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 769–780 of 2311 dinner recipes

Vatapa in a bowl, a golden-yellow shrimp stew with whole shrimp, parsley and red pepper

Brazil 55m

Dinner •Bahian Street-Food Heritage

Vatapa

This vatapa recipe is the Bahian classic: fresh shrimp simmered in a thick, golden sauce made from coconut milk, ground peanuts and cashews, and bread soaked until it melts into the stew, with dende oil giving it its deep orange colour. It is rich, nutty and gently spicy — the dish that fills acaraje buns and sits at the centre of Bahian family tables. One serving is about 320 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Shrimp simmered in a thick, golden sauce of coconut milk, peanuts, cashews and bread.

Pairs Well With
White rice, farofa & hot sauce

Two golden battered chiles rellenos on a bed of salad leaves with chopped fresh tomato on a white plate

Mexico 1h 5m

Dinner •Puebla Classic

Chiles Rellenos

This chiles rellenos recipe starts with poblanos roasted until their skins blister, then peeled, stuffed with Oaxaca cheese and fried in a fluffy egg batter until golden. A quick tomato sauce spooned over the top finishes a dish that is smoky, cheesy and deeply satisfying. One serving is about 335 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Roasted poblano peppers stuffed with melted Oaxaca cheese, fried in a light egg batter and served in a fresh tomato sauce.

Pairs Well With
Warm corn tortillas, Mexican rice and a simple tomato salad

A plate of spaghetti aglio e olio tossed with garlic, sliced red chilli and chopped parsley

Italy 30m

Dinner •Naples Classic

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

This spaghetti aglio e olio recipe is the Neapolitan classic in its simplest form: spaghetti tossed with olive oil warmed with sliced garlic, fresh red chilli and parsley, loosened with a splash of starchy pasta water. No cheese — the classic version needs none — just heat, garlic and good oil. One serving is about 263 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Spaghetti tossed with olive oil, sliced garlic, fresh red chilli and parsley — five ingredients, one pan, ready in half an hour.

Pairs Well With
A bitter-leaf salad, warm bread and a glass of dry white wine

Pasta & Noodles • Quick Prep (<30m)

Chocolate mousse in a wine glass topped with a raspberry, mint leaves and chocolate sticks

France 30m

Snack & Tea •Paris Bistro Classic

Mousse au Chocolat

This chocolate mousse recipe is the classic mousse au chocolat: dark chocolate melted with butter, enriched with egg yolks, then lightened with egg whites whipped to stiff peaks and folded in by hand. Two hours in the fridge turns it into something airy enough to eat with a spoon and rich enough to need nothing else. One serving is about 89 g.

Sweet Treat

Dark chocolate and eggs whipped into a light, airy mousse — the classic French chocolate dessert, chilled and served in glasses.

Pairs Well With
A cup of black coffee, a few raspberries and crisp biscuits

A bowl of thick orange salmorejo topped with chopped hard-boiled egg and diced jamón serrano

Spain 30m

Lunch •Cordoba Classic

Salmorejo

This salmorejo recipe blends ripe tomatoes, day-old bread, olive oil and garlic into a thick, velvety soup, then chills it and tops it with chopped hard-boiled egg and jamón serrano. Unlike gazpacho, salmorejo is thick, creamy and bread-based, with no cucumber or pepper — it is a spoon-standing cream, not a thin drink. One serving is about 371 g.

Light & Fresh

Thick, cold tomato soup from Córdoba, blended with bread and olive oil and topped with hard-boiled egg and jamón serrano.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread, a simple green salad and a glass of fino sherry

Soups & Broths

Breaded chicken katsu cutlet on white rice with red pickles and a metal jug of Japanese curry sauce

Japan 1h

Dinner •Yoshoku Favourites

Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry

This japanese chicken katsu curry recipe starts with the cutlet: chicken breast pounded even, coated in flour, egg and coarse panko, and fried until the crust is deep golden. The curry sauce is what sets it apart from plain tonkatsu — a thick, mild, sweet-savoury sauce of onion, carrot and potato melted down with curry roux, ladled over the sliced cutlet and rice. One serving is about 500 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

A crisp panko chicken cutlet sliced over steamed rice, flooded with thick, sweet-savoury Japanese curry sauce.

