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 745–756 of 2311 dinner recipes

A whole grilled picanha cut resting on a charcoal grill grate

Brazil 30m

Dinner •Gaucho Barbecue Tradition

Picanha

This picanha recipe keeps Brazil's favourite cut exactly as the gauchos cook it: one whole top sirloin cap, seasoned with nothing but coarse salt, grilled over charcoal and sliced thin against the grain. No mixed grill, no marinade — just beef, salt and fire. One serving is about 195 g.

Hearty & Simple

A single top sirloin cap grilled over charcoal with coarse salt only.

Pairs Well With
Farofa, tomato vinaigrette and a cold lager

High Protein

Two tacos filled with shredded carnitas, diced onion and cilantro, with lime wedges on the side

Mexico 3h 20m

Dinner •Michoacan Classic

Carnitas

This carnitas recipe slow-cooks pork shoulder in lard with orange, milk and garlic until it falls apart, then crisps the shreds in a hot pan. It is the Michoacan way: tender inside, crackly at the edges, and made for warm corn tortillas. One serving is about 210 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Pork shoulder cooked low and slow in its own fat until it shreds, then crisped at the edges.

Pairs Well With
Warm corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro and lime

High Protein

A plate of golden saffron risotto with a fork resting on the rim

Italy 45m

Dinner •Milanese Classic

Risotto alla Milanese

This risotto alla milanese recipe is the golden saffron risotto of Milan: Carnaroli rice, a pinch of saffron, hot stock and a final beating of cold butter and Parmesan. It is not the mushroom risotto already on this site — there are no mushrooms here, and the saffron is the whole point, giving the rice its colour and its gentle, hay-like perfume. One serving is about 350 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Carnaroli rice stirred slowly with saffron, stock, butter and Parmesan until golden and creamy.

Pairs Well With
Osso buco, a green salad and a glass of dry white wine

A tall stack of thin golden French crepes on a glass stand

France 1h

Breakfast •Breton Classic

French Crepes

This crepes recipe makes 12 thin, golden French crepes from a simple batter of flour, milk, eggs and butter, rested for 30 minutes so the flour hydrates and the crepes turn tender instead of tough. They come from Brittany, where crepes are an everyday food, and they take about 20 minutes at the stove once the batter is ready. One serving is 3 crepes, about 200 g.

Quick & Satisfying

Thin, golden pancakes from a simple batter, rested and fried fast in a buttered pan.

Pairs Well With
Lemon and sugar, salted butter, or jam and fresh fruit

Quick Prep (<30m)

Sliced boiled octopus dusted with paprika and drizzled with olive oil

Spain 1h 15m

Dinner •Galician Classic

Pulpo a la Gallega

This pulpo a la gallega recipe is Galicia's famous octopus: a whole octopus boiled until tender, sliced over boiled potatoes, and dressed with good olive oil, sweet paprika and coarse salt. There is almost nothing to it, which is the point — with four ingredients the quality of the octopus and the oil does all the work. One serving is about 370 g.

Fresh & Light

Tender boiled octopus over potatoes, dressed with olive oil, paprika and coarse salt.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread, a green salad and a glass of Albariño

High Protein

Golden takoyaki balls topped with bonito flakes, takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise in a paper boat, with chopsticks

Japan 35m

Snack & Tea •Osaka Street Food

Takoyaki

This takoyaki recipe makes 32 golden balls with a crisp shell and a soft, almost custardy centre, each one hiding a piece of tender octopus. One serving is about 250 g (8 balls with toppings).

Fun Street Snack

Crisp outside, soft and creamy inside, these octopus balls are Osaka's most famous street snack.

