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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Breakfast to Snack

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1801–1812 of 2290 dinner recipes

Two Argentine panchos in soft rolls topped with avocado, tomato and onion salsa on a white plate

Argentina 25m

Lunch •Argentine Street-Food Classic

Argentine Pancho

The Argentine pancho is Argentina’s answer to the hot dog: a grilled pork frankfurter tucked into a soft pan de Viena roll and loaded with toppings. This version keeps it classic — mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, plus a fresh avocado and tomato salsa and a spoonful of chimichurri. It is fast, filling street food, ready in 25 minutes. One serving is about 201 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

A grilled pork frankfurter in a soft roll with avocado salsa, chimichurri, mayo, mustard and ketchup.

Pairs Well With
Crispy fries, a cold beer or lemonade, and a simple green salad.

Quick Prep (<30m)

Bistec a lo pobre: grilled steak topped with a fried egg, fried plantain and a mound of white rice on a white plate

Peru 50m

Dinner •Peruvian Criollo Classic

Bistec a lo Pobre

Bistec a lo pobre — literally, poor man’s steak — is one of Peru’s great criollo plates: a whole grilled sirloin steak crowned with a fried egg, with golden fries, sweet fried plantain and white rice alongside. The name refers to the humble accompaniments, not the steak, and the combination of savoury beef, runny yolk and sweet plantain is what makes it unforgettable. One serving is about 500 g.

Comfort & Energy

A grilled sirloin steak topped with a fried egg, served with fries, fried plantain and rice.

Pairs Well With
Aji amarillo sauce, pickled red onion, and a cold lager or chicha morada.

High Protein

A pile of golden kuih keria sweet-potato ring doughnuts coated in crystallised white sugar

Malaysia 1h

Snack & Tea •Malay Pasar Malam Kuih

Kuih Keria

This kuih keria recipe makes Malaysia's golden sweet-potato ring doughnuts — also called kuih gelang, after the Malay word for bracelet. One serving is about 230 g — three rings — with a soft, bouncy sweet-potato middle and a dry, crunchy coat of crystallised sugar. The dough is the classic no-yeast kind: just mashed sweet potato, plain flour and a pinch of salt, with no egg, no milk and no raising agent, and the rings are best eaten warm with tea.

Sweet & Golden

Sweet-potato ring doughnuts, deep-fried and coated in crystallised sugar, eaten warm at teatime.

Pairs Well With
Hot teh tarik and a pot of tea

A bowl of opor ayam, chicken in creamy golden coconut milk sauce with red chillies and fried shallots

Indonesia 1h

Dinner •Indonesian Heritage

Opor Ayam Recipe

This opor ayam recipe turns chicken thighs into the creamy golden coconut-milk braise that anchors festive tables across Java: a warm spice paste of shallot, garlic, galangal, candlenut and a little turmeric, simmered slowly with whole red chillies until the sauce thickens and the chicken is spoon-tender. It takes 60 minutes, serves 4, and tastes even better the next day. One serving is about 385 g.

Festive Comfort

Chicken braised gently in golden coconut milk with a warm, fragrant spice paste — rich, mild and soothing.

Pairs Well With
Steamed jasmine rice or ketupat rice cakes, with sambal and fried shallots on the side

A white oval dish of glossy sweet-sour braised red cabbage with apple, served with a fork

Netherlands 1h 5m

Dinner •Dutch Heritage

Rode Kool met Appeltjes Recipe

This rode kool met appeltjes recipe is the Dutch winter side dish: shredded red cabbage braised with tart and sweet apples, currants, cloves and bay until it turns glossy purple and the apples melt into the sauce. No wine, no onion — the fruit does the work, and the vinegar keeps the colour ruby-red. It takes 65 minutes, serves 4, and tastes better the next day. One serving is about 295 g.

Sweet-Sour Comfort

Red cabbage braised slowly with two kinds of apple, currants, cloves and bay until glossy, tender and sweet-sour.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot beside hachee, stamppot or roast pork with boiled potatoes and a spoonful of the cooking juices.

A white bowl of creamy pale-green celery soup scattered with chopped celery leaves

Belgium 45m

Lunch •Belgian Heritage

Seldersoep Recipe

This seldersoep recipe is the pale-green Belgian lunch soup: celery stalks, potato and leek simmered in vegetable stock until soft, then blended silky-smooth and finished with cream and a pinch of nutmeg. It takes 45 minutes, serves 4, and is at its best with good bread for dipping. One serving is about 485 g.

