Showstopper Father’s Day Recipes
These Father’s Day Recipes are big, bold and impressive. Meals that say “you’re appreciated” louder than any gift card ever could. Most of them are simpler than they look, which is the best kind of cooking: impressive results without the stress.
Steak and Meaty Mains
Steak au Poivre
A pepper-crusted steak with a rich, creamy cognac sauce. This is the recipe for the dad who appreciates a perfectly cooked steak taken to the next level. If dad has a favorite cut, use it. Fillet, sirloin and ribeye all work beautifully here.
Surf and Turf
SThis is the Father’s Day go-big-or-go-home option and it’s easier to pull off than it looks. The steak gets all the attention it deserves and the prawns cook in minutes. The sauce gets made in the same pan and the entire dish guarantees empty plates.
Peri Peri Chicken
Arugula saladChicken marinated in homemade peri peri sauce and baked or grilled until charred and juicy. This is a South African classic for a reason and it’s the kind of meal that makes the whole house smell incredible. Serve with rice, fries or a simple salad and let the chicken be the star.
Lemon Rosemary Spatchcock Chicken
A whole chicken butterflied and roasted until the skin is golden and crispy and the meat is juicy all the way through. Lemon and rosemary keep it classic and the spatchcock method means it cooks faster and more evenly than a traditional roast.
Low and Slow
Slow-Braised Oxtail
This is the meal you make when you want to show someone you really care because you can’t rush oxtail. Hours of slow braising until the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce is thick, rich and glossy. It’s a labor of love and every bite is worth the wait. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.
Braised Lamb Shanks
Lamb shanks braised until they’re so tender a fork pulls the meat apart. The braising liquid reduces into a deeply flavorful sauce that you’ll want to pour over everything. This is old-school, impressive comfort food that looks like it belongs in a restaurant and takes almost no active effort. The oven does all the work.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Buy a big bone-in leg of lamb and spoil your dad properly. Roasted with garlic and herbs, this is a delicious Sunday lunch classic served with potatoes, glazed carrots, cauliflower cheese and green beans.
Garlic Rosemary Rump Roast
A beautifully roasted piece of beef rump. Beef rump is an underrated cut that’s more affordable than fillet but delivers incredible flavor when roasted properly. Slice it thick, serve with roast potatoes and gravy and you’ve got a Sunday roast worthy of Father’s Day.
Seafood Recipes
Garlic Butter Grilled Prawns
Prawns grilled in garlic butter until pink, juicy and slightly charred. These take about 10 minutes to cook and are absolutely delicious. Serve them as a starter before the main event or pile them high drizzled with that garlic butter on a large platter for a seriously impressive centrepiece.
The BEST Seafood Risotto
A big, beautiful pan of creamy loaded with prawns, mussels, calamari and mussels. Risotto is a showstopper on the table and it’s one of those dishes that feels celebratory just by existing. Put the pan in the center of the table and dig in.
Dessert Recipes
Malva Pudding
The quintessential South African dessert. A warm, sticky, caramelized sponge pudding drenched in a sweet sauce. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or custard.
Tiramisu
Coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with a rich mascarpone cream. No baking required and it’s better made the day before, which means all the work is done before Father’s Day even arrives. This is the dessert for the dad who loves coffee and something a little more refined after a big meal.
How to Plan a Father’s Day Menu
- Keep it simple. One main, one side or two and one dessert is plenty. Don’t try to cook five courses or you’ll spend the whole day in the kitchen instead of enjoying it with dad.
- Ask him what he wants. Most dads have a strong opinion about their favorite meal. If he doesn’t, any of these recipe will knock his socks off.
- Prep what you can ahead. The tiramisu should be made the day before. The oxtail and lamb shanks can be braised the day before and reheated (they taste even better the next day). The peri peri chicken can be marinated overnight. The less you have to do on the actual day, the more everyone enjoys it.