5 Chicken Valentine's Day Dinner Recipes
So, you’ve decided to take on creating a Valentine’s Day dinner recipe yourself for you and your someone special? Then the panic sets in – what can I cook? How can I make something tasty but that isn’t too complicated?
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases and sometimes recommend products from other sellers at no extra cost you. For more details see my disclosure policy and privacy policy.
The first place to start is the main element of the meal and here we are going to use chicken. No good for our vegan or vegetarian friends but for most of us, a good go-to meat that is easy to cook and used in loads of tasty dishes. Here are 5 chicken Valentine’s Day dinner recipe ideas that you can tackle yourself and create a special meal without any stress.
Why chicken for Valentine’s Day?
Unlike chocolate or champagne, there’s no real connection between chicken and Valentine’s Day. But chicken ticks the boxes of being a relatively healthy white meat, easy to cook and budget-friendly. We eat loads of chicken simply because there are so many ways to serve it.
There are also different parts of the chicken to get to know as different recipes will often call for a specific cut. A few examples of the main ones include:
- Whole chicken – the entire bird, most often used for roast dinners
- Breast – the cut we use the most, ideal for almost every recipe but has a simple oval shape
- Supreme – chicken breast with wingette attached and skin on
- Thigh – with or without skin and bone removed, the meat is browner and has more fat but also a bit more flavour
- Drumstick and wings – cheaper cuts of chicken used for baking, marinades or grilling
What wine to serve with chicken?
Now because this is a special Valentine’s Day dinner you are cooking, you will probably want to serve a nice drink with it. The most popular is wine but what wine do you serve with chicken?
As a general rule, white meats are served with white wine and something like Sauvignon Blanc or chardonnay is always a safe bet. You can also dive a bit deeper, according to Wine Folly, and pair the wine depending on what you are serving the chicken with. A few examples include:
- Oaked chardonnay – ideal with cream sauces
- White Cotes du Rhone – great with rich dishes and cream sauces
- Viognier – this is an aromatic wine that works well with floral herbs like sage
- Sauvignon blanc – always a good bet and particularly tasty with green herbs in the dish
You can even go for a rose wine with chicken but aim for one that is dry rather than sweet.
Red wines are usually paired with red meats but there are good exceptions. One is to go for a full bodied wine like a Syrah when you are having a stuffed or roasted chicken dish. They also work well if there is a barbecue flavour in the dish.
What alcohol is good with chicken?
But what about if you or your someone special isn’t a wine fan? The good news is that there are also a few other types of alcohol that work well with different chicken dishes.
Sake may not be on everyone’s list, but it does pair well with some chicken dishes. Unsurprisingly, it is great with Japanese style dishes such as yakitori, but it also works as a palate cleaner for salty dishes.
For smoked chicken dishes, a good Scotch whiskey will work well. The smoky flavour brings out the different ingredients in the brown spirits and is a nice change to a glass of wine.
Gin and tonic is one of my favourite drinks at the moment and it works well with spiced chicken dishes. Try different tonics that match up with what you are serving for added taste benefits.
Finally, stirred cocktails are a good pairing with chicken dishes. Things like the Old Fashioned cocktail work well because they don’t have particularly strong alcohol notes. Not only that but stirred drinks sit well during the length of a meal and actually taste better when left for a little while.
5 Chicken Valentine’s Day dinner recipes
The final thing you need know to make all of your decisions and put together the perfect Valentine’s Day meal is to have the actual recipe. To help you out, here are 5 chicken dinner recipes that all have a different flavour so you can get the right one.
Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 oz. goat cheese, divided
- 4 strips of cooked bacon, crispy and crumbled
- 4 basil leaves, rolled and sliced thin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ c. balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees / 190 C.
Butterfly the chicken by running a sharp knife horizontally through the thickest part of each breast. Place one hand on top of the breast to stabilize while holding the knife parallel to the work surface while cutting. Do not cut all the way through. Open the breast so both halves can lie flat.
Season the exposed surface with salt and pepper, then add 1/4 of the goat cheese, crumbled bacon, and sliced basil leaves to each breast. Fold the breasts in half so the cheese mixture is surrounded by chicken breast on the bottom, back and top. Secure with long wooden toothpicks, if desired.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet. Once hot, add the stuffed chicken breasts to the pan to sear. Once browned on the bottom, carefully turn each breast over and repeat on the other side. Season top and bottom with salt and pepper, if desired, during this process.
Place skillet in preheated oven and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 165 F / 73 C when inserted, approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover until ready to serve.
A few minutes before removing the chicken from the oven, start making the balsamic glaze. Heat balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while heating until the vinegar is reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume. It will form a thick, syrupy consistency when it is ready.
To serve, place a stuffed chicken breast on each plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Pairs well with a mixed green salad or roasted vegetables.
