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 757–768 of 2301 dinner recipes

Moqueca capixaba in a black clay pot — fish in a red tomato and annatto sauce with chopped herbs, served with white rice

Brazil 45m

Dinner •Espírito Santo Classic

Moqueca Capixaba

This moqueca capixaba recipe is Espírito Santo's fish stew: firm white fish layered with tomato, onion and peppers, simmered in a clay pot in a light red sauce coloured with annatto oil. There is no coconut milk and no palm oil here — that is the whole point, and it is what makes this stew different from moqueca baiana from Bahia, which is rich with coconut milk and dendê oil. One serving is about 405 g.

Coastal & Light

Firm white fish simmered in a red tomato and annatto sauce with peppers and herbs, in a clay pot.

Pairs Well With
Steamed white rice, pirão and farofa

Birria de res served in a clay dish — shredded beef in red consomme with cilantro, onion, radish and dried chiles

Mexico 4h

Dinner •Jalisco Classic

Birria de Res

This birria recipe is the Jalisco beef stew that took over taco trucks everywhere: beef chuck slow-braised in a guajillo and ancho chile broth until it falls apart, then shredded and served in a bowl of its own consomme with warm corn tortillas for dipping. The broth is the whole point — deep red, lightly smoky, and worth every hour it takes. One serving is about 550 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Beef chuck braised for hours in a dried-chile broth until it shreds, served with its rich red consomme for dipping.

Pairs Well With
Warm corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges and a cold Mexican lager

Soups & Broths • High Protein

A plate of fettuccine alfredo coated in a creamy butter and Parmesan sauce, scattered with chopped parsley

Italy 30m

Dinner •Roman Original

Fettuccine Alfredo

This fettuccine alfredo recipe follows the Roman original from 1908: just fettuccine, good butter and finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, bound together with starchy pasta water into a sauce that looks like cream but contains none. It takes thirty minutes, uses one pan, and tastes nothing like the heavy cream sauces sold under the same name. One serving is about 315 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano until the two melt into a glossy, creamy sauce — no cream at all.

Pairs Well With
A simple green salad, warm bread and a glass of dry white wine

Pasta & Noodles

A whole tarte tatin on a plate — glossy caramelised apples arranged over golden pastry

France 1h 20m

Snack & Tea •Loire Valley Classic

Tarte Tatin

This tarte tatin recipe is the upside-down apple tart of the Loire Valley: firm apples cooked in a dark butter caramel until they turn amber and tender, covered with puff pastry, baked until crisp, then flipped onto a plate so the glossy apples sit on top. It is best warm, with a spoonful of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream melting into the caramel. One serving is about 180 g.

Sweet & Comforting

Apples caramelised in butter and sugar under a lid of crisp puff pastry, turned out upside-down and served warm.

Pairs Well With
Creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream and a cup of black coffee

A slice of Basque burnt cheesecake on a white plate, its top deeply browned and its centre pale and creamy

Spain 1h 15m

Snack & Tea •San Sebastian Original

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

This basque cheesecake recipe is the tarta de queso of La Vina in San Sebastian: cream cheese, sugar, eggs and cream, baked in a hot oven until the top is deeply burnt and the centre is still barely set. There is no crust, no water bath and almost no flour — just five ingredients and the nerve to leave the cake in until it looks ruined. One serving is about 180 g.

Rich & Creamy

A crustless cheesecake baked at high heat until the top is almost black and the centre stays soft and custardy.

Pairs Well With
Fresh berries, a glass of sweet sherry and a cup of black coffee

Panko-crusted tonkatsu cutlets served with shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup and tonkatsu sauce

Japan 35m

Dinner •Yoshoku Favourites

Tonkatsu

This tonkatsu recipe coats thick pork loin cutlets in flour, egg and panko, then fries them until the crust is deep golden and shatteringly crisp. Unlike a breaded schnitzel, tonkatsu uses coarse Japanese panko for a lighter, airier crunch and is served sliced, with shredded cabbage and a sweet-savoury sauce. One serving is about 260 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

A golden panko-crusted pork cutlet, sliced and served with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce — crisp outside, juicy inside.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup and tonkatsu sauce

High Protein

A plate of pad see ew with flat rice noodles, egg and Chinese broccoli

Thailand 30m

Dinner •Bangkok Street Food

Pad See Ew

This pad see ew recipe stir-fries wide flat rice noodles with chicken, egg and Chinese broccoli in a sweet-savoury sauce of dark soy, oyster sauce and a little sugar. It is not pad thai: there is no tamarind and no peanuts, and the flavour is dark and caramelised rather than sour. It is not pad kee mao either: that dish is chilli-hot and basil-scented, while pad see ew is mild and sweet. One serving is about 340 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Wide flat rice noodles wok-fried with chicken, egg and Chinese broccoli in a dark, sweet-savoury soy sauce — smoky, saucy and fast.

