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Brazilian Recipes

35 recipes

Brazilian cooking is a mix of Indigenous, African and Portuguese traditions, with later layers from Italy, Japan, Germany and the Middle East. Cassava, corn and tropical fruit come from Indigenous kitchens, and toasted cassava flour (farinha) is still sprinkled over almost every plate. African cooks shaped the food of Bahia with palm oil, coconut milk, okra and dried shrimp, while Portuguese cooks left stews, salt cod and egg-rich sweets. Rice and black or brown beans appear at nearly every lunch, the main meal of the day, next to grilled or stewed meat, a salad and sautéed greens. Regions differ a great deal: Minas Gerais is known for cheese, pork and cornmeal, the Amazon for river fish and tucupi, the South for barbecue and German-style cakes, and the Northeast for seafood and coconut. Feijoada is the weekend feast, churrasco the weekend barbecue, and the June festivals bring corn sweets and spiced hot cachaça.

Staple ingredients

Breakfast

Appetizers

Soups

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Breads

Desserts

Snacks

Drinks

Common questions

What is Brazilian food known for?

Rice and beans, feijoada, churrasco (barbecued meats), pão de queijo and sweets such as brigadeiro. Regional dishes like Bahian moqueca and acarajé are just as loved, and tropical fruit shows up in juices and desserts.

What is the national dish of Brazil?

Feijoada, a black bean stew with pork, is the dish most often called the national dish, though there is no official one. Plain rice and beans is eaten far more often, nearly every day.

Is Brazilian food spicy?

Mostly not. Most dishes are mild, and heat comes from pepper sauces or malagueta chilies added at the table. Bahian cooking uses more chili, but even there the sauce is usually served on the side.