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

2290 dinner ideas matching filters

Reset Filters ×

What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 121–132 of 2290 dinner recipes

A pot of Nigerian egusi soup, golden ground melon seeds with dark leafy greens and pieces of meat

Nigeria 1h 20m

Dinner •West African Classic

Egusi Soup

This egusi soup recipe simmers ground melon seeds with beef, stockfish, palm oil and ugu leaves into a thick, golden soup with soft egusi lumps and tender meat. One serving is about 450 g. It takes about 80 minutes, most of it a gentle simmer, and serves 4 with a swallow on the side.

Comfort & Warmth

A thick, nutty melon-seed soup with beef, stockfish and leafy greens — the most loved soup in Nigeria, built for pounded yam and eba.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot with pounded yam, eba, amala or fufu, and let the swallow scoop up the soup.

Soups & Broths • High Protein

A bowl of Nigerian assorted meat pepper soup, pieces of meat and tripe in a light golden spicy broth

Nigeria 1h 5m

Dinner •Nigerian Street-Food Classic

Nigerian Pepper Soup

This nigerian pepper soup recipe simmers goat meat in a thin, spicy broth with calabash nutmeg, grains of selim, uziza and scent leaves until the meat is tender and the broth is fragrant. One serving is about 400 g. It takes about 65 minutes, serves 4, and needs only one pot and a handful of spices.

Comfort & Warmth

A light, fiery goat-meat broth with native spices and scent leaves — hot, aromatic and easy on the stomach after a long day.

Pairs Well With
Serve steaming hot on its own, or with boiled yam, white rice or a cold drink on the side.

Soups & Broths • High Protein

Pieces of grilled goat meat smoking on a charcoal barrel grill at a Brazzaville street stall

Republic of the Congo 1h 45m

Dinner •Brazzaville Street Food

Congolese Ntaba

Congolese ntaba is grilled goat, marinated with garlic, ginger, onion and scotch bonnet, then cooked over charcoal the way Brazzaville street vendors do it — smoky outside, juicy inside. This ntaba recipe is the food of the nganda, the open-air taverns where grilled meat is eaten standing up with friends. One serving is about 195 g.

High-Protein Charcoal Grill

Bone-in goat pieces marinated with garlic, ginger and chilli, then grilled over charcoal until smoky and charred at the edges.

Pairs Well With
Sliced kwanga or fried plantains, raw onion and a hot chilli sauce

High Protein

Fried salted cod with cooked green vegetables and kwanga, a Congolese meal in Pointe-Noire

Republic of the Congo 55m

Dinner •Congo River Classic

Congolese Makayabu

Congolese makayabu is salted cod — the Lingala name for dried, salted fish — soaked overnight, fried until golden, then cooked with cabbage, courgette, peppers, onion and tomato. This makayabu recipe is a fixture of Congolese home cooking: the fish keeps without refrigeration, and the vegetables turn it into a full, satisfying dinner. One serving is about 440 g.

High-Protein Salted Fish

Salted cod soaked overnight, fried golden, then folded through cabbage, courgette, peppers and tomato.

Pairs Well With
Boiled cassava or steamed rice, with fried plantains on the side

High Protein

Sliced pale fermented cassava loaf served on a white plate with a knife

Republic of the Congo 2h 45m

Lunch •Congo Basin Staple

Congolese Kwanga

Congolese kwanga, also called chikwangue, is a fermented cassava loaf — the Congo Basin's daily bread. Fresh cassava is soaked for days until it ferments and softens, pounded to a smooth dough, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed into a firm, sliceable loaf with a gentle sour tang. This kwanga recipe is a slow, mostly hands-off process, and the loaf it makes is the base under almost every Congolese stew. One serving is about 270 g.

Fermented Cassava Staple

Fresh cassava soaked for days to ferment, pounded to a smooth dough, wrapped in leaves and steamed into a firm loaf.

Pairs Well With
Any Congolese stew — ntaba, makayabu, or a leafy green sauce

Fermented / Gut Health

Crispy fried pork pieces on a small plate held in a hand

Rwanda 50m

Dinner •Rwanda Heritage

Rwandan Akabenz

Akabenz is Kigali's famous bar snack: small pieces of pork shoulder marinated with garlic, ginger, tomato paste and chilli, then fried until crisp outside and juicy inside. This akabenz recipe serves the pork hot with lime wedges and fresh coriander, the way it is eaten with a cold drink in Kigali's local bars. One serving is about 250 g.

