Random Dinner Generator: 250 Dinners to Cook at Home or Order In

One press draws tonight's dinner from 250 dishes, with filters for cuisine, main ingredient and time.

Random Dinner Generator: 250 Dinners to Cook at Home or Order In

  1. Chicken and dumplingsA chicken boiled for its broth, which then cooks biscuit-dough dumplings; a Southern US staple.75 minutes
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Random Dinner Generator: 250 Dinners to Cook at Home or Order In: how it works

This random dinner generator settles tonight in one press: a single dish from a list of 250, with a line on what it is and a badge for roughly how long it takes. Narrow the draw by cuisine, main ingredient or time, or tap Order in when nobody is cooking.

What should I eat tonight? Set the rows, then press

The rows work together. Choose Chicken and duck with Up to 30 minutes and the pool falls from 250 dinners to 12, among them chicken piccata, oyakodon and Kung Pao chicken. Pick one of the 23 cuisines and it narrows again, and the Cook at home, Order in, Vegetarian and Comfort food chips apply on top. An empty combination says so, and one tap clears it.

What should I order for dinner when nobody is cooking

Order in holds 115 dishes that a restaurant or delivery app is likely to carry. 14 are order only, such as Peking duck, tacos al pastor and chilli crab, because few homes have a duck oven or a spit, and those cards carry no time badge. The other 101 can go either way, so the draw still works if you change your mind and cook.

Tips

  • As a dinner randomizer for the week, set the count to 7, tap Cook at home and swap out anything you made last week.
  • Two people and no agreement: draw 3, let one strike a dish and the other choose from the two left.
  • The filters are kept in the address, so a link ending in #veg or #thai opens the page already narrowed.

Questions and answers

How rough are the cooking times?

Rough. They are our own estimates of start to table in a home kitchen, oven and simmering time included, so a three hour braise may be twenty minutes of work. Overnight marinating and soaking are not counted. 62 dinners come in at 30 minutes or under, and 21 need three hours or more.

Is this a random dinner idea generator or a recipe site?

Ideas only. Each card names a dish and says in one line what goes into it and where it comes from; the recipe is up to you. Every line was checked against the dish's Wikipedia article on 18 September 2026, and dishes that depend on wine, beer or spirits were left out.

Which dinners count as vegetarian?

32 of them: dishes with no meat, poultry or fish in the usual recipe, such as pasta alla Norma, dal makhani and mujaddara. Eggs and dairy are allowed, and cheeses were not screened for animal rennet. A restaurant kitchen may use meat stock or fish sauce where a home cook would not, so ask before you order.

