I lived in Canada for 6 months and fell in love with their amazing food. From the comforting poutine (fries, gravy, and cheese curds), tourtière meat pies, and butter tarts, to the fresh salmon dishes and baked cod with cheese, to the special regional foods like Alberta’s hearty beef stew and thick pea soup from Quebec – the dinners I ate across Canada were so tasty.
These recipes use good ingredients like maple syrup, wild rice, fish, and great meats turned into homey, flavorful meals. Many also have a French twist with rich sauces and pastries. Whether you want a big, filling meal or a fancy dinner, trying Canadian recipes lets you taste the country’s food traditions. With easy-to-find ingredients and easy-to-challenging recipes, there’s a yummy option for everyone’s taste. Give these dinner recipes a try!
1. Poutine
Rich, savory gravy smothering crispy french fries and squeaky fresh cheese curds.
Ingredients: French fries, cheese curds, beef gravy
- Cook french fries until golden brown and crispy
- Warm cheese curds slightly to soften
- Make beef gravy from broth, butter, flour, seasoning
- Layer fries, cheese curds, and hot gravy
Cook time: 30 mins
2. Tourtière (Quebec Meat Pie)
Hearty, herby ground meat filling in a flaky pastry crust.
Ingredients: Ground pork, beef, breadcrumbs, onions, celery, savory spices, pie crust
- Make filling by sautéing meat with aromatics and spices
- Let cool then mix with breadcrumbs
- Roll out pie crust and line pie plate, fill with meat mixture
- Top with remaining crust, crimp edges, cut vents
- Brush with egg wash and bake until golden
Cook time: 1.5 hours
3. Salmon Wellington
Tender, flaky salmon cooked en croute in a mushroom duxelle stuffed puff pastry.
Ingredients: Salmon fillets, puff pastry, mushroom duxelle, Dijon mustard, egg wash
- Season salmon and sear quickly
- Make mushroom duxelle by sautéing mushrooms with shallots
- Roll out puff pastry, spread with duxelle and mustard
- Place salmon on top, wrap pastry tightly around salmon
- Brush with egg wash and bake until golden
Cook time: 45 mins
4. Butter Tart Squares
Gooey, syrupy raisin filling surrounded by flaky pastry – a true Canadian treat!
Ingredients: Pastry dough, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, raisins, vinegar
- Make pastry dough and press into baking pan
- Make filling by cooking butter, sugars, egg, vinegar
- Stir in raisins and pour over pastry crust
- Bake until pastry is golden and filling is set
Cook time: 1 hour
5. Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches
Smoky, peppery cured beef brisket piled high on rye bread with mustard.
Ingredients: Smoked beef brisket, rye bread, deli mustard, pickles
- Slice smoked meat from the flat end thinly across the grain
- Pile high on fresh rye or marble bread
- Spread generously with deli mustard, add pickle if desired
Cook time: 5 mins to assemble
6. Baked Beans with Maple Syrup
Sweet and savory baked beans spiked with smoky bacon and rich maple syrup.
Ingredients: Navy beans, maple syrup, molasses, bacon, onions, mustard, brown sugar
- Soak beans overnight, then simmer until just tender
- In baking dish, layer beans with bacon, onions, syrup, etc.
- Bake for hours until thick and syrupy, stir occasionally
Cook time: 6-8 hours
7. Nanaimo Bar Cheesecak
Creamy cheesecake with the signature flavors of a Nanaimo bar.
Ingredients: Graham crumbs, coconut, walnuts, custard powder, butter, cream cheese, chocolate
- Make Nanaimo bar base with crumbs, coconut, walnuts
- Make cheesecake batter with cream cheese, custard powder
- Layer base, cheesecake batter, and chocolate ganache topping
- Bake then chill completely before serving
Cook time: 1 hr bake, 4 hrs chilling
8. Peameal Bacon Carbonara
Smoky, salty peameal bacon tossed with al dente pasta in a rich eggy sauce.
