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 1981–1992 of 2290 dinner recipes

A square white dish of golden Colombian sopa de mondongo with chunks of tripe, pork and potato in an achiote broth, with a small tomato and lettuce salad on a wooden table

Colombia 3h 10m

Dinner •Antioquian Heritage

Colombian Sopa de Mondongo

This colombian sopa de mondongo recipe is Antioquia's answer to tripe soup: beef tripe and pork shoulder simmered with Colombian chorizo, two kinds of potato, peas and green beans in a golden broth coloured with achiote and built on a scallion hogao. Unlike the Honduran sopa de mondongo, which is a tomato, cumin and cilantro broth loaded with yuca, green plantain and corn and served with tortillas, the Antioquian bowl has no yuca, plantain or corn at all — it is potato-forward, richer from the pork, and served the Antioquian way, with white rice, sliced avocado and a warm arepa. One serving is about 600 g of soup.

Comfort & Warmth

Beef tripe and pork simmered with potato, peas and green beans in a golden achiote broth.

Pairs Well With
White rice, a warm arepa and sliced avocado, with lime wedges and Colombian aji on the side.

Soups & Broths

A white bowl of porotos granados, the Chilean summer stew of pink cranberry beans, yellow corn kernels and orange pumpkin chunks in a light broth, on a woven placemat

Chile 1h

Lunch •Central Chile Summer Heritage

Porotos Granados

This porotos granados recipe is Chile's summer stew: fresh cranberry beans simmered with sweet corn, orange pumpkin, tomato and basil until the broth turns silky and the beans are creamy inside. It is the dish Chilean families cook when the beans, corn and squash all ripen together in January and February. One serving is about 492 g.

Light & Seasonal

A bright summer stew of fresh cranberry beans, corn and pumpkin, finished with basil.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot with pebre or a Chilean tomato and onion salad, and a glass of cold white wine or sparkling water.

A black clay pot of cazuela de mariscos colombiana, a creamy coconut-milk seafood stew with a squid ring, shrimp and herbs, served with coconut rice and fried plantains in Barranquilla

Colombia 55m

Dinner •Colombian Caribbean Coast Heritage

Cazuela de Mariscos Colombiana

This cazuela de mariscos colombiana recipe is the seafood casserole of Colombia's Caribbean coast: white fish, shrimp, squid and clams simmered in coconut milk and cream with a tomato sofrito, then scattered with Parmesan and gratinated until golden. It is the dish Cartagena families cook for celebrations and Sunday lunches. One serving is about 547 g.

Rich & Celebratory

A creamy coconut-milk seafood stew from Colombia's Caribbean coast, finished under the grill with cheese.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot in the clay pot with coconut rice, patacones and lime wedges, and a cold beer or a glass of dry white wine.

Soups & Broths

Picante de pollo: chicken pieces in a spicy aji sauce with boiled potatoes, dark chuno and a fresh tomato and onion salad, served on a white plate

Bolivia 1h 30m

Dinner •Potosí Heritage

Picante de Pollo

This picante de pollo recipe fries bone-in chicken until golden, then braises it in a deep-red sauce of aji panca, fresh locoto, tomato and red pepper, with potatoes stewed right in the sauce and green peas stirred through at the end. It is the hotter, richer cousin of the yellow-aji sajta of La Paz, and it is served with white rice, boiled potatoes and a sharp sarsa of onion and tomato. One serving is about 625 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Bone-in chicken fried, then braised in a deep-red aji panca and locoto sauce with potatoes stewed in the sauce and peas, served with rice and a fresh onion-tomato sarsa.

Pairs Well With
Hot chicken in red aji sauce with rice, boiled potatoes and fresh sarsa

A triple-decker sandwich de miga cut in triangles, with layers of ham, red pepper, lettuce and white bread visible

Uruguay 30m

Lunch •Montevideo Heritage

Sandwich Olimpico

This sandwich olimpico recipe builds a triple-decker sandwich from thin slices of crustless white bread, layered with ham and cheese, then sliced hard-boiled egg, tomato and lettuce, with a lime mayonnaise spread on every slice to keep the bread soft and the layers together. It is the sandwich Uruguay eats at cafes, parties and family gatherings, cut into neat triangles and served at room temperature. One sandwich is about 265 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A triple-decker sandwich of crustless white bread layered with ham, cheese, hard-boiled egg, tomato and lettuce, held together with lime mayonnaise — the Montevideo cafe classic.

Pairs Well With
Triple-decker miga sandwich with ham, cheese and egg, cut in triangles

A bowl of thick soyo soup with ground beef, vegetables and small pasta, served with bread and lemon on a floral plate

Paraguay 1h

Dinner •Asunción Heritage

Soyo

This soyo recipe starts the way Paraguayan cooks have always started it: ground beef and rice crushed together in a mortar until they form a paste, then whisked into cold water with a sofrito of onion, green pepper, garlic and tomato. It simmers with carrot and potato until the soup turns thick, rich and spoon-coating — a humble, hearty bowl that once fed poor families and is now eaten by everyone in Paraguay. One serving is about 550 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A thick Paraguayan soup of ground beef crushed to a paste with rice, simmered with onion, pepper, tomato, carrot and potato until the broth turns rich and spoon-coating.

