Quick Answer: What are the Best Brazilian Side Dishes?
Some of the most mouth-watering Brazilian side dishes are— Healthy salads like Brazilian Potato Salad, Brazilian Chicken Salad; Non-vegetarian delicacies like Empadas de Galinha, Chicken and Cheese Pastels; Brazilian specials like Farofa, Brazilian Cheese Bread, Tropeiro Beans, Red Currant Caipirinha, and Brazilian Rice. Read to know more!
Here are 30 authentic Brazilian side dishes that will blow your mind!
These dishes bring to your table the traditional flavors of Brazilian cuisine and are so simple to make that they’ll definitely become a part of your weekly meal rotation dishes.
I visited Brazil a few years ago and oh my god their gorgeous cuisine made me fall in love with it. I talked to several of the local chefs there and with their enlightening insights about Brazilian food prepared this list of the most enticing Brazilian side dishes that exist.
Let’s begin, shall we?
1. Farofa
Total calories (per 100g): 406
Total preparation time: 10 minutes
Farofa is a cultural blessing in Brazilian cuisine and is prepared from toasting cassava flour with butter and bacon. It has a mild flavor and a scrumptiously crunchy texture.
The unique selling point of this dish is that the cassava flour soaks up the flavors of the ingredients, with which it is cooked, to turn flavorsome.
Serve it with a plate of tasty rice and beans and enjoy!
Check out this simple recipe Alex
2. Brazilian Potato Salad
Total calories (per 100g): 280
Total preparation time: 30 minutes
This Brazilian side dish is suitable for summer cookouts and BBQ parties.
It’s a creamy potato salad made from boiled potatoes, mayo, lime juice, onions, and garlic. What makes it delectable is the addition of chopped olive and fresh herbs.
It is a light salad to balance out heavy dishes like grilled meat. Serve it with rice, Farofa, BBQ, or grilled meat dishes.
3. Brazilian Chicken Salad
Total calories (per 100g): 111
Total preparation time: 40 minutes
Easy to make and healthy, this salad makes for a wholesome side dish.
All one needs to do is toss some shredded chicken with shredded veggies and mix them well in the mayo dressing.
This salad is a little on the sweeter side with the addition of raisins and carrots and the traditional potato stick toppings are quite heartwarming.
It’s a perfect side dish for your next potluck!
Check out this recipe by Marley Recipes
4. Brazilian Cheese Bread
Total calories (per 100g): 273
Total preparation time: 30 minutes
Locally known as Pão de Queijo, this puffy and addictive delicacy is bound to become your favorite side dish.
Brazilian Cheese Bread is made from tapioca flour which makes it perfect for those who avoid gluten.
It is crunchy on the outside while it maintains its soft and chewy demeanor on the inside; plus it delivers a powerful cheesy punch with each bite.
Here is a simple recipe by Food Wishes
5. Salt Cod Salad
Total preparation time: 215
Where are my pescatarians at? This side dish will delight your heart.
Salt Cod Salad is traditionally known as Ensalada de Bacalao and is a beloved dish in Brazil.
Its recipe offers contrasting flavors— mild saltiness which it derives from the fish and sweetness from olive oil, tomatoes, and onion.
It is best served with some boil yucca or Coconut Fry Bread. It’s an excellent side dish for summer gatherings.
Check out this tasty recipe by The Noshery
6. Brazilian Refried Beans
Total calories (per 100g): 127
Total preparation time: 85 minutes
Beans are quintessential in Brazilian cuisine.
Brazilian Refried Beans, or Tutu de Feijão, is made from beans puree that has been thickened using cassava flour.
It owes its flavors to bacon, onion, garlic, olive oil, bay leaves, parsley, salt, and pepper.
It is rich and creamy which makes it popular all over Brazil as comfort food.
It’s a side dish you must try!
Here is a yummy recipe by Olivia’s cuisine
7. Brazilian Leeks
Total preparation time: 50 minutes
Delicious and elegant, Brazilian Leeks change the view that leeks cannot be turned into something irresistible.
Leeks are quite underrated but when cooked with the right ingredients and a bit of patience its natural sweetness combines with softness to give it a spaghetti-like texture.
With simple ingredients like olive oil, unsalted butter, sweet balsamic reduction, salt, and pepper— leeks are fashioned into a masterpiece.
Check out this easy recipe by Food.com
8. Brazilian Rice
Total calories (per 100g): 48
Total preparation time: 25 minutes
If you like rice then this recipe is something you ought to try.
Rice is an integral part of Brazilian meals and is combined with various dishes like beans, chicken, salads, etc.
Brazilian Rice is fluffy in texture and offers a garlicky flavor.
The rice is sautéed with onions and minced garlic then cooked after being seasoned with salt.
Serve it with beans for an authentic Brazilian experience.
Here is a quick recipe by Nando Cuca
9. Brazilian Collard Greens
Total calories (per 100g): 70.4
Total preparation time: 15 minutes
Add more greens to your diet with this flavor robust Brazilian side dish.
Made with collard greens, olive oil, garlic, and salt— Brazilian Collard Greens is one of the best recipes to prepare your collard greens with.
It has a crisp yet tender texture and a garlicky flavor and is ready in almost no time.
Traditionally, it is served as a side with Feijoada.
Check out this easy recipe by Suburban Homestead
10. Deep-Fried Bananas
Total calories (per 100g): 193
Total preparation time: 22 minutes
An exquisite Brazilian delicacy that will delight your tongue.