Light & Comforting

Celery, potato and leek simmered in vegetable stock and blended smooth with a swirl of cream.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread and butter, with a green salad or a soft cheese sandwich alongside

Soups & Broths

Golden pan-fried Lake Geneva perch fillets arranged on a white plate with half a lemon

Switzerland 30m

Dinner •Swiss Heritage

Filets de Perche Recipe

This filets de perche recipe is the lakeside classic of Lake Geneva: small, delicate perch fillets dusted in seasoned flour, pan-fried golden in butter and oil, and finished with lemon juice, parsley and a knob of butter. It takes 30 minutes, serves 4, and the fish cooks so fast you should have the potatoes ready first. One serving is about 200 g.

Light & Delicate

Small Lake Geneva perch fillets, lightly floured and pan-fried in butter, finished with lemon and parsley.

Pairs Well With
Boiled new potatoes, lemon wedges and a green salad, with a glass of dry white wine

A whole German cheesecake with a golden speckled top, crowned with whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries and melon, on a gold cake board

Germany 2h 5m

Snack & Tea •Quark Käsekuchen Classic

German Cheesecake

This german cheesecake recipe is the classic Käsekuchen: a kilo of low-fat quark whipped with eggs, lemon and vanilla into a pale, tangy filling, baked on a thin buttery shortcrust base until the top turns golden and lightly speckled. One serving is about 150 g and carries 356 calories. Serve it cool, in thin slices, with black coffee — the way German coffee houses have served it for generations.

Sweet & Comforting

A tangy, creamy quark cake for afternoon coffee — lighter than a cream-cheese cheesecake, with a thin, crisp shortcrust base.

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

A creamy golden aletria pudding of sweet vermicelli in a blue-rimmed white dish, dusted with a cinnamon lattice

Portugal 35m

Snack & Tea •Northern Portugal Christmas Classic

Aletria

This aletria recipe makes Portugal's creamy sweet vermicelli pudding: fine angel-hair pasta simmered in cinnamon- and lemon-scented milk, thickened with egg yolks and finished with a lattice of ground cinnamon. It is soft, silky and gently spiced — a Christmas classic in the north of Portugal, served warm from the pot or cold from the fridge. One serving is about 225 g (1 bowl).

Sweet Treat

Creamy sweet vermicelli pudding with egg yolks, lemon and cinnamon, dusted in a cinnamon lattice.

Pairs Well With
A small strong coffee (bica) and a glass of cold milk

Moroccan lamb brochettes on the grill — charred lamb cubes threaded with zucchini, red pepper and red onion on wooden skewers

Morocco 1h 2m

Dinner •Jemaa el-Fnaa Street Grill

Moroccan Lamb Brochettes

This moroccan lamb brochettes recipe is the Moroccan street grill: cubes of lamb leg marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, cumin, paprika and ras el hanout, threaded with red onion, red pepper and zucchini, then grilled fast over hot coals until charred at the edges and juicy inside. One serving is about 270 g and carries 531 calories. Eat them straight off the skewer with flatbread, the way the grill stalls of Jemaa el-Fnaa serve them.

High-Protein & Smoky

Charcoal-grilled lamb skewers marinated in cumin, paprika and garlic — a Moroccan street-grill classic with salad and bread.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot off the grill with warm flatbread, a chopped tomato and onion salad, and a spoonful of harissa for those who want heat.

High Protein

Linguine with pink shrimp, cherry tomatoes, olives and parsley on a white plate

Egypt 40m

Dinner •Alexandria Coastal Classic

Egyptian Shrimp Pasta

This egyptian shrimp pasta recipe tosses linguine with plump shrimp in a garlicky Alexandrian tomato sauce — cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, cumin, coriander and a pinch of chilli — finished with parsley and lemon. One serving is about 400 g.

Coastal Comfort

Linguine tossed with shrimp in a garlicky Alexandrian tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes, olives, cumin and parsley.

Pairs Well With
Baladi bread and a cucumber and tomato salad

Pasta & Noodles • High Protein

Lebanese eggplant fatteh on a dark plate: crisp pita strips over white yogurt-tahini sauce with pomegranate seeds, fried potato and a pomegranate molasses drizzle

Lebanon 45m

Lunch •Beirut Mezze Classic

Lebanese Eggplant Fatteh

Lebanese eggplant fatteh, or fattet batenjan, layers golden fried eggplant and potato with crisp toasted pita, then blankets it all in a garlicky yogurt-tahini sauce finished with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. It is crunchy, creamy, tangy and warm all at once, and it is eaten as a mezze or a light lunch across Lebanon. One serving is about 397 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Warm fried eggplant and potato under a cool yogurt-tahini sauce make a filling, comforting lunch.

Pairs Well With
Warm pita, a crisp cucumber-tomato salad and mint 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

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Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

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Austria

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Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

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Dominican Republic

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Niger

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North Korea

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Norway

Oman

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Panama

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Paraguay

Peru

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Poland

Portugal

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Romania

Russia

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

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Saudi Arabia

Senegal

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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.