89 International Dishes You Can Enjoy Without A Passport

We're going on a trip! Don't worry; you won't need a suitcase for this vacation, just a few reusable shopping bags for groceries, because you won't need to leave your home city for this trip around the world. We all love our traditional American recipes, especially in the summer time — hello, hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill – but once in a while, we like to think outside the box and try a recipe that's a little outside both our cultural and cooking comfort zones to try something new, and for those days, we've put together a collection of recipes from every corner of the globe.

So, whether you're craving Hungarian goulash, tandoori chicken hailing from India, or the idea of the magic of fairy bread from Australia and New Zealand appeals to you, we've got the recipe below to take your cooking prowess to new heights, or, in this case, new destinations.

Recipe developer Susan Olayinka came up with this recipe for "soft, buttery, and cake-like" Norwegian waffles using yogurt instead of the classic Norwegian sour cream. After mixing together the batter and cooking the waffles in the waffle iron, it's time to garnish your waffles, and what you choose to put on top all depends upon how traditional you want to get. Norwegian style would call for strawberry jam and sour cream, but you can also opt for whipped cream and berries or just plain 'ole maple syrup.

Recipe: Norwegian Waffles

Although recipe developer Eric Ngo notes that this beef donburi recipe is more for the intermediate cook, we encourage you to give it a try no matter what your cooking prowess because the results are downright delicious. Beef donburi is a dish of cooked rice topped with veggies, beef, and a cooked egg. Ngo provides instructions based on traditional ingredients but also offers alternatives if you're unable to find these ingredients. The recipe takes just 30 minutes to prep and cook and yields two servings, so it's perfect for a date night.

Recipe: Japanese Beef Donburi

This traditional Irish recipe will take you some time to prepare — over two and a half hours — but recipe developer Michelle McGlinn calls the recipe "fairly foolproof" and the end product is well worth it. The main ingredients for this stew are lamb and potatoes, which you'll cook together with onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme in a Dutch oven. McGlinn recommends serving the finished stew with crusty bread for scooping and soaking up the gravy.

Recipe: Irish Stew

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn calls these fresh vegetable lumpia "the Filipino version of fried spring rolls," but points out that the thin lumpia wrappers don't have egg in them. Inside these fried packages of goodness you'll find cabbage, carrots, jicama, and bean sprouts. To prepare, you'll simply cook the veggies, add in some oyster sauce, then wrap the filling mixture up in the lumpia wrappers. You'll only need to fry these guys for about one minute on each side, and then, once cooled, you can enjoy them with a hoisin sauce.

Recipe: Filipino Fresh Vegetable Lumpia

This Russian honey cake dates back to the 19th century when a palace chef created the recipe for Emperor Alexander and his wife (via Russia Beyond). Fast forward to today and we have a fresh recipe from recipe developer Catherine Brookes who walks you through how to make the batter, the icing, and how to assemble the six-layer cake. The end result is a simple, rectangular-shaped cake, yet the several layers add an element of complexity and contrast of color.

Recipe: Russian Honey Cake

Our recipe for bibimbap, which translates to "mixed rice," is easy but has several steps, says recipe developer Cecilia Ryu. Ryu calls bibimbap a "gateway" dish to Korean food, encouraging those who may not be familiar with the area's cuisine to give it a try. In preparation for making this dish, you'll probably have to hit up a few stores including a regular grocer, an Asian grocery, and a butcher's shop for the pork belly. Once finished and assembled, you'll be glad you put in all the work for this delicious bibimbap.

Recipe: Korean Bibimbap

This Portuguese slow cooker bean soup is not only easy to make, it's also uber filling, delicious, and perfect for chilly winter nights as well as for enjoying all year round. Prep essentially involves simply chopping up the linguica sausage, veggies, and potatoes, then you add all ingredients to your slow cooker and let it work its magic. Recipe developer Jason Goldstein recommends switching out the linguica for Italian sausage and Italian herbs if you want to make your soup more Italian-inspired.

Recipe: Portuguese Slow Cooker Bean Soup

This Chinese vegetable lo mein dish is easily prepped and cooked in a total of just 15 minutes, so you won't find yourself slaving over a stove for hours to make a delicious meal. There's plenty of leeway with this recipe — you can add pretty much any veg you've got hanging out in your fridge into the lo mein — but bear in mind sticking strictly to this recipe from recipe developer Kristen Carli will get you a more authentic dish. Serve with some tofu or chicken on the side for a well-rounded meal.

