It is possible to create a romantic evening, at home, even with the kids around. And this list of Date Night Dinner Ideas will help make it delicious!
Date night in is super important but it can be hard to get out of the house sometimes. And you don’t need to! Just light some candles, cook together and reconnect.
This post was originally published on August 25, 2020 and has now been updated with even more details to make these date night dinner recipes.
You’ll love these Date Night Dinner Ideas
For the most part, my husband and I enjoy staying home. While we like to get dressed up and check out a new restaurant from time to time, we also love to be cozy at home.
From time to time we try to do a quick romantic weekend getaway to Palm Springs because we love to relax in the desert. But with the busyness of life, sometimes it can be harder to plan a date night than a weekend getaway.
When we feel like we need to carve out time for each other, we look at the ideas from my Date Nights for Homebodies post.
But sometimes just planning a themed date night feels like too much work. So even just making time to share a meal between just the 2 of you is all you really need.
You’ve got to eat dinner anyway, and it can totally feel like a date night. I gathered up a list of easy date night recipes to make at home.
These recipes aren’t difficult, but feel special. With options like lobster tail and grilled salmon, these meals feel different from a typical weeknight but are still totally doable.
Or browse this list of easy Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes so you can get to that movie, or whatever you have on deck for the night faster.
What’s a good date night dinner?
In my opinion, a good date night dinner is a recipe that is new to both of you.
Cooking together can be part of the date experience and learning something new together is always fun.
Date night dinner ideas should be delicious and allow you to linger over the conversation. And it doesn’t hurt if you create a romantic ambiance also. (Here’s a great summer playlist that will bring chill vibes into the kitchen).
Make some cocktails or grab a glass of wine and enjoy getting the meal together.
This list of dinner recipes features tons of options that are perfect no matter what season you are in. There are a lot of yummy pasta dishes to choose from and options for meat and seafood too.
This list has everything you need to enjoy a delicious night in together.
Create a Romantic Table
The big thing here is that you don’t want it to feel like every other dinner. Find easy ways to make it feel special.
These romantic table ideas don’t need to break the bank or take tons of time but make dinner at home feel out of the ordinary.
Quick ideas to make dinner feel romantic
- Use a tablecloth and linen napkins
- Put fresh flowers on the table
- Dim the lights and eat by candlelight
- Create a romantic playlist
- Pour a little wine
- Use different dishware
Just get creative. If the kids are old enough, maybe you can even enlist them to serve you! Which could totally add stress…
And while you can’t probably do anything too wild with the kids at home, you can absolutely get to know each other better with a love language card game.
Plan a night for the kids
While you don’t want to shut your kids up in their bedrooms, you absolutely can set them up for a fun night of their own, so you can enjoy time together.
Serve them dinner early. Whether you make it or order something in, no biggie.
Suggest they build a fort and watch a movie. Set them up with some movie candy or popcorn.
They may not stay in their rooms the whole night, but it is ok for the kids to know that time alone with your partner is important.
Try to preplan for their needs so your attention doesn’t get pulled away from your date night.
And then just roll with it! Don’t let anything stress you out. We’re all in the same boat. Just let yourself find moments of enjoyment where you can.
Date Night Dinner Recipes
These easy date night dinner ideas will help you create a delicious evening to share with your partner. Set a romantic table and enjoy one of these over 40 recipes to cook and share together.
Pasta
There's ever a bad time for pasta! Whether you are cooking together or you're prepping ahead of time, pasta is always a great date night dinner idea.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta is an easy and affordable meal that's made in one pot. It is low on budget but high on taste and just what is needed for the perfect date night!
This classic Italian pasta dinner is easy to make but always impressive!
This Butternut Squash Ravioli dish is so simple to make and SO much better than spaghetti. The Prosciutto adds the perfect amount of salt and the almonds give it crunch. It's a great weeknight dinner recipe.
Smoked salmon fettuccine with fresh dill cream sauce is an elegant but easy dinner to make. Tender smoked salmon, cradled on top of fettuccine, covered with creamy fresh dill sauce.
Engagement chicken pasta is a creamy mushroom chicken pasta for two. This creamy pasta dish with seared mushrooms and sliced chicken will impress anyone!
This zesty lemon ricotta pasta with spinach makes such a delish meal ready in less than 15 minutes. Simple, fresh ingredients, delicious flavor, and minimal effort. Guaranteed to impress!
Seafood and Shellfish
Seafood isn't for everyone. But if you and your spouse enjoy seafood and shellfish, this section is for you!
Impress with this easy Baked Asian Salmon with Maple Glaze. An easy recipe that takes only 30 minutes from prep to table. The salmon is slightly sweet and so moist and tender that it just melts in your mouth.
Take things up a notch with Broiled Lobster Tail! This will make date night feel extra special. And it's easier than you think!
Make Date Night, special, delicious, and relaxed with this Date Night Oven Baked Garlic Butter Prawn Risotto.
Love halibut? This delicious pan-seared halibut is made with fish seared in butter and oil, and then served with a lemon and caper pan sauce.
It's creamy and delicious! Make this Seafood Risotto for your next date night. It's full of flavors that your kids may not enjoy and is the perfect dish to make together and enjoy by candle light.
This recipe for Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Sauce pairs perfectly with sauteed vegetables. It's easy to make and something that feels a little bit elevated and sophisticated.
This recipe for poached salmon in curried coconut milk is ready in under ten minutes and flavoured with ginger, garlic, lemongrass and curry paste.
Salmon en Papillote sounds super fancy but it’s a fast and easy recipe, perfect for date night! Not only is the salmon baked with a flavorful lemon dill compound butter, but it’s served with fresh and beautiful gremolata.
