31 Valentine’s Day Dinners for Big Romance
You’ve got the perfect gift. You’ve had the most lush-looking chocolate mousse bookmarked for weeks. But the main event for 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 lavish, or are you more of the comfort food type? Either way you’ll find something for your Valentine’s Day menu among the recipes below. Some are portioned for two; others are larger mains for a family affair; and there are plenty of delicious options for people taking the special occasion to celebrate their one-and-only selves. Whether you’re boo’d up or flying solo with a heart full of love and hands full of Valentine’s cookies, the recipes below will fill you with that tingly feeling. (We’re talking about hunger. Wait—what did you think we meant?)
Photograph by Doan Ly, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Christina Allen1/31Date-Me Chicken
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon2/31Vinegar Chicken With Figs
This restaurant-quality romantic dinner for two is ready in just 35 minutes. Pair it with a simple green salad and a fruity red wine like Pinot Noir or Tempranillo.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams3/31Sheet-Pan Pomegranate Chicken With Walnut Relish
Inspired by the flavors of Persian fesenjan, this date-night dinner is sweet and tangy from pomegranate, rich with nuts, and fresh-tasting from a windfall of mint.
Photograph by Aaron Barton, food styling by Drew Aichele, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon4/31Back-Pocket Caper-Butter Chicken
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Kelsi Windmiller5/31Smoky Orange Chicken Thighs
Here, the chicken is cooked in parchment packets with oranges and aromatics. Opening them is like unwrapping a little Valentine’s Day present, and using the meat to build tacos makes for a fun, interactive special occasion dinner.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, and Prop Styling by Christina Allen6/31Green Chile Puttanesca Pork Chops
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley7/31Coffee-and-Bourbon-Braised Short Ribs
Instant espresso powder lends big flavor to a braising liquid that’s just begging to be spooned over mashed potatoes. Keeping with the theme, you could work some more espresso powder into your Valentine’s Day dessert, like this tiramisu panna cotta.
Photograph by Jessica Pettway, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh8/31Pork Tenderloin With Agrodolce Cherries
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski10/31Brown 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.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling Christine Keely12/31Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, Prop Styling by Christine Keely13/31Scallops With Creamy Spinach Sauce
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, and Prop Styling by Christina Allen15/31Harissa Scampi
Harissa adds nuance to this twist on an Italian American (and date-night) favorite, shrimp scampi, offering body and warmth from spices such as caraway and cumin.
Alex Lau17/31Seared 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, garlic bread, and a crisp white wine.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li18/31Swordfish Steaks With Cherry Tomatoes and Capers
Heart-shaped baubles of cherry tomatoes crown this seafood steak dinner. The fish cooks in the broiler for just a few minutes. Serve it as a second course alongside an easy pasta like fettuccine Alfredo or cacio e pepe.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams19/31Cod With Chorizo, Greens, and Chickpeas
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Garetto, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon21/31Mushrooms au Poivre
This vegetarian rendition of steak au poivre doesn’t miss the meat. Serve it over shallow bowls of creamy Parmesan polenta or simply with a hunk of crusty bread for sopping.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams22/31Carrot Wellington
This cheeky (and budget-friendly) vegetarian riff on beef Wellington highlights roasted carrots two ways: glazed as the center of the Wellington, and blended to form the tender filling.
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio23/31Halloumi Saganaki
Photograph by Janice Chung, food styling by Lauren Stanek, prop styling by Raina Kattelson25/31Chickpeas With 40 Garlic Cloves
Peeling 40 cloves of garlic is no joke, but doing it with your partner over a Valentine’s Day cocktail can be a fun and flirty bonding moment. Braising canned chickpeas in chicken stock and olive oil makes them unbelievably tender and buttery—perfect for spooning over sourdough toast.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Christina Allen27/31Bucatini all’Amatriciana
With vibrant spice, this classic pasta dish features a tomato sauce that’s rich from cured pork and Pecorino. For a pork-free pasta with similar moody vibes, try our Smoky Brown Butter Pasta
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime28/31Pesto-ish Risotto
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Christina Allen, Food styling by Thu Buser29/31Linguine With Meyer Lemon
Meyer lemons add a floral zing to this version of pasta al limone. The quick cook time and short ingredient list make it a great late-night snack if you come home from a restaurant dinner date still hungry, but you could also serve it alongside an easy chicken Parmesan or with some spicy sheet-pan meatballs.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne30/31One-Pot French Onion Pasta
This one-pot pasta is for lovers who definitely want leftovers. It’s got tons of caramelized onions, so much gooey cheese, and very few dirty dishes.
Photograph by Paola + Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua31/31Porcini Gnocchi With Butter Sauce
This Valentine’s dinner idea gets its savory flavor from dried porcini mushrooms, which are ground into powder and mixed into the dough. Want to gild the lily? Shave some black truffles tableside right on top.