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All 250 dinners

Cook at home 236

  • Adana kebabı Hand-minced meat on a wide iron skewer, grilled over charcoal and named after the Turkish city of Adana.
  • Ají de gallina A Peruvian stew of shredded chicken in a yellow chilli sauce thickened with bread soaked in milk.
  • Aloo gobi Potatoes and cauliflower cooked with Indian spices and coloured yellow by turmeric.
  • Arroz con pollo Chicken cooked with rice, onions, saffron and vegetables, a traditional one-pot dish of Latin America.
  • Aubergine parmigiana Fried sliced aubergine layered with mozzarella and tomato sauce, then baked; four Italian regions claim it.
  • Ayam goreng Indonesian and Malay fried chicken, seasoned with turmeric and garlic rather than coated in flour.
  • Baingan bharta Aubergine grilled over a flame, then mashed with tomato, onion, herbs and spices.
  • Balti A curry cooked fast over high heat and served in a thin steel bowl, developed in Birmingham in the 1970s.
  • Bangers and mash Sausages and mashed potato, usually with onion gravy, and a standard of British pub cooking.
  • Bánh xèo A crisp turmeric rice crepe stuffed with pork and prawns; the name copies the sizzle of the batter.
  • Barbecue ribs Pork ribs smoked, grilled or baked, usually under a sauce, and most often a barbecue sauce.
  • Beef and broccoli Beef with broccoli, an American Chinese restaurant dish that is also called broccoli beef.
  • Beef chow fun A Cantonese staple: beef, wide rice noodles and bean sprouts, stir-fried dry rather than in a sauce.
  • Beef Stroganoff Sautéed beef in a mustard and sour cream sauce, a Russian dish named after the Stroganov family.
  • Beef Wellington Beef fillet and mushroom duxelles wrapped in puff pastry and baked, then sliced to serve.
  • Bigos Polish hunter's stew: chopped meats of several kinds stewed with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage.
  • Birria Goat, beef or lamb marinated in a dried-chilli adobo and cooked in broth, from Jalisco in western Mexico.
  • Bò kho Vietnamese beef and carrot stew with lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon, eaten with baguette or noodles.
  • Bobotie A South African bake of spiced minced meat under an egg-based topping.
  • Borscht A sour soup of Eastern Europe; the best-known version is Ukrainian and coloured red by beetroot.
  • Bouillabaisse A Provençal fish soup from Marseille, first made by the fishermen of the city.
  • Bucatini all'amatriciana Tomato, guanciale, pecorino and chilli, a sauce that takes its name from the town of Amatrice.
  • Buddha's delight Lo han jai, a vegetarian dish of Chinese Buddhist cooking that monks traditionally eat.
  • Buffalo wings Unbreaded chicken wings fried and coated in cayenne hot sauce and butter; named after Buffalo, New York.
  • Bulgogi Thin marinated slices of beef, grilled or pan-fried; the Korean name means fire meat.
  • Bún thịt nướng Cold rice noodles topped with grilled pork, herbs, bean sprouts, spring rolls and roasted peanuts.
  • Butter chicken Chicken in a creamy, spiced tomato and butter gravy, made popular in Delhi in the 1950s.
  • Cacio e pepe Pasta with grated pecorino romano and black pepper, from Lazio; the hard part is keeping the cheese smooth.
  • Caldo verde Portuguese green broth: shredded cabbage or kale with potatoes, onion, garlic and olive oil.
  • Calzone An oven-baked folded pizza, typically stuffed with prosciutto or salami, mozzarella or ricotta and an egg.
  • Cannelloni Tubes of egg pasta stuffed with spinach and ricotta or minced beef, covered in sauce and baked.
  • Carne asada Beef, usually skirt or flank steak, marinated, grilled for a charred flavour and sliced.
  • Carnitas Pork braised and fried in its own fat for three to four hours until tender; the name means little meats.
  • Cashew chicken Chicken with cashew nuts in a light garlic sauce or a thicker soy and oyster sauce; a Chinese-American dish.
  • Cassoulet A rich stew of haricot beans, sausage, pork and preserved goose from Castelnaudary in southern France.
  • Cauliflower cheese Boiled cauliflower under a cheese sauce, usually cheddar, eaten as a side or as a vegetarian main.
  • Cawl A national dish of Wales: lamb or beef with leeks, potatoes, swede, carrots and other seasonal vegetables.
  • Char kway teow Stir-fried flat rice noodles from Maritime Southeast Asia; char means stir-fried in Hokkien.
  • Char siu Cantonese barbecued pork from Guangdong; the name means fork roasted.
  • Cheeseburger A hamburger with cheese melted over the patty near the end of cooking, plus whatever toppings you like.
  • Chicken adobo Chicken simmered in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic, widely seen as the Philippines' unofficial national dish.
  • Chicken and dumplings A chicken boiled for its broth, which then cooks biscuit-dough dumplings; a Southern US staple.
  • Chicken and mushroom pie One of Britain's most popular savoury pies, with a recipe in print as early as 1747.
  • Chicken and waffles Chicken served with waffles, a Pennsylvania Dutch meal in origin that is also popular in the South.
  • Chicken biryani Spiced rice and chicken cooked together; biryani was already being made in Mughal-era India.
  • Chicken cacciatore Hunter-style chicken braised with onions, herbs and usually tomatoes and peppers.
