Whether you’re planning a lazy brunch, a full Sunday roast, or an excuse to fire up the BBQ, here are the best things to cook for Dad this Father’s Day — sorted by effort level, so you can be honest with yourself about how ambitious you’re actually feeling.
Low Effort, High Impact: Father’s Day Brunch Ideas
Sometimes the most appreciated thing you can do is let him wake up slowly and hand him something delicious without him having to think about it. Brunch hits differently when someone else makes it.
The Full English
You can’t go wrong. Bacon, eggs (fried, scrambled, or poached — know your dad), sausages, beans, toast, mushrooms, and if you’re doing it properly, black pudding. The key to a good full English is timing everything so it’s all hot at once, which sounds simple and very much isn’t. Give yourself more time than you think you need.
Eggs Benedict
If your dad is more of a brunch person than a fry-up person, Eggs Benedict is the move. Poached eggs on toasted English muffins with good quality ham and hollandaise sauce feels like a restaurant breakfast without the wait or the bill. Hollandaise has a reputation for being tricky, but a blender hollandaise takes about five minutes and is nearly impossible to mess up.
Smashed Avocado with Bacon and Poached Eggs
Lighter than a full English but still feels like a treat. Good sourdough, properly ripe avocado, crispy bacon, and a well-poached egg. Add chilli flakes if he’s into that.
Mid Effort: The Proper Sunday Lunch
Father’s Day falls on a Sunday, which means a roast is basically the default correct answer. Done well, it’s genuinely hard to beat.
Classic Roast Beef
If you want to go all out, a ribeye or sirloin joint is the Father’s Day roast. Season it generously with salt and pepper, sear it in a hot pan, then roast it low and slow for a properly pink centre. Rest it well before carving — this is non-negotiable. Serve with roast potatoes (par-boiled first, then into very hot fat), Yorkshire puddings, and whatever vegetables he actually likes rather than the ones that photograph well.
Roast Lamb
Leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary is a Father’s Day classic for good reason. Stud the joint with garlic cloves, rub it with rosemary and olive oil, and roast it until the outside is crispy and the inside is still a little pink. Mint sauce, roast potatoes, and green beans. Job done.
Roast Chicken
Don’t underestimate a really good roast chicken. Spatchcocking it (cutting out the backbone and flattening it) means it cooks faster and more evenly, and the skin gets properly crispy all over. Stuff some herb butter under the skin before it goes in the oven and it’ll be the best roast chicken anyone at the table has ever had.
High Effort, Worth It: If You Want to Go All In
Steak Night at Home
For a lot of dads, a perfectly cooked steak is the pinnacle. Ribeye is the flavour king; fillet is the tender option. Get the pan smoking hot, use butter and thyme to baste it, and rest it for at least as long as it cooked. Serve with chunky chips, a dressed green salad, and peppercorn or béarnaise sauce. This is the kind of meal that makes him say “you didn’t need to do all this” while very clearly being glad you did.
Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
If you want something that feels impressive but does most of the work itself, slow-cooked beef short ribs are the answer. Brown them well, then braise them low and slow in beef stock, red wine, and aromatics for four to six hours until they’re falling-off-the-bone tender. Serve with creamy mashed potato and he will remember this Father’s Day specifically.
Homemade Burgers on the BBQ
If the weather cooperates (and let’s be optimistic — it’s June), a proper BBQ is a brilliant Father’s Day option, especially if he’s the kind of dad who considers himself the grill master. Make the burger patties from scratch with good quality mince, season them well, and let him take over at the grill if that’s his thing. Have all the toppings ready — good cheese, caramelised onions, brioche buns, proper condiments. It becomes an event rather than just a meal.
Don’t Forget Dessert
A few crowd-pleasers that feel special without requiring a pastry qualification:
- Sticky toffee pudding — warm, rich, and basically universally loved. You can make it ahead and reheat it, which takes a lot of pressure off the day.
- Chocolate fondants — they have a reputation for being difficult but once you’ve made them once, they’re straightforward. The melting middle moment is genuinely impressive.
- A good cheeseboard — if he’s more cheese than dessert (valid), a properly assembled cheeseboard with good crackers, grapes, chutney, and whatever cheeses he actually likes is a lovely way to end a Father’s Day lunch.
- His favourite cake — sometimes the most thoughtful option is the simplest one. If he has a favourite, make that. It doesn’t need to be fancy.
A Few Tips to Make the Day Actually Stress-Free
- Do as much prep as possible the day before. Marinades, desserts, par-boiling potatoes — anything you can tick off on Saturday means Sunday is much calmer.
- Let him be involved if he wants to be, but don’t make him feel like he has to be. Some dads love being in the kitchen; others prefer to be handed a glass of something and pointed at the sofa.
- Don’t forget the card. Even if the food is spectacular, he still wants the card. We’ve rounded up the best funny Father’s Day cards for 2026 here if you still need one.
Make It a Day He’ll Actually Remember
The food matters, but the point of it is really just to make him feel looked after and thought about. Whatever you cook, cook it with that in mind and it’ll land — even if the Yorkshire puddings don’t rise quite right or the hollandaise splits slightly. He’ll appreciate the effort regardless.
Happy Father’s Day for 15 June 2026.
Need more Father’s Day inspiration? See more HERE.
