28 Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinners You Can Cook at Home (2024)

Due to rising COVID statistics, more and more couples are planning a romantic night at home for February 14. And thanks to TikTok, Valentine's Day dinner ideas aren't in short supply!

In fact, we are more inspired than ever to bust out our pots, pans, and aprons to cook a nice meal without taking off our comfy clothes. Although, if you want to spice things up a bit, there's no shame in doing a full hair/body/face situation, snapping pictures in your living room, and then sitting down to your meal as if you're at a five-star eatery. If Carrie Bradshaw can wear her most extravagant ball gown to eat Jiffy Pop at home, so can you. It's the best of both worlds. When's the last time a restaurant gave you the best table in the place, control the music, and let you bring your dog?

These TikTok recipes work for couples, throuples, girls nights, and just chilling by yourself with a bottle of rosé and a Nicholas Sparks movie. (By the way, check out our guide to the best romantic movies…or our other guide to romantic comedies. We love love!) Scroll through these 28 romantic Valentine's Day dinner ideas you can cook at home, and if your mouth isn't watering by the end, call your primary care physician. We recommend pairing them with one of these Valentine's Day gifts for her or Valentine's Day gifts for him.

Risotto

Risotto is a great metaphor for relationships. Both take time, attention, and cannot be left alone or else. It sounds daunting, but when you put the work in, it's not that hard and you're rewarded. With two people working together to make a risotto, it will be easier. For Valentine's Day, a hearty risotto that mimics what you might find at a fancy restaurant will make your romantic dinner at home one you'll never forget.

Penne Pasta With Vodka Sauce

Perhaps pasta is synonymous with romantic dinner ideas because of the dogs sharing a piece of spaghetti in Lady and the Tramp, or it could be the sensual red sauce popping on the plate. Spicy rigatoni with vodka sauce is so easy to make that you can spend more of your romantic evening together watching romantic comedies or…making love. And the recipe might just become a staple in your meal rotation.

Linguini With Clams

Obviously, we had to check in with TikTok food queen Emily Mariko's page for Valentine's Day food ideas. Though she usually makes meals with a decidedly lunch-y vibe, this dish looks restaurant-worthy, and we bet she and her fiancé, Matt, had a wonderful date night at home eating it. The shells make the food an activity too and give the meal such an adult vibe.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

There's something romantic about melting cheese–the way it oozes and spreads. Don't ask me to explain this further. You can't go wrong with a classic when it comes to special dinner ideas, which is why grilled cheese—the adult version with sophisticated cheeses—is an easy but elegant way to treat yourself. It's also super customizable! Throw in a slice of tomato, some avocado, or bacon, dip it in ketchup or tomato soup, you really can't go wrong with grilled cheese. It's one of the easiest and best home-cooked meals.

Scallops

Scallops are a fine dining staple, so why not bring them home for the special occasion? With fresh scallops, it's easy to emulate what you'd get at a fine dining restaurant with a simple sear and a decadent sauce.

Creme Brûlée

You don't think amid the special Valentine's Day recipes we'd forget dessert, do you?

Don't scroll past this! Just because it's French does not mean it's hard. Rapping Chef says it best: “The recipe is simple even if you ain't a cook.” Creme brûlée looks and sounds intimidating, but the steps are simple and beginner-friendly. They're just specific and must be done right for the proper results. Your own homemade creme brûlée will make you feel like a fine diner, as well as a fine-dining chef.

Parmesan-Crusted Salmon

Looks fancy but easy to make and is a great “compromise” dish between something that's more culinarily advanced and something that's, well, in stick form. And isn't finding something that works for the both of you the key to a great relationship? This TikToker made the dish with her boyfriend, who doesn't typically like salmon, in mind. If it can work for them, it can work for you! You gotta have a Valentine's Day menu that pleases everyone.

Crispy Tofu

No animals were harmed in the making of this dinner! If you're a vegetarian or a vegan (or if you're just trying to skip meat), tofu is a great option. Also, shout out to this chef for actually putting the ingredient amounts onscreen instead of making us search for them online.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Warning: While delicious, this recipe may result in some bodily functions. Not gonna lie—this fettuccine Alfredo recipe might be the cheesiest thing ever made, but it's tasty and completely worth it. Just maybe make sure you have some Lactaid nearby and don't make this one if you're spending Valentine's Day with someone new. But worth it: The creaminess of the sauce and the multiple types of cheeses will make you feel like a professional chef.

Homemade Pizza

What's more romantic than pizza? Eating homemade pizza in sweatpants on your couch, of course! You can go as far as to make the dough yourself if you want to make a whole event out of this, or you can skip that process and go with store-bought dough. The best thing about homemade pizza is that you can personalize your pizza with whatever toppings you want, from veggies and meat to pineapple and candy hearts.

Cajun Shrimp Lasagna Pasta

This rich dish will warm you up on a chilly February evening and satisfy so many cravings. What's that? Your senses have awakened? Well, isn't that handy. Don't be fooled by the title: You're not actually making a lasagna. It's even easier than that! This recipe uses lasagna noodles to make a classic pasta dish with a flavorful cream sauce and shrimp mixed in, but you can substitute whatever protein you want.