Pairs Well With
Steamed jasmine rice, pickled red ginger and a small cabbage salad

High Protein

A bowl of flat rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, red peppers, green beans and basil, with chopsticks resting on top

Thailand 32m

Dinner •Bangkok Street Food

Pad Kee Mao

This pad kee mao recipe is Thai drunken noodles: wide, chewy flat rice noodles stir-fried in a blazing wok with chicken, garlic, bird's eye chillies and holy basil. What sets it apart from pad see ew is the heat — pad see ew is sweet and soy-dark, while pad kee mao is fiery, peppery and fragrant with basil, with no sweet sauce to hide behind. One serving is about 420 g.

Bold & Fiery

Wide flat rice noodles wok-tossed with chicken, chillies and holy basil — hot, garlicky and smoky.

Pairs Well With
A cold Thai iced tea, cucumber slices and a wedge of lime

Pasta & Noodles

A catfish steak braised in a clay pot with its lid resting beside it on a plate

Vietnam 1h 10m

Dinner •Mekong Delta Home Cooking

Ca Kho To

This ca kho to recipe is Vietnamese clay-pot fish: thick catfish steaks braised low and slow in coconut water with a dark caramel, fish sauce, shallots and ginger, until the sauce reduces to a sticky glaze. It is a different dish from ga kho gung, the ginger-braised chicken — ca kho to is built on fish and caramel, not on chicken and fresh ginger, and the clay pot is what gives it its gentle, even heat. One serving is about 425 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Catfish steaks slow-braised in a clay pot with coconut water, caramel and fish sauce until the sauce turns dark and glossy.

Pairs Well With
Steamed jasmine rice, cucumber and pickled mustard greens

High Protein

Pleated xiao long bao soup dumplings in a bamboo steamer at a restaurant in Sydney, Australia

China 1h 42m

Lunch •Shanghai Dim Sum

Xiao Long Bao

This xiao long bao recipe makes Shanghai soup dumplings: a thin wheat wrapper pleated shut around minced pork and cubes of pork aspic, which melt into soup as the dumplings steam. They are a different dumpling from jiaozi — jiaozi are boiled or pan-fried with a solid filling, while xiao long bao carry their soup inside, wear a twisted pleat on top, and are always steamed in a bamboo basket. One serving is about 295 g.

Delicate & Comforting

Thin-skinned pork dumplings with a spoonful of hot soup inside, steamed in a bamboo basket.

Pairs Well With
Black rice vinegar with ginger shreds and a pot of hot tea

Marinated beef galbi short ribs grilling over charcoal on a wire grill

South Korea 45m

Dinner •Korean BBQ Classic

Galbi

This galbi recipe marinates flanken-cut beef short ribs in soy sauce, grated Asian pear, garlic and sesame, then grills them over high heat until charred at the edges and juicy inside. It is Korean barbecue at its most famous: sweet, savoury and smoky, served with steamed rice and kimchi. One serving is about 354 g.

Smoky & Savoury

Beef short ribs marinated in soy, Asian pear and sesame, grilled over high heat.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, kimchi and crisp lettuce leaves for wrapping

High Protein

Turkish manti dumplings in a bowl under garlic yogurt, red chilli butter and dried mint

Turkey 1h 45m

Dinner •Anatolian Home Cooking

Manti

This manti recipe folds a spiced beef filling into tiny squares of fresh pasta dough, boils them until tender, and serves them under cool garlic yogurt and hot chilli butter with dried mint. The dumplings are famously small — tradition says forty should fit on a spoon — and the contrast of hot, cool and spicy is what makes the dish. One serving is about 312 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Tiny hand-folded dumplings with spiced beef, served under garlic yogurt and chilli butter.

Pairs Well With
Garlic yogurt, chilli butter and a crisp shepherd's salad

Pasta & Noodles

Golden fried meatballs served on mashed potato with chopped herbs

Greece 40m

Dinner •Greek Taverna Classic

Keftedes

This keftedes recipe mixes ground beef with grated onion, breadcrumbs, egg, fresh mint and oregano, then fries the mixture into small golden balls that are crisp outside and juicy inside. They are the classic Greek taverna meze, served hot with tzatziki and lemon. One serving is about 212 g.

Hearty & Savoury

Small fried beef meatballs scented with mint and oregano, served with cool tzatziki.

Pairs Well With
Cool tzatziki, a Greek salad and warm pita bread

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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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

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El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

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Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

France

Gabon

Gambia

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Ghana

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Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

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Haiti

Honduras

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Iceland

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Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

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Kenya

Kiribati

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Laos

Latvia

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Luxembourg

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Mali

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Mexico

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Niger

Nigeria

North Korea

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Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

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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

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Spain

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Sweden

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Syria

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Thailand

Timor-Leste

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

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Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

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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