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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193

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Breakfast to Snack

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Recipes with Nutrition

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1561–1572 of 2311 dinner recipes

A white bowl of German pea soup with two Vienna sausages, crisp fried onions and chopped chives on top

Germany 1h 55m

Lunch •German Home-Cooking Classic

German Pea Soup

This german pea soup recipe makes Erbsensuppe, the German one-pot classic: yellow split peas simmered with smoked pork, carrot and potato, finished with Vienna sausages, crisp fried onions and chives. It is thinner and brighter than the Dutch snert, with marjoram instead of celeriac and leek. One serving is about 522 g.

Hearty Winter Comfort

Yellow split peas slow-simmered with smoked pork and Vienna sausages, with carrot, potato and marjoram.

Pairs Well With
Dark rye bread, butter & mustard

Soups & Broths

A ceramic bowl of dark brown papas de sarrabulho porridge with a spoon resting on the rim

Portugal 1h 40m

Dinner •Minho Winter Tradition

Papas de Sarrabulho

This papas de sarrabulho recipe makes the Minho porridge of shredded pork, chouriço and cornmeal, thickened and coloured with fresh pig blood and scented with cumin, garlic and bay. It is the dish of the winter pig slaughter, served hot in a bowl with bread. One serving is about 446 g.

Hearty Winter Comfort

Shredded pork and chouriço in a thick cornmeal porridge coloured and enriched with pig blood, spiced with cumin.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread, red wine & pickled vegetables

A plate of finely chopped Moroccan tomato salad with tomato, green pepper and onion in olive oil, dusted with cumin

Morocco 20m

Lunch •Everyday Moroccan Table Salad

Moroccan Tomato Salad

This moroccan tomato salad recipe makes salade marocaine, the everyday chopped salad of Morocco: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and red onion, dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and ground cumin. It is raw, crisp and ready in 20 minutes, and it sits beside almost any tagine or grilled meat. One serving is about 273 g.

Fresh & Light

Finely diced tomato, cucumber, green pepper and red onion with a lemon, olive oil and cumin dressing.

Pairs Well With
Tagine, grilled meats & crusty bread

A glossy golden piped spiral fritter on a white plate with a red floral pattern

Egypt 2h 35m

Snack & Tea •Damietta Heritage

Egyptian Meshabek

This egyptian meshabek recipe makes the Damietta street sweet whose name means tangled: a plain flour and cornstarch batter, piped in looping tangles straight into hot oil, fried until brittle, then plunged while still hot into completely cold sugar syrup scented with lemon and rose water. It is not a dough ball and it is not a neat spiral cake — the loops are random, the crunch is the point, and the syrup soaks in within seconds without turning the fritter soft. One serving is about 135 g, roughly 2 to 3 pieces.

Crisp Syrup Sweet

Tangled loops of flour and cornstarch batter, fried until brittle and plunged hot into cold rose-water syrup.

Pairs Well With
Mint tea, Arabic coffee & fresh fruit

Golden fried Lebanese sambousek half-moon pastries with crimped edges on a blue-patterned plate, with two small bowls of dipping sauce on a pale green cloth

Lebanon 1h 15m

Snack & Tea •Beirut Heritage

Lebanese Sambousek

This lebanese sambousek recipe makes the little golden half-moon pastries that vanish first from a Lebanese mezze table: a soft, oil-enriched dough wrapped around spiced ground beef, onion, pine nuts and parsley, crimped shut and fried until blistered. The filling tastes of baharat, sumac and a touch of pomegranate molasses, and the pastry stays crisp outside and tender inside. One serving is about 160 g (5 pastries).

Mezze Classic & Sharing

Little fried half-moon pastries filled with spiced beef, onion and pine nuts.

Pairs Well With
Toum, lemon wedges & mint tea

A whole Argentine lemon pie with golden toasted meringue swirls in a glass dish

Argentina 1h 20m

Snack & Tea •Argentine Bakery Classic

Argentine Lemon Pie

This Argentine lemon pie recipe bakes a buttery shortcrust shell, fills it with a sharp, glossy lemon curd and crowns it with billowing meringue, toasted until golden. In Argentina it is simply called lemon pie, and it is a fixture of every bakery counter. One slice is about 190 g.

Sweet Treat & Sharing

A crisp shortcrust shell, a sharp lemon curd and a cloud of toasted meringue — Argentina's bakery lemon pie, made for sharing at the table.

