February 13, 2023

18 Romantic Valentine’s Day Recipes for Two ($50 and Under)

Anna Wong

Valentine’s Day Recipes 2023

A romantic candlelit dinner doesn’t only exist in an expensive restaurant. This Valentine’s Day, choose to appreciate your loved one with a homemade meal that’s made with lots of love — and super budget-friendly, too! Our Valentine’s Day recipes take just $10 to $50 for a yummy meal and a priceless celebration.

Get out the candles: Here are 10 romantic and affordable dinner ideas, plus desserts and drinks for an unforgettable date night.

– Mains –

1. Prawn Tacos & Cabbage Slaw ($15 / 2 pax)

These Prawn Tacos are a deliciously novel go-to for any last minute meal. If you’re really tight on time, simply prepare the ingredients (grilled shrimp, cabbage slaw and toasted tortilla) and lay the spread on the dining table.

Spend the night assembling the tacos for each other while chit-chatting over a glass of Margarita — that sure sounds like a fun and romantic dinner date to us! Caution: You’ll start craving for a little crustacean tucked in a toasty tortilla blanket every now and then after you try this.

Recipe: Prawn Tacos & Cabbage Slaw

Preparation Time: 15 minutes.

2. Seafood Kimchi Pasta ($15 / 2 pax)

This one’s for the spice lovers that can’t really handle your spice, or Korean-food lovers. This cream-based Seafood Kimchi Pasta weds together Korean and Italian cuisine as if they were meant to be. Pairs perfectly with an Italian Almond Cookie Sandwich for dessert.

Recipe: Seafood Kimchi Pasta

Preparation Time: 30 minutes. Serves: 3-4 pax.

3. Pan Seared BBQ Chicken with Cream Corn ($10 / 2 pax)

Too chicken to confess to your crush? Show them your feelings by cooking up this Pan Seared BBQ Chicken dish.

The sweet, savoury and smoky flavours from the chicken balances the dish perfectly when paired with the light and creamy corn. Plus, earn brownie points by expertly carving the chicken for your date.

Recipe: Pan Seared BBQ Chicken with Cream Corn

Preparation Time: 45 mins.

4. Guinness Beef Stew ($20 / 2 pax)

If you have more time on your hands, try your hand at this Irish Guinness Beef Stew with Mash. This stew packs a generous serving of veggies and beef simmered low and slow, making it the coziest comfort food.

Overcome the urge of peering into the oven every 5 minutes by whipping up a side of mashed potatoes. The fall-apart tender beef, nestled on a bed of warm, creamy mashed potatoes is a match made in heaven. Top the meal with a smooth Whiskey Sour or Simple Old Fashioned for a complete course.

Recipe: Guinness Beef Stew

Preparation Time: 2 hours.

5. Char Kway Teow ($8 / 2 pax)

Who says Valentine’s Day dinner has to be Western cuisine only? Give your Valentine’s Day dinner a twist by cooking up local favourite Char Kway Teow. With the Wok Hei flavour and nostalgic taste of pork lard, lap cheong and cockles, it’ll be your date’s favourite too.

Recipe: Char Kway Teow

Preparation Time: 45 minutes.

6. Chicken Bolognese Gratin ($10 / 2 pax)

This hearty pasta dish is both affordable to make and fancy enough to star on Valentine’s Day date night. Our Chicken Bolognese Gratin recipe features aromatic herbs, a tangy bolognese sauce and an impressive cheese pull to win over your partner’s heart.

What’s more, it only requires 15 minutes to prepare, so you don’t need to rush home after work to get this ready.

Recipe: Chicken Bolognese Gratin

Preparation Time: 15 mins.

7. Thai Claypot Prawns and Vermicelli ($15 / 2 pax)

This rich, umami-filled broth is a real show-stopper. Served in a claypot, the aroma and presentation of opening the lid at the dinner table will earn you brownie points for sure!

The best part? This Thai Claypot Prawns and Vermicelli recipe allows for you to toss in extra of your partner’s favourite proteins or veggies to spoil them silly.

Recipe: Thai Claypot Prawns and Vermicelli

Preparation Time: 45 mins.

8. Vegan Soy Milk Miso Ramen ($20 / 2 pax)

This Soy Milk Miso Ramen recipe is extra-special for the Vegan babes and dudes! A vegan recreation of Tonkotsu broth, it’s great especially in colder weather.

The soy milk here is key: it provides depth and a hint of delicate sweetness that rounds up the flavour of the soup, making the flavour similar to what you would get with long simmering of meat, bones and cartilage.

Now that’s everything I wish for in a relationship: depth, sweetness and good soup.

Recipe: Vegan Soy Milk Miso Ramen

Preparation Time: 2 hours.

