43 Winter Dinner Ideas to Warm You Through the Cold
Embrace the chilly season and turn your kitchen into a cozy haven with our best winter dinner ideas. Before you dive into those seasonal baking projects, take a moment to focus on dinner tonight. Delight in the rich, velvety goodness of butternut squash soup, which is sure to ward off the winter chill. Craving a wholesome dinner that’ll feed you for seven nights straight? Dive into the layers of flavor in our lentil lasagna, a hearty twist on a perennial cold weather favorite. Hosting for the holidays? Elevate your festive table with a succulent roast leg of lamb. Each of these winter recipes celebrates the season’s bounty, bringing warmth and joy to your table.
When you’re done with dinner, pop over to our roundup of winter desserts.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Mira Evnine1/43Weeknight Pasta With Stuffing Crumbs
This winter dinner idea makes the most of the boxed stuffing you have left over from Thanksgiving. Instead of breadcrumbs, toasted stuffing mix brings garlicky crunch to this pasta dish with Tuscan kale and herby Italian sausage.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne2/43One-Pot Chicken and Biscuits
No need for puff pastry: Buttery drop biscuits make an excellent topping for this savory, satisfying riff on chicken pot pie.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova3/43Baked Salmon With Lemon and Thyme
Simple and delicious, this baked salmon will become a weeknight staple. Herby lemon butter lets the delicate flavors shine, keeping it light and amenable to countless sides.
Photo by Aubrie Pick5/43Chermoula Pork Chops With Labneh and Charred Shallots
Middle Eastern chermoula—a tangy sauce of herbs, spices, and preserved lemon—is a perfect accompaniment to pork chops, but would also be great with grilled fish or chicken.
Photo by Evan Sung8/43One-Pan Crispy Braised Chicken and Fennel Pasta
Every bite of this pasta is coated in an herbaceous sauce, made with chicken stock, white wine, lemon juice, and the fond rendered from braising the chicken. The best part? It all comes together in under 30 minutes in a single pan.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton11/43Instant Pot Lamb Haleem
Pull-apart-tender lamb, aromatic spices, and a medley of grains combine in this Pakistani stew you’ll want to make again and again.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton12/43Simple Turkey Chili With All the Toppings
Few foods feed the soul quite like a steaming bowl of chili. Ground turkey makes this a lighter but no less filling dish. Complete the meal with a skillet of cornbread and a full slate of toppings (because we all know toppings are the best part).
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Erika Joyce13/43Matzo Ball Soup
Liven up a schmaltz-y broth with dill and tender, made-from-scratch matzo balls for the perfect cold weather soup or simple Hanukkah dish.
Photo by Jennifer Chase14/43Chicken Satsivi (Chicken in Walnut Sauce)
Transform walnuts into a richly spiced sauce to blanket tender poached chicken in this Georgian dish. Top with fresh pomegranate seeds to make this main extra festive.
Photo by Quentin Bacon17/43Spicy Tahini Date Salad
This dressing is intensely nutty from tahini and smoky-spicy from guajillo chiles. Spoon it over soft Little Gem lettuce, then add dates for sticky sweetness and toasted sesame seeds for crunch.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews19/43Crisp Roast Duck
This foolproof method makes roasting a whole duck even easier than roast chicken. Douse your bird with boiling water to tighten the skin and help it turn crisp and golden in the oven. This crispy roast duck would pair beautifully with an endive and orange salad.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich20/43Red-Wine-Poached Pears With Goat Cheese Sabayon, Pumpernickel, and Pine Nuts
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich21/43Pastrami Turkey Breast
Rubbed in pastrami spices, this turkey breast develops a coating so deep and flavorful, it’ll put any deli to shame. Use it to make the ultimate turkey sandwich.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Mira Evnine24/43Turkey Jook
Similar in texture to congee, jook is the unofficial day-after-Thanksgiving dish in Hawaii. Topping choices are endless, but why not put those crispy fried onions to use?
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell25/43Classic Sole Meunière
This elegant French classic might be the most straightforward recipe on this list. You’ll want to use high-quality European butter to give the lemony sauce a silky sheen.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food styling by Mira Evnine26/43Noodle Kugel
Smother egg noodles with vanilla-tinged custard and top with cinnamon-sugar cornflakes before baking to golden perfection. This Jewish classic is a delightfully sweet addition to any weeknight or holiday table.
Photo by Aubrie Pick27/43Turmeric–Black Pepper Malawach
A supremely flaky Yemeni flatbread, malawach acts much like a savory pancake in this recipe: Top with pico de gallo, jammy eggs, and garlicky tahini.
Photo by Kate Whitaker29/43Air-Fryer Ham, Cheese, and Leek Bake
Use your air fryer to turn leftover holiday ham into a bubbly, cheesy casserole. Fresh leeks add mild, oniony sweetness to the dish, while mustard powder boosts the savory flavor.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin30/43Monte Cristo With Apple-Hatch Chile Jam
These battered-and-fried ham and cheese sandwiches get a sweet-spicy kick from homemade apple and Hatch chile jam. Any leftover jam would make a wonderful addition to your next charcuterie board.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Mira Evnine31/43Bangladeshi Wedding Roast Chicken
Sure, it’s got juicy bone-in chicken, but the real star of this dish is the caramelized garam masala sauce. It’s made using the bhuna method—a process of repeated deglazing that creates an intensely flavored base.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell32/43Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary
Simple but impressive, a roast leg of lamb will please any crowd. Be sure to use a meat thermometer to keep your roast blushy pink.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne35/43Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Pan-searing lean pork tenderloin before roasting keeps this cut tender and juicy. The honey-mustard marinade turns into a burnished crust.
Photo by Maren Ellingboe King36/43Chicken and Potato Skillet
Starting the chicken thighs in a cold skillet helps them develop the crispiest skin imaginable. A tangy, herb-flecked yogurt sauce completes this quick and easy one-pan dinner.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Laura Rege38/43Roasted Cauliflower With Parmesan-Panko Crumble
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Judy Haubert39/43Butternut Squash Soup
If you’re looking for soup ideas to warm you from the inside out, look no further than this butternut squash soup. Want to take it in a savory direction? Roasted squash and warming spices provide the perfect canvas for a drizzle of chili crisp.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton40/43Dill-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Farro, Pea, and Blistered Tomato Salad
Photo by Kris Kirkham Photography42/43Lamb Kofta With Barberries and Pine Nuts
Stud lamb meatballs with tart Persian barberries and pine nuts for a festive take on classic lamb kofta. They’re great on their own, but we love them nestled in bread and topped with harissa-yogurt sauce.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell43/43Chakalaka and Cheddar Braaibroodjies (Grilled Cheese Sandwiches)
All winter dinner ideas should be as stress-free as these South African grilled cheese sandwiches. A dollop of chakalaka (spicy vegetable relish) adds heat and vegetal crunch.
