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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Recipes with Nutrition

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 2137–2148 of 2290 dinner recipes

Grilled golden-brown chontacuro larva on boiled yuca with lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber salad on a white plate

Ecuador 45m

Snack & Tea •Amazonian Heritage

Chontacuro Asado

Chontacuro Asado is the famous Amazonian snack of Puyo: plump palm-weevil larvae grilled over coals until golden and crisp, served with boiled yuca and a fresh garden salad. One serving is about 284 g. This chontacuro asado recipe is ready in 45 minutes and serves four, with three grilled larvae, yuca and salad on each plate.

Amazonian Protein

Grilled palm-weevil larvae with boiled yuca and a garden salad, the famous Amazonian snack of Puyo.

Pairs Well With
Boiled yuca and a crisp garden salad, with aji sauce and a cold glass of chicha or fruit juice.

High Protein

A dark brown spiced ginger loaf on a white plate, cut into thick slices, with a knife beside it

Haiti 1h 10m

Snack & Tea •Haitian Celebration Heritage

Bonbon Sirop

This bonbon sirop recipe bakes a dark, moist ginger cake from cane syrup, brown sugar, butter and plenty of fresh grated ginger, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. It is the cake Haitian families bake for holidays and gatherings, best sliced thick with coffee. One serving is about 110 g (one thick slice).

Comfort & Warmth

A dark, moist ginger cake sweetened with cane syrup and warmed with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves — Haiti's celebration cake.

Pairs Well With
Serve thick slices with strong black coffee or spiced Haitian hot chocolate.

Squash wedges simmered in dark panela syrup with cinnamon sticks in a clay pot

Honduras 1h 15m

Snack & Tea •Honduran Holy Week Sweet

Ayote en Miel

This ayote en miel recipe simmers chunks of ayote squash in a dark panela syrup spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger until the flesh turns spoon-tender and glossy with honey. It is the Honduran Holy Week sweet, made with a whole rapadura of panela and served warm or at room temperature with its syrup. One serving is about 370 g.

Slow-Simmered Squash Sweet

Tender ayote squash cooked slowly in dark panela syrup with cinnamon, cloves and allspice until it drinks up the honey.

Pairs Well With
Black coffee, a glass of cold milk, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream

A red-rimmed bowl of beef soup with a round of corn on the cob, chickpeas, shredded beef, red onion and chopped cilantro in a clear broth

Paraguay 2h

Dinner •Paraguayan Heritage

Caldo Ava

This caldo ava recipe makes Paraguay's traditional beef and corn soup — beef shank simmered low and slow with corn on the cob, potato and squash until the meat falls tender and the broth turns rich. One serving is about 746 g, a generous bowl of soup.

Hearty & Filling

A hearty beef soup with corn on the cob and potato, simmered until the meat is tender, served hot for dinner.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread or boiled mandioca, with lime wedges and chopped cilantro on top.

Soups & Broths

A mound of bright orange mashed sweet potato on a plain white plate

Uruguay 35m

Lunch •Uruguayan Home-Cooking Classic

Pure de Boniato

This pure de boniato recipe mashes orange-fleshed sweet potato with butter and warm milk into a smooth, golden side dish. One serving is about 260 g and carries 286 calories. In Uruguay the pure sits beside grilled meat, roast chicken or a fried egg — the sweet, soft counterpoint to everything else on the plate.

Simple & Comforting

A smooth, buttery mash of orange-fleshed sweet potato, a classic Uruguayan side.

Pairs Well With
Grilled beef or roast chicken, with a green salad and a glass of red wine.

A white bowl of Venezuelan asopado de mariscos, soupy golden rice with open mussels, shrimp and sweet peppers in a rich seafood broth.

Venezuela 1h 30m

Dinner •Venezuelan Coastal Classic

Asopado de Mariscos Venezolano

This asopado de mariscos venezolano recipe turns shrimp, squid, mussels and white fish into a golden, soupy rice cooked in a quick shrimp-shell stock, with onion, sweet pepper, tomato and a squeeze of lime. It is the Venezuelan coast's answer to a one-pot supper: the rice drinks up the stock, the seafood stays tender, and every spoonful is brothy rather than dry. One serving is about 570 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A warm, brothy bowl of rice and seafood that works as a complete one-pot dinner.

Pairs Well With
Serve in deep bowls with lime wedges, a crisp cabbage slaw and casabe or crusty bread for the broth.

