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 1405–1416 of 2321 dinner recipes

A white bowl of German lentil stew with lentils, carrots, potatoes, sausage and chopped parsley

Germany 1h 15m

Dinner •Swabian One-Pot

German Lentil Stew

This german lentil stew recipe is the Swabian one-pot classic, Linseneintopf: brown lentils, smoked pork sausage, potatoes and carrots simmered in beef stock, finished with a splash of vinegar and fresh parsley. One serving is about 550 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Brown lentils, smoked sausage and root vegetables simmered into one thick, warming pot.

Pairs Well With
Dark rye bread, butter and a crisp green salad

Soups & Broths

A plate of fried alheira sausage with chips, white rice, tomato salad and olives

Portugal 40m

Lunch •Trás-os-Montes Smokehouse

Alheira

This alheira recipe grills the smoky Portuguese sausage until its skin is crisp, then serves it the cafe way — with golden chips, a fried egg, white rice and a fresh tomato salad. One serving is about 605 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

Smoky grilled sausage with chips, a fried egg and rice — the classic Portuguese cafe plate.

Pairs Well With
A fried egg, chips, white rice and tomato salad

A golden square msemen flatbread on a bright blue plate with a basket of bread behind it

Morocco 1h

Breakfast •Moroccan Tea-Time Bread

Msemen

This msemen recipe makes the layered Moroccan flatbread: a soft dough of flour and semolina, folded with oil and butter into squares, then pan-fried until golden and flaky. One serving is about 208 g (2 pieces).

Comfort & Warmth

Flaky, layered squares of pan-fried dough — crisp outside, soft and buttery inside.

Pairs Well With
Honey, soft cheese and mint tea

Golden moulded kahk cookies piled in a metal bowl

Egypt 55m

Snack & Tea •Eid al-Fitr Table

Egyptian Kahk

This egyptian kahk recipe makes the buttery Eid cookies of Egypt: a crumbly ghee dough scented with kahk spice, pressed into moulds and baked until pale gold. One serving is about 75 g (2 cookies).

Festive & Sweet

Buttery, crumbly Eid cookies scented with kahk spice, moulded and dusted with sugar.

Pairs Well With
Black tea, coffee and fresh fruit

A tall glass of creamy white Lebanese riz bi haleeb rice pudding, served plain without topping, on a marble counter

Lebanon 55m

Snack & Tea •Lebanese Family Dessert

Lebanese Riz bi Haleeb

This Lebanese riz bi haleeb recipe turns rice, milk and sugar into a cool, creamy pudding scented with orange blossom water and a whisper of mastic, finished with chopped pistachios. The name means rice in milk, and that is exactly what it is: short-grain rice simmered slowly until it melts into a soft, spoonable cream, then chilled in small bowls. One serving is one small bowl, about 200 g.

Cool, Creamy & Gently Floral

Short-grain rice simmered in milk with orange blossom water and mastic, chilled until softly set and topped with pistachios.

Pairs Well With
Arabic coffee, mint tea, or a small plate of fresh fruit

Three portions of vigilante on a white plate: slices of white fresh cheese on glossy amber sweet-potato paste

Argentina 10m

Snack & Tea •Argentine Classic

Vigilante

This vigilante recipe pairs a slice of creamy fresh cheese with a slice of glossy sweet-potato paste, the two-bite Argentine dessert found in every corner cafe and family lunch. One serving is about 110 g. There is nothing to cook: slice, stack, and eat, letting the salty cheese balance the sweet, dense paste.

Simple & Sweet

A slice of mild fresh cheese on a slice of sweet-potato paste — Argentina's simplest dessert, no cooking at all.

Pairs Well With
A small cup of black coffee or mate, and nothing else — the dessert is the whole point

Two tiraditos on a wooden board: thin slices of raw white fish with red aji sauce, prawns and squash

Peru 25m

Lunch •Peruvian Coastal Classic

Tiradito

This tiradito recipe lays paper-thin slices of very fresh white fish on a cold plate and pours a fiery aji amarillo sauce over them just before serving. One serving is about 172 g. Unlike Peruvian ceviche, the fish is never marinated — there is no onion in a cure and no lime bath — and unlike aguachile, the sauce is poured over sliced fish rather than curing shrimp in a blended chile water.

