If you’re a foodie who loves to travel, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of street food. Some of the world’s tastiest dishes and snacks are served from pushcarts, food trucks, kiosks, or holes in walls, and exploring the roadside food scene is a great way to get to know a city.
While street food has exploded in popularity lately, it’s not a new concept. The history of street food can be traced back to ancient Greece, where plates of fried fish and bowls of lentil soup were cooked in market squares and sold to the poor. Over time, wealthier people decided they wanted in on the fun, and more diverse dishes began being sold on the streets.
While some cities are more synonymous with street food than others, quick, cheap, and portable meals are found worldwide. If you enjoy recreating food you’ve enjoyed abroad at home, the good news is that many of these dishes are surprisingly easy to make. While you may need to pick up a few specialist ingredients, street food recipes can be a great way to use leftovers, too.
So, what are some of the best street food recipes to make at home? Here are 10 of our favourites from across the globe.
1. Arancini, Sicily
Sicily is known for its fabulous street food, but arancini is arguably the most iconic. Named after the small oranges they’re said to resemble, these fried rice balls are believed to have been introduced to Italy by Arab invaders in the 10th century. Today, they’re ubiquitous in Sicily, found in bars and cafes as well as on the street, and sold piping hot and fresh out of the fryer.
Traditional arancini is filled with ragù sauce, peas, and cheese, but there are many variations. Common ingredients include tomatoes, aubergine, pistachios, spinach, and mushrooms. Arborio rice – risotto rice – makes the best, creamiest arancini, so if you have leftover risotto that needs using up, arancini is the ideal vehicle for it. When cooked right, they’ll be crisp on the outside and wonderfully oozy inside.
To make arancini at home, why not try this recipe from Bon Appétit?
2. Chaat, India
From samosas to dosas, India is known across the world for its delicious, diverse street food. Arguably, the most flavoursome snack is chaat. This varied dish merges salty, sweet, spicy, and sour flavours with crispy, crunchy, and soft textures. It takes different elements of classic Indian foods, like samosas and chutney, and gives them a new shape, to the point where every bite is an experience.
The basis of chaat is a starchy carb: potato pieces, fried bread, puffed rice, or fluffy dumplings. This is topped with vegetables and sometimes protein: spiced chickpeas, fried lentils, hard-boiled eggs. Tangy chutneys are generously drizzled over, and a spoonful of ruby pomegranate seeds is the pièce de résistance. If you have leftover Indian takeaway at home, you may already have most of the ingredients to rustle up a quick, low-effort chaat!
To make authentic Indian chaat, try this recipe from Serious Eats.
3. Pad thai, Thailand
As Thailand’s most famous dish, it may be surprising to learn that pad thai is a relatively new invention. It was created in the 1930s when the country was focused on galvanising nationalism, and today, it isn’t just the national dish, but the most popular Thai meal in the world. Pad thai stalls are everywhere in Thailand, and the scent of sizzling garlic, shallots, and chilli is just as effective at luring locals as tourists.
Like chaat, pad thai is all about mixing sweet, sour, and spicy together, and every time you try a new version of this dish, it’ll be slightly different. To make traditional pad thai, rice noodles are cooked with shrimp, chopped tofu, and scrambled egg, and flavoured with tamarind, chillies, sugar, and fish sauce. Adornments like beansprouts, spring onions, peanuts, and fresh lime add more flavour and texture.
To make authentic pad thai, try this recipe from RecipeTin Eats.
4. Okonomiyaki
If you’ve been to Japan – particularly Osaka – there’s a good chance you’ll have eaten okonomiyaki. At the very least, you’ve probably seen it sizzling at a food stall. Though often described as a savoury cabbage pancake, okonomiyaki is more of a frittata. The name translates to “cooked as you like it”, which is apt given how endlessly adaptable this dish is; it’s a great way to use old fridge leftovers!
The batter is made from flour, eggs, and dashi stock. Other key ingredients include shredded cabbage and spring onion. Meat, seafood, or tofu are often added, too, but the beauty of this dish is that you can throw in pretty much anything. For authenticity, top it with pickled ginger and lots of mayonnaise and okonomi sauce, which you can make by mixing ketchup with Worcestershire sauce.
To make okonomiyaki, try this recipe from Love and Lemons.
5. Pierogi, Poland
Plump, succulent, and savoury, dumplings are so delicious that most cultures have their own versions. China’s wontons and Japan’s gyozas might be the most famous, but Poland’s pierogi are just as moreish. There are many different types of pierogi – sauerkraut, mushroom, minced meat, even blueberry – but they’re usually stuffed with potato and cheese, and sold at food stalls and markets in Polish cities.
While they look like funny-shaped ravioli, pierogi are made from a soft dough that’s easy to handle, and you don’t need machines, tools, or even much elbow grease to make them. The process is simple but can take a while, so it’s worth making extra and freezing a batch. Usually, pierogi are boiled, then fried in butter and onion. When buying them on the street, the dumplings are often pre-boiled and fried in front of you, so they’re deliciously crisp.
To make traditional potato and cheese pierogi, check out this recipe from Recipe Tin Eats.
