Dinner Ideas • Recipes from 193 Countries

Dinner Ideas from 193 Countries — What to Cook Tonight

Stuck on what to cook for dinner? Dinner Ideas brings easy dinner recipes from 193 countries — signature dishes with ingredients, steps, nutrition and pairings.

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1237–1248 of 2321 dinner recipes

A golden pamonha parcel of fresh corn wrapped in its own corn husk and tied with string, on a striped plate

Brazil 1h 20m

Snack & Tea •Brazilian June Festival Food

Pamonha

This pamonha recipe grates fresh sweetcorn, blends it with coconut milk, sugar and a little butter, then wraps the batter in its own corn husks and steams it into soft, sweet parcels. One serving is about 154 g (one parcel). It is not a tamale: pamonha is made from fresh grated sweetcorn with no nixtamalized masa harina, it is typically unfilled, and it is Brazilian — tamales are built on masa dough wrapped around a filling. This pamonha recipe makes 8 parcels in about 1 hour 20 minutes.

Sweet & Comforting

Fresh sweetcorn and coconut milk, steamed in corn husks into soft, sweet parcels.

Pairs Well With
Strong black coffee, the way it is served at a Festa Junina stall.

A whole round crisp tlayuda on a white plate, topped with black beans, melted quesillo, crumbled chorizo, sliced tasajo, tomato, avocado and a carved radish, on a bright pink cloth.

Mexico 45m

Lunch •Oaxacan Market Classic

Tlayuda

This tlayuda recipe builds the classic Oaxacan street snack: a large corn tortilla toasted on the comal until it shatters, spread with pork asiento and warm refried black beans, then piled with shredded quesillo, thin grilled tasajo beef and crumbled chorizo. Fresh tomato, avocado, red onion and radish go on top for colour and crunch. One serving is about 568 g (one whole tlayuda).

Hearty Oaxacan Street Food

A large corn tortilla toasted crisp on the comal, spread with asiento and refried black beans, then loaded with quesillo, tasajo and chorizo.

Pairs Well With
A cold agua fresca de jamaica or a light Mexican lager, with a crisp cabbage and lime slaw on the side.

A plate of golden cantucci almond biscotti with whole almonds visible in the slices

Italy 1h 5m

Snack & Tea •Tuscan Almond Biscotti

Cantucci

This cantucci recipe bakes crisp, twice-baked Tuscan almond biscotti — golden logs sliced on the diagonal and baked again until dry and crunchy, with whole almonds in every bite. One serving is about 60 g (two biscotti).

Coffee-Time Crunch

Twice-baked almond cookies from Prato, crisp enough to dunk in coffee or vin santo.

Pairs Well With
Espresso, cappuccino or a glass of vin santo

A single golden-brown canele de Bordeaux with a dark caramelised fluted crust

France 1h 20m

Snack & Tea •Bordeaux Rum Cakes

Caneles de Bordeaux

This caneles recipe makes the Bordeaux classic: small fluted cakes with a deeply caramelised, almost burnt-looking crust and a tender, custardy middle flavoured with rum and vanilla. One serving is about 140 g (two caneles).

Caramelised & Custardy

Small fluted cakes from Bordeaux with a dark caramel crust and a soft, rum-scented centre.

Pairs Well With
Black coffee, tea or a glass of Sauternes

Sliced pork tenderloin in a glossy whisky-garlic sauce served over fried potatoes

Spain 40m

Dinner •Seville Whisky Pork

Solomillo al Whisky

This solomillo al whisky recipe sears pork tenderloin medallions, then simmers them in a garlic, whisky and lemon sauce until the sauce turns glossy, served over fried potatoes. One serving is about 310 g.

Rich & Garlicky

Pork tenderloin medallions seared and simmered in a garlic, whisky and lemon sauce — a Seville bar classic.

Pairs Well With
Fried potatoes, crusty bread and a cold beer or fino sherry

High Protein

Yaki udon — stir-fried udon noodles with pork, cabbage, carrots and mushrooms in a soy sauce

Japan 30m

Dinner •Kokura Izakaya Classic

Yaki Udon

This yaki udon recipe stir-fries thick udon noodles with pork, cabbage, carrot and shiitake mushrooms in a soy, mirin and sake sauce. It is the dry, pan-fried cousin of noodle soup — no broth, just glossy noodles and a smoky wok flavour. One serving is about 417 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Thick chewy noodles, pork and vegetables in a savoury soy sauce — a warming one-pan dinner.

Pairs Well With
Serve with a small bowl of miso soup and pickled ginger on the side.

