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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Breakfast to Snack

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 457–468 of 2290 dinner recipes

A plated hāngī dinner — slow-cooked meat with gravy, sage stuffing, roast potato and kūmara, and carrot salad on a woven flax placemat

New Zealand 4h

Dinner •Māori Earth-Oven Feast

New Zealand Hāngī

This hangi recipe brings New Zealand's Māori earth-oven feast into a home kitchen: pork, lamb and chicken rubbed with garlic and salt, layered with kūmara, potato, pumpkin, cabbage and carrots in cabbage-leaf-lined parcels with sage stuffing, then slow-roasted until everything is tender and smoky. Traditionally the food goes into flax baskets over white-hot stones in a pit dug in the ground and is buried under wet sacks and earth; here a low oven and foil do the same job, and the recipe says so plainly. One serving is about 773 g.

Hearty & Communal

Pork, lamb and chicken slow-roasted with kūmara, potato, pumpkin and cabbage, cooked the Māori way and built for sharing.

Pairs Well With
Watercress salad and rewena bread on the side, with gravy from the pan juices

High Protein

A tub of hokey pokey ice cream in a parlour display — pale vanilla ice cream swirled with golden honeycomb toffee pieces

New Zealand 6h 30m

Snack & Tea •New Zealand Kiwiana Classic

New Zealand Hokey Pokey Ice Cream

This hokey pokey ice cream recipe starts with a silky no-churn vanilla base — whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla — then folds in shards of homemade hokey pokey, the golden honeycomb toffee New Zealanders have loved for generations. The honeycomb stays crunchy against the cold cream, giving every spoonful a caramel snap. One serving is about 146 g.

Sweet & Comforting

Creamy no-churn vanilla ice cream folded with crunchy homemade honeycomb toffee — a rich, sweet treat to enjoy in small scoops.

Pairs Well With
Crisp wafers or a waffle cone, with a cup of black tea or flat white coffee

Golden New Zealand whitebait fritters on a white plate, tiny whitebait visible curled through the egg batter

New Zealand 22m

Lunch •New Zealand Seasonal Classic

New Zealand Whitebait Fritters

This whitebait fritters recipe folds tiny New Zealand whitebait through lightly beaten egg with just a spoonful of flour, then pan-fries spoonfuls in butter until golden. The fish stay clearly visible, curled through the egg — the classic Kiwi way to eat the seasonal catch. One serving is about 173 g.

Delicate & Savoury

Tiny whole whitebait folded through egg with just a spoonful of flour, pan-fried in butter — high in protein and light on the stomach.

Pairs Well With
Buttered white bread and lemon wedges, with a crisp green salad

Nicaraguan gallo pinto — reddish rice fried with small red beans — served with fried chicken and potatoes in a takeaway tray

Nicaragua 35m

Breakfast •Nicaragua's National Breakfast

Nicaraguan Gallo Pinto

This Nicaraguan gallo pinto recipe fries day-old white rice with small red beans, onion, sweet pepper, garlic, cumin and oregano until the grains turn reddish-brown and a little crisp at the edges. The beans are cooked with garlic and onion, then fried hard in oil with the rice — no Salsa Lizano, no cilantro, just the bean and the pan. One serving is about 286 g.

Comfort & Energy

Small red beans and day-old rice fried together with onion, sweet pepper and garlic in plenty of oil — Nicaragua's plain, toasty answer to gallo pinto, with no Lizano sauce anywhere near the pan.

Pairs Well With
Fried egg, fried cheese and a corn tortilla, with black coffee

A nacatamal opened on its banana leaf, the white masa showing, beside fried plantains topped with refried beans

Nicaragua 7h

Breakfast •Nicaragua's Sunday Breakfast

Nacatamal

This nacatamal recipe makes six big Nicaraguan tamales: corn masa coloured with achiote and soured with sour orange, spread on banana leaves and layered with marinated pork, soaked rice, potato, tomato, onion, sweet pepper, olives and mint, then tied up and boiled until firm. One nacatamal is a whole meal, about 380 g, traditionally eaten on Sunday mornings with bread and black coffee.

Comfort & Warmth

One giant banana-leaf parcel of achiote-coloured masa, sour-orange pork, rice and potato, boiled for hours until the whole meal sets together — a Sunday breakfast that is a meal in itself.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread and black coffee, with a spoonful of chilero on the side

Vigoron on a plate — boiled yuca chunks, golden chicharrones and a cabbage and tomato salad

Nicaragua 55m

Lunch •Granada's Street-Food Classic

Vigorón

This vigoron recipe is the Granada street food: chunks of boiled yuca, crisp fried pork rinds and a tangy cabbage salad of cabbage, tomato, onion, carrot, lime and vinegar, layered on a banana leaf. Soft, crunchy and sharp all at once, it is a quick lunch that needs no cutlery. One serving is about 524 g.

Comfort & Energy

Soft boiled yuca, crackling chicharrones and a sharp vinegar cabbage salad piled on a banana leaf — Granada street food that is eaten with the fingers and finished in minutes.

