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 61–72 of 2290 dinner recipes

A platter of spiced rice topped with browned lamb, lime wedges and salad

Djibouti 1h 45m

Dinner •Djibouti Heritage

Skoudehkaris

This skoudehkaris recipe browns lamb shoulder in a spice-scented pot, then simmers it with tomatoes and broth before the basmati rice goes in to soak up every drop. The result is a fragrant, rust-coloured one-pot dinner that tastes like a Djiboutian family table. One serving is about 510 g.

Comfort & Warmth

One-pot spiced rice with browned lamb, tomatoes and warm Horn of Africa spices.

Pairs Well With
Cool yoghurt, fresh salad and lime wedges

A stack of thin golden malawaax flatbreads on a plate beside a cup of tea

Djibouti 30m

Breakfast •Djibouti Heritage

Malawaax

This djibouti malawaax recipe turns a simple batter of flour, milk, egg and cardamom into eight thin, golden flatbreads with crisp lacy edges and a soft, sweet centre. Cooked one at a time in a hot pan and brushed with butter, they are the flatbread Djiboutian families stack high for breakfast and tear into over cups of spiced tea. One serving is about 220 g.

Sweet Breakfast & Tea Time

A light, sweet flatbread breakfast that pairs with tea and fruit and is ready in half an hour.

Pairs Well With
Serve warm with honey, a ripe banana and a cup of spiced black tea.

Pepesup — red snapper pieces in a red pepper broth served in a clay bowl on a woven mat

Equatorial Guinea 45m

Lunch •Malabo Heritage

Pepesup (Equatorial Guinea Fish Pepper Soup)

This pepesup recipe is Equatorial Guinea's coastal classic: red snapper fillets simmered in a thin, fiery broth of tomato, red pepper, onion and habanero, finished with lemon and dried herbs. It is light but boldly spiced, and the fish stays tender because it goes in last. One serving is about 450 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Red snapper simmered in a hot, tomato-pepper broth with onion, herbs and lemon — a light, fiery coastal soup.

Pairs Well With
Steamed white rice, boiled yam or cassava, and a cold light beer or lime soda

Soups & Broths

Equatorial Guinea cocoyam — steamed cocoyam chunks coated in a dark green spinach and palm-oil sauce on a white plate

Equatorial Guinea 50m

Lunch •Bioko Heritage

Equatorial Guinea Cocoyam with Greens

This equatorial guinea cocoyam recipe is the everyday staple lunch of the islands and the mainland: cocoyam — known locally as malanga — steamed until soft and floury, then served with a mild, leafy greens sauce of spinach, tomato, onion and red palm oil. It is simple, filling and entirely plant-based. One serving is about 300 g.

Simple & Wholesome

Cocoyam steamed until tender, served with a mild spinach, tomato and palm-oil greens sauce — a fully plant-based staple lunch.

Pairs Well With
A squeeze of lime, sliced avocado, and a glass of cold water or hibiscus drink

Leaf-wrapped abala parcels steaming in a pot in Equatorial Guinea, one parcel unwrapped to show the pale orange malanga inside

Equatorial Guinea 1h 35m

Lunch •Fang Heritage

Equatorial Guinea Abala

Grated malanga (taro) mixed with red palm oil, onion and salt, spooned into softened plantain leaves and steamed until firm and fragrant. Unwrap each parcel at the table and eat it warm with grilled fish or a tomato relish. One serving is about 300 g.

Simple & Wholesome

Steamed malanga parcels with palm oil — a filling, plant-based staple lunch with no frying and no added sugar.

Pairs Well With
Grilled fish, tomato-onion relish & steamed greens

A white dish of dark red zigni beef stew served with folded injera and a basket of rolled injera

Eritrea 3h

Dinner •Eritrea's National Dish

Zigni

This zigni recipe slow-cooks cubes of beef chuck in caramelised red onions, tomatoes and berbere until the meat is spoon-tender and the sauce turns a deep, glossy red. It is the celebratory stew Eritrean families cook for gatherings, eaten by tearing injera and scooping. One serving is about 400 g.

Rich & Celebratory

Slow-cooked beef in a deep red berbere and tomato sauce, ladled over spongy injera.

