During quarantine, I found myself spending a lot more time in the kitchen. Eventually, as the wanderlust overtook me, I began to look for new international recipes to try! This turned into a wonderful time of remaking some favorites and trying out new ones to spice up our dinner routine. Not only were these fun and easy to make, but they brought a little piece of travel right to our dinner table!
Although we started this during a time when we couldn’t travel, I’ve found that I love bringing international food into play in between trips as well! One of my favorite parts of every country we visit is discovering its unique flavors, so doing that from the comfort of our home helps stave off the stir-craziness. In the spirit of bringing that to you, I want to share 5 easy international meals with you this week that deliciously encompass the flavors of their signature country!
Taste of Mexico: Crockpot Carnitas & Elotes
I love Mexican food, and I’ve had the real deal way too many times to settle on something less than amazing. This crockpot carnitas recipe definitely passed the test. It’s not only delicious, but it only takes ten minutes of your time, and the grunt work happens the night before!
If you’ve never had carnitas, it’s a dish made from roasting and/or simmering pork until it’s juicy and tender and practically melts in your mouth! Of course, it spends that time cooking in plenty of wonderful spices, so it’s tender and flavorful! And it’s incredibly versatile meat to work with. After you shred the pork, you can put it on tacos, fix it up in a bowl with traditional Mexican sides, or just dish it up a la carte!
This incredible version from South Your Mouth uses a Boston butt roast simmered in a delicious blend of spices, including cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. It has just the right amount of kick to it. Pick your serving option and top it off with onions, avocado slices, and a squeeze of lime juice.
My favorite side for any Mexican meal is elotes, also known as Mexican Street Corn. I bought my first elotes from a Hispanic street vendor in Florida, and I was immediately addicted to this classic treat. If you’ve seen Nacho Libre, this is what Esqueleto is always eating in the market. It’s essentially corn on the cob slathered with an irresistible mix of sour cream, mayonnaise, spices, cotija cheese, and a splash of lime. It’s so flavorful and juicy and delicious… *sigh.* But I digress. Try it for yourself!
I’ve tried a few recipes, but this one from Tastes of Lizzy T is the most authentic version I’ve found. It’s been a hit at several dinner parties
Taste of China: Honey Garlic Chicken
When I think of international “comfort food,” I tend to picture Chinese cuisine. There are just so many delicious varieties available, and my tummy always ends up happy and full of saucy meat and lo mein noodles.
But out of all the options, honey garlic chicken is one of my absolute favorites when we get Chinese food. If you share that sentiment, you’re going to love this recipe from Recipetineats that requires only 7 ingredients and less than 15 minutes of your time. That’s right! In 15 minutes, you can have dinner ready and on the table! I have definitely turned to this recipe more than once when I wanted something good fast. And you don’t lose any flavor with the time, either.
In this honey garlic chicken recipe, you lightly batter and fry chicken breasts before coating them with a simple yet delicious sauce made from ingredients that are all probably sitting in your kitchen right now (garlic, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and honey)! I like to keep some stir-fry veggies and spring rolls in the freezer to go along with this, and steamed rice is also a great accompaniment, especially with the sauce!
Taste of France: Coq au Vin with Brown Butter Sage Mashed Potatoes
When we came back from France last year, I went on a bit of a French cuisine binge. During that time, I found this incredible Coq au Vin recipe, and I am in love with it! It’s just so good! Traditional Coq au Vin takes up to four hours to make, but this gem only takes 45 minutes, and it incorporates instructions for some glorious mashed potatoes. I love how the instructions for both recipes are integrated into one manageable system so that I can make an entire stress-free meal from one page.
If you’re unfamiliar with Coq au Vin, it’s a traditional French dish of chicken and vegetables with a cream and red wine sauce. If you don’t like cooking with wine, you can substitute it with beef broth (this is what I do), and it’s still absolutely amazing.