6. Hotdog, USA
From pizza to pretzels, New York City is known for its street food – but the most iconic snack has got to be the hotdog. While frankfurter sausages were imported from Germany, the idea of serving them in a bun is believed to have originated in the Big Apple in the late 1800s. Over 100 years later, hotdogs are quintessentially NYC. There are vendors all over the city, and even an annual hotdog eating contest.
But, while New York hotdogs are the most famous, Chicago hotdogs are also hugely popular…which is superior is hotly contested. NYC-style is simple – just sausage topped with yellow mustard, ketchup, and onions or sauerkraut – while Chicago dogs are topped with fresh tomatoes, gherkin spears, peppers, sweet onion, and relish. Why not make both and see which you prefer? For authenticity, remember to be generous with the sauces!
To make an authentic NYC-style hotdog, try this recipe from Tasty. Or, if you’d rather try a Chicago-style dog, you might like this recipe from AllRecipes.
7. Banh mi, Vietnam
Some of the world’s best street food is a fusion of different cultures and cuisines, and Vietnam’s banh mi is one such example. Baguettes were introduced to Vietnam in the 1860s and were eaten by French colonists with butter, cold cuts, and pâté. It didn’t take long for locals to start eating them, too – but they filled the bread with their own ingredients, like pickled vegetables and fresh herbs.
When French rule ended, the Vietnamese kept the baguette (although their version is lighter and fluffier than the dense French stick), and it soon became one of the most popular on-the-go meals. Today, banh mi stands are found on street corners throughout the country. Baguettes are usually stuffed with meat or tofu, topped with cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon, then smothered with mayo and fresh coriander.
To learn how to make authentic banh mi, check out this guide by Feasting at Home.
8. Street tacos, Mexico
As the home of burritos, tamales, quesadillas, and tostadas, Mexico is regularly cited as one of the world’s street food hotspots. But no roadside snack is as beloved – or pervasive – as the taco. Street tacos are small, simple, and seriously satisfying. There’s no fuss or frills; just a corn tortilla filled with different meats, served from carts or trucks on plastic plates, topped with onion, salsa, guacamole, fresh coriander, and sometimes cotija cheese.
The most common fillings are meat (al pastor, carne asada, barbacoa, carnitas, or chorizo), although some taco stands serve hearty veggie ones, too, with fillings including pumpkin, beans, and cauliflower. The key to traditional Mexican tacos is the tortilla itself; they’re made from masa dough and taste very different from the standard tortillas you buy in the UK. For maximum authenticity, it’s worth sourcing them from a speciality shop if you can!
To make authentic carne asada street tacos, try this recipe from Damn Delicious. To make a vegetarian alternative, check out this recipe from Cookie + Kate.
9. Shawarma, Middle East
Though it originated in Turkey, shawarma is popular across the Middle East, where it’s primarily eaten as street food. The name ‘shawarma’ translates as ‘turning’, which makes perfect sense when you see how it’s cooked; skewers of sliced meat are slowly rotated in front of a vertical grill, causing the fat to run down the sides and help it caramelise. Luckily, you don’t need a giant, swivelling meat rotisserie to make this at home.
The key to delicious shawarma is the flavour – a unique blend of smoky, fruity, and peppery spices – and most versions use garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and pepper. You can use chicken, lamb, beef, or turkey – just be sure to marinate the meat before grilling it for maximum flavour. Then, stuff it into a pitta or flatbread, drizzle generously with a tahini-like dressing, a dollop of chilli sauce, and plenty of fresh veg. Chips are sometimes thrown in, too!
To make perfect chicken shawarma, have a read of this guide by The Guardian. If you’d like to make a veggie version, Meera Sodha’s mushroom shawarma recipe should hit the spot.
10. Churros, Spain
While most street food is savoury, some of the world’s best-loved desserts are street-side snacks. Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, churros are a favourite all over Latin America…but their origins lie in medieval Spain. Shepherds fried up strips of dough and rolled them in sugar to make a portable snack; then, noticing the similarity to the horns of the Navajo-Churro sheep, they named the pastries ‘churros’.
Today, churros are a common street food throughout Spain, typically dipped into thick, rich hot chocolate. Other parts of the world serve their variations: in Mexico, for example, churros are filled with sweet fillings like chocolate, caramel, or fruit jams; in Argentina, churros are thinner and served with dulce de leche. Traditional churros are made with only four ingredients (water, flour, oil, and sugar), so they’re naturally vegan, too.
To make churros at home, try this recipe from Wahaca.
Final thoughts…
Quick, convenient, fresh, and delicious, street food has the added benefit of being easy on the wallet. While it was once seen as a simple snack, trying street food is now a key part of the travel experience – a chance to see a more authentic side to the food scene, and get to know the culture and history of the place you’re visiting.
While making recipes from scratch will take longer, the process is part of the fun. Cooking street food allows you to go on a gastronomic adventure in your own home; if you can’t afford a trip to Mexico right now, why not transport yourself there with some tasty tacos? If a holiday to Southeast Asia needs to remain on your travel wishlist, you can enjoy the tastes of Thailand by knocking up a pad thai.
For more street food ideas, you might like to read our article: 14 of the best travel destinations for delicious street food. Or, head to our travel section for more inspiration.
Are you tempted to make any of these recipes? Or do you have your own recommendations for the best street food recipes in the world? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!
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