Pairs Well With
Thick ground-beef soup with rice and vegetables, with bread for soaking

Soups & Broths

A plate of yaroa — golden fries layered with seasoned beef and melted cheese, drizzled with ketchup and mayonnaise

Dominican Republic 55m

Lunch •Santiago Street Food

Yaroa

This yaroa recipe builds the Santiago street-food favourite at home: a layer of golden fries, seasoned ground beef cooked with sofrito, and a thick blanket of melted mozzarella and cheddar, finished with the classic ketchup and mayonnaise zigzag. One serving is about 410 g. Eat it straight from the tray while the cheese is still stretching.

Hearty & Indulgent

A filling late-night street food of crispy fries, seasoned beef and melted cheese.

Pairs Well With
Serve with a cold lager or a glass of morir soñando, and a simple green salad to cut the richness.

Ecuadorian seco de pollo with a chicken drumstick in orange tomato sauce, a dome of white rice, avocado, lettuce and boiled potato on a white plate

Ecuador 1h 15m

Lunch •Ecuadorian Coastal Classic

Seco de Pollo

This seco de pollo recipe is the Ecuadorian coastal chicken stew: drumsticks browned, then braised slowly in a blended sauce of tomato, naranjilla, beer, onion, pepper and herbs until the meat is falling off the bone. One serving is about 743 g — chicken and sauce with rice, avocado, boiled potato and plantain — and carries about 858 calories. It is the comfort food of Ecuador’s coast, served on one generous plate.

Comfort & Warmth

Tender chicken braised in a tomato and naranjilla sauce, served with rice, avocado, potato and plantain.

Pairs Well With
White rice, avocado, boiled potato and plantain

High Protein

Two halves of a grilled Cuban medianoche sandwich with roast pork, ham and melted cheese, with a green salad

Cuba 25m

Lunch •Havana Midnight Classic

Cuban Medianoche

This medianoche sandwich recipe is the Cuban midnight sandwich: roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and yellow mustard pressed on pan de medianoche, the soft, slightly sweet egg bread that sets it apart from a Cuban sandwich. One serving is about 300 g — one whole pressed sandwich — and carries about 710 calories. It is ready in 25 minutes and is best eaten hot, while the cheese is still melted.

Hearty Lunch

Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard pressed on sweet egg bread until the cheese melts.

Pairs Well With
A cold lager, a simple salad and plantain chips

A golden fried Venezuelan cornmeal empanada on white paper, with a small split in the crust showing yellow filling

Venezuela 1h 50m

Snack & Tea •Venezuelan Street-Food Classic

Empanadas Venezolanas

This empanadas venezolanas recipe makes golden fried turnovers from a cornmeal dough, filled with carne mechada — beef braised until it shreds, then finished in a sofrito — and melted white cheese, with a cool avocado guasacaca for dipping. One serving is about 308 g — two empanadas with guasacaca — and carries about 706 calories. They are best eaten hot, straight from the oil.

Street-Food Snack

Crisp fried cornmeal turnovers filled with shredded beef and cheese, served with a fresh avocado guasacaca.

Pairs Well With
Guasacaca, a cold drink and a simple salad

A tamal pisque topped with fresh tomato salsa, served with avocado and pickled vegetables

El Salvador 2h 30m

Lunch •Salvadoran Heritage

Tamales Pisques

This tamales pisques recipe makes the Salvadoran bean tamale the traditional way: a soft corn masa made from nixtamalized corn, filled with a spoonful of seasoned refried red beans, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until firm. One serving (two tamales) is about 290 g. Unwrap them at the table and serve with tomato salsa and curtido.

Hearty & Festive

A filling vegetarian main of corn masa and refried red beans, steamed in banana leaves.

Pairs Well With
Serve warm with curtido, the Salvadoran pickled cabbage slaw, and a mild tomato salsa.

Charquican: a mound of mashed potato, pumpkin and corn with ground beef, topped with a fried egg with a bright golden yolk, on a black plate

Chile 1h 5m

Dinner •Central Chile Heritage

Charquican

This charquican recipe simmers ground beef with potatoes, pumpkin, sweetcorn, green beans and peas, then mashes the pot just enough to turn it thick and spoonable before a fried egg goes on top. It is the Chilean home-cooking classic that grew out of the Mapuche stew made with dried charqui meat, and it is still the bowl Chilean families reach for on a cold evening. One serving is about 650 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Ground beef simmered with potato, pumpkin, corn and green vegetables, mashed thick in the pot and crowned with a fried egg.

Pairs Well With
Mashed beef, potato and pumpkin with a fried egg and a fresh tomato 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

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

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Belize

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Bolivia

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Botswana

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Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

Costa Rica

Croatia

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Côte d'Ivoire

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Dominican Republic

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Ethiopia

Fiji

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Gabon

Gambia

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Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

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Iceland

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Ireland

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Italy

Jamaica

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Myanmar

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New Zealand

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Niger

Nigeria

North Korea

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Norway

Oman

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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

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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

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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.

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