Recipe: Chinese Vegetable Lo Mein

Is it a dip? Is it a spread? Is it a side dish? Skordalia is all of the above, and since it comes together quickly in just about a half an hour, it's bound to be one of your new favorite Greek-inspired culinary creations. According to recipe developer Catherine Brookes, skordalia is a mixture of "garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and some kind of starch," the latter of which, in our case, is potatoes. Preparation techniques are similar to making mashed potatoes, so this recipe won't take you too far out of your comfort zone.

Recipe: Greek Skordalia

Jagerschnitzel takes regular German schnitzel – breaded and fried thinly pounded pork chops — and takes it up a notch with the addition of a creamy mushroom gravy poured over the top of the pork chops. There are many steps to the recipe, but recipe developer Laura Sampson encourages you not to be deterred, as each step is fairly easy. Ingredients are easily found in your regular grocery store, so there's no need to venture to a specialty store for this recipe. The finished product is ready in just over half an hour.

Recipe: German Jagerschnitzel

Traditionally a dish enjoyed in the areas of modern-day Syria and Lebanon, tabbouleh is a delicious chopped vegetable salad perfect for any occasion. There are plenty of healthy ingredients in this recipe including the cauliflower base, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes, and English cucumber, and just the right amount of spice to make things flavorful. To prep, you'll need to chop up the cauliflower in your food processor, then it's just a matter of mixing together all the ingredients and enjoying!

Recipe: Mediterranean Cauliflower Tabbouleh

This recipe for Mexican huevos rancheros cuts zero corners as recipe developer Ksenia Prints walks you through how to make the guacamole and salsa from scratch. Once you try out a traditional version — we're talking egg, tortilla, salsa, and guacamole — give one of Prints' recipe variations a try. You can spread some refried beans on the tortilla before adding the rest of the ingredients, or add some cheese on top because, well, who doesn't love cheese? A dollop of sour cream on top Americanizes this dish but certainly adds an element of yumminess.

Recipe: Mexican Huevos Rancheros

Next up, we're off to Argentina for this authentic empanada recipe. Recipe developer Cecilia Ryu notes the most important ingredient is raisins as they add sweetness to the dish. Instructions are provided for how to make the dough for these empanadas from scratch, but you can also buy frozen puff pastry at the store. Prep and cook times together add up to a little over an hour, but these little pockets of joy are worth the time and effort.

Recipe: Argentinian Empanadas

Recipe developer Alexandra Shytsman pulls out all the stops for this amazing Polish pierogi recipe that calls for an eastern European dumpling filled with potatoes and cheese, a combination Shytsman says is "universally loved." She adds that the sweet and savory onions and sour cream toppings are an absolute must. Preparation is as simple as making the dough and mixing together the filling. Then comes the fun part of assembling the dumplings. Finally, you'll cook the pierogies in boiling water, cook the onions, assemble, and enjoy!

Recipe: Polish Pierogies

This classic pho recipe has quite the ingredients list — recipe developer Tara Rylie also adds a long list of optional ingredients — and will take you about an hour and a half to make, but don't let that deter you from trying as while time-consuming, the steps are fairly simple and the end result is one fantastic pho. First up you'll dry the spices and make the pho broth, then cook the noodles and chicken. Once fully assembled, you can garnish your pho as you'd like.

Recipe: Vietnamese Pho

Recipe developer Jaime Shelbert stays fairly true to a traditional Irish coffee with this recipe, but she adds instructions for how to make a Bailey's-infused whipped cream to top the drink with that adds a delicious bit of extra flavor and creaminess. Shelbert offers directions for how to switch the drink up into an iced Irish coffee by subbing maple syrup for the brown sugar. This cocktail is the perfect after-dinner drink, so start your coffee pot just before dessert.

Recipe: Irish Coffee

The name of this dish may be a mouthful to pronounce, but as soon as you take a forkful of these "scrambled pancakes," you'll be glad you practiced, because you'll certainly be wanting some more. Recipe developer Liz Capozzoli walks you through how to prepare and cook the batter and then "scramble" the pancakes. She recommends serving the finished product with jam or preserves, even fresh fruit works, although you'll already have some raisins inside the batter for extra sweetness.