Pairs Well With
Chilli vinegar, cucumber salad and a cold drink

Pasta & Noodles

A bowl of bun rieu with crab cakes, tomato and herbs, with shredded herbs and shrimp paste on the side

Vietnam 1h 30m

Lunch •Hanoi Street Soup

Bun Rieu

This bun rieu recipe simmers pork ribs into a light broth, then colours it with tomato and tamarind and floats crab-and-pork cakes on top, served over rice vermicelli with a mountain of fresh herbs. It is not pho: pho's broth is clear, beefy and spiced with star anise, while bun rieu's is tomato-red, sour and built on crab. It is not bun bo hue either: that soup is lemongrass-hot and beef-based, while bun rieu is gentler, sourer and unmistakably crab. One serving is about 650 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A sour, tomato-red broth with crab cakes, pork ribs, tofu and rice vermicelli — bright, savoury and deeply comforting.

Pairs Well With
Shrimp paste, fresh herbs, bean sprouts and chilli

Soups & Broths • Pasta & Noodles

Steamed char siu bao buns in a bamboo steamer basket

China 1h 45m

Snack & Tea •Cantonese Dim Sum

Char Siu Bao

This char siu bao recipe wraps diced barbecue pork in a sweet-savoury sauce inside soft, pillowy steamed dough. It is not char siu: that is the roast pork itself, sliced and eaten on its own, while the bao is a filled steamed bun that uses the pork as a filling. It is not mantou either: mantou are plain, unfilled steamed buns, while char siu bao are filled and finished with the classic split top. One serving is about 300 g, or three buns.

Comfort & Warmth

Soft, fluffy steamed buns that split open to reveal sweet-savoury barbecue pork — the most-loved bite of a Cantonese dim sum table.

Pairs Well With
Chinese tea, chilli sauce and a dim sum spread

Sundubu jjigae bubbling in a black stone pot, with a raw egg yolk, enoki mushrooms and soft tofu in a red chilli broth

South Korea 40m

Dinner •Korean Heritage

Sundubu Jjigae

This sundubu jjigae recipe is the Korean soft tofu stew: silken tofu slipped into a bubbling, brick-red broth with enoki mushrooms and a raw egg cracked in at the very end, so the heat of the pot sets it to silk. It is not kimchi jjigae — there is no kimchi here, and the soft tofu and egg are the point, not a side note. One serving is about 430 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Silken tofu and a cracked egg simmered in a spicy gochugaru broth — soft, hot and deeply savoury.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, kimchi & barley tea

Soups & Broths

Two folded gozleme flatbreads with golden-brown charred spots on a wooden board

Turkey 1h

Snack & Tea •Anatolian Heritage

Gozleme

This gozleme recipe is the Turkish stuffed flatbread: a thin sheet of hand-rolled dough folded like an envelope around wilted spinach and salty white cheese, then cooked dry on a hot griddle until it blisters and turns golden. It is street food and home food at once — made in minutes, eaten with the hands, best while it is still hot enough to melt the cheese. One serving is about 260 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Thin hand-rolled dough folded around spinach and white cheese, griddled until golden and blistered.

Pairs Well With
Ayran, pickled chillies & tomato salad

Roasted Greek lemon potatoes with oregano in a glass baking dish, golden wedges in lemon and olive oil

Greece 1h 10m

Dinner •Greek Home-Cooking Classic

Greek Lemon Potatoes

This greek lemon potatoes recipe is the classic Greek side dish: waxy potato wedges roasted in a lemon, olive oil and oregano bath, with a little vegetable stock so they steam soft inside while the edges turn crisp and golden. No chicken stock, no butter — just olive oil and vegetables, so the dish is vegan and gluten-free as written. One serving is about 260 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Potato wedges roasted in lemon juice, olive oil and oregano until crisp outside and melting inside.

Pairs Well With
Roast chicken, grilled fish & Greek salad

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

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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

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Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

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Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

France

Gabon

Gambia

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Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

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Iceland

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Iran

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

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Laos

Latvia

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Mexico

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Mozambique

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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

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South Korea

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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.

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