The recipe I like is from Half Baked Harvest. It incorporates sweet onions, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, chicken, and bay leaves into this delectable combination of flavors. The sauce pairs perfectly with the brown butter sage mashed potatoes as well and works as a sort of gravy over the whole thing.
I also tried a white version of Coq au Vin from Pure Wow this week. If you like creamier sauces and fewer veggies, this is a good one to check out. It’s similar in some aspects, but you’ll get a different flavor experience from this one.
Taste of Cuba: Ropa Vieja
Ropa Vieja is another savory meat dish that benefits from a slow cooker. I have no problem with that because it means less work for me and more time for the meat to soak in all the spices. I love this dish because 1) the house smells incredible when it’s cooking, and 2) it’s a meal I can eat again and again and still love it. Which is good because it makes plenty of leftovers!
Ropa Vieja is a traditional Cuban dish, but you’ll also find it elsewhere throughout the Caribbean. It’s like a spicy pot roast, but it’s also so much more! I love this version from The Roasted Root. It spices up a plain chuck roast with onions, garlic, peppers, tomato sauce, spices, and cider vinegar. It may sound like a lot, but your hands-on time is literally 10 minutes. That’s it! The hardest part is searing the chuck roast before letting the crockpot have it.
Another feature I appreciated from this recipe was the instructions to turn the Ropa Vieja into an authentic Cuban bowl meal. The Roasted Root includes details for prepping plantains, potatoes, avocado, and even cabbage to bring the whole Cuban experience into the meal! Yum! But if that’s too much work, you can easily tone it down with simple sides of rice and black beans for a stress-free alternative.
Taste of India: Butter Chicken with Naan Bread
I haven’t tried as much Indian food as I would like, but I’ve slowly dipped my toe into the beautiful sauces and spices of the traditional fare. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried so far and found a strong appreciation for curry dishes.
If you are new to Indian food, let me tell you: Butter Chicken is the gateway dish. It’s an unforgettable mix of Indian spices and cream poured over marinated chicken and best served with fresh naan bread.
It’s very easy to make, and you probably already have most ingredients. The one thing you’re probably missing if you don’t cook Indian food a lot is Garam Masala. It sounds elusive, but don’t worry, you can find it at pretty much any grocery store with an international section, including Walmart. And you don’t want to skip it because it is a vital ingredient in this soon-to-be-favorite dish.
I like this Butter Chicken recipe from Foodess. It’s straightforward and only takes 35 minutes to cook, plus marinating your chicken overnight.
The perfect side to any Indian dish is Naan, a traditional Indian bread that looks a lot like a fluffy pancake. This delicious round bread is made from a dough that’s sweetened with honey and brushed with garlic butter just before frying. The prep work is a bit time-intensive because you have to make the dough, let it rise, etc., but the results are so worth it. I’ve used this homemade Naan recipe from Gimme Some Oven several times, and it’s always a hit with my husband. You can also “cheat” and buy some from your local grocery store as well! Just brush each slice with garlic butter and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
Closing Thoughts on These International Meals
Have I teased your tastebuds enough yet? These are some of my absolute favorite homemade international dishes, and they all work great for weeknight meals. Even when you’re on a time constraint, these are all viable options for easy dinners that taste like you’ve slaved in the kitchen all day but take mere minutes of your time.
I hope you’ll take on the challenge of trying each and every one of these amazing international meals over the weeks ahead. Besides being delicious, they’re an easy way to switch up any ruts you’ve found yourself in and add a little spice to your routine.
You can even take it a step further and turn these dinners into a themed night with your family! Hang up some lights, find some traditional music that goes with your meal, and take a virtual tour of the country after dinner! It’s a great way to “travel” even on a budget.
As always, I hope you enjoyed this post, and that it inspires you to try something new! If you have comments, I’d love to see them below, and don’t forget to share this with your friends!
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LOOOOOVE this blog post, so many incredible pics!!!! I’d like to make some of these dishes, they all look delicious!!!!