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    Home » Valentine's Day

    The 31 Best Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas for Busy People

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on February 14, 2023, updated May 10, 2024 - 40 Comments

    Not sure what to make for Valentine's Day? Working late but want to treat your love to something special? Well, I'm not saying you shouldn't also send flowers to your loved one's office, I'm just saying you might actually have time to make them a delicious dinner as well.

    Read on for 31 quick, easy yet romantic & delicious dishes you can whip together after work - and just choose your number of courses according to the time you have.

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    collage showing four dishes perfect for valentines day

    When I started my blog I wasn't really sure about my niche, or who my target audience was. But quite quickly it became clear to me - my target audience was those same people I'd been sharing my recipes with for so many years, even before I had a blog.

    They were my friends - my hard working girlfriends, their almost as hard working boyfriends, my co-worker with three kids under the age of five and one of my besties who to my great horror confessed that she usually just had yoghurt for dinner. Those regular people just like you and I who would love to eat good, delicious food but just can't seem to find the time to cook. Or they do, but they only cook the same 3 recipes they know & love & can finish in a rush.

    So with Valentine's Day approaching, I wanted to help you all make delicious Valentine's Day Dinners at home. It doesn't have to be hard, take a lot of time, or even be expensive. You don't need to learn any new techniques (Spoiler alert: no risottos on this list! But if that is after all just what you're craving then check out this Easy Shrimp Risotto Basil & Asparagus or this Creamy Mushroom Risotto.) or buy any fancy new equipment. You just need about half an hour to spare.

    Oh, and since I like organizing stuff you'll find the list in order of actual "cooking time". You know, the time you need to stand there chopping & prepping & watching the pot bowl. Oven time (=shower time) excluded. My own estimation, of course, so I apologize for any mistakes.

    Jump to:
    • 4 Quick & Easy Valentine's Day Appetizers
    • 8 Simple Dreamy Pasta & Risotto Dishes for Valentine's Day
    • 8 Easy Meaty Mains for Valentine's Day
    • 8 Healthy Romantic Valentine's Day Dinners
    • 3 Simple & Delicious Valentine's Day Desserts
    • Reviews

    Which recipe is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

    4 Quick & Easy Valentine's Day Appetizers

    broiled lobster tails

    5 minutes + 10 minutes in the oven:
    Broiled Lobster Tails

    baked king crab legs with sauce

    5 minutes + 30 minutes in the oven:
    Baked King Crab Legs

    A shrimp scampi.

    10 minutes:
    Shrimp Scampi without Wine

    top down view of a deconastructed smoke salmon tartare

    20 minutes:
    Rum-Spiked Smoked Salmon Tartare

    8 Simple Dreamy Pasta & Risotto Dishes for Valentine's Day

    top view of salmon spinach pasta

    15 minutes:
    Salmon Spinach Pasta

    Spicy vodka pasta in a green bowl.

    20 minutes:
    Spicy Vodka Pasta

    a plate full of ravioli with mushrooms and figs

    20 minutes:
    Caramelized Figs Prosciutto Mushroom Ravioli

    mushroom truffle risotto in a skillet

    40 minutes:
    Mushroom Truffle Risotto

    shrimp pasta with tomatoes, olives and feta cheese

    25 minutes:
    Greek Shrimp Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes & Feta

    30 minutes:
    Creamy Red Wine Chicken Pasta

    a spoonful of shrimp risotto

    40 minutes:
    Shrimp Asparagus Risotto

    cauliflower pasta on a white plate

    30 minutes:
    Cauliflower Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

    8 Easy Meaty Mains for Valentine's Day

    parmesan pork chops and asparagus on a sheet pan

    10 minutes + 20 minutes in the oven:
    One Pan Parmesan Pork Chops and Asparagus

