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 1729–1740 of 2301 dinner recipes

Golden pataniscas de camarao shrimp fritters on a white plate with bean rice and salad

Portugal 35m

Snack & Tea •Lisbon Tavern Snack

Pataniscas de Camarao

This pataniscas de camarao recipe fries Lisbon's crisp shrimp fritters: chopped shrimp folded into a light batter with onion, parsley and egg, fried until golden and puffed. One serving is about 199 g and carries 351 calories. Eat them hot, straight from the pan, with lemon wedges and a cold beer or white wine.

Light Bite & Sharing

Crisp golden fritters of shrimp, onion and parsley in a light egg batter — Lisbon's favourite tavern snack.

Pairs Well With
Lemon wedges, vinho verde, and tomato rice on the side.

Moroccan mrouzia lamb with raisins and almonds in a rich sauce, served with salad

Morocco 2h 55m

Dinner •Moroccan Eid Classic

Moroccan Mrouzia

This moroccan mrouzia recipe braises lamb shoulder low and slow with onions, ras el hanout, cinnamon and saffron, then finishes it with raisins, honey and toasted almonds. One serving is about 200 g and carries 580 calories. It is the festive lamb of Eid al-Adha, sweet, dark and glossy, spooned over couscous or bread.

Festive & Comforting

Slow-braised lamb in a sweet-savoury sauce of honey, raisins and ras el hanout, scattered with toasted almonds.

Pairs Well With
Plain couscous, crusty bread, and mint tea afterwards.

A tray of golden Egyptian qatayef stuffed pancakes sprinkled with pistachio

Egypt 1h 10m

Snack & Tea •Ramadan Sweet Classic

Egyptian Qatayef

This egyptian qatayef recipe makes Ramadan's favourite sweet: small yeast pancakes cooked on one side, sealed around a walnut and cinnamon filling, fried golden and dipped in orange-blossom syrup. One serving is about 147 g and carries 396 calories. Serve them warm, sprinkled with pistachio, with mint tea.

Ramadan Sweet & Sharing

Golden yeast pancakes stuffed with walnuts and cinnamon, fried crisp and soaked in orange-blossom syrup.

Pairs Well With
Mint tea and fresh fruit after iftar.

Grilled zucchini spears in olive oil topped with soft onion, red capsicum and chopped parsley on a white platter

Lebanon 45m

Lunch •Lebanese Heritage

Lebanese Zucchini in Olive Oil

This Lebanese zucchini in olive oil recipe turns thick zucchini spears golden in a generous pour of olive oil, then finishes them with soft onion, sweet capsicum, tomato, garlic and lemon. It is the classic Lenten mezze koussa bil zait, served warm or at room temperature with bread. One serving is about 285 g.

Light Mezze Lunch

Pan-fried zucchini in olive oil with onion, capsicum and tomato — a light, plant-based mezze that eats well warm or at room temperature.

Pairs Well With
Warm pita bread and a bowl of hummus.

A foil-wrapped baked potato opened at the top to show fluffy golden flesh, served on a white plate

Argentina 1h 10m

Lunch •Argentine Heritage

Argentine Foil-Baked Potatoes

This Argentine foil-baked potatoes recipe rubs whole russet potatoes with olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika and rosemary, wraps each one in foil and bakes it until the inside is fluffy and the skin is crisp. It is the asado cook's quiet classic — the potatoes go on the grill beside the meat and come off smoky and tender. One serving is about 240 g, one whole potato.

Hearty Asado Side

Whole potatoes rubbed with olive oil, garlic and smoked paprika, wrapped in foil and baked until fluffy inside — the classic side for an Argentine asado.

Pairs Well With
Grilled beef and chimichurri.

Cau cau — golden tripe and potato cubes with fresh herbs in a white bowl on a red checked cloth

Peru 3h

Dinner •Lima Heritage

Cau Cau

This cau cau recipe is Lima's golden tripe stew: small squares of honeycomb beef tripe and diced potatoes simmered in a sauce of aji amarillo and turmeric, then finished with a fistful of fresh mint and served with white rice. It is one of the classic dishes of the city's cocina criolla, rich and comforting. One serving is about 380 g of stew, served with white rice on the side.

Comfort & Warmth

Tender honeycomb tripe and potatoes simmered in a golden aji amarillo and turmeric sauce, finished with fresh mint — a classic of Lima's cocina criolla.

