Restaurant-Quality Valentine Day Recipes (Without the Hefty Bill or Hassle)

Romantic mains, elegant starters, and indulgent desserts you can mix and match for Valentine’s Day.

By
Emily Johnson
Emily Johnson
Emily Johnson
Emily has worked as a food writer and editor for ten years, across publications such as Lucky Peach, Epicurious, Bon Appétit, and The New York Times Cooking.
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Published January 28, 2026
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Vicky Wasik

Even though I place very little stock in Valentine’s Day as a real holiday, an excuse to celebrate something—anything—in the depths of winter is so welcome. I love to play up the kitsch elements with my girlfriends, topping a cheesecake with bright red cherries or raspberries, exchanging silly cards, and blowing up a bunch of heart-shaped balloons. If you’re in a relationship, it’s a great excuse to go all out on a fancy at-home dinner. Been waiting for an excuse to make classic French steak au poivre or tackle a cheese souffle? This is your moment. It’s cold outside, and you can hole up all day, showing someone you love them by making an extravagant meal. We’ve also included more economical options if you’re keeping prices in check. Below is a mix of appetizers, mains, and desserts meant to be mixed and matched into a Valentine’s Day meal that suits your mood and budget.

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  • Za'atar-Feta Caesar Salad

    Two servings of a salad featuring greens grated cheese and a wooden spoon

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    This twist on Caesar salad uses bright, herby Levantine flavors alongside the anchovy and Worcestershire that anchor the classic. Instead of Parmesan, you’ll use briny, creamy feta, and rather than croutons, the salad is finished with breadcrumbs fried in olive oil and tossed with nutty, savory za’atar.

  • Radicchio, Endive, and Anchovy Salad Recipe

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    This salad balances bitterness, herbaceousness, and savory depth in each bite, making it an ideal palate-cleansing counterpoint to richer dishes like cacio e pepe, steak au poivre, or a savory cheese souffle.

  • Winter Greens Salad with Fennel, Citrus, and Creamy Citrus Vinaigrette

    20151110-winter-greens-citrus-salad-kenji-4.jpg
    J. Kenji López-Alt

    Winter offers plenty of bitter greens and citrus, even if it doesn’t feel like salad season. Here, sweet and tart citrus contrasts with slightly bitter fennel and escarole, showing up in two ways: sliced oranges, grapefruit, pomelo, tangerines, and mandarins in the salad itself, plus a vinaigrette made with a whole lemon. A bit of mayo adds creaminess to the dressing, while fennel contributes subtle floral, anise notes.

  • Savory Cabbage Tarte Tatin

    A savory cabbage tart tatin on a green plate

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    This savory twist on the classic French apple dessert makes a romantic, cozy vegetarian main for Valentine’s Day. Caramel adds a touch of sweetness, wintery thyme brings herbal depth, and Gruyere lends nuttiness.

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  • Roasted Oysters With Bacon and Parmesan

    Roasted oysters topped with herbs and seasoning arranged on a platter with lemon wedges

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    If you’re a raw-oyster purist, this recipe might convince you of the appeal of a warm, sauce-topped variety. Rather than disappearing under the accoutrements, the flavor of the oyster comes through clearly, standing up to the savory, fatty bacon and Parmesan topping. Its briny-sweet flavor cuts through the richness, making it feel especially celebratory for Valentine’s Day.

  • Classic Steak Au Poivre

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    Vicky Wasik

    This refined French steak preparation is still a splurge, but even with a hefty butcher bill, it’s far more economical to make at home than to order out. It’s also much less complicated than it looks. Dry-brining the meat for 30 minutes before cooking leads to a juicier steak, while encrusting one side with cracked peppercorns creates a spicy, crackly crust and still allows for a good sear on the other. Any peppercorns that fall into the pan toast as they cook, boosting the flavor of the pan sauce.

  • Cacio e Pepe

    Cacio e pepe on a tan ceramic plate alongside two small bowls, one holding shredded cheese and the other holding freshly ground pepper. There is a metal fork with pasta swirled around it on the plate.

    Serious Eats / Julia Estrada

    This Roman pasta dish is more than the sum of its parts. Made with just Pecorino Romano, fat, pasta water, and black pepper, it delivers surprising depth and gentle heat. Toasting the black pepper enhances its aroma and rounds out its sharpness, while cooking the pasta in a smaller volume of water concentrates starch for a more stable, emulsified sauce.

