6 Friday Night Dinner Ideas That Are Impossible to Mess Up

As the workweek ends, people tend to feel happy and excited as they look forward to the weekend. Friday nights are almost as special as occasions — when you think about partying, relaxing and spending time with friends and family. What better way to celebrate this anticipation than with a hearty dinner?

Here are 6 easy and exciting Friday night dinner ideas for two, the whole family and for yourself.

Friday Night Dinner Ideas for Two

There’s no better way to end the workweek than with your significant other. Here are some recipes you could make and eat together while catching up on your favorite series on a Friday night.

Creamy Peanut Noodles With Chicken

No one can resist the goodness of Asian noodles! This Thai-inspired recipe is reminiscent of pad thai — it has the same umami and nuttiness but make it creamier. It’s the perfect meal to accompany lazy Friday nights with your partner. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients:

• Pasta of choice, could be spaghetti, fettucini or ramen noodles
• 1 13.6 oz can of coconut milk
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 large boneless and skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
• 8 oz uncooked rice noodles
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp green onions
• 1 lime

Instructions:

1. Whisk sauce ingredients in a bowl or jug.
2. Pour oil and diced chicken into a skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for five to seven minutes.
3. Add ginger and garlic, and then cook for one minute. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and add the peanut sauce mixture. Simmer on low-medium heat for two to three minutes.
4. Add rice noodles to a bowl and cover it with boiling water for two minutes before straining.
5. Pour the cooked noodles into the skillet and mix everything. If the noodles absorb the liquid quickly, thin out with hot water.

Mediterranean Pizza

This vegetarian pizza is loaded with flavor and health benefits. The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients. Feel free to play around and be creative with your partner.

Ingredients:

• 1 batch of vegan pizza dough
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 6-8 grape tomatoes, sliced
• 2 cups spinach
• ¼ cup sliced black olives
• 1 cup artichokes
• ½ medium red onion, sliced
• Parsley for garnish
• ½ cup crumbled feta

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the pizza dough and bake for eight minutes.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the pizza. Spread the toppings before adding parsley.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until veggies soften.

Friday Night Dinner Ideas for the Whole Family

Friday nights with family means more bonding time with kids. While other parents opt to go to restaurants, head over to your kitchen. Prepare these exciting recipes with the whole family.

Steak Frites

This classic bistro meal is loved by kids and adults alike. Its simplicity is what makes it stunning — it’s easy to make at home and delightful enough to make you, your partner and your children satisfied.

Chimichurri Ingredients:

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 3 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tsp honey
• 4 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

Chimichurri Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender. Blend at medium speed while gradually pouring olive oil. 
2. Do this until the consistency is smooth.

Fries and Steak Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread frozen french fries on an even later date of two baking sheets. Then, bake until golden brown for around 25 to 28 minutes.
2. Mix pepper, salt, cumin and paprika, then season steaks with this mixture.
3. Add oil to a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place your steaks in the skillet and cook until deeply browned on one side. Flip the steaks and cook until the temperature registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit in an instant-read thermometer.
4. Remove from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.

Sticky Apricot Chicken

If you’re coming home late but want to make a hearty meal for your family, this 10-minute recipe will never fail.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken tenderloins
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250g apricot jam jar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sriracha chili sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• Cilantro sprigs
• Brown rice
• Zucchini noodles

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Cook the chicken for three minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to low — add soy sauce, jam, vinegar and sriracha. Cook until the jam melts and the mixture turns sticky.
3. Put the chicken back into the pan and coat it with the mixture.
4. Serve with cilantro sprigs, brown rice and zucchini.

Friday Night Dinner Ideas for One

Spending the Friday night alone? Occasionally, taking the time to unplug from face-to-face or online interactions can be an excellent way to practice self-care. Take yourself on a date with these tasty recipes.

Lemon Rosemary Salmon

While often loved as a “dinner for two” idea, this meal can instantly become your favorite meal after an exhausting week. Biting on that rich flavor of salmon paired with the freshness of rosemary and lemon is the best way to end the workweek on a high note.

Ingredients:

• 4 rosemary sprigs
• Half lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
• Coarse salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Arrange half of the lemon slices and spread them in a single layer in a baking dish. Layer with two rosemary sprigs and place your salmon fillet on top.
3. Sprinkle salmon with salt and layer with remaining rosemary sprigs.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

Ramenara

Put a creative twist on this classic Italian dish. This is ideal if you’re feeling adventurous on a Friday night.

Ingredients: 

• 2 packs of Mi Goreng instant noodles
• 40g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 120g flat pancetta, cut into 1cm thick batons
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Place noodles in a heatproof bowl, excluding flavor sachets. Pour over enough boiling water to cover the noodles, then set aside.
2. Place the egg, egg yolk, noodle sauces and parmesan in a small bowl. Whisk and combine.
3. Add pancetta and oil to a large frypan over medium-high heat. Stir until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crispy.
4. Drain noodles and set aside 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Mix noodles and pancetta.
5. Remove the heat. Add the egg mixture and water to loosen the sauce. 
6. Serve scattered with extra parmesan and season with pepper.

Make Your Friday Nights Better With These Recipes!

These Friday night dinner ideas are surefire ways to end a productive week. Which of the following recipes are you most excited to try out?