Celebrate love with these Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas for a romantic night in. From finger-licking appetizers to heavenly delicious main courses, you will be sure to impress your loved one. Little prep, but big on flavours, these recipes are quick, easy to make, and way less expensive than a meal out.
Just because we are living weird times, it doesn't mean we can't celebrate love. So what a better way to say "I love you" than with a delicious cooked meal to impress your loved one.
Start with a quick and easy appetizer, then move onto a fabulous main course for a night to remember. For dessert, I have this collection of Luscious Chocolate Desserts for Valentine's Day, for a romantic dinner that will earn you all the prizes.
My recipes are very easy to make, and most take less than half an hour to be ready from scratch. Even an absolute beginner in the kitchen can prepare them, and the results will be mind-blowing. Do give these Valentine's Day Dinners a go!
Date Night Appetizers
- Avocado Shrimp Salad - served in avocado skins, a delicious and quick recipe with a lemon kick. It might be super simple to make, but it's absolutely amazing, and a great way to start a romantic night in. Bonus point, it's healthy too.
- Classic Prawn Cocktail - with a crunchy gem lettuce base and cooked king prawns smothered in a prawn cocktail sauce made with mayo, ketchup and a hint of tabasco, a delicious starter for Valentine's Day.
- Shrimp Tempura Roll Recipe (Homemade Sushi) - quick and easy to make, these low-calorie bites are the perfect party food for Valentine's Day. The crispy fried shrimp tempura is paired with avocado and pickled ginger in a fantastic rice roll that is then served with a light Asian sauce.
- Grilled Chicken Satay - with peanut butter sauce, a fantastic appetizer that will be the star of your Valentine's Day menu.
- Breaded Scallops - with a touch of parmesan, and served with tartar sauce and lemon, a healthy and delicious starter that is quick and easy to make.
- Smoked Mackerel Pâté - a delicious starter for a date night. It’s so quick to make, but jam-packed with incredible flavours. No need for expensive ingredients, this is so much better than any ready-made pâté that comes in a tiny jar and costs quite a bit. Best served with a nice slice of bread, toast or bruschetta.
- Chicken Kiev Balls - tweaked from the classic chicken kiev recipe, these golden bites are made with chicken mince with a garlic and herb butter centre, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried until perfectly crispy on the outside, but oozing with delicious flavours on the inside.
- Italian Tomato Bruschetta - a posh and tasty Italian appetizer for a romantic night in. It might look simple, but it’s heavenly flavourful and tasty. Healthy, low in calories, refreshing, and so tasty, these bruschetta starters can be tweaked to your own liking.
- Swedish Salmon Sandwich Cake - a delicious sandwich layer cake recipe made with smoked salmon and cream cheese to create the perfect party food that will have everyone ask for seconds.
- Homemade Smoked Salmon Pâté - delicious, yet so simple to make with minimal preparation, this smoked salmon pâté dip can either be spread on crackers, crostini or bagels, or served in some pretty puff pastry cups. Perfect for entertainment, so much better than the store-bought version.
- Smoked Salmon Blini Canapés - the perfect party food for your Valentine's Day dinner, or any other celebration all year round. Delicious homemade blinis topped with silky cream, cucumber, smoked salmon and a touch of lemon; can’t think of a better appetizer!
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad - with avocado and a light yogurt dressing, a healthier version of the classic caesar salad. Super quick and easy to make, this is a great recipe for Valentine's Day.
- Pan-Fried King Scallops with Chinese Brown Sauce - a quick and easy appetizer that is posh enough to be served on special occasions. The scallops are cooked to perfection, then dipped into a delicious sauce to create a fantastic dish every single time.
- Deviled Eggs - it's a classic recipe that can be enjoyed as a starter for Valentine's Day, and it's so quick and easy to make.
Valentine's Day Main Course
- Scallop Mushroom Risotto - with spinach and a touch of parmesan, a delicious dinner for 2 that is healthy and so easy to make too. It might look like a restaurant-style dish, but making it at home takes less than 30 minutes, and it’s less expensive too.
