Looking for Easter dinner recipes? Any of these main course ideas are the perfect star for your family dinner – whether you’re looking for ham, lamb, seafood, or even vegan ideas.
The only question is…which will you make?
What do you serve for Easter dinner?
For us, Easter doesn’t feel right without lamb on the table. But, for others, Easter isn’t complete without a perfectly roasted ham.
But Why are Lamb and Ham so popular at Easter?
Honestly, I went in search of the answer to this question, and found a lot of conflicting information. So here’s my quick & easy understanding:
Lamb is commonly served at Easter as a nod to Easter’s roots in the Jewish Passover where a lamb was slaughtered and used to mark the doors of the faithful. Seder meals often incorporate lamb to memorialize the event.
Christians, however, do not celebrate the Seder, but refer to Jesus as the “Lamb of God” as his death replaced the Passover lamb. And thus, lamb made it’s way onto Easter tables.
That said, ham is a favorite Easter meal for Americans for two primary reasons:
- Far more pigs are raised in America, for natural and cultural reasons. Therefore, ham is more easily found, and
- Pigs are commonly slaughtered in the fall and left to cure throughout the winter. Easter became the perfect occasion to pull out the first ham in celebration.
There is so much more to the history of these dishes for Easter celebrations. But, if you’re like me, you’re ready to get to the good part…the recipes!
Don’t Forget to Make Dinner Look as Good as It Tastes:
Here are a few essentials you may need with these recipes:
- A beautiful serving platter to showcase your recipe
- Serving forks and spoons
- Pretty Spring napkins that will last long after Easter is over
- Don’t forget your instant-read thermometer
- Programmable Crock Pot and Crock Pot Liners
- A cutting board with a well is crucial for food like lamb
- Get beautiful slices with my favorite knife in our cutting block.
Now that you’re all set, and whether you prefer your Easter with ham, lamb, seafood, or something else, here are 15 recipes that are sure to be a hit!
15 Delicious Easter Dinner Recipes You Just Have to Try
Easter Dinner Recipes with Ham
Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
Sometimes simple is best, like with this easy baked ham with brown sugar glaze. All it takes is a few simple steps and you have a moist, juicy, and flavorful dinner everyone in the family will love.
Slow Cooker Glazed Ham Recipe
If you're short on prep time and want a moist and delicious ham, try heating it in your slow cooker. Find out how to cook this easy and flavorful ham...right in your Crock Pot.
Easy Crockpot Ham Recipe!
All you need is two ingredients and a few special tips to make this beautiful slow cooker ham for your holiday meal.
Bourbon Cherry Drunken Ham: The Ultimate Ham for Any Holiday
Tired of the same old pineapple and brown sugar ham recipes? How about sweet, tangy, and slightly smokey bourbon cherry ham?
HoneyBaked Ham (Copycat) - Dinner, then Dessert
You know you love a good honeybaked ham. Why not save a few $$ and learn how to make your own copycat version instead?
Easter Dinner Recipes with Lamb
Failproof Roast Lamb Shoulder
Roasted lamb shoulder doesn't have to be intimidating. With this failproof roast lamb recipe, you'll get the easiest and best Roast Lamb Shoulder you'll make in your life.
One Skillet Seared Lamb & Creamy Red Wine Penne
Skip the mint jelly and make a tasty one pan meal of seared lamb and creamy red wine pasta. (That should make the kids happy!)
Slow Cooker Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary
This simple and delicious recipe is done right in your slow cooker. Which means you'll have perfect fall-off-the-bone meat by dinnertime. Don't forget to use the juices to make an amazing sauce to go with it too!
Roast Harissa Lamb With Harissa Apricots Stuffing
For those who are looking for more adventure, you'll love this sweet and spicy roast harissa lamb with harissa apricots stuffing.
Pesto Stuffed Roast Lamb {GF}
Talk about flavorful! Anchovy and pesto stuffed ham sounds absolutely delectable.
Moscato Yogurt Marinated Leg of Lamb: How to Cook Holiday Lamb
Impress everyone when you bring this flavorful and oh-so-tender Moscato yogurt marinated leg of lamb to the table.
Seafood & Meatless Easter Dinner Recipes
Stuffed Squash with Curried Lentils
Is it a side dish or a main dinner? It's both! Stuffed squash with curried lentils makes a tasty side vegetable or a flavorful vegan main dish, too.
Salmon Cakes with Dill
With just the right amount of fresh herbs, these salmon cakes with dill are a true crowd pleaser for your holiday dinner.
Mediterranean quiche filled with red peppers, zucchini, emmental cheese & mint
My kids love just about anything that can be billed as breakfast for dinner. Which makes this Mediterranean quiche just perfect. And I love that it's bursting with red peppers, zucchini, emmental cheese & mint.