Recipe: Austrian Kaiserschmarrn

Back to China we go for this classic chow mein recipe that's easy to whip up in your own home. Recipe developer Ting Dalton shares her family recipe for the delicious dish, saying it has "typical Chinese flavors" including soy, ginger, garlic, and oyster sauce. Creating a mise en place with each prepped ingredient will be helpful when preparing this dish, which involves making the meat marinade, cooking the egg noodles, and then getting out your wok to start putting all the pieces of the dish together.

Recipe: Chinese Chow Mein

Traditional barbacoa recipes require wrapping meat in leaves and cooking it by burying it in a stone pit (via Bon Appétit), but rest assured, our barbacoa recipe is cooked in the convenience of your own kitchen in your oven, and, bonus, recipe developer Stephanie Rapone says you can even make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker. To prepare, you'll layer the ingredients in a Dutch oven, cook them, then remove it from the oven and shred the beef. The finished product will make some delicious taco filling.

Recipe: Caribbean Barbacoa

This bacon butty sandwich is sure to become your lunchtime buddy — pun very much intended — in no time. Named for the generous amount of butter spread on the toasted bread, the sandwich couldn't be simpler to make. You'll just cook some bacon, slather some butter and ketchup on one piece of white toast, then sandwich it all together to create this breakfast or lunchtime masterpiece. Quintessential British, you may want to enjoy this sandwich with a cup of English breakfast tea.

Recipe: British Bacon Butty

While there are different versions of borscht prepared throughout many Slavic countries (via Britannica), the recipe developer for this creation, Alexandra Shytsman, has family that comes from Ukraine, so this recipe is based on Ukrainian traditions and includes a beet base that creates a sweet and tangy soup. When preparing, it's important to shred your veggies in the correct order: cabbage, carrots, then beets. You can add some meat if you wish, but this recipe simply calls for potatoes to add some chunkiness to the soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some dill on top.

Recipe: Ukrainian Borscht

Papadum is a crispy flatbread made from chickpea flour and perfectly seasoned when prepared correctly, making it the perfect complement to dips and chutneys or to enjoy just by itself as a light snack. Spices include black pepper, cumin seed, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Once the dough is made, you'll roll it into a cylinder and slice it into rounds before rolling each round out into thin circles. The padadum will need to cook for about 20 minutes before cooling and serving.

Recipe: Indian Crispy Papadum

Recipe developer Christina Musgrave came up with this beverage recipe that is reminiscent of a Bloody Mary with tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce, but is finished off with a Mexican beer — Corona works here — instead of vodka. Instead of salt on the rim of the glass, you'll cover it with Tajin seasoning, which Musgrave says has "spicy, sweet, and citrus flavors." Garnish with a lime instead of a Bloody Mary's traditional celery to balance the flavors.

Recipe: Mexican Michelada

You don't need to take a trip to the store to enjoy the likes of Ikea Swedish meatballs; you can make them in your own kitchen thanks to this recipe from recipe developer Kristen Carli, and, bonus, they cook up in minutes right in your Instant Pot. Prep is as simple as making and shaping the meatballs, sautéing them in your Instant Pot, then creating and adding in what Carli calls a "creamy, savory gravy." Serve the meatballs over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Recipe: Swedish Instant Pot Meatballs

Recipe developer Erin Johnson admits that this recipe for Hungarian chicken paprikash may seem intimidating at first with its many steps, but she assures "It's really just stirring things together." Tomatoes are optional here — traditional versions tend to omit them while American versions add them in — but be sure to add in the most important ingredient: paprika. First, you'll sear the chicken in a Dutch oven, then cook the onions, garlic, and spices, and add the tomatoes to the chicken. Once finished, add some sour cream to add an element of creaminess and serve over egg noodles.

Recipe: Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

From Italy we'll journey to the island country of Japan where recipe developer Cindy Chou teaches us how to make onigiri, or rice balls stuffed with fish or umeboshi, a pickled plum (via Just One Cookbook), then wrapped in nori. Chou tells you the secret to cooking the perfect rice, how to properly salt the salmon, and the process for deseeding the umeboshi. Wrapping the nori around the rice balls is easier than you might think as you'll use furikake, a salty seasoning (via Food52), as an adhesive.

