Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (2025)

  • Australian Mains
  • Australian Food

By

Syrie Wongkaew

Syrie Wongkaew

Sydney-based food writer, editor, photographer, and food stylist with a focus on Australian and Thai cuisine.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 02/7/20

Trending Videos

Cooking and baking are rarely as difficult as we make them out to be and the foods of Australia and New Zealand are perfect examples of this. When you're looking for quick and delicious homemade foods, there are a few favorites that you should begin with.

From breakfast and appetizers to main dishes and Aussie favorites, let's explore some of the best and easiest recipes these countries have to offer.

  • 01 of 09

    For Breakfast: Aussie Breakfast Fry-Up

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (1)

    You could begin your day with the Australian breakfast favorite known as an Aussie breakfast fry-up. It is similar to the bacon and eggs breakfasts enjoyed throughout the world, but the Aussie twist usually includes baked beans.

    For a healthier option, consider making your owntoasted muesli. It's a quick snack that's ideal for breakfast and a single batch can last your family for many days, even weeks. Better yet, form your muesli into bars for a quick, nutritious breakfast on the go.

  • 02 of 09

    As an Appetizer: Tuna and Chickpea Patties

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (2)

    Australian cuisine is filled with fun appetizers likebeef satay, which grills skewered steak covered in a coconut curry.

    Another fun and quick option isa plate of tuna and chickpea patties. These delightful little nibbles use chickpeas rather than potatoes and eggs to create a flavorful patty. The patties are filled with tuna, vegetables, cilantro, parsley, and a little chile pepper. They're fantastic when dipped into the homemade mint-yogurt sauce.

  • 03 of 09

    The Side Salad: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (3)

    Sweet potatoes are known as 'kumara' in Maori and they're a favorite vegetable in New Zealand. Yet, it may surprise you how well they work in a salad.

    This unique roasted sweet potato salad recipe places roasted kumara over a bed of romaine, then adds tomatoes, radishes, feta, and pine nuts. It's dressed with a simple combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and it all comes together in just a few minutes.

  • 04 of 09

    Soup's On: Curried Carrot and Turnip Soup

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (4)

    As either an appetizer or main course, few soup recipes are as impressive as this curried carrot and turnip soup. You'll also be delighted to know that it's vegan, but don't worry, it's in no way boring.

    The soup is creamy because the vegetables are cooked, then pureed. It has an interesting layer of flavors thanks to spices like coriander, curry powder, ginger, and mustard. This is a soup that, while unique, is sure to please anyone at the dinner table.

  • 05 of 09

    A Tasty Fish Dish: Pan-Fried Garlic-Lemon Trout

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (5)

    Australia and New Zealand are surrounded by oceans, so it's no wonder that fish makes a regular appearance in the foods.Fish burgersserved with tartar are a fun way to serve almost any dense fish you have and they grill up quickly.

    If you're looking for a freshwater fish recipe, this pan-fried garlic-lemon trout is fantastic. It uses New Zealand's prized trout and cooks them up in a tasty dish, complete with grilled cherry tomatoes and buttery mashed potatoes. It's an entire meal!

  • 06 of 09

    A Fan Favorite: Aussie Meat Pie

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (6)

    Among the best Aussie and Kiwi foods are two classics that are a staple in manyhouseholds. You can, of course, whip up thebeer-battered fish and chipsand serve it alongside a Thai sweet chili sauce. Or, you can take the more portable route.

    What would Australia be without a classic meat pie? This recipe for Aussie meat pie is a favorite for sporting events and working lunches because they're so easy to transport. They're also filled with hearty goodness, including a tomato-based mix of lightly spiced ground beef.

  • 07 of 09

    Sunday Tradition: Lamb Roast

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (7)

    When it comes to Sunday dinner, many tables will feature lamb and the traditional lamb roast has long been a favorite.

    This recipe is a classic that lightly seasons the preferred cut of meat with rosemary and garlic. It is roasted on a bed of potatoes until it is mouth-wateringly delicious. Really, it's extremely simple to make, but you don't have to tell anyone that little secret.

  • 08 of 09

    Kid Favorite: Fairy Bread

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (8)

    Children in Australia come running when they hear that someone's making fairy bread. It's a recipe that's been a popular birthday party treat since the 1920s, and there's no secret to making it. All you need is store-bought sliced bread, butter, and loads of colorful sprinkles.

