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 709–720 of 2301 dinner recipes

A golden teardrop-shaped coxinha on a white plate with a paper napkin

Brazil 1h 30m

Snack & Tea •Paulista Street-Food Icon

Coxinha

This coxinha recipe poaches chicken until tender, shreds it with tomato, onion and creamy cheese, then wraps the filling in a soft dough made from the poaching stock, shapes it into teardrops, crumbs it and fries it golden. One serving is about 283 g.

Golden & Crispy

Teardrop croquettes of chicken-stock dough wrapped around shredded chicken and creamy cheese, fried golden.

Pairs Well With
Cold beer or guarana soda, with a spicy pepper sauce

A clay bowl of pozole rojo, red chile broth with pork and hominy, topped with shredded cabbage, onion and sliced radish

Mexico 3h

Dinner •Jalisco Celebration Soup

Pozole Rojo

This pozole rojo recipe simmers pork shoulder in a smooth guajillo and ancho chile broth with plump white hominy, then lets everyone finish their own bowl with shredded cabbage, radish, onion, oregano and lime. It is the red pozole of Jalisco and western Mexico, made for celebrations and big family weekends. One serving is about 600 g, soup and toppings together.

Comfort & Warmth

A slow-simmered pork and hominy soup in a red guajillo chile broth, finished at the table with crisp raw toppings.

Pairs Well With
Crisp tostadas and a cold Mexican lager on the side.

Soups & Broths

A bowl of cellentani pasta tossed in green basil pesto with pieces of tomato

Italy 32m

Dinner •Genoa Ligurian Classic

Pesto Genovese

This pesto genovese recipe pounds fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano with Ligurian olive oil into a bright green sauce, then tosses it with trofie pasta, green beans and potato. It is the uncooked sauce of Genoa, made in minutes and never heated, so the basil stays vivid and fragrant. One serving is about 330 g, pasta and sauce together.

Fresh & Herby

A raw basil sauce pounded with pine nuts, garlic and hard cheese, tossed with trofie pasta, green beans and potato the Ligurian way.

Pairs Well With
A glass of dry white wine and a simple green salad on the side.

Pasta & Noodles • Quick Prep (<30m)

A white ramekin of creme brulee with a golden caramelised sugar top, on a small plate with a spoon

France 1h

Snack & Tea •French Classic Dessert

Creme Brulee

This creme brulee recipe bakes egg yolks, cream, sugar and vanilla in a gentle water bath until the custard is just set, then chills it and torches a thin layer of sugar into a hard amber shell that cracks under the spoon. It is the classic French dessert of contrasts: cold, silky cream under hot, crisp caramel. One serving is about 170 g, one ramekin.

Sweet & Silky

A silky vanilla custard baked gently in a water bath, finished with a thin sheet of crackling caramelised sugar.

Pairs Well With
Fresh raspberries and a cup of black coffee.

Two golden fried croquetas de jamon on a small white plate with a cocktail stick

Spain 45m

Snack & Tea •Spanish Tapas Classic

Croquetas de Jamon

This croquetas recipe cooks Serrano ham into a thick, nutmeg-scented bechamel, chills it until firm, then shapes it into small rolls, coats them in egg and breadcrumbs, and fries them until golden and crisp outside and creamy inside. It makes 24 croquetas, four per serving, and they are best eaten hot from the pan. One serving is about 200 g.

Crispy & Creamy

Golden breadcrumb shells around a creamy, nutmeg-scented ham bechamel — Spain's most loved tapa.

Pairs Well With
A glass of dry sherry and a simple green salad.

A bowl of shoyu ramen with clear brown soy broth, noodles, soft egg halves, chashu pork, narutomaki and spring onion

Japan 1h 30m

Lunch •Tokyo Shoyu Style

Shoyu Ramen

This shoyu ramen recipe builds Tokyo's classic clear broth from chicken stock, soy sauce, mirin and sake, then fills the bowl with fresh noodles, braised pork shoulder, a jammy egg and the usual toppings. One serving is about 620 g.

Clear & Comforting

A clear, soy-seasoned chicken broth with springy noodles, sliced chashu and a soft egg — Tokyo's everyday ramen.