Ingredients: Spaghetti, peameal bacon, eggs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley
- Cook spaghetti al dente, reserve some pasta water
- Crisp peameal bacon slices in a skillet
- Make sauce with egg yolks, cheese, garlic, bacon fat
- Toss hot pasta with sauce and bacon until creamy
Cook time: 30 mins
9. Fiddleheads with Garlic Butter
Tender fiddlehead ferns sautéed in garlicky herbed butter.
Ingredients: Fiddleheads, butter, garlic, parsley, lemon
- Clean and blanch fiddleheads until tender-crisp
- Melt butter with garlic and herbs
- Sauté fiddleheads in garlic-herb butter
- Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper Cook time: 20 mins
10. Newfoundland Cod Au Gratin
Flaky cod fillets baked in a creamy cheese sauce with crispy breadcrumbs.
Ingredients: Cod, cheddar, breadcrumbs, cream, potatoes, onions, butter
- Sauté onions and make cream sauce
- Layer cod, potatoes, and sauce in baking dish
- Top with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs
- Bake until bubbly and golden brown
Cook time: 1 hour
11. Alberta Beef Stew
Rich, hearty beef stew with veggies and herb dumplings – stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.
Ingredients: Beef, potatoes, carrots, peas, pastry for dumplings, beef stock
- Sear beef then simmer with stock until very tender
- Add vegetables and cook until fork-tender
- Drop dumpling dough by spoonfuls and steam
- Thicken stew gravy at the end if desired
Cook time: 2-3 hours
12. Bannock Bread
Simple, rustic fried bread with a crispy crust and tender interior.
Ingredients: Flour, butter/lard, baking powder, salt, milk/water
- Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter until crumbly
- Add milk and knead into a soft dough
- Shape into rounds and fry in hot oil/fat
- Flip to cook both sides until golden brown Cook time: 30 mins
13. Maple Glazed Ham
Sweet, sticky, caramelized glaze over a juicy, smoky ham.
Ingredients: Cured ham, maple syrup, brown sugar, mustard, spices
- Score ham in a diamond pattern and stud with cloves
- Make glaze with maple syrup, brown sugar, mustard
- Brush ham with glaze every 30 mins while baking
- Spoon drippings over ham while baking for extra glaze
Cook time: 2-3 hours
14. Wild Rice Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Nutty wild rice and veggies baked into meaty portobello caps.
Ingredients: Portobello caps, wild rice, mushrooms, onions, celery, garlic, broth
- Cook wild rice and saute vegetables
- Mix together with broth and herbs
- Stuff filling into portobello mushroom caps
- Bake until mushrooms are tender and filling is hot
Cook time: 1 hour
15. Saskatoon Berry Pie
Flaky pastry crust filled with deep purple saskatoon berries in a sweet syrupy filling.
Ingredients: Saskatoon berries, sugar, tapioca, pie dough
- Make pie dough and chill
- Toss berries with sugar and tapioca
- Roll out bottom crust and fill with berries
- Top with lattice or full crust, crimp edges
- Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly
Cook time: 1 hour
16. Split Pea Soup with Ham Hock
Hearty, thick green pea soup made rich with a smoked ham hock.
Ingredients: Split peas, smoked ham hock, onions, carrots, celery, chicken or vegetable broth, bay leaves, thyme
- Rinse the split peas and soak overnight in water, then drain
- In a large pot, add the drained peas, ham hock, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme
- Pour in enough broth to cover everything by 2-3 inches
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-1.5 hours
- Remove ham hock and shred/chop meat off the bone, returning meat to pot
- Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup for a thicker texture
- Alternatively, puree 1/2 – 2/3 of the soup for a creamier consistency
- Season with salt, pepper, adjust thickness with more broth if needed
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley or thyme
Cook time: 2-2.5 hours total
The smoked ham hock simmers with the peas to infuse the soup with a rich, smoky pork flavor. Pureeing gives it a luxuriously creamy, stick-to-your-ribs texture perfect for a cold day.
17. Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon
Sweet and tangy glazed salmon with crispy edges and a juicy center.