Spicy Fried Pork Bites

Bite-size pork shoulder marinated with garlic, ginger, tomato paste and chilli, then pan-fried crisp and finished with lime and coriander.

Pairs Well With
Boiled rice or fried plantains, kachumbari salad, and a cold drink

High Protein

A traditional Rwandan lunch plate with pumpkin, red beans, sweet potato, plantain, taro and amaranth greens

Rwanda 40m

Lunch •Rwanda Heritage

Rwandan Igihaza

Igihaza is Rwanda's boiled squash and beans: chunks of pumpkin simmered with tender red beans, onion and sweet pepper until soft and flavourful. This igihaza recipe is a gentle, filling lunch straight from the Rwandan home garden. One serving is about 400 g.

Hearty Squash & Beans

Boiled pumpkin simmered with red beans, onion and sweet pepper in bean broth — a simple Rwandan garden lunch.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice or ugali, with a spoonful of chilli sauce on the side

Stewed chicken in a rich red tomato sauce served with white rice and fried plantain

Rwanda 1h 5m

Dinner •Rwanda Heritage

Rwandan Chicken Stew (Inyama y'Inkoko)

Inyama y'inkoko is Rwanda's home-style chicken stew: bone-in chicken fried golden, then simmered slowly in mashed tomato with onion, celery and a hot chilli until the sauce turns thick and brick-red. This rwandan chicken stew recipe is the kind of one-pot dinner Rwandan families cook on ordinary evenings and serve with rice and fried plantain. One serving is about 450 g.

Comforting Tomato Chicken Stew

Bone-in chicken simmered in a fresh tomato, celery and chilli sauce — a warming Rwandan family dinner.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice and fried plantain, with sliced tomato and cucumber on the side

High Protein

Thieboudienne in a wide metal bowl: red broken rice topped with a whole fish, cabbage, carrot, okra, eggplant and peppers

Senegal 1h 45m

Dinner •Saint-Louis Heritage

Thieboudienne

This thieboudienne recipe is Senegal's national dish, ceebu jen — broken rice cooked in a rich tomato and fish broth with herb-stuffed grouper and whole vegetables, served in a wide bowl for sharing. One serving is about 733 g. The fish is poached in the broth first, then the vegetables, then the rice, so every grain carries the flavour of the sea and the tomato base.

Comfort & Sharing

A generous one-pot fish and rice feast from Senegal, built to feed a whole family from a single pot.

Pairs Well With
Serve with lime wedges, a whole scotch bonnet for heat, and a cold glass of bissap (hibiscus drink).

High Protein

Senegalese ndambe — a split baguette filled with thick red-brown black-eyed pea stew

Senegal 1h 30m

Breakfast •Dakar Street-Food Classic

Senegalese Ndambe

This ndambe recipe is Dakar's favourite breakfast: black-eyed peas and tender beef simmered in a spiced tomato and onion sauce with sweet potato, then ladled into a split baguette with boiled egg, mayonnaise and hot sauce. One serving is about 485 g.

Hearty & Filling

Black-eyed peas and beef simmered in a spiced tomato sauce with sweet potato, ladled into a crusty baguette.

Pairs Well With
Serve with a cold glass of bissap (hibiscus drink) or sweet mint tea, and extra hot sauce on the side.

High Protein

Senegalese grilled fish — whole scored fish and herb skewers grilling over charcoal with smoke rising

Senegal 45m

Dinner •Dakar Beach Classic

Senegalese Grilled Fish with Rof

This senegalese grilled fish recipe is the Dakar beach classic: a whole sea bream stuffed with rof, a green parsley and garlic paste, grilled over charcoal until the skin crisps, then served with attiéké, green salad and grilled prawns. One serving is about 660 g.

Smoky & Fresh

A whole sea bream stuffed with green rof herb paste, grilled over charcoal and served with attiéké, salad and prawns.

Pairs Well With
Serve with attiéké, a green salad, grilled prawns and lemon wedges, plus a cold ginger juice or light beer.

High Protein

A grilled red snapper fillet topped with spring onions on a banana leaf, with grilled tomato salad and a lemon half

Seychelles 50m

Dinner •Mahé's Island Grill

Seychelles Grilled Red Snapper

This seychelles grilled fish recipe marinates red snapper fillets in lemon, garlic, ginger and thyme, grills them skin-side down until the flesh flakes, and serves them with a warm grilled tomato salad and steamed rice. One serving is about 445 g.

Light & Fresh

Red snapper fillets marinated in lemon, garlic and ginger, grilled until the skin crisps, and served with a warm tomato salad and rice.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, grilled tomato salad and lemon wedges

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