Warm Winter Salad with Rice and Cilantro Tahini Sauce {Gluten Free}
A 9 ingredient healthy vegan winter salad with rice, a lentil trio, arugula, and almonds. All coated in a rich and velvety creamy cilantro tahini dressing. Ready in 45 minutes.
More Easter Inspiration To Enjoy
- 11 Simply Stunning Ways to Make a Peeps Cake for Easter
- 50+ Totally Awesome (and Free!) Easter Printables
- Easter Table Setting for Kids (inspired by a Children’s Book!)
Now, It’s Your Turn
Whether you’re a lamb family, ham family…or even a neither of the above family, your holiday is definitely going to be tasty with one of these fun Easter dinner recipes. But, I want to know…
What’s your favorite Easter dinner?
Would your family freak out if you made something different for dinner this year?
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This post was originally published on February 22, 2018. It has been updated for readability and with new images.
April says
thanks for including me – pinned 🙂
Natalie says
I never celebrated Easter before, but am really looking forward to host my first Easter dinner party this year. Thank you for lovely ideas and recipes – will definitely use many of them!
Alyssa says
I don’t eat pork or beef but your Bourbon Cherry Drunk ham totally caught my attention! I’d do it with a turkey!
Noel Lizotte says
We generally have ham and sweet potatoes for Easter dinner … however those salmon cakes are going to tempt me this year! I’m considering serving all 25 of those sweet potato dishes!
Sue Ready says
our recipe photos are just stunning and I can almost smell each one of them cooking just looking at pictures. Thanks and will be hard to choose which one first to try
Sue Ready says
I meany to say your recipe photos can you correct?
Laura says
What a great collection of ideas. For us Italian lamb is a must at Easter. We like to cook it on the barbecue and serve it with roasted peppers
Pam Greer says
This is perfect timing! I hadn’t yet planned my Easter dinner, now I have so many options!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
It all looks so good – I love those little tomatoes still on the vine! So glad you’ve joined us again for the What’s for Dinner party!
Shiella says
Big help for me since we haven’t planned Holy Week and Easter Sunday celebration yet. Thanks for the options.
angie says
I have enjoyed my visit and so glad that you invited me. I can not wait for Easter but this time may not be cooking for myself as we will be traveling
come see us at https://shopannies.blogspot.com
Molly says
Ohhh roast Lamb, my favourite
Mollyx
teresa says
So many amazing options! Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
Nance in Reno says
When our daughter was in third grade she asked why we had ham for Easter since Jesus was Jewish and pork was considered unclean! She was paying attention in Sunday school This is the same child who wanted to know “what did the animals who didn’t get to go on the ark do that was so bad?”
Mother of 3 says
My family is great about trying new foods for Easter. Typically we have turkey or a roast as we’re not big on ham or lamb but I was thinking of making a rotisserie chicken this year.
The Bearded hiker says
Great round up but the cherry drunken ham has sunk its claws in me! It’s gonna have to be done!
Robin Lambert says
Wonderful recipes. When my children were young we home schooled. Every year we had a Seder feast with a Christian twist.
We would invite 15 people ( Different people every year) and My children researched and studied the Jewish holiday as well as Easter.
We prepared a traditional Seder feast with a few Easter foods as well with the rituals that went along both holidays.
Lamb was always on the menu and we were honored one year to have a Jewish family join us in the festivities.
Candy says
We are pretty stuck in our traditions for holiday meals. With the leftovers I like to try out new dishes.
Dyana - A Debt Free Journey says
I LOVE glazed ham with the crusted outside! I look forward to it every holiday.
Sandra L Garth says
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Easter is next month. It seems like Christmas was just a few weeks ago. Thanks for giving me a start on planning Easter dinner and for sharing with us at Celebrate Your Story.
Maegan says
Our family tried lamb last year, and even though it wasn’t a big hit with our kids it was fun to try! Your post makes me want some right now! We don’t have a set tradition, but these look like yummy options. Thanks!
Amanda says
Awesomely overwhelming collection of recipes! I’m not a fan of lamb, but there is enough variety here that selection may come down to hubby and I doing “rock, scissors, paper!”
Heather Gilbert says
This all looks so amazing and would be a win with my family.
Janine Huldie says
We eat ham here usually for Easter. My husband’s family even has a Roast Beef often, too. AS he is all Irish so meat and potatoes is just a stable. But I happen to love both ham and lamb. But again, ham just seems to win for my family for Easter. Love all the recipes you shared and going to definitely check a few out now, too 🙂
Alana - Burnished Chaos says
We don’t tend to do anything specific at Easter, just a big Sunday dinner with whatever meat happens to look good/ was on offer that week. This is a great collection of recipes though and could be used anytime, not just Easter.
Thank you for joining #FamilyFunLinky x
Two Chicks and a Mom/Donna says
Great recipes. I do get tired of serving the same dishes for the holidays. Thanks for sharing at Party in Your PJs!
Beautiful Quickly says
Easter, just a big Sunday dinner with whatever meat happens to look good/ was on offer that week.