Pairs Well With
Black coffee, mate and fresh berries

A bowl of Peruvian aguadito de pollo, green cilantro chicken and rice soup with peas, corn, potato and chicken

Peru 1h 10m

Dinner •Peruvian Green Soup Classic

Aguadito de Pollo

This aguadito de pollo recipe blends fresh cilantro into a vivid green broth, then simmers chicken thighs with rice, potato, carrots, peas and corn until everything is tender. It is the soup Peruvian families cook when the evening turns cold. One serving is about 720 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A bright green cilantro chicken and rice soup with potato, peas and corn — Peru's herby one-pot dinner, served steaming hot with lime.

Pairs Well With
Lime wedges, crusty bread and aji amarillo sauce

Soups & Broths

Ayam masak merah, Malaysian chicken pieces coated in a thick glossy red tomato-chilli sauce in a white dish, scattered with spring onion

Malaysia 1h 15m

Dinner •Malaysian Festive Classic

Ayam Masak Merah

This ayam masak merah recipe fries turmeric-rubbed chicken until golden, then braises it in a thick red sauce of dried chillies, tomato, shallots and warm spices until the oil splits at the edges. It is the dish Malay families cook for Hari Raya and weddings. One serving is about 330 g of chicken and sauce, without the rice.

Celebration & Comfort

Chicken fried golden, then braised in a thick red tomato-chilli sauce with cinnamon, star anise and lemongrass — Malaysia's festive red chicken, served with rice.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, tomato rice and cucumber salad

Slices of martabak manis topped with melted chocolate and grated cheese, showing the spongy honeycomb crumb

Indonesia 1h 10m

Snack & Tea •Indonesian Street-Food Classic

Martabak Manis

Martabak manis is Indonesia's thick sweet pancake: a yeasted batter cooked in a heavy pan until it rises tall and turns full of bubbles, then spread with butter and filled with chocolate sprinkles, grated cheese, crushed peanuts and condensed milk before being folded in half. This martabak manis recipe makes one large pancake, cut into 8 slices. One serving (one slice) is about 119 g.

Sweet & Comforting

A thick, spongy sweet pancake filled with chocolate, cheese and peanuts — Indonesia's favourite street-food dessert, best eaten warm.

Pairs Well With
Hot sweet tea or black coffee.

A dark chocolate torta di pane studded with pine nuts on a glass plate, with one slice cut out

Switzerland 2h 25m

Snack & Tea •Ticino Tradition

Torta di Pane

Torta di pane is Ticino's bread cake: stale white bread soaked in warm milk until soft, then mixed with cocoa, raisins, pine nuts, crushed amaretti and lemon zest and baked into a dense, dark, moist cake. This torta di pane recipe makes one 24 cm cake, cut into 8 slices. One serving (one slice) is about 126 g.

Rustic & Comforting

A dense, dark bread cake of stale bread, cocoa, raisins and pine nuts — Ticino's classic way to waste nothing, best with coffee.

Pairs Well With
Strong black coffee or black tea.

A white cup of thick Belgian hot chocolate with a dark chocolate swirl on top, on a saucer on a wooden café table

Belgium 15m

Snack & Tea •Belgian Café Classic

Belgian Hot Chocolate

Belgian hot chocolate is not cocoa powder stirred into milk: it is real dark chocolate melted into hot whole milk and cream until the drink is thick enough to coat a spoon. This belgian hot chocolate recipe keeps it simple — good dark chocolate, a pinch of salt, a little vanilla — and finishes each mug with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa. One mug is about 350 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A thick, warming mug of real melted chocolate — the Belgian café way to take a break on a cold day.

Pairs Well With
Belgian waffles, speculoos biscuits & black coffee

A slice of banana-variant spekkoek on a white plate, showing clear alternating yellow and cream layers; the recipe below is the classic cinnamon-spiced version.

Netherlands 1h 40m

Snack & Tea •Dutch-Indonesian Layer Cake

Spekkoek

This spekkoek recipe makes the Dutch-Indonesian layer cake: 18 thin layers of plain and spiced butter batter, grilled one by one until the slice shows cream and brown stripes like bacon — the meaning of its Dutch name. It is rich with egg yolks and butter, scented with cinnamon, clove, mace and anise, and cut in thin slices with coffee. One slice is about 109 g.

Sweet & Festive

A rich, spiced layer cake built for celebrations — cut in thin slices and served with coffee after a meal.

Pairs Well With
Serve a thin slice with black coffee or unsweetened tea.

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

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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.