The Gigi Hadid Pasta

So it's literally just a pasta dish that Gigi Hadid likes to make, but if you really Do Not Cook, you can slap this together and tell yourself it is fancy. The original recipe calls for vodka, which we are never gonna say no to. Pairs well with red wine and the latest Vogue.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups

This experimental take on dinner classics would be so fun to make together, no? It's hard to go wrong with this much cheese and chicken. And as long as you have a good time making it, it's the perfect recipe for a nice night in. This chef mentions that she made it with busy working moms in mind, but she also says it made her husband fall in love with her a little more. Sounds romantic to us!

Chicken Marsala

You don't need a dinner reservation to get a restaurant-quality meal. This dish is simple and delicious and plates beautifully—dare we say Insta-worthy? This chef talks, films, and cooks super quickly, so treat the video more like an overview or preview before you look into the recipe online. And don't forget to bust out the good (i.e., not paper) plates for dinner! There's nothing worse than prepping a nice meal and ruining it with a mediocre tabletop. Okay, there are worse things, but still, that's bad.

Pink Food

If you're bored A.F. with all your usual ingredients, why not try for a wacky theme? This TikToker decided to lean into candies and weird mixes, but we suggest keeping it simple and doing red and pink foods that are actually yummy: chocolate-dipped strawberries, red velvet cupcakes, raspberry smoothies, a bagel with salmon, etc.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart

Pink-food alert! If you work nights and want to celebrate V-Day in the morning, this will make a delicious breakfast as well as an amazing dessert. Not too sour, not too sweet, and so, so pretty. Easy to share with friends without making it a whole thing. (Imagine: dessert and working together on one of these Valentine's Day nail designs. A perfect night!) Also a great option for those (insane, totally insane) people who don't do chocolate.

Engagement Chicken

The iconic Engagement Chicken is a Glamour original! The lore here is that if a partner is on the fence about proposing, making them this chicken will seal the deal. Not exactly a scientific claim, nor a particularly modern one, but there are dozens of stories about it working. Maybe it's just because the S.O. finally takes the hint. We can't guarantee that it'll get you a ring—if you even want one, that is—but if you follow the steps, we do promise a yummy meal.

Steakhouse Dinner at Home

You can never go wrong with a classic. Bring an elite steakhouse dinner home with a great piece of meat, cooked perfectly with classic steakhouse sides like mashed potatoes and asparagus. A steakhouse dinner requires managing multiple recipes, so it will be a fun activity to prepare you for your romantic evening inside.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Get your romantic evening started on a note as cheesy as a Kate Hudson–Matthew McConaughey rom-com with mac and cheese and add some sophistication with the addition of lobster. Lobster is synonymous with fine dining due to its hefty price, and it often requires skillful cooking techniques. But inside mac and cheese, it's simple to make and tastes expensive. This will not be like eating the Kraft macaroni and cheese you grew up on for a fancy adult dinner. If you or your partner are allergic to shellfish or vegetarian, you can skip the lobster and enjoy the mac and cheese on its own.

French Onion Soup

You already know our feelings about bread and cheese. Passionately in favor. And this dish is like soup for people who don't like soup. If you cook the onions long enough, they won't ruin your breath too badly, in case of smooching later on. This Valentine's Day dinner takes a little more prep work, but the results are so yummy. For extra ambience, put on some French jazz, light a few long-tapered candles, and for dessert? Macarons, of course.

Coq au Vin

It's food with wine in it, and at one point you light it on fire. Do we have to say more? This requires overnight marination, so best to start thinking about it ASAP and maybe even making a schedule. Just promise us that whoever doesn't do the cooking will do the dishes. Equality is romantic.

The Shallot Pasta

TikTok is not immune to the cult of Alison Roman, whose recipes have taken on a kind of celebrity of their own. In this video, the chef deviates slightly to create her own version of the famous shallot pasta, but what commenters are most in love with is her pretty pink Le Creuset pot with a heart-shaped knob. We found a similar item—heart-shaped pot with a round knob—for $200 at Dillard's, if you're looking for a luxe gift for your home chef S.O.

Pesto Focaccia

If noodles with red sauce is getting a little old, try another basic Italian favorite like a pesto dish! It's super easy to make this one vegan or alter to accommodate food intolerances too. This video isn't so much a recipe as it is a vibe, but it makes the bread look pretty simple, like maybe something someone could do on their own while their partner makes the main course!

Heart-Shaped Cupcakes

A classic for a reason. Please skip the gross drugstore chocolate box this year. We promise you can bake these. Pro tip: If you're not traveling, take it out of the tin before decorating, that way you won't smush the frosting with your fingers when you reach in to get it.

Crab Cakes

Don't be shellfish, make enough to share! Easy but delicious, as long as you get the good stuff from the nice market. (Seafood is not where you want to scrimp and save…or shall we say shrimp and save? Sorry.) These small, protein-packed bites are a perfect midmeal course, just after salad and before a pasta.

Beef Wellington

Are you and your partner Great British Baking Show fans? Then tap into your Bri'ish side, guvnas, and roast up some beef Wellies, innit? Okay, we don't know how to talk co*ckney, but we do know this is a thick and filling dish that pairs well with Adele albums. The romantic tracks, not the heart-breakers.

Pasta Bolognese

You had us at pasta, and then again at bacon, and you kept us with Parmesan cheese. Rich and creamy and indulgent, as any love affair should be. And it's basically a two-pot meal, because who really wants to spend Valentine's night doing the dishes when you could be doing each other?

Beef Bourguignon

Honestly, we have no idea how to make this, we were too distracted by the charming Brit yelling about “beef chunks!” and we will be spending our Valentine's Day perusing his account to satisfy our itch for cooking cuties.