45 Traditional Easter Dinner Recipes That'll Wow Your Crowd

Brown Sugar-Bourbon-Glazed Ham — Photo:
Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Find the perfect main dish recipe for your Easter dinner with these traditional recipes for chicken, ham, lamb, and more. Choose a showstopping centerpiece for your spring feast from our wow-worthy selection of recipes. Our stunning Herb-Crusted Roasted Leg of Lamb is sure to be the focus of your traditional Easter dinner, but we include plenty of other ideas, too. Whether you host a formal sit-down or a small, casual family gathering, you will find the ideal main dish to make your Easter meal memorable. Be sure to check out our Easter side dish recipes for delicious ways to round out your meal.

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Apricot Glazed Ham

Start this ham at room temperature and cover it in foil before popping it in the oven. It's the best way to lock in all those delicious juices. When it's time to baste on the golden glaze, remove the foil and let it cook, forming a nice, caramelized crust over the top.

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Roasted Lamb With Fresh-Herb Sauce

The bright, herby sauce is what takes this rich roasted lamb to the next level.

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Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham

The five-ingredient glaze on this ham is destined to dazzle your Easter table. It's spicy and sweet, sticky and crunchy, and the best way to dress up a store-bought ham with ingredients you probably already have stocked in your kitchen.

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Classic Beef Pot Roast

Grace your dinner table with this hearty pot roast. Plus, the vegetable sides cook alongside in the same pot with this recipe.

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Brown Sugar-Bourbon-Glazed Ham

You know this dish will be a winner when the online reviews include comments like, "The glaze is fantastic and delicious." It sure is. What's even better is that to enjoy this incredible dish you don't have to plan to spend all day in the kitchen. In three easy steps you can make this ham studded with cloves and flavored with a brown sugar-bourbon glaze. Then slice it, serve it, and settle in to see the happy faces as your family and friends savor every bite.

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Herb-Crusted Roasted Leg of Lamb

Cooking the meat low and slow for just under two hours, removing it from the oven to rest for 30 minutes, then cranking up the heat and returning it to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes results in an undeniably tender leg of lamb with a crisp and utterly decadent herb-and-garlic crust. It's a showstopper.

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Roast Beef

A timeless main dish any time of year, we think this Roast Beef has a place on any Easter dinner table.

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Prime Rib With Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Horseradish is the pungent and spicy secret to this mouthwatering centerpiece.

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Slow-Cooker Pork Roast

For a hands-off Easter meal, turn to this slow-cooker recipe. Not only does it yield a super tender pork roast, but perfectly cooked carrots, potatoes, and turnips to serve alongside.

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Pecan-Coated Pork Loin Roast

Pecans add a nutty, crunchy crust on this pork loin that is bound to impress everyone, even the in-laws.

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Chicken Leg Quarters With Asparagus And Buttermilk Ranch

While a whole roasted chicken might be more traditional, we think these chicken quarters with spring asparagus are perfect for smaller, more casual Easter gatherings.

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Lemon Roast Chicken With Rainbow Carrots

Rainbow carrots are what make this classic roast chicken shine.

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Roasted Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Southern Living Lemon-Pepper Roasted Chicken — Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Lemon pepper isn't just for wings! Rubbed all over a whole chicken and served with roasted garlic (that cooks alongside), this flavorful dish is bound to please everyone at the table.

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Lemon Chicken Thighs

If you aren't serving a crowd, these chicken thighs are a smaller-sized main dish that's still perfect Easter.

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Crispy Chicken Thighs With Roasted Radishes

This chicken dish is the embodiment of spring. Peppery radishes are a fun twist on a classic vegetable side, too.

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Grilled Lamb Chops with Green Garlic Chimichurri

If it's warm enough where you are come Easter, opt for these grilled lamb chops instead of roasting a whole leg.

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Perfect Beef Tenderloin

We tend to think of beef tenderloin as a Christmas dish, but it's the kind of wow-inducing main dish that's perfect for any holiday table and can be served with a wide variety of side dishes.

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Smothered Pork Chops

This might not be the most quintessential Easter main dish, but if you aren't in the mood to cook a whole ham, we think it's the perfect substitute.

