’ve got hearty, satisfying plant-based dishes and vegan recipes, from a vegan lasagna to a wild mushroom ragu over polenta. Whichever dish you go for, you get major points for putting in the effort.
Wanna go all in on the at-home experience? Make it a three-course dinner with some easy appetizers, and maybe even a Valentine's Day dessert. Now the only challenge is getting your dinner date to go home.
Beet Fettuccine with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese
Not only is beet fettuccine the ideal color for the day, but pasta- making is also a great way to celebrate!
Get the Beet Fettuccine with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese recipe.
Roasted Pork Chops and Pears
Valentine's Day is special, and so are bone-in pork chops.
Get the Roasted Pork Chops and Pears recipe.
Grilled Hanger Steak with Charred Broccolini
Bundle up and grill steak for a smoky (or should we say, steamy?) date-night meal, or try one of our top-tested indoor grills.
Get the Grilled Hanger Steak with Charred Broccolini recipe.
RELATED: 83 Steak Recipes That Make Dinner at Home Feel Extra Fancy
Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken
Cheese and herb stuffed chicken wrapped with prosciutto looks like a fancy dinner, but it's actually easy to make in the air fryer.
Get the Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken recipe.
RELATED: 55 Easy Air Fryer Recipes That You Absolutely Need to Try
Gluten-Free Spaghetti with Clams and Bacon Crumbs
Have fun on Valentine's Day making gluten-free spaghetti that tastes just as good as the wheat version.
Get the Gluten-Free Spaghetti With Clams and Bacon Crumbs recipe.
RELATED: 40 Savory and Delicious Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes for Any Occasion
Chicken with Sautéed Apples and Mushrooms
Sear chicken on a bed of cremini mushrooms and Gala apples for a simple but special-feeling main.
Get the Chicken with Sautéed Apples and Mushrooms recipe.
RELATED: 60 Best Healthy Chicken Recipes That Are Easy to Make for Dinner
Tomato Tagliatelle with Chorizo and Olives
Does your Valentine like a little spice? Serve up this super flavorful number.
Everything Bagel Salmon
Salmon is the ultimate classy date-night meal, and this recipe gets tons of bold flavor from a homemade blend of poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and salt.
Get the Everything Bagel Salmon recipe.
New York Strip Steak
Treat your Valentine this year to a dish that's as classic as they are — AKA, a perfectly-cooked New York strip steak.
Get the New York Strip Steak recipe.
Hasselback Potatoes and Garlicky Spinach
Everyone loves steak, but your Valentine will be even more impressed when you serve a juicy steak alongside these sumptuous sides.
Get the Hasselback Potatoes recipe.
Get the Garlicky Spinach recipe.
Vegan Lasagna
Got a vegan Valentine? Serve up a comforting meal you both can enjoy.
Get the Vegan Lasagna recipe.
Shrimp Curry and Rice
For a dish that's just as colorful and complex as your love story, go for this one-pot dinner flavored with ginger, garlic and curry powder.
Get the Shrimp Curry and Rice recipe.
RELATED: 30 Seriously Easy Shrimp Recipes
Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Can't decide what to make for Valentine's Day? You can't go wrong with this classic — especially when it calls for heavy cream, grated parmesan and a splash of vodka.
Get the Pasta with Vodka Sauce recipe.
Ricotta Gnocchi with Toasted Garlic & Walnuts
Take the extra time to make gnocchi from scratch to really steal your valentine's heart. Don't worry, it only takes an hour from start to finish!
Get the Ricotta Gnocchi with Toasted Garlic & Walnuts recipe.
Spaghetti and Air Fryer Meatballs
You and your Valentine will love this classic (made even easier in the air fryer!)
Skillet Roasted Chicken
There's nothing more romantic than a whole roast chicken for Valentine's Day dinner.
Get the Skillet Roasted Chicken recipe.
Sheet Pan Fish and Vegetables
This recipe proves that you can have a delicious, fancy-feeling date- night dinner in less than 30 minutes.
Get the Sheet Pan Fish and Vegetables recipe.
RELATED: 18 Easy Sheet Pan Dinners That Make Cleanup a Breeze
Roasted Feta Shrimp and Polenta
Creamy polenta, feta and juicy shrimp creates a dynamite combo that would make anyone fall in love.
Crispy Pork Noodles
Add zing to Valentine's Day dinner with tongue-tingling Szechuan peppercorns.
Get the Crispy Pork Noodles recipe.
Instant Pot Pork Ragu
You don't have to roast a pork shoulder in the oven all day to make this date night fave — just throw it in your multicooker for 35 minutes!
Get the Instant Pot Pork Ragu recipe.
RELATED: 30 Best Instant Pot Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners
Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
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