Soups & Broths

Bright red piure sea squirt pieces on a white plate with finely chopped onion and cilantro salsa verde, lemon halves and a small dish of tomato pebre behind

Chile 25m

Lunch •Chilean Heritage

Piure en Salsa Verde

Piure en salsa verde is Chile's boldest raw seafood: bright red piure, a sea squirt pulled from the rocks of the Chilean Pacific, cut into bite-size pieces and dressed with a fresh salsa verde of white onion, cilantro, lemon juice and green chili. The flavour is pure concentrated seawater — salty, iodine-rich and a little metallic — so the sharp lemon and onion are not decoration, they are what make it edible. One serving is about 171 g.

Bold Coastal Starter

Raw piure sea squirt dressed in lemon, onion and cilantro salsa verde — briny, sharp and intensely oceanic.

Pairs Well With
Crusty marraqueta bread, a cold lager and a tomato pebre on the side

A terracotta bowl of hervido de pescado fish soup with a chunk of root vegetable and fresh cilantro, served with casabe and a lime wedge

Venezuela 1h 10m

Lunch •Eastern Venezuela Heritage

Hervido de Pescado

This hervido de pescado recipe simmers snapper steaks with yuca, ñame, ocumo, pumpkin, green plantain and corn on the cob in a clear broth scented with ají dulce and lime. It is the fishermen's soup of eastern Venezuela, ladled into deep bowls and served with casabe and lime wedges. One serving is about 812 g.

Coastal Comfort

A clear, golden fish broth simmered with yuca, yam, taro, pumpkin and green plantain — the fishermen's soup of eastern Venezuela.

Pairs Well With
Hot hervido with casabe, lime wedges and a cold papelón con limón

Soups & Broths

An opened bijao leaf parcel with steamed chicken pieces and boiled yuca on a white plate

Ecuador 1h 20m

Dinner •Shuar Amazon Heritage

Ayampaco

Ayampaco is the Shuar way of cooking in the Ecuadorian Amazon: pieces of chicken and tilapia mixed with grated yuca, chopped palm hearts and a red-onion and achiote refrito, wrapped in bijao leaves and cooked slowly over coals until everything steams in its own juices. One serving is about 500 g. This ayampaco recipe is ready in 80 minutes and serves four, with boiled yuca and green plantain alongside.

Amazon Comfort

Chicken and fish with grated yuca and palm hearts, wrapped in bijao leaves and cooked over coals, served with boiled yuca and plantain.

Pairs Well With
Boiled yuca, boiled green plantain and a spoonful of hot aji sauce, with guayusa tea or lime juice.

A plate of golden whole fried pejerrey fish with rice, pasta and boiled potatoes on a floral tablecloth

Bolivia 40m

Lunch •Lake Titicaca Classic

Pejerrey Frito

This pejerrey frito recipe fries lean silverside fish from Lake Titicaca in a thin, seasoned flour crust until golden and crisp, the way the lakeside restaurants of Copacabana serve it — with boiled potatoes, white rice, tomato and onion salad and lemon wedges. One serving (two fillets) is about 220 g.

High-Protein Lake Fish

Lean pejerrey from Lake Titicaca, dredged in seasoned flour and fried crisp, served with potatoes, rice and a sharp tomato-onion salad.

Pairs Well With
Boiled potatoes, white rice, tomato and onion salad, and lemon wedges

High Protein

A white double-handled soup cup of creamy orange pumpkin soup with a swirl of cream, chopped herbs and croutons on a red tablecloth

Uruguay 50m

Lunch •Uruguayan Heritage

Uruguayan Pumpkin Soup

This uruguayan pumpkin soup recipe turns sweet zapallo pumpkin, onion and carrot into a silky cream soup, finished with milk, cream and a pinch of nutmeg. One serving is about 520 g. It is the smooth, golden soup Uruguayans ladle out at family lunches on cold days, with crisp croutons and chopped parsley on top.

Comfort & Warmth

Zapallo pumpkin simmered with onion and carrot, blended smooth with milk and cream — a warming bowl for cold days.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread, a green salad and a glass of water

Soups & Broths

Browned chicken pieces braised in a glossy brown sauce with softened onion in a pot

Paraguay 2h 20m

Dinner •Paraguayan Heritage

Gallina Casera

This gallina casera recipe braises a whole stewing hen low and slow in a tomato, onion and locote sofrito with potatoes and carrots until the meat turns meltingly tender. One serving is about 643 g, a generous plate of hen, vegetables and sauce.

Hearty & Filling

A slow-braised stewing hen in a tomato, onion and locote sofrito, cooked until the meat falls tender and served hot for dinner.

Pairs Well With
Boiled mandioca and white rice, with chopped parsley and lime wedges on the side.

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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Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

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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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Fiji

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Gambia

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Guinea-Bissau

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Iceland

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Iran

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Italy

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Niger

Nigeria

North Korea

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Paraguay

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Portugal

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Romania

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Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

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Suriname

Sweden

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Syria

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Togo

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Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

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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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Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack & Tea

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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