Father’s Day is on Sunday 15 June 2026, and if your dad’s love language is food (and let’s be honest, whose isn’t), cooking for him is one of the best things you can do. Skip the crowded restaurant, save the money, and put something genuinely good on the table instead.
Whether you’re planning a lazy brunch, a full Sunday roast, or an excuse to fire up the BBQ, here are the best things to cook for Dad this Father’s Day — sorted by effort level, so you can be honest with yourself about how ambitious you’re actually feeling.
Low Effort, High Impact: Father’s Day Brunch Ideas
Sometimes the most appreciated thing you can do is let him wake up slowly and hand him something delicious without him having to think about it. Brunch hits differently when someone else makes it.
The Full English
You can’t go wrong. Bacon, eggs (fried, scrambled, or poached — know your dad), sausages, beans, toast, mushrooms, and if you’re doing it properly, black pudding. The key to a good full English is timing everything so it’s all hot at once, which sounds simple and very much isn’t. Give yourself more time than you think you need.
Eggs Benedict
If your dad is more of a brunch person than a fry-up person, Eggs Benedict is the move. Poached eggs on toasted English muffins with good quality ham and hollandaise sauce feels like a restaurant breakfast without the wait or the bill. Hollandaise has a reputation for being tricky, but a blender hollandaise takes about five minutes and is nearly impossible to mess up.
Smashed Avocado with Bacon and Poached Eggs
Lighter than a full English but still feels like a treat. Good sourdough, properly ripe avocado, crispy bacon, and a well-poached egg. Add chilli flakes if he’s into that.
Mid Effort: The Proper Sunday Lunch
Father’s Day falls on a Sunday, which means a roast is basically the default correct answer. Done well, it’s genuinely hard to beat.
Classic Roast Beef
If you want to go all out, a ribeye or sirloin joint is the Father’s Day roast. Season it generously with salt and pepper, sear it in a hot pan, then roast it low and slow for a properly pink centre. Rest it well before carving — this is non-negotiable. Serve with roast potatoes (par-boiled first, then into very hot fat), Yorkshire puddings, and whatever vegetables he actually likes rather than the ones that photograph well.
Roast Lamb
Leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary is a Father’s Day classic for good reason. Stud the joint with garlic cloves, rub it with rosemary and olive oil, and roast it until the outside is crispy and the inside is still a little pink. Mint sauce, roast potatoes, and green beans. Job done.
Roast Chicken
Don’t underestimate a really good roast chicken. Spatchcocking it (cutting out the backbone and flattening it) means it cooks faster and more evenly, and the skin gets properly crispy all over. Stuff some herb butter under the skin before it goes in the oven and it’ll be the best roast chicken anyone at the table has ever had.
High Effort, Worth It: If You Want to Go All In
Steak Night at Home
For a lot of dads, a perfectly cooked steak is the pinnacle. Ribeye is the flavour king; fillet is the tender option. Get the pan smoking hot, use butter and thyme to baste it, and rest it for at least as long as it cooked. Serve with chunky chips, a dressed green salad, and peppercorn or béarnaise sauce. This is the kind of meal that makes him say “you didn’t need to do all this” while very clearly being glad you did.
Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
If you want something that feels impressive but does most of the work itself, slow-cooked beef short ribs are the answer. Brown them well, then braise them low and slow in beef stock, red wine, and aromatics for four to six hours until they’re falling-off-the-bone tender. Serve with creamy mashed potato and he will remember this Father’s Day specifically.
Homemade Burgers on the BBQ
If the weather cooperates (and let’s be optimistic — it’s June), a proper BBQ is a brilliant Father’s Day option, especially if he’s the kind of dad who considers himself the grill master. Make the burger patties from scratch with good quality mince, season them well, and let him take over at the grill if that’s his thing. Have all the toppings ready — good cheese, caramelised onions, brioche buns, proper condiments. It becomes an event rather than just a meal.
Don’t Forget Dessert
A few crowd-pleasers that feel special without requiring a pastry qualification:
- Sticky toffee pudding — warm, rich, and basically universally loved. You can make it ahead and reheat it, which takes a lot of pressure off the day.
- Chocolate fondants — they have a reputation for being difficult but once you’ve made them once, they’re straightforward. The melting middle moment is genuinely impressive.
- A good cheeseboard — if he’s more cheese than dessert (valid), a properly assembled cheeseboard with good crackers, grapes, chutney, and whatever cheeses he actually likes is a lovely way to end a Father’s Day lunch.
- His favourite cake — sometimes the most thoughtful option is the simplest one. If he has a favourite, make that. It doesn’t need to be fancy.
A Few Tips to Make the Day Actually Stress-Free
- Do as much prep as possible the day before. Marinades, desserts, par-boiling potatoes — anything you can tick off on Saturday means Sunday is much calmer.
- Let him be involved if he wants to be, but don’t make him feel like he has to be. Some dads love being in the kitchen; others prefer to be handed a glass of something and pointed at the sofa.
- Don’t forget the card. Even if the food is spectacular, he still wants the card.
Make It a Day He’ll Actually Remember
The food matters, but the point of it is really just to make him feel looked after and thought about. Whatever you cook, cook it with that in mind and it’ll land — even if the Yorkshire puddings don’t rise quite right or the hollandaise splits slightly. He’ll appreciate the effort regardless.
Happy Father’s Day for 15 June 2026.
Need more Father’s Day inspiration? See more HERE.
Photo by Regina Tommasi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-sliced-juicy-roast-beef-30221650/