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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193

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Breakfast to Snack

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Recipes with Nutrition

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 889–900 of 2321 dinner recipes

An acai bowl topped with sliced kiwi, strawberries and banana, with a wafer stick, on a green tray

Brazil 15m

Breakfast •Para Street-Food Classic

Acai Bowl

This acai bowl recipe blends frozen acai, banana and blueberries into a thick, spoonable base, then tops it with granola, fresh fruit, chia seeds and coconut. One serving is about 435 g, and breakfast is ready in 15 minutes.

Fresh & Fruity

A thick, spoonable acai blend topped with granola, banana and berries.

Pairs Well With
Serve with a glass of water or coconut water; the bowl is already sweet and filling, so it needs nothing heavy alongside.

Quick Prep (<30m)

A glass bowl of smooth red salsa roja with tortilla chips on the side

Mexico 35m

Snack & Tea •Mexican Classic

Salsa Roja

Salsa roja is Mexico's everyday cooked red sauce: ripe tomatoes, onion and serrano chillies roasted until blistered, then blended and simmered into a smoky, spoonable sauce with lime and cilantro. One serving is about 75 g (about 5 tablespoons).

Fresh & Fiery

Roasted tomatoes and serrano chillies blended into a bright, spoonable red sauce.

Pairs Well With
Warm corn tortilla chips, tacos & grilled meats

Quick Prep (<30m)

Spaghetti al pomodoro being lifted from the pan, coated in bright red tomato sauce

Italy 35m

Dinner •Naples Classic

Spaghetti al Pomodoro

Spaghetti al pomodoro is Italy's simplest pasta: spaghetti tossed in a bright sauce of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil, finished with a splash of starchy pasta water so the sauce clings to every strand. One serving is about 425 g.

Simple & Satisfying

Spaghetti tossed in a fresh tomato and basil sauce with garlic and olive oil.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread, green salad & a glass of red wine

Pasta & Noodles • Quick Prep (<30m)

A whole pan-fried Dover sole meuniere with lemon wedges and capers on an oval plate

France 30m

Dinner •Parisian Bistro Classic

Sole Meuniere

Sole meuniere is the French bistro classic: a whole Dover sole (or fillets) dusted in flour like a miller's wife — meuniere means 'in the style of the miller's wife' — pan-fried in foaming butter until golden, then finished with lemon juice, parsley and capers. One serving is about 245 g.

Light & Elegant

Flour-dusted sole pan-fried in butter with lemon, parsley and capers.

Pairs Well With
Buttered new potatoes, green beans & white wine

High Protein

A whole tarta de Santiago dusted with powdered sugar and the Cross of St. James

Spain 55m

Snack & Tea •Galicia Pilgrim Cake

Tarta de Santiago

Tarta de Santiago is Galicia's almond cake: ground almonds, sugar and eggs baked into a dense, moist, golden cake, dusted with powdered sugar through a stencil of the Cross of St. James. It contains no wheat flour at all, so it is naturally gluten-free. One serving is about 80 g.

Sweet & Nutty

A flourless almond cake from Galicia, dusted with the Cross of St. James.

Pairs Well With
Coffee, sweet wine & vanilla ice cream

A plate of Japanese curry rice with beef, potato and carrot in thick brown curry sauce beside white rice and red pickles

Japan 1h 10m

Dinner •Home-Style Classic

Japanese Curry Rice

A thick, mildly sweet Japanese curry roux simmered with beef, potato, carrot and onion, ladled over a mound of steamed short-grain rice. One serving is about 620 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Thick curry roux, tender beef and soft vegetables served over steamed rice.

Pairs Well With
Fukujinzuke pickles, a small cabbage salad & iced barley tea

High Protein

A tall glass of orange Thai iced tea with ice cubes beside a French press of brewed tea

Thailand 25m

Snack & Tea •Bangkok Street Classic

Thai Iced Tea

Spiced Thai black tea brewed strong, sweetened and poured over a tall glass of ice, finished with swirls of condensed and evaporated milk. One serving is about 360 g.

Cooling & Refreshing

Spiced black tea, ice and milk for a sweet cold drink.

Pairs Well With
Mango sticky rice, pad Thai & a hot afternoon

A mound of yellow xoi xeo sticky rice with mashed mung bean and crisp fried shallots on a banana leaf

Vietnam 1h 10m

Breakfast •Hanoi Breakfast Classic

Xoi Xeo

Golden glutinous rice steamed with turmeric, topped with mashed mung bean, crisp fried shallots and a spoonful of sesame salt. One serving is about 320 g.

Steady Morning Energy

Glutinous rice and mung beans for a filling, slow-burning breakfast.

Pairs Well With
Pickled cucumber, a boiled egg & hot green tea

A bowl of smashed cucumber salad with cracked cucumber chunks in a spicy garlic dressing

China 20m

Lunch •Chinese Home Classic

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers cracked open with the flat of a knife, then tossed in garlic, chilli oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar until the craggy edges drink up the dressing. One serving is about 175 g.

Light & Refreshing

Crisp cucumber in a sharp, garlicky dressing.

Pairs Well With
Dan dan noodles, steamed rice & cold beer

A steel bowl of Hamhung naengmyeon — dark chewy noodles in red gochujang sauce with cucumber, Asian pear and half a boiled egg

South Korea 40m

Lunch •Hamhung Heritage

Hamhung Naengmyeon

This hamhung naengmyeon recipe tosses chewy buckwheat and sweet potato starch noodles in a fiery-sweet gochujang sauce, then tops them with cucumber, Asian pear, half a boiled egg and thinly sliced beef. One serving is about 446 g, and the bowl is ready in 40 minutes.

Cool & Refreshing

Icy, chewy buckwheat and sweet potato starch noodles tossed in a spicy-sour gochujang sauce.

Pairs Well With
Iced barley tea (boricha) and a small plate of kimchi

Pasta & Noodles • Quick Prep (<30m)

A white dish of kisir — orange-red bulgur salad with herbs and cucumber

Turkey 30m

Lunch •Gaziantep Meze Classic

Kisir

This kisir recipe turns fine bulgur into a bright, tangy Turkish salad with tomato paste, walnuts, spring onions and a heap of fresh herbs, finished with lemon and pomegranate molasses. One serving is about 197 g, and the salad is ready in 30 minutes.

Light & Fresh

Fine bulgur soaked soft, tossed with tomato paste, walnuts, herbs and sour pomegranate molasses.

Pairs Well With
Lettuce leaves for scooping, pickled chillies and ayran

Quick Prep (<30m)

Melitzanosalata — smoky eggplant dip spread on a slice of bread with parsley and garlic

Greece 55m

Snack & Tea •Greek Taverna Classic

Melitzanosalata

This melitzanosalata recipe roasts whole eggplants until they collapse, then mashes the smoky flesh with garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. One serving is about 122 g, and the dip is ready in 55 minutes.

Light & Fresh

Fire-roasted eggplant mashed with garlic, lemon and good olive oil into a smoky meze dip.

Pairs Well With
Warm pita bread, Kalamata olives and a glass of ouzo

Quick Prep (<30m)

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

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Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

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China

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

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Gambia

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Ireland

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Italy

Jamaica

Japan

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Laos

Latvia

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Lithuania

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Madagascar

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Maldives

Mali

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

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Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

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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

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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