Americas · Traditional

Brazilian cuisine

Churrasco BBQ, feijoada, and tropical fruits.

Explore recipes Build a Brazilian menu Wine pairings
Food history

Why Brazilian cuisine is worth exploring

Brazilian cuisine was formed through Indigenous food knowledge, Portuguese colonisation, the forced migration of Africans through slavery and later immigration from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Cassava, maize and tropical produce sit beside Portuguese stews, Afro-Brazilian palm-oil dishes and regional barbecue traditions.

Why it is famous

The international reputation of Brazilian food rests partly on feijoada, churrasco, moqueca, pão de queijo, acarajé, coxinha, brigadeiro and tropical fruit desserts. Yet many of the most revealing things to cook are less famous: the soups, breads, vegetable dishes, preserves and regional meals that show how people have used local ingredients day after day.

Regional food story

Bahia is strongly associated with Afro-Brazilian cooking, dendê and coconut; Minas Gerais with cheese, pork and hearty inland food; the south with churrasco; the Amazon with river fish, cassava and Indigenous ingredients; São Paulo reflects waves of Italian, Japanese and other migration.

Cook by course

Brazilian recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Brazilian starters

Acarajé

Acarajé

Bahian black-eyed pea fritters fried in dendê oil and traditionally served with vatapá, prawns and chill…

Starter 45 mins
Bolinho de Bacalhau

Bolinho de Bacalhau

Salt cod fritters with potato, parsley and onion, fried until crisp outside and fluffy within.

Starter 45 mins
Caldinho de Feijão

Caldinho de Feijão

Small cups of silky black bean broth with garlic, bay, cumin, bacon and spring onion.

Starter 45 mins
Casquinha de Siri

Casquinha de Siri

Crab baked in its shell with coconut milk, tomato, herbs, lime and crisp crumbs.

Starter 45 mins
Coxinha

Coxinha

Teardrop chicken croquettes with shredded chicken filling and a crisp golden breadcrumb shell.

Starter 45 mins
Dadinho de Tapioca

Dadinho de Tapioca

Crisp cubes of tapioca and coalho cheese served with sweet chilli or pepper jelly.

Starter 45 mins
Pão de Queijo

Pão de Queijo

Chewy Minas cheese bread made with cassava starch, eggs, milk and queijo Minas or parmesan.

Starter 45 mins
Pastel de Feira

Pastel de Feira

Brazilian market pastry fried until blistered and filled with minced beef, cheese or palm heart.

Starter 45 mins
Main courses

Brazilian main courses

Arroz de Carreteiro

Arroz de Carreteiro

Southern cattle-driver rice with charque or dried beef, onions, garlic, tomato and parsley.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Baião de Dois

Baião de Dois

Northeastern rice and beans cooked with dried meat, coalho cheese, coriander and aromatics.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Bobó de Camarão

Bobó de Camarão

Cassava purée with prawns, coconut milk, peppers, tomato and dendê oil.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Caldeirada Paraense

Caldeirada Paraense

Pará fish and seafood stew with tucupi-style acidity, peppers, tomato, herbs and cassava sides.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Carne de Sol com Mandioca

Carne de Sol com Mandioca

Sun-cured beef served with boiled or fried cassava, butter, onions and fresh herbs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Churrasco de Picanha

Churrasco de Picanha

Brazilian barbecue picanha grilled with coarse salt until deeply browned outside and juicy within.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Cuscuz Paulista

Cuscuz Paulista

São Paulo savoury moulded couscous with cornmeal, sardines, eggs, peas, tomato and peppers.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Escondidinho de Carne Seca

Escondidinho de Carne Seca

Layered cassava mash and shredded dried beef baked until creamy, golden and bubbling.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Feijão Tropeiro

Feijão Tropeiro

Tropeiro beans tossed with cassava flour, bacon, sausage, eggs, collards and herbs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Frango com Quiabo

Frango com Quiabo

Minas-style chicken braised with okra, garlic, onion, annatto and herbs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Galinhada

Galinhada

One-pot Brazilian chicken and rice with turmeric or annatto, peppers, herbs and vegetables.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Moqueca Baiana

Moqueca Baiana

Bahian fish stew with coconut milk, dendê oil, peppers, tomatoes, coriander and lime.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Pato no Tucupi

Pato no Tucupi

Amazonian duck simmered in tucupi broth with jambu, garlic and chicory herbs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Peixada Cearense

Peixada Cearense

Ceará-style fish stew with vegetables, coconut milk, coriander, lime and boiled eggs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Pirarucu de Casaca

Pirarucu de Casaca

Amazonian pirarucu layered with farofa, banana, vegetables, coconut milk and herbs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Tacacá

Tacacá

Amazonian tucupi broth with jambu, dried prawns, tapioca gum and chilli, served steaming hot.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Tutu à Mineira com Torresmo