  • Chicken Kiev Chicken fillet rolled around cold butter, coated in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried or baked.
  • Chicken paprikash A Hungarian dish of chicken simmered slowly in a paprika sauce that starts from a roux.
  • Chicken parmigiana Breaded fried chicken breast under tomato sauce and melted cheese, born in the Italian diaspora in the US.
  • Chicken piccata Thin floured chicken pan-fried and sauced with lemon, butter and parsley; in Italy piccata is made with veal.
  • Chicken pot pie A chicken filling under a flaky pastry crust; pot pies are a favourite in the United States.
  • Chicken tikka masala Roasted marinated chicken in a creamy spiced sauce, thought to have been created in Britain.
  • Chicken yassa Chicken marinated with onions and lemon or mustard, then stewed; originally from Senegal.
  • Chicken-fried steak Tenderised beef steak coated in seasoned flour and fried the way fried chicken is; a Southern US dish.
  • Chiles rellenos Stuffed chillies, most often Puebla's poblano pepper filled with melted cheese and coated in egg.
  • Chili con carne A spicy stew of chilli peppers, meat (usually beef), tomatoes and beans; every region argues over its recipe.
  • Choucroute garnie Alsatian dressed sauerkraut: sauerkraut with sausages, salted meats and often potatoes.
  • Chow mein Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu, with many regional versions.
  • Chraime A spicy North African fish stew with tomatoes; the name comes from the Arabic word for hot.
  • Cochinita pibil Yucatán slow-roasted pork marinated in sour citrus juice and annatto and wrapped in banana leaf.
  • Cocido madrileño Madrid's traditional chickpea-based stew, most popular in winter.
  • Cottage pie Minced meat baked under mashed potato; it is called shepherd's pie too, and the terms have long overlapped.
  • Couscous Steamed semolina granules with a stew spooned over the top, a staple of North Africa.
  • Crab cakes Crab meat bound with breadcrumbs, egg and mustard, then fried or baked; tied to Maryland's Chesapeake Bay.
  • Cullen skink A thick Scottish soup of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions.
  • Curry goat A goat curry from the Indian subcontinent that the Indian diaspora carried to the Caribbean.
  • Dal makhani A Punjabi dal of black urad lentils and other pulses, enriched with butter and cream.
  • Dan dan noodles Sichuan wheat noodles in a spicy sauce of chilli oil, Sichuan pepper, pickled greens and minced pork.
  • Deep-dish pizza A pizza with a tall crust, a great deal of cheese and chunky tomato sauce on top; strongly tied to Chicago.
  • Dhansak A Parsi dish of chicken or mutton cooked with lentils and vegetables, served with caramelised rice.
  • Duck confit A French duck dish from Gascony, where by tradition every part of the bird is used.
  • Egg foo young A Chinese omelette dish whose English name follows the Cantonese pronunciation.
  • Enchiladas Corn tortillas rolled around a filling of meat, cheese or beans and covered with a chilli or tomato sauce.
  • Étouffée Shellfish smothered in sauce and served over rice, found in both Cajun and Creole cooking in south Louisiana.
  • Fajitas Tex-Mex grilled skirt steak strips with sautéed onions and peppers on a tortilla; chicken is a common swap.
  • Fasolada A Greek and Cypriot soup of dry white beans, olive oil, tomatoes and vegetables.
  • Feijoada A bean stew with beef or pork made across the Portuguese-speaking world, from Portugal to Brazil.
  • Fesenjan A sweet and sour Iranian stew served over rice, made with chicken, duck or meatballs.
  • Fettuccine Alfredo Fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan until they form a sauce, named after a Roman restaurateur.
  • Fideuà A seafood dish from the Valencian coast, made like paella but with short pasta noodles instead of rice.
  • Fish fingers, chips and peas Breaded sticks of white fish such as cod or haddock, baked or fried from frozen, with chips and peas.
  • Fish pie A traditional British pie, also called fisherman's pie, that is popular in Australia and New Zealand too.
  • Fried chicken Southern fried chicken: pieces coated in seasoned flour or batter and fried until the crust is crisp.
  • Frikadeller Flat, pan-fried meatballs of ground meat, shared by German, Nordic and Eastern European cooking.
  • Gado-gado An Indonesian salad of cooked vegetables, egg, potato, tofu and tempeh under a peanut sauce dressing.
  • Galbi Korean grilled beef short ribs, usually cooked by the diners on a tabletop grill; galbi means rib.
  • Gambas al ajillo Prawns cooked in garlic and oil, the best-known Spanish dish in the al ajillo style.
  • Ghormeh sabzi A Persian herb stew with beans and meat, regarded as a national dish of Iran.
  • Gnocchi Small Italian dumplings, most simply made from wheat flour, potato, egg and salt.
  • Goulash Meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika, a national dish of Hungary that began as a shepherds' stew.
  • Gołąbki Boiled cabbage leaves wrapped around minced pork or beef, onion and rice, a Polish festive dish.
  • Green curry A coconut curry from central Thailand; its Thai name means sweet green curry.
  • Gumbo A Gulf Coast stew of strong stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and celery, bell peppers and onions.