Pairs Well With
A cold beer or a fresh lime drink, eaten with the fingers

Pyongyang-style naengmyeon served in South Korea — cold buckwheat noodles in clear chilled beef broth with sliced beef, half a boiled egg and cucumber in a white bowl

North Korea 2h 45m

Lunch •Pyongyang Heritage

Pyongyang Naengmyeon

This pyongyang naengmyeon recipe makes four icy bowls of springy buckwheat noodles in a clear chilled beef broth, topped with sliced brisket, half a boiled egg, cucumber and Asian pear. It is the Pyongyang way: mild and beefy, never fiery, with mustard and vinegar on the side so each person seasons their own bowl. One serving is about 632 g.

Light & Refreshing

Cold buckwheat noodles in a clear chilled beef broth — light, savory and refreshing on a hot day.

Pairs Well With
White kimchi, sliced Asian pear, and barley tea

Soups & Broths • Pasta & Noodles

North Korean-style white kimchi — pale napa cabbage leaves in a light brine, served in a small white bowl

North Korea 2h 35m

Snack & Tea •Pyeongan Heritage

North Korean Kimchi

This north korean kimchi recipe is the northern, white style — baek-kimchi. Salted napa cabbage is stuffed with radish, Asian pear, garlic, ginger and chestnuts, then packed in its own pale brine with only a few red chilli threads for colour. It is nothing like the fiery red kimchi of the south: no chilli paste, far less heat, more brine, and a clean sweet-sour taste that lets the pear and ginger shine. One serving is about 195 g.

Fermented & Refreshing

Pale, briny white kimchi — salted napa cabbage with radish, pear and ginger, fermented without a chilli paste coating.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, pyongyang naengmyeon, and grilled pork

Fermented / Gut Health

North Korean-style steamed mandu — plump jjin-mandu dumplings steaming in a metal steamer basket

North Korea 1h 25m

Dinner •Korean Festive Classic

North Korean Mandu

This north korean mandu recipe makes 24 plump steamed dumplings filled with ground pork, well-fermented kimchi, firm tofu and garlic chives, served hot from the steamer with a sharp soy-vinegar dip. Northern mandu are bigger and more generously filled than most, and the kimchi in the filling is what makes them unmistakably Korean — tangy, savory and juicy, with no yoghurt sauce and no tomato sauce in sight. One serving is about 295 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Plump steamed dumplings filled with pork, kimchi, tofu and garlic chives, served hot with a soy-vinegar dip.

Pairs Well With
Soy-vinegar dip, white kimchi, and barley tea

High Protein

Omani shuwa — dark spice-crusted slow-roasted lamb pieces served over golden saffron rice on a shared platter

Oman 7h 35m

Dinner •Muscat Heritage

Omani Shuwa

This shuwa recipe is Oman's great celebration roast: a bone-in leg of lamb rubbed with a dark, fragrant paste of garlic, ginger, vinegar and warm spices, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted for hours until the meat shreds at a touch. It is served the Omani way, in generous slices over saffron basmati rice scattered with fried onions, almonds and raisins. One serving is about 430 g.

Celebration Roast & Family Feast

A whole spiced lamb leg slow-roasted until it falls apart, served over saffron basmati rice with fried onions, almonds and raisins.

Pairs Well With
Saffron rice, salata, dates & Omani coffee

High Protein

Omani saloona — a bowl of tomato and dried-lime lamb stew with a ladle, served beside a platter of white rice spooned with stew

Oman 2h 10m

Dinner •Muscat Heritage

Omani Saloona

This omani saloona recipe is the everyday stew of Omani home cooking: bone-in lamb simmered low and slow in a tomato broth with dried lime and warm spices, then finished with big chunks of potato, zucchini, eggplant, carrot and bell pepper. The stew is ladled straight from the pot over plain white rice, so every spoonful is part meat, part vegetable, part broth. One serving is about 650 g.

Everyday Family Stew & Comfort Food

Bone-in lamb simmered with big pieces of potato, zucchini, eggplant and carrot in a tomato and dried-lime broth, ladled over plain white rice.

Pairs Well With
White basmati rice, salata & pickled lime

Omani halwa — glossy amber saffron sweet studded with chopped nuts in a steel serving bowl

Oman 1h 10m

Snack & Tea •Omani Heritage

Omani Halwa

This omani halwa recipe makes Oman's famous celebration sweet: sugar and starch stirred slowly into a glossy, amber gel, enriched with ghee and perfumed with saffron, cardamom and rosewater, then studded with almonds, cashews and pistachios. It is cut into small diamonds and served in tiny portions with unsweetened Omani coffee. One serving is about 65 g.

Celebration Sweet & Coffee Companion

A glossy, amber sweet of sugar, starch and ghee, perfumed with saffron, cardamom and rosewater and studded with nuts.

Pairs Well With
Omani coffee, dates & fresh fruit

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.

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