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 2017–2028 of 2290 dinner recipes

A bowl of ceviche de palmito with sliced hearts of palm, red onion, tomato and herbs, served with golden chifles on a leaf-shaped board

Ecuador 30m

Lunch •Ecuadorian Oriente Classic

Ceviche de Palmito

This ceviche de palmito recipe is the Ecuadorian meat-free ceviche: tender hearts of palm cured in lime and orange juice with red onion, tomato and cilantro, served with crisp golden chifles. One serving is about 380 g — a bowl of ceviche plus chifles — and carries about 262 calories. It is ready in 30 minutes, with no cooking at all except the chifles.

Light Fresh Lunch

Hearts of palm cured in lime with red onion, tomato and herbs, served with crisp chifles.

Pairs Well With
Chifles, popcorn, and an ice-cold beer

Golden Chilean sopaipillas on a plate with a bowl of sopaipillas pasadas soaked in glossy chancaca syrup

Chile 55m

Snack & Tea •Chilean Winter Classic

Sopaipilla Pasada

This sopaipilla pasada recipe fries soft pumpkin dough into golden rounds, then soaks them in a warm chancaca syrup until they turn glossy, tender and deeply sweet. It is the winter version of the Chilean sopaipilla, made for rainy days and cold evenings. One serving is about 214 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Golden pumpkin fritters soaked in warm chancaca syrup spiced with cinnamon, cloves and orange peel.

Pairs Well With
Hot chocolate, Chilean coffee, or a cup of tea

A plate of golden-brown Colombian buñuelos, round fried cheese fritters, on paper towel

Colombia 45m

Snack & Tea •Colombian Christmas Classic

Bunuelos Colombianos

This bunuelos colombianos recipe turns salty white cheese, cornstarch and cassava starch into crisp, golden fritters that are hollow and cheesy inside. They are the classic Colombian Christmas snack, fried fresh and eaten hot with natilla and hot chocolate. One serving is about 111 g.

Festive Comfort

Crisp golden cheese fritters made from queso costeño-style cheese, cornstarch and cassava starch, fried until they puff into light, cheesy balls.

Pairs Well With
Natilla, Colombian hot chocolate, or coffee

Two golden mandoca rings, Venezuelan cornmeal and plantain fritters, on white paper

Venezuela 45m

Breakfast •Zulia Breakfast Classic

Mandocas

This mandocas recipe makes the Zulian breakfast classic: golden rings of cornmeal dough sweetened with ripe plantain and panela, salted with white cheese and scented with anise. They fry up crisp outside and soft inside, and are best eaten hot with butter. One serving is about 116 g.

Hearty Breakfast

Golden fried rings of precooked cornmeal, ripe plantain, panela and white cheese, shaped by hand and eaten hot with butter and cheese.

Pairs Well With
Butter, white cheese, and Venezuelan coffee

Overhead view of a plate of guatita: a bowl of beef tripe stew in peanut sauce topped with a whole boiled egg, beside white rice and a small salad, with a glass of juice at the edge of the frame.

Ecuador 3h 10m

Lunch •Ecuadorian National Dish

Guatita

Guatita is Ecuador's beloved beef tripe stew, simmered until tender in a creamy peanut sauce with potatoes, achiote and cumin, and served with white rice, salad and a boiled egg. This guatita recipe makes 4 generous plates. One serving is about 915 g. Unlike the tripe soups of Honduras and Colombia, guatita is a thick stew, not a soup — the peanut sauce is the whole point, and the plate is finished with rice rather than extra broth.

Comfort & Warmth

A slow-cooked, protein-rich stew served with rice, built for a filling lunch.

Pairs Well With
White rice, a simple lettuce-tomato-avocado salad, and a glass of fresh juice.

Thimpu de cordero — lamb in golden aji sauce with white rice, boiled potatoes and dark chuno on a white plate

Bolivia 2h 10m

Dinner •La Paz Highland Classic

Thimpu

This thimpu recipe braises lamb shoulder low and slow in a golden aji broth with chuno, potatoes, carrots and peas, then serves it over white rice the way highland families in La Paz do. One serving is about 578 g and carries about 726 calories. It is a big, warming dinner built for cold mountain evenings.

Hearty Highland Dinner

Slow-braised lamb with chuno and rice, a warming plate from the Bolivian highlands.

Pairs Well With
Llajwa (spicy Bolivian tomato-chilli salsa) and a glass of mocochinchi (dried-peach drink)

Golden battered beef steak (milanesa a la marinera) with mashed potatoes on a patterned plate

Paraguay 1h 10m

Lunch •Paraguayan Battered Classic

Paraguayan Marinera

This paraguayan marinera recipe marinates thin beef steaks in lime, garlic and parsley, then dips them in a light batter made with exactly 2 large eggs, milk, flour and club soda, and fries them golden. One serving is about 475 g and carries about 863 calories. It is the crisp, savoury lunch Paraguayans reach for with boiled mandioca.

