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 385–396 of 2290 dinner recipes

A bowl of ghormeh sabzi, the dark green Persian herb stew with red kidney beans and beef, served with a spoon

Iran 3h

Dinner •Iranian National Dish

Ghormeh Sabzi

This ghormeh sabzi recipe is Iran's famous herb stew: a mountain of parsley, spinach, cilantro, fenugreek and spring onions, chopped fine and fried in oil until dark and intensely fragrant, then simmered with beef stew meat, red kidney beans and pierced dried limes. The long, slow braise turns the herbs almost black-green and the meat spoon-tender, with a sour note from the limes that no other stew has. It is ladled over fluffy saffron rice, never mixed in. One serving is about 325 g.

Slow-Cooked Herb Stew with Beef & Kidney Beans

Chopped herbs fried dark and fragrant, braised with beef, kidney beans and dried lime until the stew turns deep green and tangy.

Pairs Well With
Saffron rice (chelow), Shirazi salad & fresh herbs

High Protein

A skillet of fesenjan, dark walnut and pomegranate chicken stew, with a golden tahdig rice dome behind it

Iran 2h 25m

Dinner •Gilan Celebration Dish

Fesenjan

This fesenjan recipe is the Persian celebration stew from the Caspian provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran: ground walnuts toasted and simmered for hours with pomegranate molasses until the sauce turns a deep mahogany brown, glossy with the walnuts' own oil. Chicken thighs cook in that sweet-sour sauce until they fall apart at a touch, and the dish is finished with pomegranate seeds. It is served over saffron rice with a crisp tahdig crust. One serving is about 292 g.

Walnut & Pomegranate Stew with Chicken

Ground walnuts simmered low and slow with pomegranate molasses until the sauce turns dark, glossy and sweet-sour around tender chicken.

Pairs Well With
Saffron rice with tahdig, Shirazi salad & fresh herbs

High Protein

Golden tahchin, the Persian saffron rice cake, cut into squares with a crisp browned crust

Iran 1h 55m

Dinner •Persian Festive Rice Cake

Tahchin

This tahchin recipe is the Persian saffron rice cake: par-cooked basmati rice folded through a saffron, yoghurt and egg-yolk mixture, then layered in a buttered dish over shredded chicken and baked until it holds together as a cake. The drama comes at the end, when the dish is turned out to reveal the tahdig — the golden, crisp crust that formed on the bottom. It is cut into wedges and finished with tart barberries and pistachios. One serving is about 325 g.

Saffron Rice Cake Layered with Chicken & Yoghurt

Par-cooked rice bound with saffron, yoghurt and egg yolk, layered over chicken and baked until the bottom turns into a golden, crisp tahdig.

Pairs Well With
Shirazi salad, fresh herbs & doogh

Whole carp staked upright around an open wood fire, grilling in the traditional masgouf style

Iraq 1h 30m

Dinner •Iraq's National Dish

Masgouf

This masgouf recipe is Iraq's national dish: a whole carp, butterflied open, rubbed with a tamarind and tomato marinade, then grilled upright beside an open fire until the skin turns crisp and golden and the flesh stays moist and smoky. At home it works just as well on a barbecue or under a hot grill, served with charred tomatoes, onion and warm flatbread. One serving is about 410 g.

Whole Grilled Carp Over Open Fire

A whole butterflied carp, rubbed with tamarind, tomato and spices, slow-grilled beside an open fire until the skin is crisp and the flesh is smoky and tender.

Pairs Well With
Grilled tomatoes & onion, warm flatbread, Iraqi pickles

High Protein

A platter of Iraqi dolma with stuffed vine leaves, aubergine, tomatoes and onions, topped with lamb chops

Iraq 2h 30m

Dinner •Baghdad Home-Cooking Heritage

Iraqi Dolma

This Iraqi dolma recipe is the Baghdad form: vine leaves and Swiss chard leaves rolled around a filling of ground beef, rice and herbs, cooked in the same pot as stuffed aubergine, tomato, pepper and onion, all simmered over lamb chops in a sour broth of pomegranate molasses and dried limes. The leaves turn tender, the vegetables soften, and the pot is turned out onto a platter with the caramelised lamb chops on top. One serving is about 390 g.

Mixed Leaves & Vegetables Stuffed with Beef & Rice

Vine leaves, Swiss chard and stuffed aubergine, tomato and pepper filled with beef and rice, simmered in a sour pomegranate and dried-lime broth over lamb chops.

Pairs Well With
Plain yoghurt, warm flatbread, cucumber & tomato salad

Six golden fried kubba, pointed oval bulgur shells, arranged in a circle on a white plate

Iraq 1h 5m

Dinner •Iraqi Home-Cooking Heritage

Kubba

This kubba recipe makes the Iraqi fried form: fine bulgur kneaded with a little minced beef into a smooth shell, wrapped around a filling of spiced minced beef, onion, walnuts and raisins, shaped into pointed ovals and fried until deep golden and crisp. Unlike the baked tray kibbeh of Lebanon, Iraqi kubba are individual shells, eaten hot with salad and yoghurt. One serving is about 260 g — three shells.