Pairs Well With
Takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and bonito flakes, with cold barley tea

A white bowl of creamy tom kha gai with chicken, mushrooms, red chillies and fresh herbs

Thailand 40m

Lunch •Central Thai Kitchen

Tom Kha Gai

This tom kha gai recipe simmers chicken and mushrooms in a silky coconut-milk broth scented with galangal, lemongrass and makrut lime. Unlike tom yum goong, which is a clear hot-sour broth, tom kha gai is creamy and mellow, with the coconut milk softening the chilli and lime. One serving is about 440 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A creamy, fragrant coconut soup with chicken, galangal and lime — gentle heat, bright sourness and real comfort.

Pairs Well With
Steamed jasmine rice and a cold glass of coconut water

Soups & Broths

Turmeric fish with fresh dill and spring onions sizzling in a pan at a Hanoi restaurant

Vietnam 45m

Dinner •Hanoi Heritage

Cha Ca La Vong

This cha ca la vong recipe marinates catfish in turmeric and galangal, fries it golden, then finishes it in the pan with fresh dill and spring onions. The fish is piled over rice vermicelli with peanuts, herbs and a spoonful of shrimp paste. One serving is about 370 g.

Hearty & Fresh

Golden turmeric fish fried with a mountain of dill and spring onion, served over rice noodles.

Pairs Well With
Rice vermicelli, roasted peanuts and shrimp paste dipping sauce

High Protein

China 1h 45m

Dinner •Cantonese Roast Meats

Char Siu

This char siu recipe marinates pork neck in soy, hoisin, honey and five-spice, then roasts it until the edges char and the glaze turns sticky. One serving is about 180 g of sliced pork.

Hearty & Satisfying

Sticky, charred-edged roast pork with a sweet-savoury glaze — the centrepiece of Cantonese roast meats.

Pairs Well With
Steamed jasmine rice, blanched bok choy and chilli sauce

High Protein

A bowl of jjajangmyeon — wheat noodles coated in glossy black bean sauce with pork, sprinkled with sesame seeds, with chopsticks and a spoon beside it

South Korea 45m

Dinner •Korean-Chinese Classic

Jjajangmyeon

This jjajangmyeon recipe is Korea's best-loved comfort noodle: thick, chewy wheat noodles buried under a glossy black sauce of fried chunjang, diced pork, onion, zucchini and potato. The sauce is dark, savoury and faintly sweet, and it coats every strand. One serving is about 575 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Thick wheat noodles under a glossy, faintly sweet black bean sauce with pork and vegetables.

Pairs Well With
Pickled yellow radish (danmuji) and raw onion with chunjang

Pasta & Noodles

Two golden slices of layered cheese borek on a white plate

Turkey 1h 5m

Snack & Tea •Anatolian Bakery Classic

Turkish Borek

This turkish borek recipe is the tray bake Turkey eats at breakfast, tea time and family gatherings: layers of paper-thin phyllo brushed with egg and milk, a salty filling of feta, mozzarella, spinach and parsley, baked in a tray until the top shatters and the middle stays soft. It is a layered tray bake, not fried rolls. One serving is about 178 g.

Warm & Flaky

Paper-thin phyllo layered with salty cheese, spinach and parsley, baked until golden and crisp.

Pairs Well With
Ayran, Turkish tea and a tomato salad

Loukoumades — golden honey puffs drizzled with honey and sprinkled with chopped walnuts, on a wooden board

Greece 1h 35m

Snack & Tea •Greek Celebration Classic

Loukoumades

This loukoumades recipe makes Greece's favourite honey puffs: little balls of yeasted dough fried until crisp outside and airy inside, then drowned in warm honey and dusted with cinnamon and chopped walnuts. They are best eaten hot, with honey running down your fingers. One serving is about 175 g, six puffs.

Sweet & Light

Little yeasted dough balls fried until golden and puffed, drowned in warm honey with cinnamon and walnuts.

Pairs Well With
Greek coffee and a glass of cold water

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

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Antigua and Barbuda

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Armenia

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Chad

Chile

China

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Republic of the Congo

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Nigeria

North Korea

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Portugal

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Romania

Russia

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

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Samoa

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Saudi Arabia

Senegal

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Trinidad and Tobago

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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.

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