Pasta & Noodles

Sliced braised pork leg over steamed jasmine rice with Chinese broccoli, braised egg halves, a bowl of chilli-vinegar sauce and a bowl of clear soup

Thailand 4h

Dinner •Bangkok Street-Stall Classic

Khao Kha Moo

This khao kha moo recipe braises a whole pork leg in five-spice, soy sauce and palm sugar until the meat and skin turn spoon-tender, then serves it sliced over steamed jasmine rice with blanched Chinese broccoli, a braised egg and sharp chilli vinegar. One serving is about 690 g, with a ladle of braising gravy and a small bowl of clear soup on the side.

Comfort & Warmth

Pork leg slow-braised in a five-spice soy liquid until spoon-tender, sliced over steamed jasmine rice with Chinese broccoli and a braised egg.

Pairs Well With
Serve with chilli vinegar, fresh bird's eye chillies and raw garlic cloves on the side so everyone seasons their own plate.

A bowl of plain Vietnamese coconut rice (com dua) topped with toasted sesame seeds

Vietnam 35m

Lunch •Vietnamese Home Cooking

Com Dua

This com dua recipe cooks jasmine rice in coconut milk with a knotted pandan leaf, a pinch of sugar and salt, until every grain is fragrant and tender. It is a plain coconut rice side — no mango, no dessert toppings — made to sit beside savoury Vietnamese dishes. One serving is about 185 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Fragrant jasmine rice simmered in coconut milk — a soft, gently sweet side for curries and grilled dishes.

Pairs Well With
Serve beside grilled pork, caramelised fish or a vegetable curry.

Chinese braised tofu — golden tofu cubes in a glossy soy sauce with mushrooms, carrot and zucchini

China 40m

Dinner •Jiangnan Home Cooking

Chinese Braised Tofu

This Chinese braised tofu recipe — hong shao dou fu — pan-fries firm tofu until golden, then simmers it in a mild soy, Shaoxing wine and sugar braise with shiitake mushrooms, carrot and zucchini. There is no chilli-bean sauce here, so it stays gentle and savoury, quite different from mapo tofu. One serving is about 275 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Golden tofu cubes simmered in a glossy soy sauce with mushrooms and ginger — mild, savoury and deeply comforting.

Pairs Well With
Serve over steamed jasmine rice with a stir-fried green vegetable.

Sliced yaksik on a white plate: golden honey glutinous rice cake studded with jujubes, chestnuts and pine nuts

South Korea 1h 30m

Snack & Tea •Korean Festive Classic

Yaksik

This yaksik recipe steams sweet glutinous rice with honey, soy sauce, chestnuts, jujube and pine nuts into a chewy golden cake. One serving is about 172 g. It is the sweet rice cake Koreans make for Chuseok, Lunar New Year and Daeboreum — fragrant, nutty and gently sweet.

Sweet & Festive

Sweet glutinous rice steamed with honey, chestnuts and jujube — a chewy, fragrant cake for celebrations.

Pairs Well With
Persimmon tea, sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch) or a pot of green tea

Three ridged golden tulumba fritters on a white plate with kaymak and crushed pistachio

Turkey 45m

Snack & Tea •Turkish Patisserie Classic

Tulumba

This tulumba recipe pipes ridged choux dough into hot oil, fries it golden, then soaks it in cold lemon syrup until it turns crisp outside and syrupy inside. One serving is about 130 g. Unlike Greek loukoumades, which are round puffs, tulumba is piped in ridges — the ridges are what catch and hold the syrup.

Sweet & Crisp

Ridged choux fritters fried crisp and soaked in lemon syrup — a classic of Turkish patisseries.

Pairs Well With
Turkish tea, strong coffee or a spoonful of kaymak with crushed pistachio

Golden sesame-topped batzina zucchini pie in a round metal tin on a wooden board, one slice cut out

Greece 1h 15m

Lunch •Thessaly Village Classic

Batzina

Batzina is Thessaly's answer to the Greek pie: no phyllo at all, just grated zucchini, crumbled feta, eggs and cornmeal stirred into a thick batter and baked in a round tin until the top turns deep gold under a scatter of sesame seeds. It slices cleanly, eats well warm or at room temperature, and tastes of the village kitchen — mild zucchini, salty cheese, fresh dill and mint. One serving is about 155 g.

Light & Satisfying

A thin, golden, sliceable zucchini pie with salty feta and a sesame crunch — light enough for lunch, sturdy enough to pack.

