Looking for dinner party ideas? Want easy mains to serve at your next dinner? Check out our ideas below, and make sure you try some of our other entertaining ideas too

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Dinner party main ideas

One-pot chicken with dates and caramelised onion

Jammy lemons and plump roasted dates are cooked with this chicken for a sweet and easy alternative to a whole roast bird.

One Pot Chicken Recipe with Lemon and Dates

Hot-smoked salmon vol-au-vents

A brilliant main for a special occasion – make these hot-smoked salmon vol au vents ahead of time, then reheat and assemble to serve.

Three white plates topped with golden puff pastry tarts filled with creamy smoked salmon

Roast pork shoulder with cinnamon and clementines

Serve this fall-apart roast pork shoulder with tortillas, sour cream and lime and let everyone dig in.

A tray of pork shoulder with cinnamon and clementines with three filled tortillas

Steak tagliata with black olive and parmesan dressing

Pile charred steak slices onto piquant sherry vinegar dressed olives, shallots and parmesan. It's an easy dinner party dish that you can double or half.

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Steak tagliata recipe on a bed of rocket in a large serving dish

Vegan wellington

Looking for a showstopping vegan recipe? Check out our impressive vegan wellington packed with roasted red peppers, cooked beetroot and kale. Plus, we've made a vegan stuffing and glazed the pastry in marmite to take this wellington to the next level.

Giant vegan wellington on a board with the front cut off so you can see the filling

Whole braised chicken in rich gravy (duruj kura)

Originating from the Chittagong district of Bangladesh, this mellow, lightly spiced and creamy dish is traditionally served to welcome a new groom into the bride’s family.

Whole roast chicken in a turmeric sauce with fried onions on top

Austrian wiener schnitzel

For a meaty main with a difference, try this wiener schnitzel – the national dish of Austria. Traditionally made with veal, serve this dish with buttered potatoes as a quick dinner party main.

A grey plate topped with breaded veal, a slice of lemon and crispy potatoes

Porchetta with salsa verde

Try this tender pork belly dish from London's Mortimer House restaurant, featuring crisp crackling, roasties, pan-fried purple sprouting broccoli and fresh salsa verde, for your next dinner party main.

A plate of Sunday lunch with roast pork belly and potatoes

Roast duck breast with figs, rosemary and garlic fried potatoes

Try this sumptuous duck recipe from littlefrench, an intimate neighbourhood restaurant in Bristol serving regional French recipes. Served with sweet figs and salty potatoes, this dish is the perfect balance of flavours.

Roast Duck Breast Recipe with Figs, Rosemary and Fried Potatoes with Garlic

Braised shoulder of lamb

Elevate your dinner party to a gourmet experience with the impeccable choice of a properly done lamb shoulder. London's The Red Lion & Sun presents a crowd-pleasing masterpiece, skilfully roasting lamb with a whole bottle of red wine for irresistibly tender results.

A whole braised shoulder of lamb on a serving plate with someone sprinkling salt on top

Saffron risotto

This soothing risotto is delicious on its own, or served with a roast chicken and the roasting juices from the tin. An impressive entertaining idea, if you've got friends round for dinner.

An aerial shot of saffron-coloured risotto on a white plate

Tamworth chop, white beans and turnip tops

Jackson Boxer serves this impressive pork dish at his Hebrides-inspired Notting Hill restaurant, Orasay. Be sure to buy quality pork to ensure a flavoursome feast for your guests.

A white oval shaped plate is topped with stewed white beans with bitter greens and slices of Tamworth pork chop

Slow-roasted lamb with wild oregano

Impress friends and family with this succulent and comforting slow-roasted lamb recipe with wild oregano. Cooking in a rich and juicy sauce, the lamb is served with delicious onions, tomatoes and root veg for a well-balanced feast.

Slow-Roasted Lamb Recipe with Wild Oregano

Lamb ragu pappardelle

Check out chef Louis Korovilas's melt-in-the-mouth pappardelle with indulgent lamb ragu. This easy yet impressive recipe comes from Italian restaurant Bancone in Covent Garden, and careful slow cooking will ensure that beautifully tender meat takes your guests by surprise. For more pasta-based dinner party treats, check out our posh pasta guide here...

Lamb Ragu Pappardelle Recipe

Hanger steak with braised greens

Here's a super succulent steak with crunchy garlic greens. This easy dish comes from Little Duck The Picklery restaurant in Dalston, and it's perfect for a quick but satisfying dinner party dish.

Hanger Steak Recipe with Braised Greens

Romana courgette agrodolce

This easy recipe for romana courgettes with a sweet and spicy agrodolce sauce is perfect for a vegetarian or vegan dinner party. Serve with cous cous or roast potatoes for a filling main course, with not a scrap of meat in sight.

Fried Courgette with Agrodolce Sauce

Hereford onglet, Cafe de Paris butter and spoonwort

Taken from the diaphragm of a cow, onglet has a unique flavour. Camille restaurant serves this with spoonwort, succulent leaves with a similar flavour to horseradish.

Hereford onglet, Cafe de Paris butter and spoonwort from Camille in Borough Market

Salt and pepper côte de boeuf

This salt and pepper côte de boeuf with easy béarnaise sauce looks really impressive but is easy to make. Perfect for a show-stopping main.