Ingredients: Salmon fillets, maple syrup, grainy mustard, soy sauce, garlic
- Make glaze by simmering maple syrup, mustard, soy, garlic
- Brush salmon fillets with some of the glaze
- Bake salmon, basting frequently with remaining glaze
- Broil briefly at the end for a caramelized finish
Cook time: 25 mins
18. Pouding Chômeur (Poor Man’s Pudding)
Simple syrup-soaked cake with a gooey molten sauce underneath.
Ingredients: Flour, eggs, butter, brown sugar, cream
- Make a basic cake batter and spread in baking dish
- Pour hot syrup (brown sugar, butter, cream) overtop
- Bake until pudding is set but still molten in center
- Invert onto plate to reveal luscious sauce underneath
Cook time: 45 mins
19. French Canadian Tourtière Hand Pies
Flaky handheld meat pies stuffed with herbed pork filling.
Ingredients: Pie dough, ground pork, onions, savory spices
- Make pie dough and chill
- Cook pork filling by sautéing meat with aromatics
- Roll out dough and cut into circles
- Fill one side with meat, fold over and crimp edges
- Brush with egg wash and bake until golden
Cook time: 1 hour
20. Maple Baked Beans
Slow baked navy beans in a sweet and smoky maple sauce.
Ingredients: Navy beans, maple syrup, molasses, mustard, salt pork
- Soak beans overnight, then parboil until just tender
- Layer beans with salt pork, molasses, syrup, mustard
- Add stock/water and bake for hours until thick
- Stir periodically, adding more liquid if too dry Cook time: 5-6 hours
21. Pâté Chinois (French Canadian Shepherd’s Pie)
Layers of seasoned beef, corn, and mashed potatoes.
Ingredients: Ground beef, corn, potatoes, gravy, butter, spices
- Brown beef with onions and spices, make gravy
- Layer beef, then corn, then mashed potatoes in dish
- Make ridges in mashed potato top with a fork
- Bake until heated through with crispy potato peaks Cook time: 1 hour
22. Ginger Beef Stir Fry
Crispy fried beef in a sweet, spicy, gingery sauce.
Ingredients: Flank steak, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar
- Slice beef across the grain into thin strips
- Batter and deep fry beef until crispy
- Make sauce by simmering ginger, garlic, soy, vinegar, sugar
- Toss crispy beef in sauce just before serving
Cook time: 30 mins
23. Oatcakes with Caramelized Onion Jam
Savory oat flatbreads served with sweet onion jam.
Ingredients: Rolled oats, butter, salt, onions, vinegar, sugar
- Make oatcake dough with oats, butter, salt
- Roll very thin and cook on griddle until set
- Caramelize onions with vinegar and sugar
- Serve oatcakes warm with onion jam Cook time: 1 hour
24. Québécois Pea Soup Herb
Hearty split pea soup flavored with salty pork.
Ingredients: Split peas, ham hock/salt pork, onions, herbs
- Soak peas overnight then drain
- Simmer with ham hock/salt pork and onions until thick
- Add herbs like savory, thyme, bay leaf
- Purée partially or fully for desired texture
Cook time: 2 hours
25. East Coast Donair
Rotating spit-roasted meat served in a warm pita with sweet sauce.
Ingredients: Lamb/beef loaf, pita, tomatoes, donair sauce (condensed milk, vinegar, garlic)
- Cook seasoned meat loaf on a rotating spit
- Shave off thin slices of the spit-roasted meat
- Serve wrapped in warm pita with fresh tomatoes
- Drizzle with distinctive sweet donair sauce Cook time: 30 mins to shave/serve donair
Conclusion
The diverse array of Canadian dinner recipes highlights the nation’s unique culinary heritage influenced by its multicultural makeup and abundant natural resources. From French-Canadian classics like tourtière and pâté chinois, to indigenous-inspired dishes featuring ingredients like fiddleheads and wild rice, to hearty comfort foods showcasing maple syrup, beef, pork, and seafood – these recipes celebrate Canada’s rich flavors. Whether you crave a rustic家常便饭 or an elegant晚宴, there is a delicious option drawing from the country’s distinctive regional traditions. Adopting these authentic Canadian recipes allows you to experience the nation’s bounty in your own kitchen.