Recipe: Japanese Onigiri

This rice and beans dish is an easy vegetarian and vegan recipe that doesn't skimp on protein. You won't need too many ingredients to prepare this rice and beans dish, just olive oil, some veggies like red bell pepper, garlic and onions, black beans, spices including oregano and ground cumin, bay leaves, and, of course, long grain rice. Recipe developer Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert notes that you can use water to cook the rice in, but using a broth will "add more complexity." If you're not a vegetarian, pair the finished product with Cuban chicken or pork.

Recipe: Cuban Rice and Beans

You'd better be hungry when indulging in a full Irish breakfast! The traditional meal consists of black pudding, bacon, sausage links, hash browns, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, eggs, and toast. Phew! Luckily for those of us who aren't early birds and are a little groggy in the morning, preparation is fairly simple. Bake the meats and hash browns in the oven, fry the mushrooms and tomatoes, cook the eggs sunny-side-up, microwave the beans, and toast — and, if desired, butter — the bread.

Recipe: Irish Breakfast

Everyone loves a crusty roll with a fluffy inside, and this traditional German bread certainly delivers on those features. Recipe developer Mark Beahm calls the rolls "very versatile," noting they can be consumed for nearly every meal, as toast with jam or butter for breakfast, as a deli roll for a lunch sandwich, or as a dinner roll perfect for scooping up sauces. Making the dough is similar to preparing any other bread dough; you'll mix together the ingredients, knead it, then let it rise. Cook the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe: German Brötchen

Moussaka is an iconic Greek dish made with layered lamb, cheese, eggplant, and potatoes. Our version is from recipe developer Ting Dalton who takes an often complicated recipe and makes it simple enough for you to make for a Sunday dinner. You'll need quite a few ingredients for this dish, so make a list and head to the grocery store. Then, it's time to get cooking! Boil the potatoes, sauté the veggies and lamb together, allow the mixture to thicken, then assemble the moussaka in a casserole dish by layering the potatoes and lamb, then topping with cheese and Greek yogurt before baking.

Recipe: Greek Moussaka

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn says this dish, easily prepared in your home kitchen, is "exactly like Chinese takeout." Plus, with just a 30-minute prep and cook time, you'll probably have it finished before takeout would be delivered anyway. Gather your ingredients, batter the cauliflower and bake it, mix your sticky sauce and allow it to thicken, then toss the baked cauliflower in the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve over white rice.

Recipe: Chinese Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Tres leches literally translates to "three milks," which mark the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy whipping cream used in this cake. While considered native to Nicaragua by some, the cake is also popular in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, and Guatemala (via What's Cooking America). You'll top the cake with vanilla whipped cream, strawberries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The cake takes a while to prepare — about an hour and a half — but be patient and diligent, the end result is worth it.

Recipe: Latin American Tres Leches Cake

You'll use molasses in this rye Swedish limpa bread, which recipe developer Miriam Hahn points out has multiple health benefits, as well as seeds including anise and fennel seeds, as well as caraway seeds, all of which add extra flavor. Prep will only take you 15 minutes and involves making the dough, letting it rise, then baking the bread. Hahn also offers recommendations for how to make this bread vegan. The bread is versatile and can be served with honey or butter for breakfast or alongside a soup and salad for dinner.

Recipe: Swedish Limpa Bread

This Moroccan slow cooker chicken tagine contains a healthy dose of spices, garbanzo beans – which have great health benefits and can help with digestive issues (via WebMD) — green olives, and dried apricots, among other ingredients. Cooking this dish in the slow cooker is super simple; you just add the ingredients into the slow cooker, set it for four hours, and forget it! Recipe developer Kristen Carli recommends serving this stew either by itself or over jasmine rice.

Recipe: Moroccan Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

Fairy bread is a children's favorite in the land down under where kids love to decorate slices of bread with sprinkles and other colorful toppings, traditionally at birthday parties or tea parties (via ifood.tv). You can use cookie cutters to cut the bread into fun shapes — we love the idea of butterflies and hearts. To make this magical bread, recipe developer Stephanie Rapone recommends using white bread, which you'll cover in butter, then apply the decorative goods. While designed for youngsters, fairy bread is really a delightful treat for those of any age.

