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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4 Slots

Breakfast to Snack

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100%

Recipes with Nutrition

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1765–1776 of 2301 dinner recipes

A whole bolo rei, a golden Portuguese Christmas ring cake topped with candied fruit, nuts and powdered sugar.

Portugal 1h 25m

Snack & Tea •Lisbon Christmas Classic

Bolo Rei

Bolo rei is Portugal’s Christmas king cake: a soft, buttery yeasted ring filled with candied fruit, raisins and nuts, brushed with milk and dusted with sugar. One serving is about 120 g, cut in a thick festive slice.

Festive & Sweet

A golden ring of yeasted dough studded with candied fruit and nuts — Portugal’s Christmas crown.

Pairs Well With
Serve with a glass of port and a strong coffee.

Two slices of Moroccan orange cake (meskouta) with a golden crumb on a white plate.

Morocco 1h

Snack & Tea •Moroccan Tea-Time Classic

Moroccan Orange Cake

Moroccan orange cake, or meskouta, is the home cake of Morocco: a soft, golden sponge made with fresh orange juice and zest, olive oil and yogurt, with no frosting needed. One serving is about 110 g, a thick slice with mint tea.

Bright & Comforting

A moist orange sponge made with olive oil and yogurt — Morocco’s everyday tea-time cake.

Pairs Well With
Serve with hot Moroccan mint tea and a few orange slices.

A close-up of Lebanese lentil salad with brown lentils, diced tomato, red onion and carrot strips on a white plate

Lebanon 45m

Lunch •Lebanese Mezze Classic

Lebanese Lentil Salad

This lebanese lentil salad recipe tosses tender brown lentils with parsley, mint, tomato, red onion and carrot in a lemon and olive oil dressing with a whisper of cumin. It is the lentil cousin of tabbouleh, made for scooping up with warm bread or piling onto a mezze plate. One serving is about 235 g.

Light & Fresh

Tender lentils, parsley and lemon make a bright, protein-rich salad that works as a light lunch or as part of a mezze plate.

Pairs Well With
Warm pita bread, hummus and a glass of mint tea

A tall glass of creamy pale licuado with half an avocado and a small bowl of mixed nuts on a white plate

Argentina 10m

Snack & Tea •Argentine Cafe Classic

Argentine Licuado

This argentine licuado recipe blends cold whole milk with ripe banana, avocado, a little sugar and vanilla into a pale, frothy drink that sits somewhere between a milkshake and a smoothie. It is the classic banana licuado of Argentine cafes, poured tall and cold, with a spoonful of mixed nuts on top if you like crunch. One serving is about 420 g.

Quick & Refreshing

Cold milk blended with banana and avocado makes a frothy, creamy cafe drink that is ready in five minutes.

Pairs Well With
Medialunas, toast with dulce de leche and a strong coffee

Quick Prep (<30m)

An unwrapped juane of turmeric-yellow rice with a boiled egg and a black olive, resting in its green bijao leaf

Peru 1h 40m

Lunch •Peruvian Amazon Heritage

Juane

This juane recipe cooks long-grain rice with turmeric, cumin and oregano, then wraps it in a softened bijao leaf around chicken, half a boiled egg and a black olive and steams the parcel until the rice is tender and fragrant. It is the signature dish of the Fiesta de San Juan on 24 June in the Peruvian Amazon. One serving is about 360 g.

Festive & Hearty

Turmeric-yellow rice, chicken, egg and olive steamed in a bijao leaf make a filling, portable Amazonian lunch.

Pairs Well With
Fried plantain, salsa criolla and a cold chicha morada

A pile of golden-brown masala vadai fritters with herbs and onion visible, on a white plate

Malaysia 55m

Snack & Tea •Malaysian Mamak Classic

Masala Vadai

This masala vadai recipe soaks chana dal and urad dal, grinds them coarse with fennel, cumin and asafoetida, then folds in onion, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves and fries the patties until crisp and golden. It is the classic mamak-stall snack of Malaysia, served hot with coconut chutney and a cup of teh tarik. One serving is about 185 g.

Crunchy & Spiced

Coarsely ground chana dal with fennel, curry leaves and green chilli fries into crisp, golden fritters that are best eaten hot with tea.

