Recipes

31 Valentine’s Day Dinners for Big Romance

Staying in feels special with mushrooms au poivre, coconut-caramel fish, pork tenderloin with agrodolce cherries, or any of these Valentine’s dinner options.
A datenight ribeye steak sliced off the bone and cut into strips to reveal the blush interior.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski

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?)

  • Date me chicken in a castiron skillet with a spoon
    Photograph by Doan Ly, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Christina Allen
    1/31

    Date-Me Chicken

    You’ll need two thirds of a bottle of wine for this Valentine’s Day dinner idea, so plan accordingly. The heady dish combines sweet dates, savory shallots, and caramelized lemon as a sauce for thighs with impossibly crispy skin.

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  • Chicken thighs cooked in black vinegar with shallots thyme and figs served with bread.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon
    2/31

    Vinegar 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.

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  • Pomegranate chicken with walnut relish on a white serving platter alongside a small plate of the dish and two helpings...
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams
    3/31

    Sheet-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.

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  • Butter chicken in an hazelnut colored plate
    Photograph by Aaron Barton, food styling by Drew Aichele, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon
    4/31

    Back-Pocket Caper-Butter Chicken

    A simple marinade, made with caper brine, becomes a punchy pan sauce for pan-seared chicken breasts. To finish the sauce, butter adds a velvety texture, and whole capers add a briny pop.

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  • Smoked orange chicken on a baking sheet
    Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Kelsi Windmiller
    5/31

    Smoky 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.

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  • Green Chile Puttanesca Pork Chops on a silver platter.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, and Prop Styling by Christina Allen
    6/31

    Green Chile Puttanesca Pork Chops

    The heat of pickled chiles brings a welcome zing that complements the salty elements of puttanesca and serves as a counterpoint to the rich pork chops.

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  • Roast Rack of Lamb With Strawberry Pan Sauce with fork and knife with salt and pepper on the side on top of white dish
    11/31

    Roast Rack of Lamb With Strawberry Pan Sauce

    Bright berries become a luscious, buttery sauce bridged by balsamic vinegar and rosemary for this elegant roast, making even out-of-season fruit shine.

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  • A roasted salmon fillet topped with hazelnut salsa macha in chili crisp oil mint and cilantro.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling Christine Keely
    12/31

    Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

    A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

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  • A plate of three seared sea scallops on a bed of pured spinach heavy cream jalapeños and lemon juice.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, Prop Styling by Christine Keely
    13/31

    Scallops With Creamy Spinach Sauce

    The silky spinach purée feels befittingly luxurious and old-fashioned, like something you might find in a restaurant with white tablecloths.

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  • Braised fish in a coconut caramel sauce and topped with peanuts and herbs.
    Photo by David Williams
    14/31

    Cá Kho (Fish With Coconut Caramel)

    This is weeknight fancy cooking at its best: A gingery caramel sauce made with coconut water, shallots, and pickled chile brine makes for a dynamic accompaniment to pan-seared salmon fillets.

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Joe joined the Bon Appétit team in 2022 after climbing the editorial ranks for a few years at Condé Nast’s other food publication, Epicurious. As the senior SEO editor, he works to make sure Google loves all of BA’s cooking stories just as much as you do. Look for his ... Read More
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