  • Gyūdon A Japanese beef bowl: beef and onion simmered in a mildly sweet soy and dashi sauce, served over rice.
  • Hot pot A pot of stock kept simmering at the table, in which diners cook raw meats, vegetables and tofu themselves.
  • Hotdish A one-dish casserole of a starch, a meat and a vegetable bound with canned soup, from the Upper Midwest.
  • İmam bayıldı Aubergine stuffed with onion, garlic and tomato, simmered in olive oil; the name means the imam fainted.
  • Irish stew A stew from Ireland traditionally made with lamb or mutton and root vegetables.
  • Jajangmyeon Korean Chinese noodles in a thick chunjang sauce with diced pork, a dish that grew up in Incheon.
  • Jalfrezi A stir-fried curry created in Bengal during the British Raj as a way to use up leftover meat.
  • Jambalaya A Louisiana rice dish of meat or seafood and vegetables, with African, Spanish and French roots.
  • Janssons frestelse A Swedish casserole of potatoes, onions, pickled sprats and cream, a regular on the Christmas table.
  • Japchae Sweet potato glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables, mushrooms and a little meat in soy and sesame oil.
  • Jerk chicken Chicken rubbed or marinated with hot Jamaican jerk spice, a style of cooking native to Jamaica.
  • Jollof rice One-pot rice with tomatoes, chillies and onions; West African countries compete over whose is best.
  • Kabab koobideh An Iranian kebab of ground lamb mixed with grated onion, salt and black pepper.
  • Karaage Japanese fried chicken: small marinated pieces dredged in starch and deep-fried.
  • Käsespätzle Spätzle with cheese, a traditional dish of Swabia, the Allgäu, western Austria and Switzerland.
  • Katsu curry A breaded pork cutlet, cut into strips, with rice and Japanese curry sauce, eaten with a spoon.
  • Katsudon A bowl of rice topped with a fried pork cutlet and egg; the name joins tonkatsu and donburi.
  • Khachapuri Georgian cheese-filled bread, so much a staple that its cost is used to track inflation in Georgia.
  • Khao soi A noodle dish of northern Thailand, believed to descend from the food of Chin Haw Muslim traders.
  • Khichdi Rice and lentils cooked together, made in many versions across South Asia.
  • Kibbeh Spiced ground meat pounded with bulgur wheat, a national dish of Lebanon and Syria.
  • Kimchi-jjigae One of Korea's most common stews: kimchi simmered with pork, tofu, scallions and onion.
  • Kleftiko Marinated lamb or goat slow-roasted in a parcel and served with potatoes, named after the klephts.
  • Köfte Balls or patties of spiced minced meat, one branch of a family made from South Asia to the Balkans.
  • Königsberger Klopse German meatballs in a creamy white sauce with capers.
  • Korma Meat or vegetables braised with yogurt, stock and spices into a thick sauce, a dish with Mughlai roots.
  • Kung Pao chicken A spicy Sichuan stir-fry of cubed chicken, peanuts, vegetables, chillies and Sichuan peppercorns.
  • Lahmacun A flatbread baked under minced beef or lamb, vegetables, herbs and spices, often wrapped around salad.
  • Lancashire hotpot Lamb or mutton and onion under a lid of sliced potatoes, baked slowly in a pot; from north-west England.
  • Larb A Lao minced meat salad dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, toasted ground rice and fresh herbs.
  • Lasagne Wide, flat pasta sheets stacked with fillings and sauce, then baked as a casserole.
  • Lemon chicken Battered fried chicken in a thick, sweet lemon sauce, a fixture of Chinese restaurants in the West.
  • Lo mein Chinese tossed noodles; the Cantonese style comes topped with char siu, beef brisket, wontons or vegetables.
  • Lomo saltado A Peruvian stir-fry of beef strips, onions, tomatoes and french fries, from the Chinese-Peruvian chifa.
  • Macaroni and cheese Macaroni in cheese sauce, most often cheddar; its roots are in the pasta bakes of medieval England.
  • Madras curry A hot curry in an onion and tomato sauce, invented in Anglo-Indian cooking; the name is unknown in India.
  • Mafé A West African groundnut stew, a staple known as maafe in Senegal and tigadeguena in Mali.
  • Mansaf Jordan's national dish: lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt, served on rice or bulgur.
  • Mantı Small dumplings of spiced lamb or beef in thin dough, found from Central Asia to Turkey.
  • Mapo tofu Tofu in a thin, oily, bright red Sichuan sauce of fermented bean pastes with minced meat, traditionally beef.
  • Maqluba Meat, rice and fried vegetables cooked in one pot, then flipped to serve; the name means upside-down.
  • Margherita pizza The classic Neapolitan pizza: crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and olive oil.
  • Massaman curry A rich, mildly spicy Thai curry built on cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and other imported spices.
  • Meatloaf Ground meat, usually beef, mixed and shaped into a loaf, then baked and sliced like bread.
  • Mie goreng Indonesian fried yellow noodles with garlic, shallots, chilli, egg, vegetables and prawn, chicken or beef.
  • Milanesa A breaded cutlet descended from Milan's cotoletta and treated as a national dish in Argentina.
  • Mofongo Puerto Rican green plantains, fried and then mashed with garlic, pork and broth in a wooden mortar.
  • Momo Steamed filled dumplings of Nepalese and Tibetan cooking, served with a dipping sauce called achar.