- Chicken and Gravy - a wonderfully delicious dish that can be cooked in one pan, this is such a treat on Valentine's Day.
- Salmon Wellington - or Salmon en Croute, a gourmet dish for a special occasion. Take your dinner to the very next level, and impress your loved one this Valentine's Day with this restaurant-style salmon recipe.
- Easy Seafood Paella - it’s hearty and full of colour, and on the table in 30 minutes or so, which gives you more time to get yourself ready for the big date.
- Seafood Pasta - this dish is simplicity in itself, no unnecessary sauces, and it can easily rival any restaurant-style pasta dish.
- Creamy Garlic Scallops with Pasta - a delicious dinner that looks as good as an expensive meal at a posh restaurant. Seared scallops in a rich cream sauce that is bursting with the most amazing flavours, and your favourite pasta, quick, simple, but so yummy!
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon - with garlicky broccoli on a bed of rice, a delicious Japanese recipe for two that is healthy and nutritious. The homemade teriyaki sauce is way better than any store-bought sauce, and it gives the salmon a delightful Asian touch.
- Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breast with Lemon - with a touch of lemon, an absolutely delicious, low-carb and healthy meal for two. Serve it with broccoli spears or any other veggies of your choice. There is hardly any preparation needed, and you get some moist chicken breasts cooked in a super tasty honey mustard marinade.
- 20-Minute Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta for Two - creamy, garlicky, ridiculously easy to make, this dish is the perfect comfort food no matter the season. Also, a fabulous dinner recipe if you are looking for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day. Tender shrimp, comforting spaghetti smothered in a creamy and garlicky homemade alfredo sauce, what a dinner!
- Honey Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli - over a bed of rice, a super healthy stir fry that is packed with fantastic flavours. Quick and easy to make, and perfect for a dinner for two, my shrimp stir fry is the best homemade Chinese-style dish you can get.
- Grilled Salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce and Asparagus - a healthy and delicious low-calorie and low-carb dinner that is ready in well under 15 minutes. Super easy to make, this easy salmon fillet recipe is a great addition to your Valentine's Day dinner menu.
- Quick Canned Tuna Spaghetti - a fabulous dish that is ready in about 30 minutes. It might be simple to make, but it’s jam-packed with fantastic flavours. A delicious Valentine's Day dinner idea to impress your other half.
- Prawn and Chorizo Pasta - a fabulous 20-minute meal with a spicy kick. The chorizo and prawns are cooked with garlic, chilly flakes, lemon juice and fresh parsley, then the cooked spaghetti and tossed in to create a posh meal for busy midweeks, or, why not, a dinner date. No need for a sauce, this pasta is delicious simplicity.
- Salmon Carbonara - a quick and easy midweek recipe that is ready in 15 minutes. You only need a few simple ingredients to make a spectacular dinner. Why not a dinner date for Valentine's Day?
- Prawn and Spinach Pasta - flavourful and colourful, this homemade pasta recipe is simple, but absolutely delicious.
- Stuffed Chicken Breast - with ricotta and spinach, a healthy, gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein recipe that is super delicious, and super easy to make.
- Steak with Peppercorn Sauce - the peppercorn sauce is made without cream, yet it still has a smooth and creamy texture, and a peppery kick that takes the steak to the next level.
- Bacon Carbonara - if you like pasta, you will love this Italian dish that is ready in 15-20 minutes. No cream, no complicated sauces, just the real deal. The creamy carbonara sauce can't be any simpler.
- Creamy Lemon Chicken - a delicious dinner recipe that features moist and tender chicken breasts cooked in a lemon cream sauce. It's an easy dish that is ready in just over 30 minutes, and it's a big hit with the whole family.
- Almond-Crusted Cod - baked to perfection with a topping made of breadcrumbs, almond flakes, seasoning and paprika, and served with roasted asparagus and couscous, a healthy and delicious dinner idea that is quick and easy to make.
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta - a light and creamy summer dish that is deliciously refreshing and super easy to make. It's ready in under 15 minutes, and it makes a perfect meal for Valentine's Day.
If you’ve liked my VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER IDEAS FOR A NIGHT IN or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
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