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

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1381–1392 of 2321 dinner recipes

Four round lebkuchen on a wooden board — two with white sugar glaze and two coated in dark chocolate

Germany 40m

Snack & Tea •Nuremberg Christmas Classic

Lebkuchen

This lebkuchen recipe bakes soft, chewy German honey gingerbread with ground almonds and hazelnuts, candied citrus peel and a warm blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom, set on crisp oblaten wafer bases. One serving is about 52 g (one cookie).

Spiced & Festive

Soft honey-and-nut gingerbread rounds, warmly spiced and finished with sugar glaze or dark chocolate.

Pairs Well With
Mulled wine, spiced coffee and a pot of black tea

A platter of cozido a portuguesa — boiled meats, chouriço and morcela sausages, potatoes, carrots and cabbage, garnished with mint

Portugal 3h 10m

Dinner •Portugal's Festive Boiled Dinner

Cozido a Portuguesa

This cozido a portuguesa recipe simmers beef, pork shoulder, ribs, chicken, chouriço and morcela in one big pot, then adds cabbage, carrots, turnips and potatoes, and cooks rice in the rich broth. One serving is about 530 g.

Hearty & Comforting

A generous one-pot boiled dinner of beef, pork, chicken and sausages with cabbage, carrots and potatoes, served with rice cooked in the broth.

Pairs Well With
Red wine from the Douro, crusty bread and a simple green salad

High Protein

A white bowl of chunky Moroccan lentil soup with whole brown lentils, a swirl of olive oil and chopped green herbs on top

Morocco 55m

Lunch •Moroccan Home Kitchen Classic

Moroccan Lentil Soup

This moroccan lentil soup recipe turns brown lentils, fresh tomatoes, cumin and coriander into a thick, chunky soup that stays on the spoon, finished with lemon and a shower of parsley. One serving is about 330 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A chunky, tomato-forward lentil soup, warming and filling without any meat or cream.

Pairs Well With
Warm khobz bread for scooping, a crisp salad, and mint tea to finish.

Soups & Broths

Two golden squares of basbousa topped with walnut halves on a green-rimmed plate

Egypt 1h

Snack & Tea •Egypt's Semolina Syrup Cake

Egyptian Basbousa

This Egyptian basbousa recipe bakes coarse semolina with yogurt, butter and coconut into a dense golden cake, then soaks it in a cool lemon syrup until every square is moist and fragrant. One serving is about 125 g.

Sweet & Syrupy

A dense, golden semolina cake soaked in lemon syrup, scattered with coconut and topped with walnuts.

Pairs Well With
Mint tea, strong Arabic coffee and a glass of cold milk

A pot of fluffy white Lebanese rice with golden toasted vermicelli strands and a wooden spoon

Lebanon 45m

Lunch •Lebanese Everyday Classic

Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli

This lebanese rice with vermicelli recipe — riz bi sha'ariyeh — toasts thin vermicelli noodles in butter until golden, then simmers them with long-grain rice into separate, fluffy grains. It is the everyday rice of Lebanese tables, mild and buttery, made to sit beside grilled meats, stews and salads. One serving is about 225 g.

Everyday Comfort

Fluffy long-grain rice toasted with golden vermicelli in butter — the plain, reliable rice that sits beside almost every Lebanese main dish.

Pairs Well With
Grilled chicken, shish tawook and fattoush salad

A halved Argentine alfajor de maicena showing a thick layer of dulce de leche between two pale biscuits, with coconut on the edge

Argentina 40m

Snack & Tea •Argentine Sweet Classic

Argentine Alfajores

This argentine alfajores recipe makes alfajores de maicena: pale, crumbly cornstarch biscuits that melt on the tongue, filled with a thick layer of dulce de leche and rolled in desiccated coconut. One cookie is about 68 g, and the batch makes 12.

Sweet & Comforting

Tender cornstarch shortbread discs sandwiched with thick dulce de leche and rolled in coconut — Argentina's most loved sweet biscuit.

