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 1993–2004 of 2290 dinner recipes

A plate of saice tarijeno: dark red beef stew with green peas beside diced beetroot and carrot, shredded lettuce, tomato and onion salad, short pasta and chuño

Bolivia 1h 30m

Dinner •Tarija Heritage

Saice Tarijeno

This saice tarijeno recipe is Tarija's beloved beef stew: tender cubes of beef simmered with potatoes, peas and carrots in a spicy tomato and cumin sauce, finished with a fresh onion-tomato salad. One serving is about 728 g. It is the kind of generous, warming plate that southern Bolivia is known for, served with white rice and a bright salad.

Comfort & Warmth

A slow-simmered Tarija beef stew with potatoes, peas and cumin in a spicy tomato-chile sauce.

Pairs Well With
White rice and a crisp lettuce, tomato and onion salad, with a glass of Tarija wine or a cold lager

A crusty baguette sandwich cut in two, filled with cured ham and pale cheese, on a dark marble board beside a cup of coffee with milk

Uruguay 15m

Lunch •Montevideo Classic

Refuerzo

This refuerzo recipe is Uruguay's everyday baguette sandwich: a crusty roll spread with butter and mayonnaise, layered with cured ham, mortadella, Colonia cheese, tomato and lettuce. One serving is about 330 g. It is the sandwich Uruguayans grab for lunch, for the beach, or for a late-afternoon merienda — no steak, no egg, just cold cuts and cheese done properly.

Quick & Satisfying

A crusty Uruguayan baguette roll filled with cured ham, mortadella and Colonia cheese — no cooking, just good bread and good cold cuts.

Pairs Well With
A cold lager or a glass of tannat, with pickles or crisps on the side

Golden twice-fried tostones piled on a white plate with fried red Dominican salami slices

Dominican Republic 40m

Snack & Tea •Dominican Street-Food Classic

Tostones con Salami

This tostones con salami recipe fries green plantain twice until golden and crisp, then piles the tostones with slices of fried Dominican salami for the salty street-food snack found on corners across the Dominican Republic. One serving is about 278 g.

Golden & Salty

Twice-fried green plantain, crisp outside and soft inside, piled with fried Dominican salami — salty, crunchy and made to be eaten hot.

Pairs Well With
Fried cheese, avocado and lime wedges

Quick Prep (<30m)

Shredded cabbage, carrot sticks and jalapeno slices in brine inside a glass jar of curtido

El Salvador 25m

Snack & Tea •Salvadoran Pupusa Partner

Curtido Salvadoreno

This curtido salvadoreno recipe shreds cabbage, carrot and onion, then leaves them in a vinegar brine with oregano and chilli until lightly fermented and tangy — the crisp, sour slaw that belongs on every pupusa. One serving is about 88 g.

Crisp & Tangy

Shredded cabbage, carrot and onion left in a vinegar brine with oregano and chilli until lightly fermented — crisp, sour and made to cut through rich food.

Pairs Well With
Pupusas, tomato sauce and grilled meats

Fermented / Gut Health

Arepa de choclo: a thick golden sweet-corn cake split open with a slab of white farmer's cheese inside, on a white paper napkin on a plate

Colombia 45m

Breakfast •Andean Colombia Heritage

Arepa de Choclo

This arepa de choclo recipe grinds fresh sweet corn into a thick batter, binds it with a little cornmeal, and griddles it into a golden cake with a slab of quesito tucked inside. It is the Andean breakfast Colombians buy from roadside stands and make at home for weekend mornings, sweet from the corn and salty from the cheese in the same bite. One serving is about 260 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Fresh sweet corn ground into a thick cake and griddled golden, with a slab of mild farmer's cheese melting inside.

Pairs Well With
Golden sweet-corn cakes with melted farmer's cheese, butter and hot chocolate

Pasticho: a baked pasta portion topped with golden melted cheese and tomato sauce, sprinkled with herbs and grated cheese, on a white plate

Venezuela 1h 35m

Dinner •Venezuelan Heritage

Pasticho

This pasticho recipe builds Venezuela's version of lasagna: dried pasta layered with a rich beef and tomato sauce, thin slices of cooked ham, a generous béchamel and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan, then baked until the top is golden and bubbling. The ham and the extra béchamel are what set it apart from an Italian lasagna, and it is the dish Venezuelan families make for Sunday lunch and Christmas Eve. One serving is about 480 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Layers of pasta with seasoned ground beef, thin-sliced ham, creamy béchamel and melted cheese, baked until golden.