Pairs Well With
Coconut chutney, teh tarik and a squeeze of lime

A golden kerak telor egg and glutinous rice crust topped with orange serundeng and crispy fried shallots

Indonesia 55m

Snack & Tea •Betawi Street Snack

Kerak Telor

Kerak telor is Jakarta's famous street-market snack: a crisp, golden crust of soaked glutinous rice bound with rich duck egg, cooked in a small wok over high heat and finished with sweet toasted coconut serundeng, salty dried shrimp and crunchy fried shallots. This kerak telor recipe follows the Betawi street-vendor method, adapted for a home wok, and comes together the morning after an overnight soak. One serving is about 165 g — one whole crust with toppings.

Savoury Street Snack

A crisp Betawi egg-and-sticky-rice crust with toasted coconut, dried shrimp and fried shallots — Jakarta's favourite market snack.

Pairs Well With
Sweet hot tea, fresh cucumber & acar pickles

A white bowl of chunky Dutch preisoep with leeks and potatoes in broth

Netherlands 50m

Lunch •Dutch Home Cooking

Preisoep

This preisoep recipe makes the classic Dutch leek soup: leeks and floury potatoes simmered in vegetable broth, half blended so the soup stays creamy with real chunks of leek and potato in every spoonful. One serving is about 440 g and carries 376 calories. Ladle it hot into deep bowls, swirl in the cream, and scatter buttered croutons and chives over the top.

Comfort & Warmth

A hot, chunky Dutch leek soup with potato, cream and buttered croutons — the soup Dutch families make when the weather turns cold.

Pairs Well With
Thick slices of brown bread with butter, and a glass of cold milk or a light lager.

Soups & Broths

Two slices of rozijnenbrood raisin bread showing plump raisins in the crumb

Belgium 3h 10m

Breakfast •Belgian Bakery Classic

Rozijnenbrood

This rozijnenbrood recipe makes the Belgian raisin bread you find in every bakery: a soft, lightly sweetened yeast dough with a hint of cinnamon, packed with plump raisins and currants, baked golden in a loaf tin. One serving is about 90 g and carries 259 calories. Slice it thick, toast it lightly, and eat it warm with butter while the crumb is still soft.

Wholesome Breakfast

A soft, lightly sweetened yeast loaf studded with raisins and currants, baked golden in a tin — the Belgian tea bread for breakfast and afternoon tea.

Pairs Well With
Salted butter, and a slice of aged Gouda or a smear of jam if you like it sweeter.

A golden slice of Valais cholera pie with leek, potato and cheese layers on a plate

Switzerland 1h 35m

Dinner •Valais Mountain Pie

Valais Cholera

This valais cholera recipe makes the famous pie of the Swiss canton of Valais: buttery shortcrust pastry packed with leeks, sliced potatoes, tart apple and generous raclette cheese, baked until the top is deep gold and the filling is bubbling. One serving is about 280 g and carries 593 calories. Slice it hot at the table and eat it with a green salad and a glass of white wine.

Hearty & Filling

A golden, closed pie of leeks, potatoes, tart apple and melted raclette cheese — the mountain pie of the Swiss canton of Valais.

Pairs Well With
A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, and a glass of dry Swiss white wine such as Fendant.

A slice of Dresdner Eierschecke showing its three layers — yeast base, white quark middle and golden egg-custard top with sugar — on a white plate

Germany 2h 35m

Snack & Tea •Saxon Three-Layer Classic

Dresdner Eierschecke

This dresdner eierschecke recipe builds the Saxon classic exactly as Dresden bakers do: a soft yeast dough base, a smooth quark cheesecake middle, and a vanilla egg-custard top baked until pale gold under a sugared crust. One serving is about 125 g and carries 307 calories. Slice it into neat rectangles and serve it cool with black coffee, the way Saxon coffee houses have done for generations.

Sweet & Celebratory

A rich, sweet afternoon cake for coffee time — three layers of yeast dough, quark and vanilla custard in a single slice.

Pairs Well With
Serve cool with black coffee or a pot of tea; a spoonful of lightly whipped cream on the side is optional.

A glossy golden-orange egg-yolk sponge cake in clear syrup in a white bowl.

Portugal 50m

Snack & Tea •Portuguese Convent Sweet

Papos de Anjo

This papos de anjo recipe makes Portugal's beloved convent sweet: egg yolks whipped until pale and doubled in volume, baked in buttered mini muffin tins, then pricked and boiled gently in a cinnamon and orange syrup until each little golden dome is glossy and soaked through. One serving is about 129 g.

Golden Egg-Yolk Sponge in Syrup

Whipped egg yolks baked into light little sponge cakes, then soaked in a cinnamon and orange syrup until glossy and tender.

Pairs Well With
Strong black coffee (bica), or a glass of chilled vinho verde.

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.