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.

Countries

193

Cuisines Covered

Meal Times

4 Slots

Breakfast to Snack

Nutrition

100%

Recipes with Nutrition

Category:

Meal Time

Choose the meal you are cooking for

Region

2321 dinner ideas matching filters

Reset Filters ×

What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1273–1284 of 2321 dinner recipes

Golden breaded pork schnitzel with a lemon wedge and potato salad on a white plate

Germany 40m

Dinner •German Heritage

German Pork Schnitzel

German pork schnitzel is the everyday hero of German cooking: a pork cutlet pounded thin, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in butter until it turns deep golden and crisp. This german schnitzel recipe follows the German way — real pork, a loose crumb, and a wedge of lemon on the side, with potato salad to mop up. One serving is about 200 g.

Classic Comfort

A golden, crisp pork cutlet with lemon and potato salad — a satisfying, protein-rich German dinner.

Pairs Well With
Warm potato salad, cucumber salad and a cold lager.

High Protein

Butterflied piri piri chicken grilling over charcoal, golden-red with chilli spice

Portugal 55m

Dinner •Algarve Heritage

Frango Piri Piri

Frango piri piri is Portugal's most famous chicken: a whole bird butterflied flat, rubbed with a fiery paste of piri piri chillies, garlic, lemon and paprika, then grilled over charcoal until the skin turns crisp and red-gold. This piri piri chicken recipe is the Algarve way — an overnight marinade, a hot grill, and a warm butter baste at the end. One serving is about 210 g.

Spicy Char-Grill

A butterflied chicken marinated in piri piri chilli, garlic and lemon, grilled over charcoal until the skin is crisp and reddened.

Pairs Well With
Chips, tomato-onion salad and a cold beer.

High Protein

Moroccan chicken tagine with preserved lemon slices, green olives and fresh parsley

Morocco 1h 15m

Dinner •Moroccan Heritage

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Moroccan chicken tagine is the dish Morocco is best known for: chicken braised slowly with onions, ginger and saffron, then finished with salty preserved lemon and green olives. This moroccan chicken tagine recipe uses a heavy pot instead of a clay tagine, so anyone can make it — the conical lid's job is done by a tight-fitting lid and a gentle flame. One serving is about 315 g.

Slow-Cooked Comfort

Chicken braised slowly with ginger, saffron, preserved lemon and green olives until the meat falls from the bone.

Pairs Well With
Couscous, khobz bread and mint tea.

High Protein

Egyptian fattah in a glass dish: white rice topped with tomato sauce and chunks of beef

Egypt 2h 20m

Dinner •Cairo Heritage

Egyptian Fattah

Egyptian fattah is the dish Egypt celebrates with: crisp toasted bread soaked in beef broth, a deep layer of fluffy rice, tender chunks of beef, and a garlicky tomato-vinegar sauce spooned over the top. This egyptian fattah recipe is the Eid al-Adha classic — built in layers in one big dish, and carried to the table for everyone to share. One serving is about 330 g.

Feast & Celebration

Crisp bread, fluffy rice, tender beef and garlicky tomato sauce layered in one generous sharing dish.

Pairs Well With
Green salad, pickles and mint tea.

High Protein

A sliced chicken shawarma wrap in toasted lavash showing spiced chicken, with rocket salad on a white plate

Lebanon 50m

Dinner •Beirut Street-Food Heritage

Lebanese Chicken Shawarma

This lebanese chicken shawarma recipe marinates boneless chicken thighs in yogurt, lemon, garlic and seven warm spices, then grills them until charred at the edges and slices them thin for rolling in soft Lebanese pita with toum, the whipped garlic sauce that defines the Lebanese version. Pickled turnips, dill pickles, tomato and parsley give every bite its sharp, fresh contrast. One serving is about 379 g.

High-Protein & Satisfying

Spice-marinated chicken thighs grilled and rolled in warm pita with toum, pickles and tomato — the Beirut street-food classic, made at home.

Pairs Well With
Toum, pickled turnips & fries

High Protein

A grilled bife de chorizo steak, pink inside, with green salad on a wooden board

Argentina 2h 30m

Dinner •Buenos Aires Parrilla Heritage

Argentine Asado

This argentine asado recipe is the full Sunday parrillada: tira de asado, vacio, entrana and bife de chorizo, plus chorizo, morcilla, mollejas and chinchulines, all cooked slowly over quebracho charcoal embers and seasoned with nothing but coarse salt. It opens with provoleta, grilled provolone with oregano, and the meat is served piece by piece as each cut is ready, with chimichurri and salsa criolla on the table. One serving is about 460 g.

High-Protein & Satisfying

A slow mixed grill of beef cuts, chorizo, morcilla and achuras over quebracho embers, opened with grilled provoleta and served with chimichurri and salsa criolla.

