97 Best Saturday Night Dinner Ideas [2024]

Whether you need to find Saturday night dinners to shake things up a bit or are looking to save some money on takeaways, this post is for you! It’s packed with Saturday night dinner ideas for 2, 3, 4 or more of you. Or do as I do and make a batch anyway when you’re dining alone, stashing the rest in the freezer for a future weekend or busy weeknight.

If you want to find fun Saturday night dinner ideas, then you’ll love the fakeaway recipes listed here. They’re every bit as delicious as what you can order from your local takeaway, but can save you a stash of cash. As with all recipes on this site, they’re quick and easy to make too.

If you’re seeking Saturday night dinner ideas for a family, then the good news is that lots of these are child-friendly. I do have my own daughter to feed, after all. You may even be able to rope the kids into helping – such as with the easy peasy pizza dough recipe.

Pasta, chilli, tray bakes, curry, topped fries, noodles, fish dishes, pies and more… it can all be found right here. So without further delay, here are 97 of the best Saturday night dinner ideas in the UK!

97 of the Best Saturday Night Dinner Ideas

Meatless

Chilli

• Bean enchiladas | Baked Mexican-style tortillas with mixed beans and a cheesy topping
• Refried bean nachos | Meat-free, super simple and quick to make, yet oh so satisfying
• Lentil chilli | A tasty chilli without the carne, plus lentils, beans and lots of veg
• Jackfruit chilli | Fruit with a pulled pork-like texture, combined with classic chilli flavours
• Smoky vegan chilli | Substantial main packed with pulses and smoky, Mexican flavours

Curry

• Kidney bean and chickpea curry | A nourishing dish with carrot, pepper and mango chutney
• Bombay Aloo with added veg | Seven veg combined with a spicy, slightly sweet sauce
• Dal paneer curry | A far from dull dal with spinach, plus plenty of flavour and texture
• Paneer and pea curry | Healthy Indian-style curry made with peas and paneer cheese
• Veggie biryani | Cooking this veg-packed rice dish on the hob keeps prep time right down
• Bean makhani curry | A sweet, creamy curry with beans, ground almonds and honey
• Vegan red Thai curry | You really won’t miss the meat with this fragrant Thai-style curry
• Vegan dhansak | A meatless yet filling dhansak with lentils, chickpeas and spinach
• Red lentil dahl | A simple, silky smooth dahl that’s healthy, yummy, and pocket-friendly
• Mushroom bhaji | A yummy, fungi-centred curry that’s on the table in no time at all

Eggs

• Cheat’s Spanish omelette | Using tinned potatoes makes this dish a cinch to prepare
• Easy homemade quiche | Store-bought quiche cases mean this is made in moments

Noodles

• Vegan pad Thai noodles | Stir-fried noodles with lime, soy sauce, chilli and peanuts

Pasta

• Courgette pasta bake with 3 cheeses | Baked pasta packed with veg and plenty of cheese
• Creamy mushroom pasta | Butter, two cheeses and mushrooms served with seasoned pasta
• Red lentil bolognese | This dish proves that meatless meals can pack a flavour punch
• Mushroom ragu | A fast, flavoursome pasta sauce that’s perfect for fungi fans

Stew

• Veggie tagine | Moroccan main with chickpeas, veg, spices, harissa, prunes and lemon
• Italian-style bean stew | This fragrant stew contains spinach, butter beans and honey

Fish

Curry

• Prawn dhansak | King prawns and lentils combined with sweetness and subtle spicing
• Prawn pathia | Prawns, pepper and peas in a fragrant, soupy tomato sauce
• Prawn bhuna | A fakeaway favourite with green peppers, tomato, garlic and ginger
• Prawn red Thai curry | Adding lots of veg keeps costs low while upping the nutritional value

Noodles

• Prawn and pineapple noodles | One for fans of Hawaiian pizza – and of course prawns
• Prawn Singapore noodles | Curry noodles with chilli, egg, beansprouts and prawns
• Prawn laksa | Fragrant noodle soup with prawns, coconut, soy sauce and coriander

Pasta

• Creamy prawn pasta | Soft cheese, pesto and pepper complement prawns and pasta
• Tuna and sweetcorn pasta | A super fast alternative to the standard spaghetti bolognese

Rice

• Prawn and mushroom risotto | Italian cooking meets Asia flavours with this fusion rice dish
• Tuna paella | A rice and fish dish with tuna, veg, lemon, paprika, turmeric and cheese
• Italian-style fish | A quick-to-prepare tomato sauce peps up affordable frozen fish

Poultry

Chilli

• Classic chicken fajitas | Mexican-style fajitas served with lots of sour cream and cheese
• BBQ chicken fajitas | Chicken fajitas prepared with pepper, onion and a barbecue twist
• Turkey chilli | A classic chilli con carne made with lighter turkey mince instead of beef
• Chipotle chicken tray bake | Charred chipotle chicken with sweet potato, peppers and red onion

Chinese

• Sweet and sour chicken | Fried, flour-coated chicken with a syrupy yet sharp sauce
• Lemon and honey chicken | Sticky chicken with honey, lemon and sesame seeds

