Bring the flavors of Brazil to your table with these authentic and classic Brazilian recipes!
Fried Chicken Pastries (Pastel de Frango Com Catupiry)
Serves 8–10 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20–25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cachaca
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3¼ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (divided)
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 1¾ teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- ½ cup fresh or frozen corn
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 scallion, chopped
- ¼ pound requeijao cheese
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the 3¼ cups flour, shortening, cachaca, vinegar, egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 10 tablespoons of warm water.
- Knead the mixture into a flaky dough. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion; stir-cook for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and stir cook for 1 minute until brown and fragrant.
- Mix in the shredded chicken, tomato paste, and paprika.
- Add 1 tablespoon of flour; stir-cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Mix in the corn and broth; stir-cook to thicken the mixture.
- Season with black pepper and remaining salt.
- Stir in the parsley, cheese, and scallions. Let cool.
- Roll the dough over a floured surface into a ¼-inch-thick square. Set aside for 5–10 minutes.
- Cut into 7-inch squares; add 2 tablespoons of prepared mixture to each square.
- Fold the edges half-diagonally and press them to create a seal.
- In a frying pan, heat 2 cups of oil.
- Add the sealed pastries in batches. Fry for 2–3 minutes per side to an evenly golden brown.
- Drain over paper towels and serve.
Brazilian BBQ (Churrasco)
Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
- Salt to taste
- 1½ pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions
- Season the steak with black pepper and salt.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add the steak; stir-cook for 2–3 minutes to evenly brown. Set aside to cool down.
- Melt the butter in the same pan.
- Add the garlic; stir-cook for 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Add some salt to taste.
- Slice the steak and add the garlic butter on top.
- Serve topped with some parsley.
Farofa with Fried Bacon (Farofa)
Serves 4 | Prep. time 5 minutes | Cooking time 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, finely diced
- 2 cups toasted manioc flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add the bacon; stir-cook until crisp and brown.
- Remove from heat and add the flour. Combine well until the flour absorbs the oil.
- Serve warm.
Shrimp Bobo (Bobo de Camarao)
Serves 8 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes
Ingredients
Cream
- 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 pounds onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 pounds firm, ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 2 pounds manioc/cassava/yucca root, peeled, boiled, and mashed
- 1 quart coconut milk
- 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Shrimp
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 3 medium onions, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 pounds medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoons salt
- 1 quart coconut milk
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dende (palm) oil
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add the manioc, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and cilantro.
- Mix in the coconut milk; stir-cook for 10–12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Rinse and drain the shrimp.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan or cooking pot over medium heat.
- Add the shrimp, salt, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, and green pepper; stir-cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and stir-cook for 4–5 more minutes.
- Mix in the manioc mixture and stir-cook for 4–5 more minutes.
- Mix in the dende oil.
- Serve topped with some cilantro.
Chocolate Truffles (Brigadeiros)
Serves 2–4 | Prep. time 15–20 minutes | Cooking time 10–15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate sprinkles
- Butter, melted, to grease
Directions
- Grease a serving plate with some butter.
- Add the cocoa powder, milk, and butter to a saucepan.
- Combine and stir-cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a serving plate and let cool.
- Add the chocolate sprinkles to a bowl.
- Grease your hands with some butter and prepare small balls from the cocoa mixture.
- Roll them one by one in the bowl to cover with the sprinkles.
- Serve.