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Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak

A perfectly cooked steak is always a celebration worthy dish. This recipe also happens to be a great option for smaller Easter gatherings with just the immediate family.

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Pork Chops with Dijon-Buttermilk Sauce

We think these Dijon coated chops have the same wow-factor as a whole ham for Easter, but with a lot less leftovers.

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Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Nailing the perfect rosy pink center on this beef tenderloin is a fun and delicious way to show off your cooking skills to family this Easter.

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Sweet Tea-Brined Ham With Lemon Glaze

This one is for all the sweet tea lovers. Don't just sip on the Southern staple, use it to make your holiday ham too.

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Deep-Dish Ham Pot Pie

For a fun twist on a ham main dish, try this pot pie this Easter. The best part? It uses store-bought pie crust, so assembly is a breeze.

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Baked Lemon-Thyme Salmon

While chicken, pork, lamb, and beef typically get all the attention on Easter, a lovely fish main dish, like this simple salmon, can feel just as springy and celebratory.

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Simple Pan-Seared Fish

There's something oh-so elegant about this Simple Pan-Seared Fish. Served over peas and radishes, it feels bright and seasonal, too.

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Slow-Cooker Short Ribs with Pork Rind Gremolata

If you're looking for a heartier main dish for your Easter dinner, look no further. These slow-cooked short ribs are ultra tender, and the crunchy pork rind topping is the ultimate finishing touch.

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Spicy Baked Snapper, Greens, and Carrots in Parchment

Baking fish in parchment is a foolproof way to keep it moist, which is crucial when preparing it for all your loved ones on Easter.

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Grilled Grouper

Celebrate the beginning of warm weather with this grilled fish as your Easter main dish. Topped with a caper and fresh herb relish, this recipe packs a ton of flavor into a few easy steps.

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Easy Grilled Salmon

We keep this salmon recipe extremely straightforward, but that also means it leaves plenty of room for you to add your own favorite flavors as well as sides.

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Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze

Okay, so this is not a traditional Easter main, but who says you can't mix things up? A stunning glazed duck like this is not something guests will forget any time soon.

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Lemony Baked Cod, Potatoes, and Artichokes in Parchment

A meal that comes together all in one pan, or in this case sheet of parchment, is typically reserved for weeknight meals. In this case, we think it's exactly the kind of impressive fish dish for a holiday dinner. Each guest can open their own parcel at the table!

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Shepherd's Pie Recipe

shepherd's pie - southern living — VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX; PROP STYLING: KAY E. CLARKE

Instead of a whole leg of lamb, try this British lamb casserole, topped with fluffy and golden brown mashed potatoes.

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Asparagus-Stuffed Chicken

Chicken breasts can be boring, but not this recipe. Stuffed with spring asparagus, Gruyère cheese, and coated in a cognac-butter sauce, these chicken breasts are practically divine.

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Low-And-Slow Beef Pot Roast

Pot roast is a household staple for a reason. Our version is ultra flavorful thanks to chili sauce and onion soup mix.

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Ginger-Citrus Pork Roast

For a low-key Easter dinner, try this easy pork roast. Serve over rice as pictured, or over mashed potatoes.

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Porchetta With Lemony Herb Sauce

Southern Living Southern Cracklin' Pork Roast With Lemony-Herb Sauce — Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Micah Morton; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch

This rolled pork main dish is a little bit of a labor of love, but once you slice into it at the table to reveal the gorgeous spiral, we're sure you'll find that the prep work was worth it.

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Skillet Chicken Pot Pie With Puff Pastry

Swap pie crust for flaky, buttery puff pastry in this homestyle classic that's gussied up enough for Easter, but still fairly effortless to pull off.

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Baked Ham With Brown Sugar Glaze

We roast this ham low and slow. Then, just before it's finished, we add a brown sugar glaze and increase the temperature. This creates a beautiful caramelized and crispy edge that's downright irresistible.

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Broiled Lamb Chops

This savory lamb chop recipe only requires 10-minutes of hands-on-time, making it the perfect dish for a busy Easter.

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Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney

Don't even think about using that packet that came with your grocery store ham. Wrap the ham in foil for the juiciest results. Don't worry—you'll kick up the heat at the end so the glaze of bourbon, pineapple preserves, and brown sugar can caramelize up to perfection.

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