Salt and pepper côte de boeuf

Lamb neck, preserved lemon, white beans and harissa

Try this Lebanese-inspired lamb dish as part of a Middle Eastern mezze, full of flavour and perfect for sharing.

A blue plate with lamb neck on top of a bed of white beans, topped with pomegranate seeds and a red sauce.

Duck and shallots au vin

This is a great winter celebratory meal and a good alternative to duck or turkey for Christmas. The grapes add a delicious sweetness to the duck. You can use ordinary-sized shallots or banana shallots for this.

Duck and Shallots Au Vin Recipe

Roasted skate wing with charred leeks and samphire

Check out this simple recipe for roasted skate wing and charred baby leeks served with a creamy buttery sauce. This straight-forward recipe comes from Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams’ new South London restaurant, Kudu in Peckham, and will secure you a main course that you can be pretty certain none of your guests have attempted before.

Roasted Skate Wing Recipe with Leeks and Samphire

Crab cacio e pepe

Pasta certainly doesn't have to be dull or cliché. Take this cult pasta dish up a notch with a spike of briny shellfish in a creamy sauce. Simple, but beautifully effective.

Quick and Easy Cacio E Pepe Recipe with Crab

Luxury fish pies with rösti topping

This recipe uses the luxury fish pie pack from Skipper’s Choice a fish-box delivery business. You can also buy fillets of haddock, smoked haddock and salmon, cut them up yourself and mix in some prawns.

Thinking about pairing some wine with this? Check out our guide on what wine to drink with fish pie.

Luxury Fish Pie Recipe

Cajun picanha with bean salad

Here's an epic beef recipe with punchy cajun spices and a fresh bean salad. It’s a pointed cut, so is great for serving a crowd as you’ll get well done to rare from the same piece of beef.

Picanha Meat Recipe with Bean Salad

5-spice sriracha pork belly

Check out this punchy, easy, crispy pork belly with Chinese five-spice. This flavoursome pork recipe is great with rice, noodles or bao buns, and the crispy crackling on top will be a sure-fire crowdpleaser.

Roast Pork Belly Recipe With Pork Belly Marinade

Preserved lemon poussin with tabbouleh and saffron yoghurt

If you're looking for a slight change from chicken, have a go at this poussin recipe with preserved lemons. This easy dish makes a great alternative to any weekend roast, and is excellent served with freshly chopped tabbouleh salad and a smooth saffron yogurt for delicious Middle Eastern flavours.

Poussin Recipe with Preserved Lemons and Tabbouleh

Lamb steaks with yeast butter and warm hummus

Check out our succulent seasonal lamb recipe, complete with homemade yeast butter. A perfect recipe for that dinner party main, the hummus makes a delicious alternative to mash or roast potatoes and fresh asparagus tops everything off for the dream springtime feast.

Lamb steaks with yeast butter and warm hummus

Cauliflower and fontina cannelloni

This recipe for cauliflower and fontina cannelloni comes from the chefs at Cantino Corvino, London. It's a delicious, comforting pasta dish, which can be enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Making your own pasta may seem time-consuming, but the results will be worth it, and you can be sure that it'll earn you extra points from your guests.

Cauliflower and Fontina Cannelloni Recipe

Whole roast John Dory with potato and fennel Dauphinoise and salsa verde

Wow your guests with this impressive whole John Dory recipe with indulgent creamy dauphinoise potatoes. This easy white fish dish is simple to make and perfect for a satisfying Saturday night dinner. It'll look so good that nobody will want to dig in to the first helping!

Baked John Dory with Dauphinoise Potatoes Recipe

Beef, ale and bone marrow pie

Up your pie game with this epic recipe. Packed with melt-in-the-mouth, tender beef and crunchy pickled onions, serve this dish with creamy mash and leafy greens for a showstopping weekend meal with family and friends.

Steak and ale pie with bone marrow in the middle

Butternut ravioli with brown butter and sage

Learn how to make the silkiest, smoothest dough to create out-of-this-world pasta at home, with step-by-step tips from our cookery team. This ravioli recipe is light yet satisfying, with a veil of buttery sauce and a slight sweetness from the butternut squash.

Two pieces of butternut squash ravioli on a plate

Roast salmon with herb crust and brown shrimp butter

Want an impressive fish dish to serve up to your guests? Check out our roast salmon with a crunchy herb crust and buttery new potatoes. Salmon is the easiest fish to please with, but the addition of the crunch herb crust will ensure that this is no standard meal.

Herb Crusted Salmon Recipe with New Potatoes

Fideua with king prawns, chicken and mussels

This typical Spanish seafood dish (think paella with short, noodle-like pasta instead of rice) is packed with king prawns, chicken and mussels as well as smoked paprika for that authentic taste. It may take a little more effort to cook and source the ingredients, but you'll be wowing at the dinner table by the end of the night.

Fideua Recipe with King Prawns, Chicken and Mussels

Goat’s cheese and beetroot citrus salad

Serve a show-stopping centre piece with this bright and colourful beetroot salad bursting with citrusy flavours and creamy goat's cheese.

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Beetroot Salad with Goat's Cheese

Roasted hake with clams, cider sauce and dill oil

Get a taste of the Spanish Camino with this elegant seafood dish from My Million Pound Menu winner, Pilgrim. A light but tasty main course, your guests will certainly have room for dessert!

Roast Hake Recipe With Clams and Dill Oil Pilgrim My Million Pound Menu

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