Looking for Easter food ideas? What better way to mark this joyous occasion than with a delicious spread?
We’ve got all you need for an epic Easter dinner, from light and colourful springtime salads and soups to roast lamb, fish or vegan mains, comforting sides and luxurious desserts. Sit down with friends and family to watch the kids get excited over copious amounts of chocolate while you enjoy one of our Easter drink recipes.
To keep the celebrations going from the start of the day to the end, why not also check out our most indulgent Easter brunch recipes and top Easter lunch ideas? For more general inspiration, browse our collection of Easter recipes. We've also got plenty more entertaining tips for how to host a perfect Easter as well as budget-friendly Easter recipe ideas.
Finally, Easter is as much about activities as it is about food. Keep children entertained with activities such as our Easter egg hunt, and try our Easter craft ideas. Or get down to a spot of baking with our Easter baking ideas and best Easter cupcake ideas.
Meet Alice Alice Shields is our acting food editor and test kitchen manager. She has spent the last decade developing recipes for magazines. She's also an experienced host. Read on for her tips on building the perfect Easter dinner this year.
How we build a reliable Easter dinner
Prep ahead as much as you can: marinate your meat, chop veg and whip up salad dressings and sauces. If you’re making roast potatoes, you can boil them a day ahead and chill in the fridge. Roast them from chilled, when you’re ready to cook.
Lamb is an Easter table staple, with leg often being the cut of choice as it looks impressive yet is easy to carve. For extra flavour, choose cheaper lamb shoulder instead, slow cooking it for sweet and tender meat. Pair your lamb with a fresh, herby sauce or marinade to contrast the rich meat.
To save on oven space, choose a make-ahead pud that can be served chilled or at room temperature. No-bake cheesecakes, layered chocolate cake or fruit fools work well.
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Easter starter ideas
Set the tone with light, seasonal starters that feel special without filling everyone up too much before the main event.
1. Spring sharing board
This sharing board is the perfect starter for an Easter Sunday feast. Make it colourful with radishes, halved boiled quail’s eggs, chilli-flecked marinated feta and asparagus. Serve with a quick pea and artichoke dip, plus a sprinkle of pink pepper salt. See our guide on how to cook asparagus for extra tips.
For more seasonal dishes, check out our Easter starter recipes.
2. Asparagus soup
This vibrant green asparagus soup is a fantastic light starter to begin your Easter feast. It takes only 30 minutes to make, and is freezable, so you could simply reheat it for a fuss-free start to the meal. Serve with homemade bread, such as our delicious crusty bread.
Discover more spring soup recipes.
2. Greek bouyiourdi
This baked feta with tomatoes, garlic and chilli is a beautiful, low-carb, vegetarian starter. Enjoy it with pitta bread to scoop up the flavourful juices, or keep it keto-friendly with our keto bread.
Discover more Greek-style recipes.
4. Spring celebration salad
Showcasing the bountiful seasonal produce from spring such as new potatoes, asparagus and peas, this joyful salad will get your Easter meal off on the right footing. Make your own mayo to ensure a stellar starter.
Now discover more spring salads.
5. Crab & tangled asparagus salad on toast
For something a bit fancy, we recommend Tom Kerridge's elegant seasonal crab starter. Sourdough toast is topped with citrussy white crab, shaved asparagus ribbons and rocket salad. Ready in under 15 minutes, this speedy yet sophisticated dish will kick off your Easter menu in style.
Easter dinner mains
Choose a standout centrepiece that anchors your Easter table and sets the timing for everything else.
6. One-pan lamb with hasselback potatoes
It’s everything we love about Easter dinner, in one tray! This one-pan lamb is flavoured with garlic, rosemary and thyme, and cutting your potatoes the hasselback way guarantees crispy edges.
Serving size: 6-8
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 2.5 hrs
We've got plenty more ideas for perfect Easter lamb recipes.
7. Spring chicken pot pie
Looking for a more affordable alternative to traditional roast lamb? This chicken pot pie is bursting with seasonal flavours and makes a crowdpleasing centrepiece, while being friendly on your wallet. The creamy filling combines chicken thigh pieces with smoky bacon lardons, mustard, leeks and fragrant tarragon, and it's topped with a layer of flaky puff pastry.
Serving size: 6
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 1 hr and 20 mins
Tuck into more comforting Easter pie recipes.
8. Air fryer garlic & oregano lamb leg with crispy new potatoes
Make this classic Easter dinner in your air fryer with our easy recipe. Crispy, parmesan-crusted new potatoes bring extra savoury flavour.
Serving size: 4-6
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 1 hr and 15 mins
Discover more Easter air fryer recipes.
