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 1081–1092 of 2321 dinner recipes

Bolinho de bacalhau — golden fried Brazilian codfish fritters on a metal tray

Brazil 50m

Snack & Tea •Brazilian Boteco Classic

Bolinho de Bacalhau

This bolinho de bacalhau recipe makes Brazil's beloved codfish fritters: desalted salt cod folded with fluffy mashed potato, egg, onion and parsley, rolled into little ovals and fried until golden and crisp outside, soft and flaky inside. They are the snack every boteco serves with a cold drink, and they disappear fast. One serving is about 262 g, five fritters.

Hearty & Satisfying

Golden, crisp fritters of salt cod and potato with onion and parsley — Brazil's favourite bar snack.

Pairs Well With
Lime wedges, a cold beer or caipirinha, and a simple tomato salad

A cast-iron skillet of bubbling golden queso fundido, melted cheese topped with crumbled chorizo

Mexico 30m

Snack & Tea •Mexican Cantina Classic

Queso Fundido

This queso fundido recipe bakes stretchy Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheese with crumbled Mexican chorizo until bubbling, then finishes it with fresh tomato and coriander. One serving is about 195 g. Scoop it up with warm corn tortillas while it is still molten.

Comfort & Warmth

A hot, shareable melted-cheese dip served straight from the skillet with warm tortillas.

Pairs Well With
Warm corn tortillas, pico de gallo and a cold Mexican lager.

A tray of cannoli siciliani filled with ricotta cream, topped with pistachio and candied cherries

Italy 1h 20m

Snack & Tea •Sicilian Pastry Classic

Cannoli Siciliani

This cannoli recipe makes crisp, cocoa-flecked pastry tubes fried golden and filled with sweetened ricotta, dark chocolate and candied orange. One serving is about 192 g. Fill the shells just before serving so every bite stays crunchy.

Sweet & Indulgent

Crisp fried pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream, dusted with sugar and pistachio.

Pairs Well With
Espresso, sweet Marsala wine and fresh berries.

A golden madeleine held in a hand, showing its shell shape and domed top

France 52m

Snack & Tea •Commercy Shell Cake

Madeleines

This madeleines recipe makes golden, shell-shaped sponge cakes with brown butter, lemon zest and a soft, tender crumb. One serving is about 92 g. Bake them in a madeleine pan until the tops hump and the edges turn golden.

Sweet & Light

Golden shell-shaped sponge cakes with brown butter and lemon, baked until the tops hump.

Pairs Well With
Tea, coffee and fresh berries.

A bowl of pale yellow Spanish natillas dusted with cinnamon, served with a spoon

Spain 30m

Snack & Tea •Spanish Home Dessert

Natillas

This natillas recipe makes a silky Spanish egg custard, gently cooked with milk, cinnamon and lemon, then chilled and dusted with cinnamon. One serving is about 168 g. Pour it into bowls and serve it cool, with a biscuit for dipping.

Sweet & Light

A silky, pourable Spanish egg custard with cinnamon and lemon, served chilled.

Pairs Well With
Maria biscuits, coffee and fresh fruit.

A whole round Japanese souffle cheesecake with a golden-brown top, pale creamy sides and a tall, jiggly shape

Japan 1h 20m

Snack & Tea •Osaka Souffle Style

Japanese Cheesecake

This japanese cheesecake recipe makes the famous jiggly souffle cake: cream cheese, milk and butter melted smooth, folded into a cloud of whipped egg whites, then baked gently in a water bath until it rises tall and trembles. It tastes like cheesecake crossed with sponge cake — soft, barely sweet, and gone in minutes. One serving is about 105 g.

Light & Airy

A tall, wobbly souffle cheesecake made with whipped egg whites and a water bath, far lighter than a dense New York-style cheesecake.

Pairs Well With
A dusting of icing sugar, fresh berries and a cup of green tea

A plate of khao kluk kapi: a dome of brown shrimp-paste fried rice with egg ribbons, sweet pork, chillies, shallots and cucumber

Thailand 35m

Dinner •Bangkok Classic

Thai Shrimp Paste Fried Rice

This thai shrimp paste fried rice recipe is khao kluk kapi: day-old jasmine rice fried with pungent shrimp paste until every grain is brown and fragrant, then served with sweet pork, thin egg ribbons, green mango, shallots and cucumber. Salty, sour, sweet and hot all land on one plate — you mix it together as you eat. One serving is about 336 g.