    Continue to 9 of 9 below.

  • 09 of 09

    Sweet Treats: Pavlova

    Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (9)

    Everyone loves a little sweet treat every now and then and there are some tried and true favorites in Australia and New Zealand. Among the easiest arejam thumbprint cookies, in which a dollop of your favorite jam (often strawberry) is placed in a well of dough.

    If you'd like to get a little fancier, there is the chocolate goodness of theAfghan biscuit, a favorite in New Zealand. More elaborate still are the sought after meringues known as Pavlova. This is the recipe you need to pull out when the occasion calls for a truly impressive dessert. Plus, it's a lot of fun to make.

Get a Taste of Australia With These Easy Recipes (2025)

FAQs

What is a classic aussie meal? ›

From Mum's shepherd's pie to creamy garlic prawns to hearty beef rissoles, nothing says classic Aussie dinners quite like these.

What is a typical Australian lunch? ›

Lunch – eaten around 12 – 2 pm is usually a light meal such as a sandwich, or salad. However, with the vast array of choices available now Australians are just as likely to have curry, noodles, sushi or pizza for lunch. Dinner – the main meal of the day is eaten in the evening.

What is the Australian cooking technique? ›

They predominantly use three core cooking techniques - roasting (both meat and vegetables), stir-frying and pan-frying. Steaming, stewing and casseroling are also well-used methods.

What is Australia's most famous dish? ›

What is Australia's most popular food? Chicken parmigiana and Barbecued snags are some of the most popular dishes in Australia.

What is Australia's signature dish? ›

Roast lamb has been declared Australia's national dish in a major poll that shows we're still a country of meat eaters at heart.

What is Australia's cultural dish? ›

Lamingtons

Dessert fiends would probably nominate lamingtons over meat pies or roast lamb as the national food of Australia. There are many ways to make this sponge cake, but it's usually coated in chocolate sauce and coconut shavings.

What cooking oil do Australians use? ›

Olive oil. Made from the fruit of the olive tree, this is one of the most popular oils in Australian kitchens. When choosing olive oil, look for ones that say they're cold pressed.

What is the most eaten food in Australia? ›

Chicken is the most commonly consumed of all meats or poultry by weight, with approximately 47 kilograms of chicken consumed by the average Australian per year.

What drink is Australia known for? ›

The most famous drink in Australia is vino. The most consumed drink in this country is red wine.

What do Australians eat for breakfast? ›

The traditional Australian breakfast is very similar, unsurprisingly, to a typical British or American breakfast, with a whole fry-up made up of smokey bacon, eggs in various ways, grilled mushrooms, and tomatoes, with the optional addition of hash browns, beans, pork or beef sausages.

What is a stereotypical Australian meal? ›

A typical Aussie barbecue is with sausages, burgers, steak, fresh seafood, bread and tomato or barbecue sauce, they sometimes include salad but it's mainly about the meat and fish (and of course a few stubbies – that's beer to the non-Australians). Australians will literally have a barbeque anywhere, not just at home.

What is a classic Aussie burger? ›

"From alldownunder.com, they describe this as 'Aussie hamburger ordered "with the lot" – beetroot, pineapple, fried egg, bacon, grilled onion, cheese, tomato, lettuce'.

What is a typical Aussie? ›

If there's one thing Aussies are known for, it's their easy-going, friendly attitude. Of course food, events, art and history are all vital parts of the Australian culture, but what really distinguishes an Aussie is his or her laid-back outlook on life.

What is a normal Aussie breakfast? ›

Australian breakfast can be put together in many ways, but the most popular & preferred morning food was “The Big Fry”. Nothing can beat a well-cooked farm fresh eggs, Smokey bacon, grilled tomato, and mushrooms.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Duane Harber

Last Updated:

Views: 5841

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Duane Harber

Birthday: 1999-10-17

Address: Apt. 404 9899 Magnolia Roads, Port Royceville, ID 78186

Phone: +186911129794335

Job: Human Hospitality Planner

Hobby: Listening to music, Orienteering, Knapping, Dance, Mountain biking, Fishing, Pottery

Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.