9. Cavolo nero, mushroom, potato & fontina strudel
A beautiful meat-free showstopper, this strudel is perfect for a fancy occasion. Wrap a mix of caramelised onions, cavolo nero, mushrooms and cheesy potatoes in filo pastry, then bake until golden.
Serving size: 6
Difficulty level: More effort
Cook + Prep time: 2 hrs
Get more meat-free inspiration from our collection of vegetarian Easter recipes.
10. Bay-crumbed salmon with creamed spinach and wild mushrooms
Prefer fish? Make salmon shine in Tom Kerridge’s showstopping dish. The salmon is cooked in a bay crust along with creamed spinach and wild mushrooms; plenty of double cream and a glug of white wine makes this recipe just as indulgent as lamb.
Serving size: 6
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 55 mins
Discover more Easter salmon recipes.
11. Roasted stuffed squash with herby pistachio salsa
A stunning veggie centrepiece to rival any large join of meat, this impressive roasted stuffed squash is taken to the next level with a zingy pistachio salsa. Bursting with herby flavour and a hint of chilli, it adds freshness, texture and spice to the dish and balances perfectly with the feta filling.
Serving size: 4
Difficulty level: More effort
Cook + Prep time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Browse more of our Easter vegetarian ideas.
12. Slow cooker leg of lamb
Make the most of your slow cooker this Easter Sunday. Our slow cooker leg of lamb is deliciously tender and moreish, and takes just 15 minutes to prepare. What’s more, the recipe includes a velvety red wine gravy for pouring at the table.
Serving size: 6
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 8 hrs and 15 mins
13. Vegan beetroot bourguignon
Make beetroot the star of the show in this vibrant plant-based bourguignon. This sweet, earthy root veg is roasted along with onions, carrots and thyme, then combined with lentils and mushrooms in a rich red wine stew. Serve in bowls with crusty bread for dunking, if you like.
Serving size: 6
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 1 hr and 45 mins
See our vegan Easter recipes and vegan Easter menu for more plant-based seasonal inspiration.
14. Baked mackerel with fennel, chilli & lemongrass
Looking for a more affordable alternative to salmon on Good Friday? Mackerel is in season this time of year, making it a cheaper and more sustainable option. Serve with mixed green vegetables for a simple yet sophisticated main.
Serving size: 4
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 55 mins
Now discover more Easter fish ideas.
15. Chorizo-stuffed pork loin with braised beans
Impress your guests with this showstopping stuffed pork loin, complete with juicy meat and crispy crackling. As well as giving the meat a beautifully smoky flavour, the herby chorizo stuffing helps to keep it succulent during cooking. Serve on a bed of braised butter beans.
Serving size: 6
Difficulty level: More effort
Cook + Prep time: 2 hrs 50 mins
16. Creamy fish & leek pie
Rich and comforting, fish pie is often a family favourite. Enhance it with the addition of king prawns to the filling, plus parmesan and cheddar to the mash. Everyone’s going to want seconds!
Serving size: 4-6
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 2 hr and 5 mins
Discover more fish pie recipes.
17. One-pot braised lamb breast with beans, carrots & mint
Looking for an impressive Easter lamb dish but can't justify the price of a premium cut this year? Lamb breast will help keep costs down while still delivering a sense of occasion. This French-inspired classic combines slow-braised lamb breast with beans in a hearty one-pot. We’ve used traditional flageolet beans, but canned cannellini or haricot would work just as well.
Serving size: 6-8
Difficulty level: More effort
Cook + Prep time: 4 hrs
18. Roasted carrot & whipped feta tart
Carrots take on a beautiful caramelised flavour when roasted, which balances perfectly with whipped feta and pesto. This budget-friendly veggie main can easily be adapted. If you don’t have walnuts, you can use any nuts you have at home. We’ve also used the carrot tops in the pesto to reduce food waste. If you aren’t using carrots with tops, swap the tops for parsley, or use up any leftover pesto you have in the fridge.
Serving size: 6-8
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 1 hr 20 mins
19. Greek roast lamb
Serving eight people, this roast lamb is perfect for entertaining a crowd at Easter. With only 15 minutes of preparation time, there’ll be no slaving away in a hot kitchen.
Serving size: 8
Difficulty level: Easy
Cook + Prep time: 2 hrs
Discover more leg of lamb recipes.
Sides
Build out your menu with sides that bring colour, freshness and a balance of flavours to the plate.
20. Baked new potatoes with wilted wild garlic
Forage for seasonal wild garlic to make these incredible baked new potatoes. They’re a healthy vegetarian side that can serve up to six people. You can also replace the wild garlic with watercress if you’d prefer.