Tutu à Mineira com Torresmo

Minas Gerais bean purée with cassava flour, garlic, bacon, eggs, greens and crisp pork crackling.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Vatapá

Vatapá

Creamy Bahian prawn, bread, peanut, cashew, coconut milk and dendê dish served with rice or acarajé.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Virado à Paulista

Virado à Paulista

São Paulo plate with beans thickened with cassava flour, pork, rice, greens, banana and egg.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Xinxim de Galinha

Xinxim de Galinha

Bahian chicken cooked with dried prawns, peanuts, cashews, coconut milk and dendê oil.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Barreado

Barreado

Paraná beef stew sealed and slow-cooked until spoon-soft, served with cassava flour and banana.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Feijoada

Feijoada

Brazil’s iconic black bean stew with pork, sausage, orange, farofa, rice and greens.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Maniçoba

Maniçoba

Slow-cooked Pará stew of treated manioc leaves with pork, sausage and smoked meats.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Rabada com Agrião

Rabada com Agrião

Oxtail slowly braised until sticky and served with watercress, polenta or rice.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Desserts

Brazilian desserts

Beijinho de Coco

Beijinho de Coco

Coconut condensed milk sweets rolled in coconut and often topped with clove.

Dessert 45 mins
Bolo de Rolo

Bolo de Rolo

Pernambuco roll cake with many thin layers of cake and guava paste.

Dessert 45 mins
Brigadeiro

Brigadeiro

Brazilian chocolate condensed milk truffles rolled in sprinkles.

Dessert 45 mins
Canjica Doce

Canjica Doce

Sweet hominy pudding with milk, coconut, cinnamon, cloves and peanuts.

Dessert 45 mins
Cocada Branca

Cocada Branca

Traditional coconut sweet made with grated coconut, sugar and condensed milk or syrup.

Dessert 45 mins
Pudim de Leite Condensado

Pudim de Leite Condensado

Brazilian condensed milk flan with dark caramel and a silky wobble.

Dessert 45 mins
Quindim

Quindim

Glossy coconut and egg-yolk custard baked until golden with a bright yellow top.

Dessert 45 mins
Romeu e Julieta

Romeu e Julieta

Classic pairing of guava paste and Minas cheese served simply or as a plated dessert.

Dessert 45 mins
Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Brazilian food

When pairing wine with Brazilian food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Barbera
Red

Barbera

Bright Italian red with red fruit, low tannin and high acidity. Excellent with tomato, pork, sausages, cheese and heart…

Grape: Barbera Region: Piedmont, Lombardy
Beaujolais / Gamay
Red

Beaujolais / Gamay

Juicy light red with cherry, raspberry and low tannin. Excellent slightly chilled with charcuterie, poultry, pâté, saus…

Grape: Gamay Region: Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland
Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux
Red

Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux

Structured red with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and firm tannins. Best with roast beef, lamb, steak, rich gravies and…

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, Napa, Coonawarra, Maipo
Malbec
Red

Malbec

Plush, dark red with blackberry, plum, cocoa and smooth tannins. Excellent with beef, charred meat, pies and smoky dish…

Grape: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Cahors
Pinot Noir / Burgundy
Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden
Sangiovese
Red

Sangiovese

Italy’s signature red grape style: bright acidity, red fruit and savoury tannin.

Grape: Sangiovese Region: Tuscany, Romagna, Umbria
Spätburgunder
Red

Spätburgunder

German Pinot Noir with red cherry, earth and gentle spice. Excellent with pork, sausages, roast poultry, mushroom sauce…

Grape: Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir Region: Baden, Ahr, Pfalz
Syrah / Shiraz
Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa
Local beers

Brazilian beers

Wine can lead the meal, but local beer tells another story: what people drink in bars, restaurants and shops alongside everyday food.

Explore local beers
Skol Pilsen

Skol Pilsen

Pilsner 4.7% ABV
Ambev

One of Brazil’s biggest mainstream beers, strongly tied to beach and barbecue culture.
Brahma Chopp

Brahma Chopp

Pale lager 4.8% ABV
Ambev

A classic Brazilian lager with huge national recognition.
Antarctica Original

Antarctica Original

Lager 5% ABV
Ambev

A historic Brazilian beer often connected with botecos and casual eating.
Bohemia Pilsen

Bohemia Pilsen

Pilsner 5% ABV
Ambev

A long-established Brazilian beer brand often positioned as more premium.
Itaipava Pilsen

Itaipava Pilsen

Pilsner 4.5% ABV
Grupo Petrópolis

A widely sold Brazilian lager and major mainstream alternative to Ambev brands.
Food stories

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Plan the full table

Build a Brazilian menu

For Brazilian recipes, start with the ingredients that carry the cuisine: staple grains or breads, fresh produce, herbs or spices, good-quality fats, regional dairy or proteins, and any preserved ingredients that give the food its identity.

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