  • Moo shu pork A northern Chinese stir-fry from Shandong that always has egg in it alongside the pork.
  • Moqueca A Brazilian stew of shrimp or fish with tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime and coriander.
  • Moules-frites Mussels with fries, the national dish of Belgium, also at home in northern France.
  • Moussaka Layers of aubergine or potato, usually with ground meat; the modern Greek version dates from the 1920s.
  • Mujaddara Lentils cooked with rice and topped with fried onions, especially popular in the Levant.
  • Nasi goreng Indonesian and Malay fried rice seasoned with sweet soy sauce, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and chilli.
  • Nikujaga A Japanese home stew whose name means meat and potatoes, simmered with onions in a sweet soy stock.
  • Nut roast A loaf of nuts, grains and seasonings roasted firm, often eaten in place of the meat in a roast dinner.
  • Okonomiyaki A savoury Japanese pancake of batter and cabbage cooked on a griddle, with meat or seafood to taste.
  • Omurice Fried rice topped with an omelette, mostly cooked at home and a regular on Japanese children's menus.
  • Oyakodon The parent-and-child rice bowl: chicken and egg simmered together in soy and stock, served over rice.
  • Pad kra pao A stir-fry named after its holy basil, and one of the most popular dishes in Thailand.
  • Paella A rice dish from the Valencian Community; the Valencian original has rabbit, chicken, duck and snails.
  • Palak paneer Cubes of paneer cheese in a thick sauce of pureed spinach.
  • Panang curry A thick, mildly sweet curry from central Thailand, cooked in coconut cream until the oil separates.
  • Pancit The Filipino family of noodle dishes, usually served with calamansi to squeeze over.
  • Pasta alla Norma Pasta with aubergine and tomato sauce from Catania in Sicily, named after Bellini's opera Norma.
  • Pasta e fagioli Italian pasta and bean soup with many regional versions, once food for the poor and now eaten by everyone.
  • Pasta primavera Pasta with fresh vegetables in a cream sauce, an Italian-American dish invented in the 1970s.
  • Pastilla A meat or seafood pie in thin warqa pastry, a speciality of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
  • Pastitsio A baked pasta dish with ground meat and béchamel sauce, from the Ionian Islands of Greece.
  • Pav bhaji A thick, spicy vegetable curry with soft buttered bread rolls, from Maharashtra.
  • Penne all'arrabbiata Pasta in a spicy tomato, garlic and chilli sauce from Rome; arrabbiata means angry.
  • Pernil A marinated pork leg or shoulder roasted slowly with skin and bone, a Christmas dish in Puerto Rico.
  • Picadillo Ground beef with tomatoes, raisins and olives, made from Mexico to Cuba; picar means to mince.
  • Pierogi Boiled dumplings of unleavened dough, filled with potato and cheese, sauerkraut, meat or mushrooms.
  • Pisto Tomatoes, onions, courgettes or aubergine and peppers cooked in olive oil, often topped with a fried egg.
  • Pot roast A tough cut of beef cooked slowly in moist heat in a covered pot until tender.
  • Pot-au-feu Slowly boiled beef and vegetables, usually served as two courses: the broth first, then the meat.
  • Potjiekos South African small-pot food, cooked outdoors over coals in a three-legged cast iron pot.
  • Poutine French fries and cheese curds under hot brown gravy, from the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec.
  • Pozole A Mexican soup of hominy with pork or chicken, topped with cabbage, radish, onion, chilli and lime.
  • Pulled pork Barbecued pork shoulder from the Southern United States, cooked slowly, shredded and mixed with sauce.
  • Pupusas Thick stuffed griddle cakes from El Salvador and Honduras, filled with cheese, beans, pork or squash.
  • Raclette Melted cheese scraped onto the plate and eaten with boiled potatoes, from the Swiss canton of Valais.
  • Rajma Red kidney beans in a thick spiced gravy, usually served over rice as rajma chawal.
  • Ratatouille Summer vegetables stewed together, a Provençal dish most associated with Nice.
  • Ravioli Parcels of thin pasta dough around a filling, served in broth or with a sauce.
  • Red beans and rice A Louisiana Creole dish traditionally made on Mondays with the pork bones left from Sunday dinner.
  • Red curry Red curry paste cooked in coconut milk with chicken, beef, pork, duck, shrimp or tofu.
  • Red red Ghanaian black-eyed peas cooked in red palm oil and served with fried plantain, hence the name.
  • Rendang Meat cooked slowly in spiced coconut milk until the sauce dries out, from Indonesia and its neighbours.
  • Ribollita A Tuscan bread soup of cannellini beans, kale, cabbage and leftover vegetables; the name means reboiled.
  • Risotto Italian rice cooked with broth until creamy, one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.
  • Roast chicken A whole chicken roasted in its own fat and juices, in the oven at home or on a rotisserie.
  • Rogan josh An aromatic Kashmiri curry of mutton or goat, one of the main dishes of the wazwan feast.
  • Ropa vieja Stewed shredded beef and tomatoes on a sofrito base, a national dish of Cuba; the name means old clothes.
  • Salisbury steak A patty of ground beef and other ingredients served with gravy, an American relative of Hamburg steak.