Pairs Well With
Serve warm or at room temperature with a tomato salad and a glass of white wine, or pack cold slices for a picnic.

Find Dinner Ideas by Country

Every one of the world's 193 countries has a signature dish — browse the full directory to find tonight's dinner, or jump straight to a cuisine with recipes.

Afghanistan

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Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

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Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

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Denmark

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Dominican Republic

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Fiji

Finland

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Gambia

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Ireland

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Italy

Jamaica

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Nigeria

North Korea

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Oman

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Panama

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Portugal

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Russia

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

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Samoa

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Trinidad and Tobago

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Venezuela

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Yemen

Zambia

Zimbabwe Browse all 193 countries →

Dinner Ideas by Category

Soups & Broths Pasta & Noodles High Protein Fermented / Gut Health Quick Prep (<30m)

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Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack & Tea

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The Dinner GazetteFresh Dinner Ideas from the Journal

All news →

A bowl of tagliatelle with rich ragù sauce

Ingredient Guides

The Pantry Staples Every World Kitchen Shares

From a market in Bangkok to a farmhouse in Tuscany, cooks reach for the same handful of staples: rice, dried beans, good oil, salt, garlic, chillies and something sour. Stock these, and dinner in any cuisine is suddenly within reach.

November 5, 2026 • 725 words

A hearty autumn stew served in a rustic bowl

Seasonal Cooking

Autumn’s Best: Cooking with Squash and Root Vegetables

When the air turns cool, the garden answers with squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and beets. Roasted low and slow, these autumn vegetables turn sweet, caramelised and deeply satisfying — here is how to cook them well.

November 5, 2026 • 597 words

Fresh herbs rolled into Vietnamese spring rolls

Kitchen Techniques

How to Store Fresh Herbs So They Last Two Weeks

Fresh herbs wilt in days when they are tossed loose into the fridge. The jar method — a little water, a loose bag, and the right shelf — keeps parsley, cilantro, mint and dill bright and fragrant for up to two weeks.

November 5, 2026 • 658 words

Food Pairing Guide

What to Eat With What

Some foods taste better — and do you more good — together. Here is what to serve with each dish, and what to skip, with the science in plain words.

Tested in the Dinner Ideas kitchen

Phở Bò (Vietnamese Beef Broth)

Iron & Collagen Dynamics

EAT TOGETHER: Fresh Lime & Sawtooth Coriander

The ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in freshly squeezed lime converts the non-heme and heme iron from thinly shaved beef into its bioavailable ferrous form (Fe²⁺), escalating iron assimilation by up to 300%. Fresh culantro supplies carotenes that ignite digestive bile acids.

AVOID IMMEDIATELY AFTER: Condensed Milk Iced Coffee

Drinking condensed milk coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá) directly following Phở binds active polyphenolic chlorogenic acids and milk casein directly to the beef iron molecules, forming unabsorbable insoluble complexes that severely stunt nutrient uptake. Wait at least 90 minutes.

Metabolic window: Breakfast (07:00 – 09:30) • Optimal Gut Transition: 3.5 Hours

Tomatoes & Wild Summer Greens

Carotenoid Unlocking

EAT TOGETHER: Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Aged Feta

Lycopene is an intrinsically lipophilic (fat-soluble) antioxidant compound bound tight inside tomato skin cells. Pairing ripe heirloom tomatoes with the monounsaturated fats of raw cold-pressed olive oil boosts vascular lycopene absorption by nearly 4.4-fold.

AVOID TOGETHER: Fat-Free Industrial Dressings

Consuming vine tomatoes with zero-fat or high-sugar artificial vinaigrettes prevents the body from emulsifying fat-soluble Vitamins A, E, and K, passing essential restorative nutrients unabsorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.

Metabolic window: Lunch or Aperitivo • Lycopene Uptake: +440%

Turmeric + Black Pepper

Piperine in coarse crushed pepper amplifies active curcumin bioavailability by 2000%.

Green Tea + Lemon Twist

Citric acid preserves delicate EGCG catechins through acidic stomach transit intact.

Calcium Rich + Iron Stews

Heavy dairy cheese interferes with non-heme iron absorption channels if consumed simultaneously.

Dinner Ideas from 193 Countries — What to Cook Tonight

What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Find Dinner Ideas by Country

Dinner Ideas by Category

Dinner Ideas by Meal

Dinner Ideas by Region

The Dinner GazetteFresh Dinner Ideas from the Journal

What to Eat With What

Iron & Collagen Dynamics

Carotenoid Unlocking

Never wonder what’s for dinner again