Tour the World with Chef John's Top-Rated Global Cuisine Recipes (2024)

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

Chef John's take on this traditional Jamaican chicken stew is sweet, savory, and spicy all at once. "I've been wanting to make this for a while since I love any kind of braised or stewed chicken recipes, especially ones that have similar ingredients as jerk chicken," says Chef John. "Serve over steamed rice with green peas and garnish with fresh thyme."

Coquilles Saint-Jacques

Elegant but surprisingly easy to make, these tender, plump sea scallops are served on the shells with sauteed mushrooms, a creamy sauce, and Gruyere cheese. "For something fancy, this is pretty easy to make," says Chef John. "It's one of the world's most delicious dishes. It's rich and decadent, and yet still light."

Chef John's Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

"This meaty stew is usually made with wild game such as venison or boar, but you can use beef, pork, or other meat — just use a lot," says Chef John. Here it's made with pork shoulder, beef chuck, Polish sausage, and bacon, along with sauerkraut, prunes, mushrooms, and wine. "It's perfect for feeding a crowd, especially when the weather turns cold and dreary."

Spanish Garlic Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo)

A classic Spanish tapas, gambas al ajillo delivers smoky shrimp cloaked in a garlic-infused olive oil sauce. "Every Spanish restaurant serves this dish of shrimp cloaked in garlic-infused olive oil with smoky hints of paprika and a touch of sweetness from sherry," says Chef John. "Make sure you have all your ingredients together before you head to the stove since, start to finish, this cooks in mere minutes."

Korean Street Toast

"Crispy, grilled, buttery bread joins a slightly sweet, super savory vegetable-egg patty, smoky ham and melty cheese, and a ridiculous amount of mayo and ketchup for one of the most memorable sandwich experiences of my life," says Chef John. "Plus, you'll eat about a whole serving of vegetables and barely even notice."

Chef John's Chicken Kiev

"I'm not going to say this chicken Kiev is 'easy to make.' It's really not," says Chef John. "So, why try? Because, if and when you pull this off, you'll be enjoying one of the greatest chicken experiences of your life. It's also one of the greatest garlic experiences of your life, as well as one of the greatest butter experiences of your life."

Homemade Arepas

These Venezuelan white corn cakes are an amazing delivery system for your favorite fillings. "I went with some spicy pork and avocado, but I made a version a few days later stuffed with caramelized plantains and salty goat feta," says Chef John. "It was at a New York City hole-in-the-wall eatery where I first fell in love with a stuffed white corn cake. Halfway through my first arepa, one stuffed with black beans, beef, plantains, and salty cheese, I vowed to learn how to make these at home."

Chef John's Brazilian Feijoada

Chef John's version of this classic Brazilian bean stew features lots of smoked meats topped with an orange breadcrumb mixture. Enjoy with white rice and greens.

Veracruz-Style Red Snapper

Here's a simple take on a classic Gulf Coast fish dish that features vibrant flavors, like capers, cherry tomatoes, green olives, jalapeno rings, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Baked in the oven, the red snapper comes out beautiful, flakey, moist, and delicious. "I like red snapper for this, but any white, flaky fish will work," says Chef John. "Many Veracruz-style fish recipes call for pickled jalapenos, but I think there's plenty of acidity in this from the lime and tomatoes, so I like the fresh pepper a little more."

Chef John's Swedish Meatballs

Simply season ground beef and pork with nutmeg and allspice, bake the meatballs, then gently simmer them in Chef John's delicious Swedish meatball sauce. "Swedish meatballs, traditionally served with boiled potatoes and lingonberry preserves, are a hearty meal the whole family will love!" says Chef John.

Chef John's Grilled Mojo Beef

This recipe is essentially a composite of the best of many Cuban mojos. "All mojo recipes have garlic, citrus, and olive oil," says Chef John. "But after that, the spices and seasonings vary greatly. I think this would work great as an all-purpose marinade for just about anything destined for the grill, But skirt steak would be my top choice."

Chef John's Shakshuka

"This North African one-dish-meal is so fast, easy, and delicious," says Chef John. A spicy tomato and pepper sauce is finished with eggs cooked on top. It makes a delicious breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! "Be sure to cook your sauce until the veggies are nice and soft and sweet. Once the eggs go in, you can finish covered on the stove, or just pop the pan into a hot oven until they cook to your liking."

Chef John's Beef Rouladen

"For something that looks and tastes as impressive as this beef rouladen, it's actually one of the simplest stuffed meat recipes I know," says Chef John. "You can pretty much use any cheap cut of beef; I used round steak, but rump, chuck, flap meat, and other similar cuts will work work."

Chef John's Chicken Tikka Masala

"This is usually done with heavy cream, but I like to use coconut milk instead," says Chef John. "The subtle sweetness it provides works beautifully with the spices in the dish. You can substitute chicken breast here, but I believe thighs work much better in this version. I hope you give this American version of a British version of an Indian curry a try soon."

Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich (Tamago Sando)

Here's Chef John's version of the Japanese egg salad sandwich that's gone from convenience store snack to international stardom. The secret here is Chef John's super-savory Kewpie-style mayonnaise. Another key to its success is the soft, buttery, slightly sweet Japanese milk bread.

Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Steak Stir-Fry)

Chef John's take on the Peruvian steak stir-fry features the traditional salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. "I've never been a big stir-fry guy, but when it comes to lomo saltado, I make an exception," says Chef John. "First of all, it's Peruvian — and I love to eat anything Peruvian. But, it's also a stir-fry that features not only meat and vegetables, but also French fries. Serve with steamed white rice and garnish with cilantro, if so desired."

Greek Chicken and Potato Bowl

This incredible recipe is sort of a hybrid of two other Greek-inspired Chef John recipes. It's a scaled-down take on his classic Greek chicken and potatoes recipe mashed up with a kicked-up version of his Greek salad recipe. "How do you make our Big Fat Greek Salad bigger and fatter? By adding garlic, lemon, and herb chicken and some crispy, crunchy, pan dripping-soaked potatoes," says Chef John.

Chef John's Chicken and Rice Casserole

This super-savory chicken and rice casserole combines the best of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian culinary influences. "This was inspired by many different recipes from many different places — which is why I chose this recipe name," says Chef John. "Sprinkle this with red pepper flakes, if desired."

Pork Agrodolce

"Agrodolce, a generic Italian term for any type of sweet and sour condiment, really shines when used for braising chunks of succulent pork shoulder," explains Chef John. "This soul-warming comfort food is amazing served on rice, pasta, polenta, or, as seen here, a big pile of ricotta mashed potatoes. I'm not sure if Italians barbecue like we do here in the States, but the sauce very much reminded me of something we'd brush on a rack of ribs while sipping a cold beer."

Chef John's Hot and Sour Soup

You'll often see this classic soup served as an appetizer, but you can easily make it a meal by adding a little pork or meatballs. "Yes, it's hot, and yes, it's sour, but it's also so much more," says Chef John. "And other than a little bit of slicing and dicing, this is relatively fast and simple to make. Serve with extra sliced green onions on top."

More Global Flavors from Chef John

We've only scratched the surface here. For more Chef John recipes that showcase global cuisines, check out these recipe collections:

• Chef John's Best Asian Recipes
• Chef John's Best Italian Recipes
• Chef John's Best Middle Eastern Recipes
• Chef John's Best Curry Recipes
• Chef John's Best Recipes for the Mediterranean Diet