Pairs Well With
Chimichurri, salsa criolla & Malbec

High Protein

A glossy roasted chicken leg quarter with golden fries, lettuce and a carved carrot rose on a pink plate

Peru 1h 40m

Dinner •Lima Polleria Heritage

Pollo a la Brasa

This pollo a la brasa recipe marinates a whole chicken overnight in soy sauce, beer, lime, garlic, cumin and paprika, then roasts it slowly until the skin turns dark and crisp and the meat stays juicy. It is served the way every polleria in Lima serves it: a quarter chicken with thick-cut fries, a fresh salad and the two essential sauces, green aji verde and yellow aji amarillo. One serving is about 514 g.

High-Protein & Satisfying

Charcoal-roasted chicken with dark, crisp skin and juicy meat, served the polleria way with thick fries, salad and two aji sauces.

Pairs Well With
Aji verde, fries & salad

High Protein

Roti prata and egg roti on a white plate with a bowl of chicken curry

Malaysia 1h 30m

Breakfast •Mamak Stall Heritage

Roti Canai

This roti canai recipe makes the flaky mamak flatbread the slow way: a soft dough rested until it stretches paper-thin, laminated with ghee, folded into squares and fried until the outside crisps and the inside stays soft and layered. It is served torn into pieces for dipping into a warm dhal curry with coconut milk, the way every mamak stall in Malaysia serves it for breakfast. One serving is about 374 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Flaky, laminated flatbread stretched paper-thin, folded and fried in ghee until crisp at the edges, torn and dipped into warm dhal curry.

Pairs Well With
Dhal curry & teh tarik

A plate of gado-gado: mixed vegetables, tofu and boiled egg coated in peanut sauce, topped with prawn crackers and cucumber slices.

Indonesia 45m

Lunch •Jakarta Street Food Classic

Gado-Gado

Gado-gado is Indonesia's best-loved salad: warm potatoes, green beans, cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber and carrot, with fried tofu, boiled egg and crunchy prawn crackers, all coated in a thick, sweet-savoury peanut sauce. One serving is about 584 g.

Fresh & Filling

Warm vegetables, tofu and egg under a rich peanut sauce — a complete meat-free lunch.

Pairs Well With
Serve warm with prawn crackers on the side and a glass of iced tea.

A plate of golden poffertjes dusted with powdered sugar, with melting butter and a fork.

Netherlands 1h 15m

Breakfast •Dutch Market Day Classic

Poffertjes

Poffertjes are the Netherlands' most beloved sweet snack: dozens of tiny, puffy yeast pancakes cooked in a dimpled pan, served hot with melting butter and a snowfall of powdered sugar. One serving is about 195 g, roughly 20 little pancakes.

Sweet Morning Treat

Tiny yeast-raised pancakes, golden outside and soft inside, served with butter and powdered sugar.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot with butter and powdered sugar, and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

A paper cone of golden Belgian fries topped with andalouse sauce and two small plastic forks.

Belgium 55m

Snack & Tea •Brussels Friterie Classic

Belgian Fries

Belgian fries are the real thing: thick batons of floury potato, fried twice — once gently to cook them through, once hot to shatter the outside — and served in a paper cone with andalouse sauce. One serving is about 253 g.

Crisp & Golden

Thick-cut potatoes fried twice in vegetable oil — crisp outside, fluffy inside, with andalouse sauce.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot in a paper cone with andalouse sauce and a cold lager.

Quick Prep (<30m)

A plate of Zürcher Geschnetzeltes — veal strips in cream sauce with a dollop of cream — beside golden rösti.

Switzerland 40m

Dinner •Zurich Classic

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is Zurich's signature dish: thin strips of veal quickly seared, then finished in a white-wine and cream sauce with mushrooms and onion. One serving is about 335 g, before the rösti it is traditionally served with.

Rich & Comforting

Tender strips of veal in a white-wine cream sauce with mushrooms — Zurich's classic, with rösti.

Pairs Well With
Serve with golden rösti and a glass of dry Swiss white wine.

High Protein

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

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bhutan

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cabo Verde

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czechia

Côte d'Ivoire

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Estonia

Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

France

Gabon

Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kiribati

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Latvia

Lebanon

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Madagascar

Malawi

Malaysia

Maldives

Mali

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

Micronesia

Moldova

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

Nauru

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

North Korea

North Macedonia

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Russia

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

San Marino

São Tomé and Príncipe

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

Solomon Islands

Somalia

South Africa

South Korea

South Sudan

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Timor-Leste

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Tuvalu

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Vanuatu

Venezuela

Vietnam

Yemen

Zambia

Zimbabwe Browse all 193 countries →

Dinner Ideas by Category

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

Dinner Ideas by Meal

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack & Tea

Dinner Ideas by Region

Mediterranean & Italy East & South Asia Latin America & Caribbean Middle Eastern Nordic & European African Heritage North America Oceania & Pacific

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