Crisp Fried Lunch

Thin beef steaks in a light egg batter, fried golden and served with mandioca.

Pairs Well With
Boiled mandioca, tomato-onion salad and ice-cold lemonade

A pot of caldosa cubana: thick golden broth with shredded chicken, pieces of potato and thin noodles.

Cuba 1h 45m

Lunch •Villa Clara Signature

Caldosa Cubana

Caldosa cubana is a thick, golden soup from Villa Clara province: chicken and pork simmered with yuca, boniato, malanga, corn and potato in a sofrito broth, finished with 100 g of thin noodles. This caldosa cubana recipe serves 6 big bowls. One serving is about 700 g. It is a brothy soup, not a stew — unlike Cuban ajiaco, a thick tasajo and root-vegetable stew with no noodles, and unlike Peruvian caldo de gallina, a chicken-noodle soup seasoned with ginger and served with egg.

Hearty Comfort

A thick, brothy soup of chicken, pork and root vegetables, made to feed a crowd.

Pairs Well With
Crusty Cuban bread for soaking up the broth, and a squeeze of lime.

Two golden fried Dominican empanadas with fork-crimped edges on a white plate with pico de gallo and lime wedges

Dominican Republic 1h 30m

Snack & Tea •Dominican Market-Food Heritage

Dominican Empanadas

This Dominican empanadas recipe makes the fried market turnovers of the Dominican Republic: a flaky wheat-flour pastry, fork-crimped around a savoury beef picadillo stewed with sofrito, tomato paste and sazón, with melted mozzarella inside. Unlike the baked Argentine empanada and the corn-masa empanadas of Belize, these are fried until blistered and golden, and they are served hot with lime wedges and pico de gallo. One serving (one empanada) is about 165 g.

Crisp, Savoury & Market-Style

Dominican empanadas are fried wheat-flour turnovers filled with beef picadillo and melted cheese, fork-crimped and served hot with lime.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot with lime wedges and pico de gallo, and a cold drink on the side.

A glass of iced horchata de morro dusted with cinnamon in a green-rimmed glass on a wooden table

El Salvador 35m

Snack & Tea •Salvadoran Heritage Drink

Horchata de Morro

This horchata de morro recipe makes El Salvador's signature drink: morro seeds from the jícaro tree, toasted with rice, sesame, peanuts and pumpkin seeds, ground with cocoa and warm spices into a fine powder, then whisked into cold water and served over ice. Unlike the rice-only horchata of Belize and Mexico, the morro seed gives it a roasted, nutty, cocoa-like depth. One serving (one glass) is about 250 g.

Cool, Nutty & Refreshing

Horchata de morro is a cold Salvadoran drink of toasted morro seeds, sesame, peanuts and cocoa, ground fine and whisked into cold water.

Pairs Well With
Serve ice-cold over ice, with a dusting of cinnamon, alongside pupusas or sweet plantain empanadas.

A close-up of fresh pebre in a wooden bowl — finely chopped red tomato, white onion and green coriander with a spoon

Chile 15m

Snack & Tea •Chilean Table Classic

Pebre

This pebre recipe makes Chile's classic chopped salsa — ripe tomato, white onion and fresh coriander with green chili, garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar. One serving is about 61 g, roughly 4 tablespoons, and carries about 39 calories. It takes 15 minutes, needs no cooking at all, and is ready as soon as the flavours have had a few minutes to settle.

Bright Fresh Condiment

A raw chopped salsa of tomato, onion and coriander that wakes up grilled meat and bread.

Pairs Well With
Crusty marraqueta bread, grilled meats, or empanadas

Quick Prep (<30m)

A single glossy golfeado, a spiral cinnamon roll glistening with dark panela syrup, seen from above on white paper

Venezuela 2h 50m

Snack & Tea •Venezuelan Bakery Icon

Golfeados

This golfeados recipe rolls soft anise-scented dough around grated panela, cinnamon and salty hard cheese, then bakes it into sticky spirals brushed with panela syrup. One serving is about 112 g — one roll — and carries about 390 calories. The cheese is the point: salty against the sweet syrup, served warm with coffee.

Sweet Bakery Snack

Soft yeasted spirals filled with panela, cinnamon and salty cheese, glazed with panela syrup.

Pairs Well With
Black coffee, hot chocolate, or soft queso de mano

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

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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.