  • Savory Cheese Soufflé Recipe

    spoon dipping into cheese souffle
    Vicky Wasik

    If a soufflé feels intimidating, Valentine’s Day is a good excuse to tackle it. Soufflés are far less mysterious when you break them down into their component parts: a rich, structured base folded with whipped egg whites. In a savory version like this one, that base is a thicker-than-usual bechamel, into which you’ll fold the whites along with a robust, meltable cheese such as cheddar or Gruyere. Whisking the egg whites by hand gives you more control, and gentle folding keeps the mixture light.

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  • Perfect Pan-Seared Pork Chops

    pan seared pork chop with a side salad on a plate
    Lynn Wolsted

    Pork chops are less expensive than steak but just as satisfying for a special-occasion main when cooked well. This version is dry-brined to keep the meat moist and flavorful, then roasted before searing so it cooks evenly and develops a deep, well-browned crust. Basting the chops with garlic and thyme adds savory depth.

  • Fish Piccata

    Deep golden brown fish fillets on a large serving platter are covered in a creamy, glossy, perfectly emulsified butter sauce, studded with capers and flecked with minced parsley.
    [Image: Vicky Wasik].

    If you’d rather not spend all of Valentine’s Day cooking, piccata is a smart choice. It’s a classic, elegant dish that comes together quickly, built around a simple sear and a fast pan sauce. Cooking the flour-dredged fillets almost entirely on one side allows for good browning without overcooking, while capers and lemon give the sauce brightness and depth with a short ingredient list.

  • Spaghetti and Meatballs

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    Vicky Wasik

    You know I had to do it. Let’s not spend too much time discussing cartoon dogs, but they’ve secured spaghetti and meatballs a permanent spot on any list of romantic recipes. This version stands out for its use of fresh bread in the panade, which gets mixed directly into the meatball mixture to keep the meatballs especially moist and tender. Cooking the meatballs right in the sauce lets their flavor infuse the whole dish, resulting in a richer, more cohesive sauce.

  • Chocolate Ganache Truffles

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    Making homemade truffles can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. By emulsifying high-quality chocolate and cream, you’ll get a silky-centered truffle with rich chocolate flavor. From there, you can add liqueurs, nuts, or spices to create your own Valentine’s Day chocolate box.

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  • Chocolate Pot de Crèmes

    Overhead view of pot de cremes

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Pot de creme is, hands down, one of the most sensuous desserts out there. It differs from pudding in that it’s thickened solely with eggs and baked to set, while pudding is stirred on the stovetop and relies on cornstarch. The result is a denser, richer dessert that melts in and coats the palate. Using 70% cacao keeps the flavor sophisticated rather than cloying.

  • Meyer Lemon Ice Cream

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    Vicky Wasik

    This ice cream highlights bright winter citrus flavor. Meyer lemons taste a little like a cross between an orange and a lemon; they can be pricey, but their mellower flavor is what makes this ice cream feel especially special. Be sure to save the juiced and zested rinds for a no-cook lemon syrup.

  • White Chocolate Cheesecake

    Slice of cheesecake topped with cherry topping on a plate with a fork nearby

    Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

    A cherry-topped dessert feels especially festive for Valentine’s Day, and I’m always looking for an excuse to make cheesecake. In this version, which feels particularly apt for a Galentine’s gathering, the sweetness of white chocolate balances the tang of sour cream and cream cheese. Baking the cheesecake in a water bath helps prevent cracking, but if it does crack, don’t sweat it—the cherry topping has you covered.

  • Tahini Thumbprint Cookies

    Thumbprint cookies with seeds and jam filling on red wrapping paper

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

    I love that these cookies have the festive Valentine’s Day look of a classic jam cookie, but offer more sophisticated flavor thanks to nutty, slightly savory tahini. A coating of sesame seeds adds texture and toasts as the cookies bake, creating an extra layer of nuttiness on the outside.

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  • Dubai Chocolate Tarte

    Whole Dubai Chocolate Tart topped with pistachio, on green tablecloth with 2 glasses of water, and stacks of plates in the corner

    Serious Eats / Robbie Lozano

    This dessert takes all the flavors of the viral chocolate bar and turns them into a showstopping tart. Crunchy texture from browned kataifi and toasted pistachios pairs with pistachio cream and ganache for a rich, layered dessert. A touch of tahini adds complexity and more nuttiness.

  • Rich and Creamy Tiramisu

    slice of tiramisu on plate
    Vicky Wasik

    A few things make this tiramisu special: Using whole eggs instead of yolks lightens the filling’s texture and lets the mascarpone’s flavor shine. Heating the eggs and sugar before whipping helps the sugar fully incorporate and creates more volume. A few ingredient upgrades—like using creme de cacao or Cardamararo instead of Marsala, and finishing with a high-quality cocoa powder—take the flavor a step further.

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