Fresh & Fiery

Paper-thin slices of raw fish with a bright aji amarillo sauce poured over at the table — Peru's answer to sashimi.

Pairs Well With
Ice-cold beer or a pisco sour, with boiled sweet potato and corn on the side

Spice-coated fried chicken pieces piled on a plate, covered in crispy dark rempah crumbs and fried curry leaves

Malaysia 1h 35m

Dinner •Malaysian Street Classic

Ayam Goreng Berempah

This ayam goreng berempah recipe marinates chicken in a thick rempah paste of lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, chillies and curry leaves, then fries it until the coating turns deep golden and the loose paste crisps into crunchy crumbs. One serving is about 200 g. It is the fried chicken of the Malaysian nasi lemak stall — no batter, no breading, just spice paste and hot oil — and it is a different dish from Indonesian ayam goreng, which uses a lighter turmeric-garlic marinade and no crispy rempah crumbs, and from ayam percik, which is grilled and basted in a coconut-chilli sauce.

Bold & Crispy

Chicken marinated in a heavy lemongrass-and-turmeric spice paste, fried until the paste turns into crunchy golden crumbs.

Pairs Well With
Coconut rice, sambal, cucumber and a fried egg — the nasi lemak plate

High Protein

Char-grilled ayam bakar with a dark sweet soy glaze, served with steamed rice, cucumber and tomato

Indonesia 1h 5m

Dinner •Indonesian Heritage

Ayam Bakar

This ayam bakar recipe marinates bone-in chicken in a fragrant paste of shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric and coriander, simmers it until tender, then grills it and brushes it with a dark, sweet kecap manis glaze. It comes with a quick fresh sambal and steamed rice on the side. One serving is about 200 g.

Smoky & Sweet-Savoury

Chicken simmered in an Indonesian spice paste, then grilled and brushed with a dark, sweet kecap manis glaze.

Pairs Well With
Steamed jasmine rice, fresh cucumber and tomato, and a spoonful of sambal terasi.

High Protein

A Bossche bol cut in half on a purple plate, showing the whipped cream filling inside the dark chocolate shell

Netherlands 1h

Snack & Tea •Den Bosch Heritage

Bossche Bol

This bossche bol recipe bakes a giant choux pastry ball — about 12 cm across — fills it with softly whipped cream and coats it in a glossy dark chocolate shell. It is Den Bosch's most famous pastry, best eaten with a fork while the cream is still cool. One serving is about 170 g.

Rich & Indulgent

A giant choux ball filled with softly whipped cream and coated in a dark chocolate shell.

Pairs Well With
A cup of black coffee or tea, and a fork — the bol is far too big to pick up.

White asparagus spears topped with crumbled hard-boiled egg and chopped parsley in melted butter on a blue-patterned plate

Belgium 35m

Dinner •Flemish Heritage

Asperges à la Flamande

This asperges a la flamande recipe boils sweet white asparagus until just tender, then spoons over a warm crumble of hard-boiled egg, melted butter, lemon and parsley, with a pinch of nutmeg. It is the classic Flemish way to celebrate the short spring asparagus season. One serving is about 300 g.

Light & Elegant

Tender white asparagus under a rich crumble of egg, butter and parsley.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread to mop up the butter, and a glass of dry white wine.

Two pale grilled St. Galler bratwursts with golden grill marks in a black pan

Switzerland 1h 20m

Dinner •St. Gallen Heritage

St. Galler Bratwurst

This st galler bratwurst recipe makes the pale veal sausage of St. Gallen from scratch — a fine emulsion of veal, pork, back fat and milk, seasoned with mace and white pepper, stuffed into natural casings, poached and then grilled. It is served the St. Gallen way, with onion sauce and golden rösti, and never with mustard. One serving is about 370 g.

Hearty & Traditional

A pale veal-and-pork sausage, poached then grilled, with onion sauce and crisp rösti.

Pairs Well With
Onion sauce, golden rösti and a cold Swiss lager or apple juice.

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

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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

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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

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Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Timor-Leste

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

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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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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.