  • Saltimbocca Veal lined with prosciutto and sage; the name means it jumps in the mouth, and the original is Roman.
  • Sambar and rice A South Indian stew of pigeon peas and vegetables in tamarind broth, spooned over rice.
  • Samgyeopsal Grilled pork belly from Korea; the name means three-layer meat.
  • Satay Small pieces of seasoned meat grilled on skewers over charcoal, usually served with peanut sauce.
  • Scouse Liverpool's stew of beef or lamb with potatoes, carrots and onions; the word comes from lobscouse.
  • Shabu-shabu A Japanese hot pot of thinly sliced meat swished through boiling water; the name copies the sound.
  • Shashlik Skewered, grilled cubes of meat, popular across the former Russian Empire since the 19th century.
  • Shiro An Ethiopian and Eritrean stew made from powdered chickpeas or broad beans.
  • Shish kebab Cubes of meat, traditionally lamb, grilled on skewers; the dish began in the Middle East.
  • Shish taouk Marinated chicken grilled on skewers, served in kebab houses across the Middle East.
  • Shrimp and grits Sautéed shrimp over boiled cornmeal, a Lowcountry dish of coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
  • Sloppy joe Ground beef cooked with onions, tomato sauce or ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, served on a burger bun.
  • Sole meunière Sole floured and fried, then served with hot melted butter, lemon juice and parsley.
  • Spaghetti aglio e olio Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, a Naples dish built from cheap ingredients that keep in a cupboard.
  • Spaghetti alla puttanesca Tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and chilli, a pasta invented in Naples in the mid-20th century.
  • Spaghetti alle vongole Spaghetti cooked with fresh clams, garlic, parsley and olive oil, from the coasts of southern Italy.
  • Spaghetti and meatballs An Italian-American dish whose modern form was developed by Italian immigrants in New York City.
  • Spaghetti bolognese Pasta with ragù alla bolognese, the slowly cooked meat sauce of Bologna, where it is simply called ragù.
  • Spaghetti carbonara Cured pork, hard cheese, eggs and black pepper, a Lazio dish that took its modern form in the mid-1900s.
  • Spanakorizo Greek spinach rice, a country pilaf with dill, mint and onion, often served with feta and lemon.
  • Spanish omelette An omelette of eggs and potatoes, often with onion, and often served at room temperature as a tapa.
  • Stamppot A Dutch mash of potatoes with one or more vegetables, typically topped with sausage.
  • Steak and kidney pie A British savoury pie filled mainly with diced beef, diced kidney and onion.
  • Steak frites Beef steak with fried potatoes, a brasserie standard in France and in Belgium, which claims to be its home.
  • Stegt flæsk Fried strips of pork belly served with potatoes and parsley sauce; the name is Danish.
  • Sukiyaki Thinly sliced beef and vegetables simmered at the table in a shallow iron pot with soy sauce and sugar.
  • Sunday roast Roast meat, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy, traditionally eaten on a Sunday.
  • Sundubu-jjigae A Korean stew of extra soft, unpressed tofu with vegetables and chilli, cooked in the bowl it is served in.
  • Sweet and sour pork Fried pork in sweet and sour sauce, a Cantonese dish from the 18th century, sometimes with pineapple.
  • Tagine A Moroccan stew named after the cone-lidded clay pot that braises it with very little water.
  • Tamales Corn masa dough steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf around a filling, a dish from ancient Mesoamerica.
  • Tandoori chicken Chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and roasted in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven.
  • Tartiflette Potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons and onions baked together, from Savoy in the French Alps.
  • Tempura Seafood and vegetables fried in a thin batter, a method Portuguese Jesuits brought to Japan in the 1500s.
  • Toad in the hole Sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables.
  • Tom kha gai A spicy, sour Thai soup of chicken and galangal in coconut milk.
  • Tonkatsu Pork loin or fillet coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried, one of Japan's three great yoshoku dishes.
  • Tteokbokki Chewy cylinder-shaped rice cakes simmered in sauce, often with fish cakes, boiled eggs and scallions.
  • Tuna casserole A casserole made mainly from pasta or rice and canned tuna, also known as tuna mornay.
  • Udon Thick wheat noodles, at their simplest in a mild dashi and soy broth topped with chopped scallions.
  • Vindaloo A fiery curry-house staple that descends from a Portuguese-influenced pork dish of Goa.
  • Waterzooi A Flemish soup from Ghent, originally made with fish and now often with chicken.
  • Wiener schnitzel A thin veal cutlet, breaded and pan-fried, one of the national dishes of Austria.
  • Yakisoba Stir-fried wheat noodles, not buckwheat despite the name, seasoned with a Worcestershire-style sauce.
  • Yakitori Skewered chicken grilled over charcoal with tare sauce or salt; the name means grilled bird.
  • Yangzhou fried rice Egg fried rice with mixed vegetables and two proteins, typically pork and shrimp, with spring onions.
  • Zürcher Geschnetzeltes Sliced veal in a cream sauce from Zürich, first recorded in a cookbook in 1947.