Pairs Well With
Gyoza, pickled ginger and iced green tea

Soups & Broths • Pasta & Noodles

A plate of som tam with shredded green papaya, long beans, peanuts, tomato and red chilli

Thailand 25m

Lunch •Isan Thai Style

Som Tam

This som tam recipe pounds shredded green papaya with lime, bird's eye chillies, fish sauce, palm sugar, dried shrimp and peanuts in a mortar — Thailand's famous balance of sour, spicy, salty and sweet. One serving is about 250 g.

Fresh & Fiery

Shredded green papaya pounded with lime, chilli, fish sauce and peanuts — crunchy, sour, spicy and sweet in one bite.

Pairs Well With
Sticky rice, grilled chicken and iced tea

Quick Prep (<30m)

A plate of com tam with broken rice, grilled pork chop, steamed egg cake, fried egg, shredded pork and pickled carrot

Vietnam 1h 30m

Lunch •Saigon Street Style

Com Tam

This com tam recipe plates Saigon's broken rice with a smoky grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin (bi), steamed pork-egg cake (cha trung), a fried egg, pickles and sweet-sour nuoc cham. One serving is about 460 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

Steamed broken rice with smoky grilled pork, a steamed pork-egg cake and a fried egg — Saigon's fullest plate.

Pairs Well With
Nuoc cham, pickled vegetables and iced tea

High Protein

A bowl of hot and sour soup with tofu, spring onion and egg ribbons

China 35m

Lunch •Sichuan Classic

Hot and Sour Soup

This hot and sour soup recipe balances white pepper heat with black vinegar tang in a thickened chicken broth, with silky tofu, pork strips, bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms. One serving is about 440 g.

Warm & Tangy

White pepper heat and black vinegar tang in a thickened chicken broth with tofu, pork and bamboo — the Sichuan classic.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, spring rolls and jasmine tea

Soups & Broths

A plate of japchae, glossy sweet potato glass noodles tossed with beef, spinach, carrots, mushrooms and sesame seeds

South Korea 55m

Dinner •Korean Celebration Heritage

Japchae

This japchae recipe turns a handful of simple ingredients into the dish Koreans reach for at birthdays, holidays and family gatherings: glossy sweet potato noodles tossed with thinly sliced beef, spinach, carrots, mushrooms and peppers in a savoury-sweet soy and sesame sauce. The noodles stay springy, the vegetables stay bright, and the whole pan comes together in under an hour. One serving is about 330 g.

Celebration Noodles & Colour

Japchae is a stir-fry of chewy sweet potato glass noodles with beef and colourful vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.

Pairs Well With
Serve warm or at room temperature with kimchi and a bowl of rice, or on its own as the centre of the table.

Pasta & Noodles

A thin crisp lahmacun flatbread topped with spiced minced meat, parsley, tomato, red onion and a lemon wedge

Turkey 1h 45m

Lunch •Levantine Flatbread Heritage

Lahmacun

This lahmacun recipe makes the thin, crisp flatbread Turkey calls its pizza: a round of yeasted dough rolled almost paper-thin, spread with a spiced paste of minced beef, tomato, pepper and herbs, and baked in a blazing oven until the edges crackle. It comes to the table flat, then you pile on parsley, tomato and onion, squeeze over lemon and roll it up to eat. One serving is about 340 g.

Thin, Crisp & Spiced

Lahmacun is a thin crisp flatbread spread with spiced minced beef, tomato and herbs, baked fast and hot, then rolled up with salad and lemon.

Pairs Well With
Serve flat with parsley, tomato, onion and lemon to roll inside, plus ayran to drink.

A golden-brown slab of fried saganaki cheese served in a small metal pan

Greece 15m

Snack & Tea •Greek Meze Heritage

Saganaki

This saganaki recipe is the Greek meze at its simplest: a slab of firm kefalograviera cheese, dredged in flour and fried in olive oil and butter until the outside turns deep gold and crisp while the inside goes soft and molten. It is served in the pan it was cooked in, with lemon wedges and a little pepper, and it must be eaten at once — three minutes later the crust is gone. One serving is about 120 g.

Golden, Crisp & Melty

Saganaki is a slab of firm Greek cheese fried in olive oil until golden and crisp outside and soft inside, served with lemon.

Pairs Well With
Serve in the pan with lemon wedges, crusty bread and olives.

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

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.