Pakistani cuisine (Urdu: پاکستانی پکوان, romanized: pākistānī pakwān) is a blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across the Indian subcontinent, Central and West Asia. It is a combination of Iranian, South Asian and Arab culinary traditions. The cuisine of Pakistan also maintains many Mughlai cuisine influences within its recipes and cooking techniques, particularly the use of dried fruits and nuts. Pakistan's ethnic and cultural diversity, diverse climates, geographical environments, and availability of different produce lead to diverse regional cuisines.

Pakistani cuisine, like the culinary traditions of most Muslim-majority nations, adheres to halal principles in accordance with Islamic dietary laws, which prohibit the consumption of pork and alcohol, among other restrictions. Additionally, halal regulations outline specific guidelines for meat consumption, including which animals are considered permissible (halal) and the proper methods of slaughter and preparation to ensure compliance with Islamic dietary practices.

Pakistani cuisine is traditionally centered around meat-based dishes. However, the high cost of meat, coupled with widespread poverty, leads many households to substitute meat with more affordable staples such as lentils, rice, and vegetables.

International cuisine and fast food are popular in major cities such as Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, and Karachi, where local and foreign recipes often merge to create fusion dishes, such as Pakistani-Chinese cuisine. Additionally, as a result of lifestyle changes, health trends, and new dietary research being published, traditional ingredients such as masala (pre-mixed and ready-to-use) and ghee (clarified butter)—with its health benefits and high smoke point—have been increasingly popular.

Similar to other Central Asian cultures, families in Pakistan traditionally dine seated on a dastarkhān—a special rug spread out on the floor. To prevent food spills from soiling the rug, it is typically covered with a plastic sheet or disposable mat. After the meal, tea is customarily served, and family members engage in conversations, relaxing against the large cushions or pillows commonly arranged around the dastarkhān for added comfort.

Pakistan's national cuisine directly inherits from Indo-Aryan, Turko-Persian, Iranic, and Arab, and it is heavily influenced by Muslim culinary practices. Evidence of controlled preparatory cuisine in the region can be traced back to as early as the Bronze Age with the Indus Valley Civilization. Around 3000 BCE, sesame, eggplant, and humped cattle were domesticated in the Indus Valley; spices like turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in the region concurrently. For a thousand years, wheat and rice served as basic comestibles in the Indus Valley region.

The arrival of Islam through trade and conquests by various Arab, Turkic, Persian, and Afghan dynasties influenced the local cuisine of the region to a great degree. Due to its Muslim-majority population, Pakistan's cuisine sees a strict observance of Islamic dietary laws. Most prominently, forbiddance on the consumption of pork and alcohol by Islamic regulation has shifted the focus of Pakistani cuisine to other types of meat, such as beef, lamb, chicken, and fish, alongside a variety of fruits, vegetables, and dairy.

Pakistani dishes are known for being aromatic. Some dishes contain liberal amounts of oil, contributing to a richer, fuller mouthfeel and flavour. Brown cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, star anise and black pepper are the most commonly used spices in the making of a wide variety of dishes throughout Pakistan. Cumin seeds, chili powder, turmeric, and bay leaves are also very popular. In the Punjab province, spice blends are characterized by their use of coriander powder. Garam masala (a mixture of aromatic spices) is a popular blend of spices used in several Pakistani dishes including Bannu Pulao.