    pork chop on a plate

    25 minutes:
    One-pan Pork Chops and Mushrooms with Red Wine and Thyme

    chicken topped with blood orange slices on a white plate

    15 minutes + 30-40 minutes in the oven:
    Sticky Asian Blood Orange Chicken

    stuffed chicken breast with haricot verts

    20 minutes + 25 min in the oven:
    Roma Stuffed Chicken Breasts

    bajon and dijon mustard chicken in a cast iron pot

    25 minutes:
    One Pan Bacon and Dijon Mustard Chicken

    steak ant potato stacks topped with parsley

    25 minutes + 35 minutes in the oven:
    Steak and Potato Stacks

    grilled lam chops topped with blue cheese

    30 minutes:
    Grilled Lamb Chops with Bleu Cheese Herb Butter

    lamb chops topped with dukkah

    35 minutes:
    Dukkah-Crusted Lamb Chops with Cauliflower and Potato Purée

    8 Healthy Romantic Valentine's Day Dinners

    top down view of a burrata caprese salad topped with cashew nuts

    10 minutes:
    Caprese Salad with Cashews & Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

    fish & broccoli in lemon butter caper sauce.

    10 minutes + 10 minutes in the oven:
    One-pan Fish & Broccoli in Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

    top down view of salmon with veggies on a sheet pan

    10 minutes + 20 minutes in the oven:
    Honey-Lime Roasted Sheet Pan Salmon & Vegetables

    oven baked lemon pepper salmon in an oven pan with lemon wedges

    2 minutes + 18 minutes in the oven:
    Lemon Pepper Salmon

    zucchini noodles with scallops

    15 minutes + 30 minutes marinating time:
    Scallops with Zucchini Noodles & Pistachio Mint Pesto

    steak with citrus and avocado salad

    20 minutes:
    Steak with Citrus and Avocado Salad

    fish topped with pineapple salsa

    20 minutes:
    Pan-Seared Mahi-Mahi with Pineapple Salsa

    seared scallops on top of with cauliflower risotto

    30 minutes:
    Seared Scallops and Keto Cauliflower Risotto

    3 Simple & Delicious Valentine's Day Desserts

    chocolate mug cake

    2 minutes:
    Molten Chocolate Mug Cake

    10 min + 10 min in the oven:
    Passion Fruit Gino

    white chocolate cheesecake mousse in a martini glass

    30 min + 4 hours setting time:
    White Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse with Raspberry Compote

    More Valentine's Day Recipes

    • Cranberry cupcakes.
      Cranberry Cupcakes With White Chocolate Frosting
    • Collage showing different desserts you can make for two.
      35 Best Desserts for Two
    • Raspberry muffins in a muffin tin.
      Raspberry Muffins
    • mushroom truffle risotto in a skillet
      5 Best No-Stir Risotto Recipes to Make for Valentine's Day

    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has 20+ years experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, and The Feed Feed, among others.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Haley

      February 14, 2019 at 4:22 pm

      That cajun salmon pasta with some white wine on the side would be the perfect Valentines Day dinner.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 14, 2019 at 6:37 pm

        Oh yes, I am longing to try it! Happy Valentine's & thank you for your comment!

        Reply
    2. Amanda Rosson

      February 08, 2019 at 11:23 pm

      What a wonderful round up of posts! I'll definitely be referring to this for all my Valentine's Day inspired meals!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 10, 2019 at 7:27 pm

        Thank you so much Amanda! Have a nice Valentine's Day!

        Reply
    3. preet

      February 03, 2019 at 4:58 am

      this is really helpful especially for those busy people who sometimes can't even celebrate it.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:14 pm

        Thank you, that's just what I'm going for!

        Reply
    4. travelingfig

      February 02, 2019 at 9:35 pm

      I always cook for my hubs on valentines day - i should go fancy and try your lobster tails this year, he'd be so impressed!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:14 pm

        Yesss, do it! Isn't even all that hard really 🙂

        Reply
    5. Presiii

      February 02, 2019 at 9:10 pm

      Yesssa.nthis page gives me life. I love cooking
      but sometimes I am too tired. However seeing something that I can make in less than 30 min is great. Will definitely try the shrimp or salmon.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:14 pm

        Thank you so much! Happy you found some recipes you like! 😀

        Reply
    6. Elizabeth O

      February 02, 2019 at 10:46 am

      Your blog won my heart. You shared so many delicious dishes here and this valentine gonna be tasty this year.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:15 pm

        Oh thank you so much Elizabeth! Have a nice Valentine's day!