Crisp Fried Bulgur Shells with Spiced Beef

Fine bulgur shells wrapped around a filling of spiced minced beef, onion, walnuts and raisins, fried until golden and crisp.

Pairs Well With
Cucumber & tomato salad, plain yoghurt, lemon wedges

Falafel balls in a pita pocket with chopped salad, pickles and tahini

Israel 40m

Lunch •Tel Aviv Street Food

Israeli Falafel

This israeli falafel recipe starts with dried chickpeas soaked overnight — never canned — blended with onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro into a green, fragrant mix, then rolled into balls and fried until deep golden and crisp. One serving is about 180 g (five fritters with pita on the side).

Plant-Based Protein

Crisp chickpea fritters with herbs, tucked into warm pita with salad and tahini.

Pairs Well With
Warm pita, Israeli salad, tahini sauce and pickles

A plate of smooth swirled hummus topped with whole chickpeas, parsley and paprika, with a small bowl of Israeli salad beside it

Israel 1h

Snack & Tea •Jerusalem Hummusiya Plate

Israeli Hummus

This israeli hummus recipe is the Jerusalem hummusiya way: chickpeas simmered until they are falling apart, then whipped with tehini and ice water into a pale, silky cream that is served warm, not cold. It is swirled onto a plate and finished with warm whole chickpeas, a hard-boiled egg, paprika and olive oil. One serving is about 205 g.

Smooth & Satisfying

Extra-smooth warm hummus swirled on a plate with tehini, warm chickpeas, egg and paprika.

Pairs Well With
Warm pita, Israeli salad and pickles

Quick Prep (<30m)

Sabich pita sandwich stuffed with fried eggplant, sliced hard-boiled egg, salad and tahini

Israel 45m

Lunch •Iraqi-Jewish Street Food

Sabich

This sabich recipe starts with salted, golden-fried eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, a crisp tomato-cucumber salad, hummus and lemony tahini sauce, all tucked into warm pita with a spoon of tangy amba. One serving is about 425 g (one generously stuffed pita).

Hearty Vegetarian Lunch

Fried eggplant and hard-boiled egg in warm pita with hummus, tahini, Israeli salad and amba.

Pairs Well With
Israeli salad, pickles, amba and tahini sauce, with mint tea or lemonade

Jamaican jerk chicken grilling under a metal cover, dark and charred at the edges, in Montego Bay

Jamaica 55m

Dinner •Jamaican Heritage

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

This jamaican jerk chicken recipe rubs chicken thighs with a fiery paste of scotch bonnet chillies, allspice, thyme and lime, then grills them until the skin crisps and the meat stays juicy. The marinade does most of the work, so the cooking itself is short and simple. One serving is about 215 g.

Bold & Satisfying

Chicken marinated in scotch bonnet, allspice and thyme, then grilled until smoky and charred at the edges.

Pairs Well With
Rice and peas with a cool cabbage slaw and a wedge of lime.

High Protein

Ackee and saltfish in a white bowl, pale yellow ackee arils mixed with flaked salt cod, tomato and scallion

Jamaica 40m

Breakfast •Jamaican Heritage

Ackee and Saltfish

This ackee and saltfish recipe turns Jamaica's national dish into a breakfast worth waking up for: buttery ackee arils folded gently through flaked salt cod, sweet pepper, tomato and scallions. The ackee cooks soft and creamy while the saltfish stays savoury and firm. One serving is about 305 g.

Hearty & Traditional

Jamaica's national dish: creamy ackee folded through flaked salt cod with onion, tomato and sweet pepper.

Pairs Well With
Fried dumplings, boiled green banana and a cup of hot chocolate tea.

Jamaican curry goat with roti and cabbage slaw on a white plate, the meat coated in a rich yellow-brown curry sauce

Jamaica 2h 55m

Dinner •Jamaican Heritage

Jamaican Curry Goat

This jamaican curry goat recipe slow-braises bone-in goat in a deep yellow curry of Jamaican curry powder, allspice, thyme and scotch bonnet, with potato melting into the sauce. It takes time, but the meat turns so tender it slips off the bone. One serving is about 300 g.

Rich & Comforting

Goat slow-braised in Jamaican curry powder with potato, thyme and scotch bonnet until it falls off the bone.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice and peas with roti and a crisp cabbage slaw.

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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Belize

Benin

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Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

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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

Cuba

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Czechia

Côte d'Ivoire

Denmark

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Dominican Republic

Ecuador

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Fiji

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Gambia

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North Korea

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Panama

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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

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Spain

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Suriname

Sweden

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Syria

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Thailand

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Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

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Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

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Uruguay

Uzbekistan

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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