Pairs Well With
Mate or strong coffee

A bowl of Peruvian caldo de gallina with a chicken drumstick, a whole boiled egg, noodles and carrot in golden broth

Peru 1h 35m

Lunch •Peruvian Comfort Classic

Caldo de Gallina

This caldo de gallina recipe simmers a whole hen slowly with onion, celery, garlic and ginger into a clear, golden broth, then adds spaghetti, potato and a hard-boiled egg. It is the soup Peruvians turn to when someone is tired, ill or simply cold. One serving is about 700 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A long-simmered hen broth with spaghetti, potato and a whole egg — Peru's classic restorative soup, served steaming hot in a deep bowl.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread, ají sauce and lime wedges

Soups & Broths

Two whole fish simmering in red asam pedas broth with okra and tomato wedges in a pan

Malaysia 50m

Dinner •Malay Heritage Classic

Asam Pedas

This asam pedas recipe poaches red snapper in a fiery tamarind broth blended from dried chillies, shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger, with okra and tomato added at the end. Sour first, then spicy, then savoury — that is the balance of a Malay asam pedas. One serving is about 420 g.

Bold & Warming

Whole fish poached in a tamarind-soured, chilli-red broth with okra and tomato — the sour-spicy stew that defines Malay home cooking.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice and salted egg

Nasi padang — a mound of steamed white rice with beef rendang, dark green cassava leaves, green chilli sambal and shredded spiced beef in a white takeaway box

Indonesia 2h 40m

Lunch •West Sumatra Heritage

Nasi Padang

This nasi padang recipe builds the West Sumatran rice plate the way Padang restaurants serve it: a mound of steamed jasmine rice surrounded by small portions of beef rendang, cassava leaves simmered in coconut milk, fiery green chilli sambal and crisp prawn crackers. It is a whole meal on one plate, not a single curry — the rendang is one part of the set, and the greens, sambal and crackers are what make it nasi padang. One serving is about 410 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

A full Padang rice plate — steamed rice with beef rendang, cassava leaves in coconut milk, green chilli sambal and crisp prawn crackers.

Pairs Well With
Sambal ijo and kerupuk on the side, with iced tea (es teh manis) or hot jasmine tea.

Two golden, crisp kaassoufflés on a black and white plate

Netherlands 1h 20m

Snack & Tea •Dutch Heritage

Kaassoufflé

This kaassoufflé recipe makes the Dutch snack-bar classic at home: a thick Gouda cheese sauce, chilled firm, shaped into rectangles, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until the crust is golden and the centre is melted and stretchy. It is the pocket of cheese you find in every Dutch snackbar, and it takes only a handful of ingredients to get right. One serving is about 175 g, two pieces.

Crispy & Comforting

A deep-fried pocket of melted Gouda in a golden breadcrumb crust, from the Dutch snackbar.

Pairs Well With
A spoonful of mustard and a soft white roll, with a cold beer or a glass of milk.

Paling in 't groen — eel pieces in green herb sauce with a lime wedge and chopped chives in a brown bowl

Belgium 1h

Dinner •Flemish Heritage

Paling in 't Groen

This paling in 't groen recipe makes the Flemish classic at home: eel poached gently in a bright green sauce of sorrel, spinach, parsley, chervil and mint, finished with a little cream and egg yolk, and served with boiled baby potatoes and a wedge of lime. It is the dish Flanders is proudest of — the eel is the star, and the herbs are what make it green. One serving is about 325 g.

Fresh & Herby

Eel poached in a bright green herb sauce, served with boiled baby potatoes and lime.

Pairs Well With
Boiled baby potatoes and a glass of white beer or dry white wine.

Bircher muesli — a bowl of oats with yoghurt, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries on a wooden table

Switzerland 4h 15m

Breakfast •Swiss Heritage

Bircher Muesli

This bircher muesli recipe makes the Swiss breakfast the way Dr Bircher-Benner invented it: rolled oats soaked overnight in milk with lemon juice, stirred the next morning with yoghurt, grated apple and honey, and finished with almonds, hazelnuts, raisins and fresh berries. There is no cooking at all — the fridge does the work while you sleep. One serving is about 285 g.

Fresh & Wholesome

Rolled oats soaked overnight in milk, stirred with yoghurt, grated apple and honey, and finished with nuts and berries.

Pairs Well With
A cup of coffee or herbal tea, with extra berries on the side.

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)

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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.