Pairs Well With
Baked pasta layers with beef, ham and béchamel, with a green salad and garlic bread

Pasta & Noodles

Tonga Manabita: yellow rice with a chicken drumstick and a fried ripe plantain, served on an opened green bijao leaf

Ecuador 1h 30m

Lunch •Manabí Heritage

Tonga Manabita

This tonga manabita recipe packs a whole Manabí lunch into a bijao leaf: yellow rice stained with achiote, a rich seco de gallina chicken stew, a slice of fried ripe plantain and a thick peanut sauce, all folded up and tied so it stays hot. It was invented as a field worker's lunch in Chone, carried into the hills and opened at midday, and it is still the packed meal of Manabí. One serving is about 410 g.

Energy & Fullness

Yellow rice, a rich chicken stew, fried ripe plantain and thick peanut sauce, packed together in a bijao leaf.

Pairs Well With
Yellow rice and chicken stew in a bijao leaf, with fried plantain and peanut sauce

High Protein

A plate of tomatican — ground beef simmered with ripe tomatoes, sweet corn and onion, served with boiled potatoes

Chile 45m

Lunch •Chilean Summer Classic

Tomatican

This tomatican recipe is Chile's summer in a pan: ripe tomatoes cooked down with sweet corn, onion and seasoned ground beef until the juices turn into a light, savoury sauce. It is quick, bright and unmistakably home cooking from central Chile, served with boiled potatoes on the side. One serving is about 580 g.

Fresh & Seasonal

Ripe tomatoes, sweet corn and seasoned beef cooked in one pan, served with boiled potatoes.

Pairs Well With
Boiled potatoes, crusty bread and a cold glass of mote con huesillo.

A blue bowl of changua — milky broth with a poached egg and runny yolk, pieces of calado bread and chopped scallions

Colombia 20m

Breakfast •Bogotá Breakfast Classic

Changua

This changua recipe is Bogotá's beloved breakfast soup: whole milk and water gently simmered with scallions, eggs poached right in the broth, and cubes of white cheese that melt as you eat. Calado bread goes in to soften, and fresh cilantro finishes the bowl. One serving is about 490 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Warm milk broth with eggs poached right in the pot, melting cheese and soft calado bread.

Pairs Well With
Calado bread, hot chocolate and fresh cheese on the side.

Soups & Broths

Sliced beef tongue in a rich red aji chile sauce with boiled potatoes in a serving pot, a ladle resting in the sauce

Bolivia 3h 25m

Dinner •Bolivian Heritage

Aji de Lengua

Aji de lengua is Bolivia's fiery tongue stew: beef tongue simmered until it can be cut with a spoon, then sliced and braised in a thick sauce of tomato, onion, ground red chile, cumin and peas. It is rich, spicy and deeply savoury, and it always arrives with boiled potato and steamed rice to soak up the sauce. One serving is about 666 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Slow-simmered beef tongue in a spicy tomato and red-chile sauce, served with boiled potato and rice.

Pairs Well With
Boiled potato, steamed white rice and chuno (freeze-dried potato)

A mound of glossy orange kiveve pumpkin and cornmeal puree on a white plate with milk poured around it

Paraguay 45m

Lunch •Paraguayan Heritage

Kiveve

Kiveve is Paraguay's most famous vegetarian dish: andai pumpkin boiled and mashed, then cooked with milk and fine cornmeal until it turns into a thick, golden puree, with cubes of fresh queso Paraguay melting through it at the end. It sits halfway between a soup and a polenta — sweet from the pumpkin, savoury from the cheese, and best eaten warm with a spoon. One serving is about 420 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Silky pumpkin and cornmeal puree with melting fresh cheese — sweet, savoury and spoonable.

Pairs Well With
Grilled meat, roast chicken or a fried egg, with a green salad

Shrimp in a rich red tomato sauce around a mound of white rice, garnished with parsley, on a white plate

Cuba 45m

Dinner •Cuban Heritage

Enchilado de Camarones

Enchilado de camarones is Cuba's coastal classic: shrimp simmered in a rich tomato sauce built on a sofrito of onion, green pepper and garlic, with pimentos, white wine, cumin and just enough heat to keep things interesting. Despite the name it has nothing to do with Mexican enchiladas — enchilado means cooked in a chile-tomato sauce — and it is always served over white rice to catch every drop. One serving is about 561 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Plump shrimp simmered in a spiced tomato, pepper and white-wine sauce, served over white rice.

Pairs Well With
Steamed white rice, fried plantains and a 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

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

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Bolivia

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Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

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Dominican Republic

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Fiji

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Gabon

Gambia

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Guinea-Bissau

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Iceland

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Ireland

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Italy

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Niger

Nigeria

North Korea

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Panama

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Portugal

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Romania

Russia

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

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São Tomé and Príncipe

Saudi Arabia

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Suriname

Sweden

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Syria

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Thailand

Timor-Leste

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

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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)

Dinner Ideas by Meal

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack & Tea

Dinner Ideas by Region

Mediterranean & Italy East & South Asia Latin America & Caribbean Middle Eastern Nordic & European African Heritage North America Oceania & Pacific

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.

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