Recipe: Australian and New Zealand Fairy Bread

Next we'll hop across the pond to Great Britain where pasties originated in Cornwall. These pockets of joy will take three hours to make, but they're well worth it when finished. You'll start out preparing the pasties by making the dough then mixing together the filling which consists of skirt steak, potatoes, rutabagas, onions, and parsley. Finally, you'll roll out the dough into circles and assemble the pasties. Recipe developer Keith Kamikawa recommends serving with ketchup or brown gravy.

Recipe: British Pasties

These slow cooker cabbage rolls hail from eastern and central Europe including countries like Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland. It's a simple dish made from ground beef mixed with rice and wrapped in a cabbage leaf and topped with tomato sauce. After boiling a green cabbage head and parboiling the rice, you'll assemble the cabbage rolls, place them in your slow cooker, cover with plenty of tomato sauce, and set your slow cooker to high and your timer for four hours.

Recipe: Eastern and Central European Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll

You don't need to order takeout to enjoy a Chinese spicy Hunan chicken as recipe developer Angela Latimer walks you through how to make it in your own kitchen. You'll cube the chicken then coat it in the secret ingredient: cornstarch, then cook it. Next up you'll cook the vegetables and the rice and combine everything together. Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes, so you'll be able to enjoy this stir-fry without spending too much time in the kitchen.

Recipe: Chinese Spicy Hunan Chicken

Recipe developer Carlos Leo says ropa vieja is a dish characterized by slow cooked beef, seasoned tomato sauce, and Spanish olives stuffed with pimento. You'll need quite a list of ingredients for this stew and it takes some time to cook, but preparation is fairly simple and involves browning the meat, cooking the vegetables in spices, and then letting it all simmer together. Serve your finished ropa vieja over rice, black beans, mashed potatoes, or fried plantains.

Recipe: Cuban Ropa Vieja

Recipe developer Jessica Morone calls this Irish apple cake "similar to a coffee cake" with its tart apple flavor and buttery streusel topping. To prepare, you'll first cream together the butter and sugar, then mix together your dry ingredients and combine to form the batter. You'll need a food processor to make the crumb topping for this Irish apple cake. Once the topping is finished and spread across the top of the batter, you'll pop the pan into the oven to cook for about an hour.

Recipe: Irish Apple Cake

Making muhammara is super simple and super quick — we're talking two minutes quick. The result is a dish you can serve as a dip or spread onto a sandwich or wrap. Muhammara always contains plenty of red peppers, but Mashed's version subs bread crumbs and walnuts for the traditional bulgur wheat. Recipe developer Miriam Hahn calls the taste "strong and savory with a hint of lemon." If you plan to serve this muhammara as a dip, be sure to have plenty of naan or pita bread triangles on hand.

Recipe: Syrian Muhammara

Head down to Central America to the small country of El Salvador to taste one of the most popular dishes in the nation: pupusas! Pupusas are made with masa harina — a dough made of cornmeal — and stuffed with cheese, pork, and beans. Making pupusas is fairly easy; you'll simply prepare the dough and filling, stuff the pupusas, and fry the pockets in some oil. Recipe developer Jennifer En recommends serving your finished pupusas with cabbage slaw.

Recipe: Salvadoran Pupusas

Recipe developer Eric Ngo provides you with this recipe for baechu kimchi, or napa cabbage kimchi. Ngo notes that some of the ingredients for this recipe may be harder to find, so try visiting a Korean or Asian market or use one of the substitutions Ngo provides. After you prepare the kimchi, you'll move it to an airtight container to ferment at room temperature for one to two days, during which the kimchi will take on its sour characteristics.

Recipe: Korean Kimchi

Per Culture Trip, Toad in the Hole is traditionally an English breakfast dish that allowed families to maximize their supply of pricey meat. It's so tasty the recipe has persevered and is still served today. The dish essentially consists of English bangers surrounded by a batter seasoned with mustard, rosemary, and thyme which will cook up into a flaky crust. Recipe developer Hayley MacLean recommends serving this Toad in the Hole with maple syrup or onion gravy.

Recipe: British Toad in the Hole