Pairs Well With
Fresh injera, gomen (sautéed collard greens) and a cold glass of tej or lager

A ring of Eritrean ga'at barley porridge with a well of red berbere butter in the centre and forks stuck around it

Eritrea 35m

Breakfast •Eritrean Heritage

Eritrean Ga'at

This Eritrean gaat recipe stirs roasted barley flour into boiling water until it turns thick, smooth and stiff, then moulds it into a ring with a well of hot berbere butter in the centre. It is the celebratory breakfast traditionally served when a new child is born, eaten communally from one dish with a fork for each person. One serving is about 389 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Stiff barley porridge moulded into a ring, with a well of hot berbere butter in the centre and cool yogurt on the side.

Pairs Well With
Hot berbere butter and cool plain yogurt

A black clay pot of smooth orange-red shiro wat served with folded injera

Eritrea 55m

Dinner •Eritrean Fasting Classic

Shiro Wat

This shiro wat recipe roasts chickpea flour until nutty, then whisks it into caramelised onions, tomato paste and berbere until the stew turns thick, smooth and glossy. It is the dish Eritrean families reach for on fasting days, when no meat, egg or dairy is eaten — spooned onto injera straight from the clay pot. One serving is about 250 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A silky, slow-stirred stew of roasted chickpea flour, berbere and onion — the fasting-day favourite.

Pairs Well With
Fresh injera, gomen and a simple tomato salad, with hot spiced tea

A white bowl of samp and beans — soft crushed maize kernels mixed with red-brown beans

Eswatini 2h 45m

Lunch •Eswatini Heritage

Eswatini Samp and Beans

This eswatini samp and beans recipe is a slow, one-pot lunch: dried samp (crushed maize kernels) and sugar beans simmered together until tender, then stirred with onion, carrot and sunflower oil. In Eswatini the dish is known as umncushu, and it is served hot in deep bowls, often with greens or sour milk on the side. One serving is about 350 g.

Hearty Everyday Staple

Dried samp and sugar beans simmered together in one pot until soft, then finished with onion, carrot and a little oil — the filling, everyday lunch of Swazi homes.

Pairs Well With
Steamed pumpkin leaves or spinach, and a glass of emasi (sour milk) or iced rooibos

Four ears of grilled corn on the cob on a charcoal grill, one ear golden-brown with charred kernels

Eswatini 40m

Snack & Tea •Eswatini Heritage

Eswatini Roasted Mealies

This eswatini roasted mealies recipe is the simplest Swazi street food: fresh corn on the cob, husked and grilled over charcoal until the kernels turn golden and sweet, then rubbed with butter and a pinch of salt. Market stalls in Eswatini sell roasted corn on the cob in season, eaten hot with the hands. One serving is about 160 g.

Smoky Street Snack

Fresh corn on the cob grilled over charcoal until golden and sweet, then rubbed with butter and salt — the seasonal street snack sold at markets across Eswatini.

Pairs Well With
Grilled chicken, tomato-and-onion relish, or cold ginger beer

A spatchcocked chicken grilling over glowing charcoal on a braai grid

Eswatini 1h 40m

Dinner •Eswatini Heritage

Eswatini Grilled Chicken

Eswatini grilled chicken is a whole spatchcocked chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, paprika and chilli, then grilled slowly over charcoal until smoky and crisp. This eswatini grilled chicken recipe takes 100 minutes and serves 4 with a mound of soft maize pap. One serving is about 400 g.

Smoky Braai Favourite

A whole chicken butterflied, rubbed with lemon, garlic and chilli, and grilled over charcoal until the skin crisps — served with soft pap.

Pairs Well With
Soft pap, chakalaka relish, and braised greens

A chicken leg and a whole boiled egg coated in red doro wat sauce, served on injera

Ethiopia 1h 40m

Dinner •Ethiopia's National Dish

Doro Wat

This doro wat recipe slow-cooks chicken thighs in a deep red berbere sauce built on onions cooked down without fat, then finishes with niter kibbeh and whole boiled eggs. It is Ethiopia's national dish, served at holidays and family gatherings, and one serving is about 375 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Slow-cooked chicken in berbere and niter kibbeh, with a whole boiled egg, served on injera.

Pairs Well With
Injera and ayib (fresh Ethiopian cheese)

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

Brunei

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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

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Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

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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

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Maldives

Mali

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

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Moldova

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Mongolia

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Morocco

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

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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

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Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

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Tanzania

Thailand

Timor-Leste

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

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Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

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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