Pairs Well With
Steamed white rice and a squeeze of lime.

Daging salai masak lemak — smoked beef slices and green bird's eye chillies in a creamy turmeric coconut gravy with lemongrass

Malaysia 1h 5m

Dinner •Negeri Sembilan Heritage

Daging Salai Masak Lemak

This daging salai masak lemak recipe takes smoked beef — daging salai, beef smoked over coconut husk until dark and fragrant — and simmers it in a fiery turmeric and coconut milk gravy with bird's eye chillies, lemongrass and galangal. It is the signature dish of Negeri Sembilan, hot, rich and unmistakably yellow. One serving is about 275 g, spooned over steamed rice.

Rich & Spicy Dinner

Smoked beef simmered in a fiery turmeric and coconut milk gravy with bird's eye chillies and lemongrass — the signature dish of Negeri Sembilan.

Pairs Well With
Steamed white rice and cool cucumber.

A plate of gudeg with dark braised jackfruit, chicken in coconut sauce, rice and spicy krecek on a white plate

Indonesia 4h

Dinner •Yogyakarta Jackfruit Classic

Gudeg

This gudeg recipe is Yogyakarta's famous sweet-savoury jackfruit stew: young jackfruit braised for hours in coconut milk, palm sugar and warm spices until dark, tender and caramelised, then served with coconut-braised chicken, a browned egg and steamed rice. It tastes sweet first, then savoury, with a gentle warmth from galangal and coriander. One serving is about 680 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A slow-braised sweet-savoury stew of young jackfruit in coconut milk and palm sugar, served with chicken, egg and rice.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, sambal & krecek

Two golden bacon-wrapped slavinken with carrots, peas and rice on a white plate

Netherlands 1h

Dinner •Dutch Butcher Classic

Slavink

This slavink recipe wraps seasoned pork mince in bacon and fries it golden and crisp — the Dutch butcher's classic, with a juicy centre, a salty bacon shell and a whisper of nutmeg. It is served the traditional way, with boiled potatoes and green beans. One serving is about 440 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A golden bacon-wrapped roll of seasoned pork mince, fried crisp and served with potatoes and green beans.

Pairs Well With
Boiled potatoes, green beans & apple sauce

Meatballs simmering in a rich red tomato sauce in a pan

Belgium 1h 30m

Dinner •Belgian Family Classic

Balletjes in Tomatensaus

This balletjes in tomatensaus recipe makes Belgium's favourite family meatballs: beef and pork mince with bread, egg and parsley, browned in butter and simmered in a smooth tomato sauce until tender. It is the Flemish home classic, served with golden fries. One serving is about 410 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Beef and pork meatballs browned in butter and simmered in a smooth, lightly sweet tomato sauce, served with fries.

Pairs Well With
Golden fries, mayonnaise & green salad

Two crisp white meringues with a wooden pot of thick double cream on a sunny tray

Switzerland 2h 35m

Snack & Tea •Gruyère Dessert Classic

Swiss Meringues with Double Cream

This swiss meringues with double cream recipe bakes crisp, cloud-light meringues and serves them with thick, barely sweet double cream, the way they do it in Gruyères. The meringues shatter at first bite and melt into the cool, rich cream. One serving is about 140 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Crisp, cloud-light meringues served with thick, barely sweet double cream — the beloved dessert of the Gruyère region.

Pairs Well With
Fresh raspberries, espresso & black tea

Sliced fried blood sausage with creamy potato and apple mash and caramelised onions on a dark blue plate

Germany 1h

Dinner •Rhineland Heritage

Himmel und Erde

Himmel und Erde is the Rhineland's beloved 'heaven and earth' plate: fluffy mashed potatoes and sweet stewed apples, topped with crisp fried blood sausage and golden onions. The apples grow up in the trees and the potatoes down in the earth, and together they make one of Germany's great comfort dishes. One serving is about 450 g.

Hearty Rhineland Comfort

Mashed potato and stewed apple with fried blood sausage and golden onions make a filling, warming plate.

Pairs Well With
A cold Kölsch beer and a simple green salad.

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

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Antigua and Barbuda

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Republic of the Congo

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Zambia

Zimbabwe Browse all 193 countries →

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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.

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