Order in 14

  • Bún bò Huế A spicy beef and rice noodle soup from the city of Huế, scented with lemongrass and shrimp paste.
  • Bunny chow A hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry, created by Indian South Africans in Durban.
  • Chelow kabab Steamed rice with an Iranian kebab, butter, sumac and grilled tomato, probably first made in the Qajar era.
  • Chilli crab Mud crab stir-fried in a sweet, savoury tomato and chilli sauce, a favourite of Singapore and Malaysia.
  • Cơm tấm Broken rice with pork ribs, cucumber, pickled carrot and a sweet and sour fish sauce, best known in Saigon.
  • General Tso's chicken A sweet and spicy deep-fried chicken dish of Chinese-American restaurants.
  • İskender kebap Sliced grilled lamb over pieces of pita with hot tomato sauce, melted sheep's butter and yogurt.
  • Korean fried chicken Crisp fried chicken from South Korea, served plain or coated in sweet and spicy yangnyeom sauce.
  • Mandi Meat and spiced rice traditionally cooked in a pit, eaten across the Arabian Peninsula.
  • Orange chicken Fried chicken in a sweet, orange-flavoured chilli glaze, an American Chinese dish.
  • Peking duck A Beijing dish made since the Imperial era, prized for thin, crisp skin that is carved in front of diners.
  • Pie and mash A minced beef pie with mashed potato and a parsley sauce called liquor, born in the docks of London.
  • Tacos al pastor Spit-grilled sliced pork from Puebla, based on the shawarma that Lebanese immigrants brought to Mexico.
  • Xiaolongbao Soup-filled buns steamed in a small bamboo basket, a speciality of the Jiangnan region of China.