Discover more wild garlic recipes.
21. Next-level cauliflower cheese
This next-level cauliflower cheese makes a rich and indulgent side dish. The parmesan, cheddar and spices in its sauce pair fantastically with the crunch and sweetness of the crispy onion and breadcrumb topping.
Discover more cauliflower cheese recipes.
22. Dauphinoise potatoes
Make our decadent dauphinoise potatoes for a mouthwatering side dish. Slow-cook slices of potatoes with cream, garlic and cheese, and watch as it bubbles and oozes. Follow along with our helpful video tutorial, perfect for beginners and seasoned pros alike.
Discover more dauphinoise recipes.
Alice’s tips for building your own plate
Main: One-pan lamb with hasselback potatoes
Sauce: Green olive & herb dressing
Sides: Next-level cauliflower cheese
I don’t have the luxury of a double oven, so I love a two-in-one dish that’s going to save me some space, and this one-pan lamb with crispy hasselback potatoes is packed full of flavour. The punchy green olive dressing can be prepped a day ahead and is also delicious tossed through some steamed greens or a simple rocket salad, if you want to add a little extra colour to your plate. A hearty side like this next-level cauliflower cheese is great because it can also double up as a meat-free main if you’re catering for vegetarians.
Desserts
Finish with a dessert that feels celebratory, ideally something you can prep ahead so you can enjoy the moment too.
23. Chocolate egg baked tart
Speckled with golden chocolate eggs, this eye-catching baked chocolate tart is a showstopping end to any meal, despite being incredibly simple to make. Enjoy with a dollop of crème fraîche or, for extra indulgence, why not pair it with our ultimate vanilla ice cream?
Discover more chocolate tart recipes and Easter dessert recipes.
24. Easter drip cake
Make a stunning Easter centrepiece with our easy drip cake, topped with creamy frosting, melted chocolate and mini chocolate eggs.
Try more Easter cake recipes.
25. Easy rhubarb fool
For a break from the Easter chocolate overload, serve a seasonal rhubarb fool. Forced rhubarb makes a pretty-in-pink dessert while the homemade pistachio cardamom biscuits give it a touch of elegance.
Now try more recipes with rhubarb.
26. Hot cross bun & butter pudding
If you love bread and butter pudding, you’ll love this twist on the classic which uses hot cross buns instead. This is a great dessert to make with leftover buns or freshly baked buns – try our simple hot cross buns recipe. Or, go even more decadent and check out our chocolate hot cross bun bread & butter pudding.
Discover more bread and butter pudding recipes.
27. Easter egg cheesecake
Need a simple but impressive dessert to round off your Easter dinner party? This easy no-bake cheesecake takes just 20 minutes to prep and is sure to please kids and adults alike. Add chopped mini eggs or leftover Easter eggs into the plain vanilla cheesecake mixture and decorate on top with all your favourite Easter chocolate for a colourful and moreish showstopper.
Find more sweet treats to round off your feast in our Easter dessert ideas guide.
Alice's tips for prepping in advance
Chocolate egg baked tart: Make up to a day in advance and chill in the fridge.
Easter drip cake: Make up to a day in advance and chill in the fridge. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Easy Rhubarb Fool: Prepare the shortbread dough for the easy rhubarb fool and freeze up to a month in advance. Roast the rhubarb and bake the shortbreads up to three days ahead.
Hot Cross bun & butter pudding: Make up to a day in advance and warm in a low oven to serve.
Easter egg cheese: Prepare up to the end of step 2 up to a day in advance, then decorate with remaining mini eggs to serve.
Drinks
Keep glasses topped up with these fun, Easter-appropriate drinks.
28. Mini egg martini
Satisfy a nostalgic chocolate craving and enjoy this creamy Easter cocktail with moreish mini chocolate eggs and a splash of Irish cream.
Discover more chocolate cocktail recipes.
29. Rhubarb gin
Use seasonal rhubarb to make this G&T with a difference! Top the finished gin with soda water for a refreshing and gloriously pink springtime drink.
Discover more flavoured gin recipes.
30. Easy iced tea
Make a jug of refreshing iced tea to rehydrate kids after a day spent running around hunting for Easter eggs. With a subtle tea flavour, oranges, lemons and mint, it’s also an excellent alcohol-free party drink, so adults will enjoy it too.
Discover more non-alcoholic drink recipes.
Enjoyed these ideas? Find more Easter recipes...
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Vegetarian Easter recipes
How to use wild garlic
Budget Easter recipe ideas
Easter lunch ideas
The best Easter baking recipes
Vegan Easter recipes
Healthy Easter lunch menu
Gluten-free Easter menu
Best Easter cupcake recipes
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