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 2233–2244 of 2290 dinner recipes

A whole fish braised in a glossy red tomato and onion sauce, garnished with parsley, served on a white plate

Venezuela 45m

Dinner •Margarita Heritage

Corbullón de Mero

This corbullon de mero recipe braises grouper fillets in a smooth tomato, red pepper and red wine sauce with onion, garlic, cherry peppers and olives, the way it is cooked on Margarita Island. The fish is seared first, then finished gently in the sauce until it flakes at 63°C (145°F). One serving is about 275 g.

Coastal Comfort

Grouper fillets braised in a tomato, sweet pepper and red wine sauce, served hot with white rice — a light, satisfying coastal dinner from Margarita Island.

Pairs Well With
Serve the grouper and its sauce over steamed white rice with a spoonful of the sauce on top

High Protein

Golden fried yuca bunuelos drizzled with dark panela syrup on a white plate

Ecuador 1h 5m

Snack & Tea •Ecuadorian Heritage

Buñuelos Ecuatorianos

This bunuelos ecuatorianos recipe turns cooked yuca and crumbled queso fresco into crisp golden fritters, fried and served warm under a spiced panela syrup with cinnamon, cloves and orange. They are the sweet fritters Ecuadorian families fry for Christmas and the December novenas, eaten with hot chocolate or coffee. One serving (about 2 to 3 fritters with syrup) is about 136 g.

Sweet Fried Comfort

Crisp golden fritters of mashed yuca and fresh cheese, fried and served warm under a spiced panela syrup.

Pairs Well With
Hot chocolate, coffee, or canelazo

Golden fried cassava sticks piled on a white plate

Paraguay 50m

Lunch •Paraguayan Heritage

Mandioca Frita

This mandioca frita recipe boils fresh cassava until tender, then fries the pieces in hot oil until the edges turn crisp and golden while the centres stay soft and fluffy. It is the side dish that appears beside grilled meats, stews and soups across Paraguay, eaten hot with a pinch of salt. One serving is about 200 g and carries about 411 calories.

Crisp & Golden

Boiled cassava fried until crisp outside and fluffy inside — the everyday golden side that sits beside almost every Paraguayan lunch.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot with a pinch of salt, beside grilled meat or a hearty soup.

A golden pan de yema roll topped with sesame seeds on a white plate

Honduras 2h 25m

Breakfast •Honduran Heritage

Pan de Yema

This pan de yema recipe turns eight golden egg yolks, milk and butter into soft, lightly sweet rolls with a tender yellow crumb and a sesame-speckled crust. The dough is yeasted, so the rolls rise high and stay soft for days — the Honduran bakery classic for breakfast, and the roll Honduran cooks bake for Christmas torrejas. One serving is one roll, about 79 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A soft, golden, sesame-topped yolk bread — rich with egg yolks and made for dunking in morning coffee.

Pairs Well With
Hot coffee or chocolate de agua

A tamal de chipilín unwrapped in its corn husk on a clay plate, the pale masa flecked with green chipilín leaves

El Salvador 2h 15m

Lunch •Salvadoran Heritage

Tamales de Chipilín

This tamales de chipilin recipe folds fresh chipilín leaves and crumbled queso fresco into a soft corn masa, wraps the parcels in soaked corn husks and steams them until firm and fragrant. One serving (two tamales) is about 230 g. Unwrap them at the table and serve with curtido and a mild tomato salsa.

Hearty & Herby

A filling vegetarian main of corn masa flecked with chipilín leaves and a soft queso fresco centre, steamed in corn husks.

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

A bowl of golden Cuban pumpkin cream soup with two olive-oil-brushed toasted bread slices

Cuba 45m

Lunch •Cuba Heritage

Crema de Calabaza

This crema de calabaza recipe is the Cuban pumpkin cream soup cooked in homes from Havana to Miami: calabaza and potato simmered in chicken stock with onion and garlic, then blended silky-smooth with milk and finished with olive oil. One serving is about 425 g. Serve it with toasted bread for dunking.

Comfort & Warmth

Calabaza simmered in chicken stock with onion and garlic, blended smooth with milk — a golden, gentle soup that tastes like a Cuban kitchen on a cool evening.

Pairs Well With
Toasted Cuban bread, a simple green salad and roast pork

Soups & Broths

A golden closed ham and cheese tart cut into wedges, its flaky lid and rope-crimped edge filling the frame

Uruguay 1h 25m

Lunch •Uruguayan Home Cooking

Tarta de Jamón y Queso

This tarta de jamon y queso recipe bakes diced cooked ham and mozzarella with eggs, cream and grated parmesan into a crisp olive-oil shortcrust, sealed under a golden lid. It is the everyday savoury tart of Uruguay — sold in bakeries, packed into lunchboxes, and served warm or at room temperature. One serving is about 168 g.

Everyday Lunch

A golden closed tart of ham, mozzarella and egg — the Rio de la Plata lunchbox classic.