How this list was compiled: We wrote the list of 250 dinners ourselves. What goes into each dish, and every place, date and name on a card, was checked on 2026-09-18 against the intro of the dish's English Wikipedia article, read through https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php (article index: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_dishes and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_foods). A dish whose article did not back up a plain description was left out. The cooking times are our own rough estimates for a home kitchen, start to table, and the Cook at home, Order in, Vegetarian and Comfort food tags, the cuisine and the main ingredient are our own grading. Vegetarian means no meat, poultry or fish in the usual recipe; eggs and dairy are allowed, and cheeses are not screened for rennet. Dishes that are defined by wine, beer or spirits were left off. Articles read: Adana kebabı; Ají de gallina; Al ajillo; Al pastor; Aloo gobhi; Amatriciana sauce; Arrabbiata sauce; Arroz con pollo; Ayam goreng; Baingan bharta; Balti (food); Bangers and mash; Bánh xèo; Beef and broccoli; Beef chow fun; Beef Stroganoff; Beef Wellington; Bigos; Birria; Biryani; Bò kho; Bobotie; Bolognese sauce; Borscht; Bouillabaisse; Buddha's delight; Buffalo wing; Bulgogi; Bún bò Huế; Bún thịt nướng; Bunny chow; Butter chicken; Cacciatore; Cacio e pepe; Caldo verde; Calzone; Cannelloni; Carbonara; Carne asada; Carnitas; Cashew chicken; Cassoulet; Cauliflower cheese; Cawl; Char kway teow; Char siu; Cheeseburger; Chelow kabab; Chicken and dumplings; Chicken and mushroom pie; Chicken and waffles; Chicken Kiev; Chicken paprikash; Chicken parmesan; Chicken tikka masala; Chicken-fried steak; Chile relleno; Chili con carne; Chilli crab; Choucroute garnie; Chow mein; Chraime; Cochinita pibil; Cocido madrileño; Cơm tấm; Couscous; Crab cake; Cullen skink; Dal makhani; Dandan noodles; Deep-dish pizza; Dhansak; Duck confit; Egg foo young; Enchilada; Étouffée; Fajita; Fasolada; Feijoada; Fesenjān; Fettuccine Alfredo; Fideuà; Fish finger; Fish pie; Fried chicken; Frikadelle; Gado-gado; Galbi; General Tso's chicken; Ghormeh sabzi; Gnocchi; Goat curry; Gołąbki; Goulash; Green curry; Gumbo; Gyūdon; Hot pot; Hotdish; İmam bayıldı; Irish stew; İskender kebap; Jajangmyeon; Jalfrezi; Jambalaya; Jansson's temptation; Japchae; Jerk (cooking); Jollof rice; Kabab koobideh; Karaage; Käsespätzle; Katsu curry; Katsudon; Khachapuri; Khao soi; Khichdi; Kibbeh; Kimchi-jjigae; Kleftiko; Kofta; Königsberger Klopse; Korean fried chicken; Korma; Kung Pao chicken; Lahmacun; Lancashire hotpot; Larb; Lasagna; Lemon chicken; Lo mein; Lomo saltado; Macaroni and cheese; Madras curry; Mandi (food); Mansaf; Manti (food); Mapo tofu; Maqluba; Massaman curry; Meatloaf; Mie goreng; Milanesa; Mofongo; Momo (food); Moo shu pork; Moqueca; Moules-frites; Moussaka; Mujaddara; Nasi goreng; Nikujaga; Nut roast; Okonomiyaki; Omurice; Orange chicken; Oyakodon; Paella; Palak paneer; Pancit; Parmigiana; Pasta alla Norma; Pasta e fagioli; Pasta primavera; Pastilla; Pastitsio; Pav bhaji; Peanut stew; Peking duck; Pernil; Phanaeng; Phat kaphrao; Philippine adobo; Picadillo; Piccata; Pie and mash; Pierogi; Pisto; Pizza Margherita; Pork ribs; Pot pie; Pot roast; Pot-au-feu; Potjiekos; Poutine; Pozole; Pulled pork; Pupusa; Raclette; Rajma; Ratatouille; Ravioli; Red beans and rice; Red curry; Red red; Rendang; Ribollita; Risotto; Roast chicken; Rogan josh; Ropa vieja; Salisbury steak; Saltimbocca; Sambar (dish); Samgyeopsal; Satay; Scouse (food); Shabu-shabu; Shashlik; Shepherd's pie; Shiro (food); Shish kebab; Shish taouk; Shrimp and grits; Sloppy joe; Sole meunière; Spaghetti aglio e olio; Spaghetti alla puttanesca; Spaghetti alle vongole; Spaghetti and meatballs; Spanakorizo; Spanish omelette; Stamppot; Steak and kidney pie; Steak frites; Stegt flæsk; Sukiyaki; Sunday roast; Sundubu-jjigae; Sweet and sour pork; Tagine; Tamale; Tandoori chicken; Tartiflette; Tempura; Toad in the hole; Tom kha kai; Tonkatsu; Tteokbokki; Tuna casserole; Udon; Vindaloo; Waterzooi; Wiener schnitzel; Xiaolongbao; Yakisoba; Yakitori; Yangzhou fried rice; Yassa (food); Zürcher Geschnetzeltes. Licence: own work