        Reply
    7. Chelle Dizon

      February 02, 2019 at 9:41 am

      This is a very informative and great list of recipes that we can check on. Thank you so much for sharing it.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:15 pm

        Thank you Chelle!

        Reply
    8. pranita

      February 02, 2019 at 8:29 am

      I liked your all pasta dishes.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:15 pm

        Thank you Pranita!

        Reply
    9. Shannan P

      February 02, 2019 at 8:10 am

      Oh my goodness! Where do we start?! We could celebrate all month with these amazing options!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:16 pm

        Right?! Well I don't mind celebrating all month with delicious food 😉 Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    10. Kaycee Enerva

      February 02, 2019 at 3:31 am

      Everything looks so delicious! Ill ask my mom to prepare the steak and avocados

      PS
      The background music is annoying and repetitive (constructive criticsm)

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:16 pm

        Thank you Kaycee! Thanks for letting me know about the music - I muted it 😉

        Reply
    11. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats

      February 02, 2019 at 3:30 am

      Yay for staying in on Valentine's Day! So much cheaper and I don't like crowds! Can't wait to try some of these!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:17 pm

        Yeah, so agree! And like too much pressure? Haha. Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    12. Amy-Lynn Denham

      February 01, 2019 at 2:33 pm

      MMMmmMMMmmMMmm lots of yummy options, here. And even some veggie-friendly ones!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 04, 2019 at 4:17 pm

        Thank you Amy-Lynn! Yep, always try to include some of those 🙂

        Reply
    13. Daniels

      February 01, 2019 at 10:40 am

      Wow, What an interesting article, for sure my valentines day dinner is made. thanks for sharing. keep it up.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 01, 2019 at 10:57 am

        Thank you for commenting! 😀

        Reply
    14. Nina Cochingco

      February 01, 2019 at 9:57 am

      I love the chocolate covered strawberries, it's a perfect dessert for Valentines day. Love it!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 01, 2019 at 10:58 am

        Me too!! So Valentine's appropriate and delicious. Thank you for commenting, Nina!

        Reply
    15. Armelle Dee

      February 01, 2019 at 7:07 am

      This is such a great dinner ideas, anything seafood will be good for me, and uuhm those strawberries are everything.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 01, 2019 at 10:58 am

        Thank you Armelle! Yeah seafood any day for me too - and chocolate strawberries might kinda be the most Valentine's appropriate dessert ever, right?!

        Reply
    16. Adriana

      February 01, 2019 at 4:44 am

      The crab dish looks so delicious !! I love these meal ideas.

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 01, 2019 at 10:59 am

        Thank you, Adriana! I'm in love with all of them but yep the crab legs look so yummy & easy to make!

        Reply
    17. Chad

      February 01, 2019 at 3:52 am

      Valentines day dinner ideas!!! You're a life saver, thank you so so much!!! These are awesome.

      Chad
      http://www.mosaicslab.com

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        February 01, 2019 at 10:59 am

        Thank you Chad! 😀

        Reply
    18. Adrianne

      January 31, 2019 at 9:45 pm

      Wow what a fabulous collection of recipes!! I love the fig pasta, what an original dish! Thank you for also including my Chocolate.Covered Strawberries in the collection, appreciate it! Happy Valentines to you Emmeline!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        January 31, 2019 at 10:22 pm

        Thank you Adrianne! Yeah the fig pasta looks SO good, I so need to make it. And your chocolate covered strawberries look like a must have for V-day! Happy Valentines!

        Reply
    19. Natasha @ Salt & Lavender

      January 31, 2019 at 7:27 pm

      Thanks so much for including my Cajun salmon pasta in this lovely roundup!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        January 31, 2019 at 9:13 pm

        Well it did look super yummy so how could I not?? 🙂

        Reply
    20. Davinah Smith

      January 31, 2019 at 4:55 pm

      Thanks so much for including my dish in this drool-worthy round-up! I can't wait for Valentine's Day just to make some of these!

      Reply
      • Emmeline

        January 31, 2019 at 9:13 pm

        Of course, Davinah! It looks soo yummy!

        Reply

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