Bold & Satisfying

Shrimp-paste fried rice with sweet pork, egg and green mango — the classic Bangkok plate where salty, sour, sweet and hot meet.

Pairs Well With
Sweet pork, green mango, cucumber and lime wedges

Golden fried tofu cubes in a bright orange-red tomato sauce, topped with chopped spring onion, in a serving dish

Vietnam 30m

Dinner •Vietnamese Home Cooking

Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce

This vietnamese tofu in tomato sauce recipe is dau hu sot ca chua: firm tofu fried golden, then braised in a fresh tomato sauce with shallot and garlic until the sauce thickens and the tofu soaks it up. It is the kind of simple, everyday dish Vietnamese families cook on a weeknight — cheap, quick and eaten with a big bowl of steamed rice. One serving is about 250 g.

Light & Wholesome

Firm tofu fried golden and braised in a fresh tomato sauce — a classic Vietnamese vegetarian home dish, light and protein-rich.

Pairs Well With
Steamed jasmine rice, clear vegetable soup and cucumber salad

A white bowl of tang yuan — round white glutinous rice balls in a clear soup — on a wooden table

China 45m

Snack & Tea •Lantern Festival Sweet

Tang Yuan

This tang yuan recipe makes the classic Chinese sweet: soft, chewy glutinous rice balls filled with black sesame, simmered in a clear ginger syrup and served warm in a bowl. The balls are round because roundness means family togetherness — which is why they are the sweet of the Lantern Festival. One serving is about 290 g.

Sweet & Comforting

Soft glutinous rice balls filled with black sesame, simmered in a clear ginger syrup — the classic Lantern Festival sweet.

Pairs Well With
Jasmine tea, osmanthus syrup and fresh fruit

Sliced soondae, Korean blood sausage with glass noodles, on a white plate

South Korea 1h 25m

Snack & Tea •Korean Street-Food Classic

Soondae

This soondae recipe stuffs cleaned pork casings with fresh pork blood, glass noodles, glutinous rice and aromatics, then steams the sausages until set and slices them into thick rounds. It is Korea's famous street-market blood sausage, soft and savoury inside with a gentle chew. One serving is about 300 g.

Bold & Hearty

Steamed blood sausage stuffed with glass noodles and rice, sliced and served with a salty-spicy dip.

Pairs Well With
Salt and gochugaru dip, perilla leaves and tteokbokki

Small bulgur dumplings coated in red tomato sauce with parsley in a glass bowl

Turkey 1h

Dinner •Southeastern Turkish Classic

Fellah Koftesi

This fellah koftesi recipe kneads fine bulgur with tomato paste, walnuts and spices into small dumplings, then simmers them gently in a garlicky tomato sauce until tender. It is the beloved vegan dish of southeastern Turkey, soft, tangy and deeply savoury. One serving is about 250 g.

Comforting & Tangy

Soft bulgur dumplings simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce with walnuts and parsley.

Pairs Well With
Warm flatbread, shepherd's salad and ayran

Oblong beef meatballs braised in a rich red tomato sauce over rice

Greece 1h 10m

Dinner •Smyrna-Style Classic

Soutzoukakia

This soutzoukakia recipe mixes ground beef with onion, breadcrumbs, egg and plenty of cumin, shapes it into oblong meatballs, browns them, then braises them slowly in a tomato and red wine sauce until meltingly tender. It is the Smyrna-style classic of Greek home cooking, rich and deeply savoury. One serving is about 310 g.

Hearty & Rich

Cumin-scented beef meatballs braised slowly in a tomato and red wine sauce.

Pairs Well With
Rice or mashed potatoes, Greek salad and warm pita

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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Botswana

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Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

Costa Rica

Croatia

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Côte d'Ivoire

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Dominican Republic

Ecuador

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El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

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Eswatini

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Fiji

Finland

France

Gabon

Gambia

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Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

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Iceland

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Iran

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Italy

Jamaica

Japan

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Laos

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Mexico

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Niger

Nigeria

North Korea

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Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Palau

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Paraguay

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Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Russia

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

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São Tomé and Príncipe

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

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Sierra Leone

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Spain

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Thailand

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Trinidad and Tobago

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Vietnam

Yemen

Zambia

Zimbabwe Browse all 193 countries →

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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.