Curry

• Fruity chicken curry | A mild, child-friendly curry with coconut, apple, raisins and pineapple
• Quick butter chicken | Use butter or clotted cream to make this smoothly-textured curry
• Chicken dhansak | Lots of red lentils give this dish a satisfying texture and flavour
• Chicken tikka masala | Marinaded, baked chicken served with a delectable masala sauce
• Indian squash curry | The ideal curry for autumn with pumpkin, carrot and chickpeas
• Chicken saag | Creamy chicken and spinach with red lentils and sweet, subtle spicing
• Slow cooker chicken jalfrezi | Prep this curry in the morning and it’ll be done by dinner time
• Slow cooker creamy chicken curry | Yoghurt rather than cream keeps the calorie count down
• Panang chicken curry | A Malaysian-style chicken curry with coconut, peanut and lime
• Thai yellow chicken curry | A fragrant, oriental curry with a hint of Indian-style spice
• Turkey larb | Mildly spiced minced turkey served with jasmine rice, lettuce and lime

Noodles

• Turkey chow mein | The secret ingredient in this Chinese chow mein is Marmite
• Thai turkey mince noodles | Colourful stir-fry with carrot, mange tout and turkey mince
• Chicken satay noodles | Chicken, noodles and green beans in a spicy peanut sauce

Pasta

• Turkey mince pasta bake | Asian and Italian fusion pasta al forno made with turkey mince
• Chicken and bacon pasta bake | A creamy pasta bake based on an Italian restaurant favourite
• Creamy chicken and spinach pasta | A pesto-flavoured, soft cheese sauce for pasta

Pie

• Chicken and bacon pie | Chicken and bacon in white wine sauce with a pastry lid

Stew

• Chicken and chorizo stew | A contemporary classic, slow-cooked to perfection

Red meat

Chilli

• Smoky baked beef chilli | A slightly smoky oven-baked take on the classic chilli con carne
• Sausage and sweet potato tray bake | Sweet veg contrasts with succulent, savoury sausages
• Chilli sausage casserole | An autumn and winter warmer with sausages, beans and spice
• Slow cooker chilli | Make a batch of classic chilli and you can feed the whole family
• Chorizo fajita tray bake | Rice, onion, peppers, beans and spices with chorizo flavours
• Chilli topped chips | Fat chips, French fries or skin-on chips topped with chilli and melted cheese

Curry

• Slow cooker beef massaman | A softly simmered Thai curry with potato, peanut and lime
• Beef keema curry | A firm childhood favourite made with beef mince and keema flavours

Noodles

• Minced beef noodles | An Asian fusion stir-fry with beef mince and a fresh, fragrant taste

Pasta

• BBQ beef bolognese | A sweeter, smokier version of the classic bolognese pasta sauce
• Pork mince bolognese | Using a different type of mince transforms a traditional dish
• Spanish pasta sauce | Chorizo and butter beans give this sauce a distinctly Spanish flavour
• Pepperoni pasta | Try the favoured pizza topping in this tomato and rosemary pasta sauce
• Pasta with bacon and cheese | A creamy, cheesy pasta sauce pepped up with pancetta
• Meatballs with creme fraiche sauce | A creamier, paprika-flavoured take on a family favourite
• One-pot ham pasta | Using only one pan saves on washing up with this quick-prep pasta
• Slow cooker spag bol | Make this in the morning and you’ll have a family feast for dinner
• Slow cooker meatballs | Another one to prep ahead, made easy with shop-bought meatballs

Pie

• Cheat’s cottage pie | Ready-made mash takes the work out of making this family favourite
• Beef and mushroom pie | A real winter warmer containing shallots, carrots and mushrooms

Rice

• Bacon and pea risotto | You don’t need much meat to flavour this veg-packed risotto
• Ham and asparagus risotto | Asparagus gives this ham risotto a yummy and unique taste
• Chorizo and pea risotto | Top this rice dish with an egg for the perfect finishing touch
• Ham and egg fried rice | Asian flavours meet the all-day breakfast in this simple rice dish

Roast

• Honey roast ham | A baked gammon joint resulting in lots of delectable meaty leftovers

Slow cooker

• Slow cooker Scotch broth | A northern and Scottish favourite, especially at New Year
• Slow cooker beef tagine | Moroccan style stew with harissa, apricots and almonds
• Slow cooker sausage casserole | Green lentils add texture to this slow cooker stew
• Slow cooker Vietnamese beef stew | Star anise both peps and pretties up this dish

Stew

• Mince and dumplings | Beef with veg and gravy topped with substantial suet dumplings

Miscellaneous

Fries

• Dirty fries | Chips topped with bacon, onion, sweet BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese
• Northern fries | French fries or chips topped with gravy and lashings of melted cheese

Pizza

• Child-friendly pizza dough | Super simple to make with kids and even at short notice
• Italian calzone pizza | Folded pizza with mozzarella, mushrooms and your choice of filling
• Puff pastry pizza | Ready-made puff pastry with tomato sauce, mozzarella and toppings
• Homemade garlic dough balls | Quick to prepare and perfect with pizza or pasta dishes

Which Saturday night dinner ideas will you try?

Whether you want fun Saturday night family dinner ideas that the kids can help to make, want to save money on takeaways or are simply looking for some different ideas for Saturday night dinner, I hope these recipes provide some inspiration!

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