Lemon Chicken and Vegetables
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- ½ medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 large red potatoes, quartered
- ½ pint cherry (or grape) tomatoes, whole
- ½ t. dried basil
- ½ t. dried oregano
- ½ t. dried rosemary
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin
- 1 medium lemon, sliced
- Sprigs of fresh parsley and rosemary, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F / 200 C and line a large rimmed, baking sheet with parchment (greaseproof) paper. Set aside.
Combine red onion, potatoes, and tomatoes in a large glass bowl and sprinkle with the dried herbs. Drizzle with two tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Toss to coat and spread into a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, and turn to coat. Nestle chicken thighs in between the veggies on the baking sheet and top each with one or two lemon slices. Scatter the remaining lemon slices amongst the veggies on the baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the veggies. Return to oven to roast for another 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from oven and let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using, and serve immediately.
Instant Pot Italian Chicken Breasts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Active cook time: 25-30 minutes (+ time to come to pressure and 10 minutes natural release)
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- 4 oz. baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
- 2 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼” thick
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 c. chicken broth, preferably organic
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 2 T. fresh thyme leaves
- 2 T. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 oz. goat cheese, cut into chunks
- 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Add one tablespoon olive oil to Instant Pot and select the Sauté function. Set to high and once the display reads “hot,” add red onion and Portobello mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions soften, and mushrooms start to release their liquid, approximately 5-6 minutes. Transfer veggies to a bowl and set aside.
Add another tablespoon olive oil to unit and season chicken breasts with salt and black pepper on both sides. Add chicken to the Instant Pot® without overcrowding. Brown on both sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.
Return mushrooms and onions to Instant Pot and add chicken broth, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. Stir to combine.
Place the metal trivet that comes with the Instant Pot into the cooking container. Place chicken breasts on top of the trivet and cover. Lock the lid and set the pressure valve to “Sealing.” Press the “Manual” button and adjust setting to “high.” Set cook time to 10 minutes.
When cook time is finished, allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release for any remaining pressure. Turn the unit off and remove lid. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and rest for 5 minutes.
Add the goat cheese to the cooking liquid and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.
Serve immediately with some of the mushroom sauce spooned over each chicken breast.
Shawarma Spiced Chicken
The traditional version of this dish uses a vertical, rotating spit over open flames and that makes it a bit hard to do at home! But this is an adapted recipe that is much easier to make yourself.
Prep time: 10 minutes + time to marinade
Cook time: 16-18 minutes
Serves: 2
Marinade Ingredients:
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ t. ground coriander
- 1 t. ground cumin
- ½ t. allspice
- ¼ t. turmeric
- ½ t. ground cinnamon
- ¼ t. cayenne pepper
- 1½ t. smoked paprika
- 2 T. fresh lemon juice
- 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Main dish
- 4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Greek Yogurt Dressing:
- 1 c. Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 t. ground cumin
- 1 t. dried dill week
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
To serve:
- Bibb or Romaine lettuce leaves
- Tomato slices
- Cucumber slices
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine garlic, spices, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and whisk to combine.
Place chicken thighs in a large, sealable plastic bag and pour marinade mixture on top. Seal the bag and gently turn to thoroughly coat chicken. Place in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.
To prepare the yogurt sauce, combine all ingredients in a glass or other non-reactive bowl and stir to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from bag and discard remaining marinade. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and brown on each side, approximately 2 minutes per side. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, approximately 6-7 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes.
Slice chicken and arrange on lettuce leaves and top with tomatoes and cucumbers. Drizzle with Greek yogurt dressing and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Chicken Pecorino Sauce
Pecorino is a Tuscan cheese made from sheep’s milk and is sometimes used in place of Parmesan but has a much stronger taste. It also works well with Parmesan and you can easily adjust the ratio of the two depending on if you like strong cheese flavours or milder ones.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 1 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ T. extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 large cloves garlic, smashed
- ¾ c. half and half
- 1 c. chicken broth, preferably organic
- 2 t. dried oregano
- 1/3 c. Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
- 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ½ c. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1½ c. baby spinach
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place chicken breasts between two layers of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to a uniform thickness. Discard plastic and transfer chicken to a clean work surface. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Heat olive oil and garlic in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic for several minutes until golden brown. Remove garlic with a slotted spatula and discard.
Add chicken to hot skillet and cook until golden brown on each side, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Add half & half and chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Add oregano and grated cheese to skillet and whisk until cheese is completely melted, approximately 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to just below medium and add the sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tomatoes are softened and the spinach wilts.
Add chicken and its juices back to skillet and simmer for another 3-5 minutes, or until chicken is heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Tasty chicken dinner recipes
Any of these recipes would make a tasty chicken dinner for any day of the week and especially for Valentine’s Day. Whether you are an Instant Pot fan, want to try something spicy or just a delicious cheese based sauce, one of these recipes will be perfect. Enjoy!