Pairs Well With
A wedge with a green salad and a glass of cold white wine, or wrapped up for a picnic lunch

A bowl of fish soup with a whole fish steak and potato chunks in a golden-orange broth

Haiti 1h 15m

Dinner •Haitian Heritage

Haitian Fish Soup

This haitian fish soup recipe starts with whole red snapper steaks rubbed in epis, the green herb seasoning at the heart of Haitian cooking, then poached in a clear broth with potato, malanga, carrot and tomato. Unlike Haitian bouillon, which is built on beef, dumplings and pumpkin, this soup is all about the fish: the steaks stay whole, the broth stays light, and a whole Scotch bonnet lends warmth without taking over. One serving is about 587 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Whole red snapper steaks poached in an epis-seasoned broth with potato, malanga and carrot until the fish flakes and the roots turn tender.

Pairs Well With
Crusty Haitian bread for soaking up the broth, with fried plantain and a squeeze of lime on the side.

Soups & Broths

Four golden broasted chicken drumsticks with French fries and ketchup on a white plate

Bolivia 1h 10m

Lunch •Bolivian Street Food Heritage

Pollo Broaster

Pollo broaster is Bolivia's beloved fast-food chicken: pieces marinated in beer, garlic and mustard, coated in spiced flour and fried until the crust shatters and the meat stays juicy. This pollo broaster recipe gives you that same crunch at home with a deep pot of hot oil, served with French fries, salad and fiery llajua. One serving is about 432 g.

Crispy Comfort Lunch

Pressure-fried style chicken with French fries, salad and llajua — crisp outside, juicy inside.

Pairs Well With
French fries, llajua, and an ice-cold lager or lemonade.

A tall cup of cholado piled with chopped fruit, red berry syrup and condensed milk in Jamundí, Colombia

Colombia 25m

Snack & Tea •Valle del Cauca Heritage

Cholado

This cholado recipe builds a tall glass the Jamundí way: fine shaved ice, a homemade passion fruit syrup, chopped strawberries, banana, mango, pineapple and lulo, then a generous drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and a wafer on top. One serving is a tall glass, about 468 g. It is part shaved ice, part fruit salad, part milkshake — and it is eaten with a spoon and a straw at the same time.

Icy Fruit Dessert Cup

Shaved ice layered with chopped tropical fruit, passion fruit syrup and condensed milk, finished with a wafer.

Pairs Well With
Empanadas or aborrajados first, then a cholado to finish

A cup of Cuban black bean soup with a mound of white rice and chopped cilantro in the centre, on a plate with a spoon

Cuba 2h 15m

Dinner •Cuban Heritage

Cuban Black Bean Soup

This cuban black bean soup recipe starts with dried black beans soaked overnight, simmered until tender, then finished with a sofrito of onion, green pepper and garlic, cumin, oregano and a splash of red wine vinegar. A third of the pot is mashed in to thicken the broth lightly, while the rest of the beans stay whole. One serving is about 472 g, ladled into a bowl with a scoop of white rice in the middle and a scatter of red onion and cilantro — the way the soup is served in Cuba.

Comfort & Warmth

Dried black beans simmered with a sofrito of onion, green pepper and garlic into a dark, brothy soup — the bowl Cuba ladles up with rice in the middle.

Pairs Well With
Serve each bowl with a scoop of white rice in the middle, red onion and cilantro on top, and warm Cuban bread on the side

Soups & Broths

A white bowl of creamy elbow macaroni salad with green peas and diced orange carrot, a serving spoon resting in the bowl

Dominican Republic 32m

Lunch •Dominican Home Cooking

Ensalada de Coditos

This ensalada de coditos recipe tosses tender elbow macaroni with hard-boiled egg, sweet peas, corn, carrot, red pepper and vinegar-marinated red onion, all bound in a tangy full-fat mayonnaise dressing loosened with evaporated milk. It is the cold salad Dominicans set out at Christmas dinner and family cookouts, and it only gets better after a long chill. One serving is about 350 g.

Creamy Family Side

Chilled elbow macaroni with peas, corn and egg in a tangy mayonnaise dressing, a cool creamy side for a grilled lunch.

Pairs Well With
Serve cold next to grilled chicken or pernil, with avocado slices and an ice-cold passion-fruit juice.

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

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Belarus

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Belize

Benin

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Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

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Burkina Faso

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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

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Cyprus

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Côte d'Ivoire

Denmark

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Dominican Republic

Ecuador

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El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

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Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

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Gabon

Gambia

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Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

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Iceland

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Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

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Kiribati

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Laos

Latvia

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Lithuania

Luxembourg

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Mali

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Mauritius

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Niger

Nigeria

North Korea

North Macedonia

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

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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

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Slovakia

Slovenia

Solomon Islands

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South Africa

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Spain

Sri Lanka

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Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Timor-Leste

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

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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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Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack & Tea

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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