Looking for the perfect dinner for two? This aromatic Electric Skillet Shrimp Curry recipe is bound to impress your significant other.
Marinated Chili Lime Salmon, grilled to perfection, and served with a tropical and colorful Caribbean fruit salsa. It makes an easy yet healthy and flavorful date night meal that couples will love!
Impress your partner with this elegant meal idea! Lobster is easy to find at Costco, Whole Foods and your local grocery store. And this preparation feels like comfort food at its finest!
Orange-Soy Glazed Salmon with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts
Prepare this flavorful salmon and roasted veggie dish in no time for an easy weeknight dinner that will leave your family asking for seconds. Everything cooks on one baking sheet for easy clean-up.
How to Make Cedar Plank Salmon & Veggies In The Oven - honey dijon salmon and herb roasted vegetables oven roasted on cedar boards for an unbeatable flavor.
Steak
Red meat is a delicious option that feels sophisticated and perfect for date night.
Enjoy these cast iron skillet steaks prepared perfectly in less than 15 minutes.
This Steak Diane recipe is a steakhouse quality meal made with tender seared beef steaks and topped with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce. Perfect for two!
Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day or date night dinner? This balsamic dijon beef tenderloin roast is both simple and impressive. Served with a Meyer lemon gremolata, it’s the perfect special occasion dish.
Filet Mignon is the perfect date night main course! This classic preparation is super flavorful and always a crowd pleaser!
A simple seared Flank Steak gets a kick from fresh lemon and a sweet Pomegranate Molasses! It's an easy meal to make and tastes amazing!
Chicken
Chicken doesn't have to be boring. These easy date night ideas are elevated and anything but run of the mill.
Easy to make but impressive to serve, this traditional coq au vin is delicious with its tender chicken in a rich red wine sauce, crispy bits of bacon, soft sweet onions and juicy mushrooms.
This creamy Chicken Eden Isle recipe is one of my favorites but one we don't have very often which makes it a great option for date night in.
Pastilla (Moroccan chicken pie) fuses together sweet and savory notes to create a rustic-looking dish that’s unlike anything else. Aromatic and full of flavor, this recipe is one that’s sure to impress that special someone.
This easy low carb and keto Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan recipe is ready in just under 20 minutes making it the perfect date nigh dinner! We love that it’s healthy, delicious, and the perfect mixture of crispy and juicy!
Instant Pot Chicken Piccata is a simple and easy way to serve chicken that tastes amazing. With a garlic lemon caper sauce, this recipe feels gourmet and it takes only 30 minutes to make.
This Creamy Chicken Skillet with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Italian Herbs is one of those dishes that’s easy enough for a weeknight supper, but special enough for a date night dinner… or even Valentine’s Day! Serve it over pasta, rice or with salad on the side. This amazing sauce is comfort food at its best!
This recipe for Crispy Chicken with Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomatoes takes your plain old chicken to flavor country! It is a boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded thin, and filled with a mixture of goat cheese, mayo, garlic, and sundried tomatoes. It then gets rolled up and topped with a crunchy panko breading mixture.
Jazz up your standard chicken breasts and make a romantic dinner for two! Spinach and goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts served over roasted asparagus, are just the way to make your go-to protein feel extra special.
Something Different
You may not serve Lamp Chops all the time, but it's totally something you can make at home. Give it a try on your next date night.
Grilled Lamb Chops With Compound Butter features a blue cheese compound butter that will certainly tantalize the senses and is a perfect main course for a romantic date night for two...
Easy Cornish Hens with Rosemary Wine Sauce: Weight Watchers friendly
Easy Baked Cornish Hens with Rosemary Wine Sauce are the perfect date night recipe, Valentine's day, birthday dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner or fancy enough for a dinner party. This recipe is also economical, simple, easy to make and Weight Watchers friendly!
This tasty hotpot is easy to make yet feels so decadent, perfect for a fun date night at home. All you need is thinly sliced pork, udon, tofu, vegetables and a few delicious homemade dipping sauces. Ready to get cooking? Let’s learn how to make this 10 minute Shabu Shabu recipe at home!
How to Cook Steak in the Oven: A melt in your mouth recipe that makes even a new cook feel like a gourmet chef with this quick and EASY tutorial!
Pasta with shrimp or prawns is classic date night fodder and this dish gives it a massive facelift and a load of bling with some dramatic black squid ink pasta and a tickle of flavour with fennel. Don't worry though, this is easy stuff but your date will think you have been practicing for weeks!
Veggie Options
While we don't have any full-on vegetarians in our house, here are a few options in case you do!
Turn to this simple, aromatic roasted vegetable medley to top good, fresh pasta for a 100% plant-based, rustic dish that will satisfy. This is a great vegan option for date night!
This delicious Acorn Squash Risotto with Rainbow Chard is an easy but elegant recipe for a date night at home especially as we head into fall.
I bet you can’t just pick one of these great date night dinner ideas! But that just means you’ll have to plan another one.
Even easier dinner ideas for date night
Looking for a few even easier dinner ideas for date night?
- Order pizza! Who doesn’t love that?
- Pick up food from your favorite restaurant.
- Make it picnic style for the perfect date night at home
- Skip dinner and make these popcorn seasonings for a movie night in
- Make something ahead of time in the crockpot.
- Grab fast food but eat it off your nice dishes.
It’s more about spending that much needed time together than what you are eating really!
These date night dinner ideas will keep you both happy and allow you to spend a delicious, stress-free evening together at home.
Have you been making time for date nights? Leave a comment and let me know what you have been doing!
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