9. Vietnamese Pho from Scratch ($20 / 2 pax)

Light, sweet and savoury beef broth with rice noodles is comfort in a bowl. Making Vietnamese Pho from scratch means you can better appreciate the preparation that goes behind what looks like a simple bowl of noodles — stir-frying herbs in a pan, roasting onions and ginger, and searing and simmering chuck roast for hours to get your tender beef slices.

Tip: Rope your partner in on the meal prep. Time flies when you’re doing something with someone you love.

Recipe: Vietnamese Pho from Scratch

Preparation Time: 5 hours.

10. Zi Char Style Creamy Crab Bee Hoon ($50 / 2 pax)

This Creamy Crab Bee Hoon has got it all — milky, refreshing soup coating chewy rice noodles, topped with succulent chunks of crab meat. Slurp!

Coming in at $50, it’s the most expensive dish on this list, but we’re sure that it’s well worth it for your date.

Recipe: Zi Char Style Creamy Crab Bee Hoon

Preparation Time: 2 hours.

– Desserts –

1. Cheesy Cream Horn ($10 / 2 pax)

This sweet-savoury treat is the perfect way to end off your Valentine’s Day date. The crispy, flaky puff pastry packs smooth cream cheese filling, and every bite will leave you wanting more.

Don’t forget to lick your lips after you’re done — you’ll want to savour every bit of that sweet cream that you can.

Recipe: Cheesy Cream Horn

Preparation Time: 45 mins.

2. Italian Almond Cookie Sandwich ($15 / 2 pax)

Fair warning: One Almond Cookie Sandwich will not be enough! Easily pop this into your mouth for a sweet crunchy delight..

This cookie’s filling is customisable too, so whether your date is team Nutella, peanut butter, or Lotus Biscoff spread, feel free to layer on with any spread of choice.

Recipe: Italian Almond Cookie Sandwich

Preparation Time: 1 hour.

3. Honey Goji Sticky Date Pudding ($15 / 2 pax)

This dessert idea is perfect for a sweet finish to your date. The Honey Goji Sticky Date Pudding is sweet and refreshing, just right to complement a savoury main course.

Warm, moist, honey-sweet sponge pudding coated with a creamy honey butter drizzle, and served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream complementing its richness — you’re in for a treat with this treat.

Recipe: Honey Goji Sticky Date Pudding

Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 mins.

– Drinks –

1. Thai Basil Smash

This drink takes a spin on the classic gin basil smash by using Thai holy basil leaves. Refreshing with a herbal and minty taste, this Thai Basil Smash perfectly complements Singapore’s hot weather! (and your steamy date 🙈)

Recipe: Thai Basil Smash

Preparation Time: 5 mins.

2. Whiskey Sour

Whiskey, ice and everything nice. This fluffy and light drink is perfect for those who aren’t big on the “alcohol taste”. This silky sour drink resets your palate, making it the ideal accompaniment to sip on while having your mains.

Tip: Squeeze a fresh lemon or orange to add more zestiness to your drink!

Recipe: Whiskey Sour

Preparation Time: 5 mins.

3. Espresso Martini

Spice up your coffee tonight by adding a splash of rum or vodka to your go-to coffee powder. This creamy Espresso Martini only needs 4 ingredients — most of which can be found at home, for a simple and impressive drink. We use real coffee here, so you can stay up all night chatting with your partner and having a good time!

Recipe: Espresso Martini

Preparation Time: 5 mins.

4. Simple Old Fashioned

Keep things classy with this Simple Old Fashioned. This cocktail is sweet with a hint of bitterness and spiciness. Invented almost 200 years ago, this drink has stood the test of time and still remains an all-time favourite.

Recipe: Simple Old Fashioned

Preparation Time: 5 mins.

5. Mojito

This Cuban cocktail is a blend of a few simple ingredients, but the resulting drink is the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, not to mention refreshing. The secret here is mint — lots of it to make it as refreshing as possible.

Plus, it only takes 5 minutes to put together this fizzy and mildly sweet goodness.

Recipe: Mojito

Preparation Time: 5 mins.

Combinations for you to try

Not sure which mains would go well with which desserts or drinks? Here’s some recommendations for you to try!

What to cook for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s is ultimately a day to celebrate love — whether that is in the form of romantic love, friendship or self-love. All forms of love are important and deserve to be commemorated!

Want to show appreciation for your loved ones this Valentine’s Day? Cook up a homemade meal with one of these recipes.

We love to see what you made! Share your creations with us over at our Meatmen FB Cooking Community.

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More of what you might like:

P.S. We’ve got recipes for all your Singaporean and Asian favourites on our Youtube channel. Subscribe and share with your friends!

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18 Romantic Valentine’s Day Recipes for Two ($50 and Under)

Anna Wong