Deep-Fried Bananas, or Banana Empanada, is made by using minimalistic ingredients like flour, eggs, bread crumbs, bananas, and oil.
The bananas are dipped in flour, egg, and bread crumbs and then tossed into oil for making these delicious fritters.
It can either be served as a side with grilled meat or as a dessert with an ice cream topping.
Here is a quick recipe by Marley Recipes
11. Tropeiro Beans
Total preparation time: 55 minutes
This side dish has the essence of indigenous, Portuguese, and African flavors.
Also known as Feijao Tropeiro, is generally prepared from pinto beans cooked with bacon, garlic, onion, cassava flour, salt, and pepper.
It is easy to make and is highly nutritious.
DIY recipe—
12. Brazilian Heart of Palm Salad
Total calories (per 100g): 79
Total preparation time: 10 minutes
Heart of Palm is acquired from the inner core and growing buds of a specific variety of palm trees.
This salad is made with Brazil’s favorite ingredient—onions—tossed with heart of palms in a dressing made from lime, honey, or olive oil, salt, and pepper.
DIY recipe—
13. Empadas de Galinha
Total calories (per 100g): 382
Total preparation time: 75 minutes
Empadas de Galinha is chicken pastries or chicken pies from Brazil that are popularly consumed as comfort food.
Creamy and savory filling of this pastry is prepared with chicken and cheese and the pastries have a flaky texture which adds to the experience of savoring this side dish.
DIY recipe—
14. Red Currant Caipirinha
Total calories (per 100g): 117
Total preparation time: 5 minutes
This is an incredible summer cocktail that will make your summertime unforgettable.
Red Currant Caipirinha is a Brazilian drink which fashions a contemporary twist in the classic lime caipirinha.
With red currents, this cocktail gets sweet and sour plus a citrusy flavor.
15. Herbed Couscous
Total preparation time: 25 minutes
A great side dish for potlucks and parties as it can be paired with a large variety of dishes.
It is prepared with pearl couscous and has a fresh taste from the herbs used and also the lime which enhances the already existing flavors.
16. Brazilian Vinaigrette Salsa
Total preparation time: 5 minutes
Brazilian Vinaigrette Salsa is a must-have side dish!
Crafted from onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers, the flavors of the salsa are bound together with white wine vinegar and olive oil.
Serve it with grilled meat or Black Bean Stew.
17. Acaça
Total preparation time: 20 minutes
Acaça is a ceremonial dish in Brazil and is made on special occasions.
It is a kind of sweet porridge prepared from rice flour which is cooked in coconut milk until it turns creamy and thick.
It is usually served with meat or fish.
18. Pirao
Total preparation time: 50 minutes
Pirao is the traditional Brazilian dish prepared by the natives of the land.
It is similar to a watered-down porridge has a thick creamy texture. It is made from manioc flour and fish or meat stock.
It pairs fabulously with white rice.
19. Caruru
Total calories (per 100g): 310
Total preparation time: 25 minutes
Made with shrimp and okra, this traditional Brazilian dish hails from the north-eastern part of Brazil.
Caruru is cooked in a special palm oil called the dendê with ground cashew nuts that gives it a unique flavor.
It’s an essential side dish in Bahian meals.
20. Brazilian Grilled Pineapple
Total preparation time: 35 minutes
This Brazilian dish can be had as a side or as a dessert.
Fresh pineapples are cut into chunks, bathed in brown sugar and cinnamon, and then grilled on open BBQ.
The heat caramelizes the glaze, intensifying the natural flavors of the pineapple.
DIY recipe—
21. Brazilian Chickpea and Rice
Total calories (per 100g): 337
Total preparation time: 42 minutes
This authentic side dish offers you the color and flavors of Brazil.
With bright yellow and green colors, it thrives with the flavors of parsley, coriander, and lime which accentuate the flavors of nutty rice and chickpea combination.
Turmeric also plays a key role in this dish.
22. Chicken and Cream Cheese Pastels
Total preparation time: 75 minutes
This is popular street food in Brazil and is enjoyed for its yummy cheesiness.
These pastels contain a filling fashioned out of chicken, cheese, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and an irresistible seasoning of lime juice, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
23. Acai Bowl
Total calories (per 100g): 134
Total preparation time: 10 minutes
The concept of the Acai Bowl originated in Brazil where the acai berries were turned into a smoothie and served in a bowl.
It is usually topped with bananas, blackberries, strawberries, granola, and guarana syrup.
It is tummy filling and nutritiously tasty.
DIY recipe—
24. Moqueca De Peixe
Total calories (per 100g): 108
Total preparation time: 70 minutes
This is a Brazilian fish stew prepared with tomatoes, garlic, and coriander which uses fish or shrimp as a base.
The lime and coriander give this recipe its zing and the palm oil contributes a unique flavor.
Serve it with coconut rice.
DIY recipe—
25. Broa
Total calories (per 100g): 330
Total preparation time: 245 minutes
Broa is a Portuguese cornbread that has a dense texture from the use of cornmeal mixed with regular wheat flour.
The inner portion of this bread is soft and chewy whereas the outer part is a bit hard to bite into and is dark and crusty.
DIY recipe—
26. Feijoada
Total calories (per 100g): 130
Total preparation time: 105 minutes
An inseparable part of Arroz e Feijao, this delectable black bean stew furnishes its eater with authentic Brazilian flavors.
With onion and garlic as its prominent flavoring agents, it has a generous amount of bacon and sausage that makes this stew lip-smacking good!
DIY recipe—
27. Brazilian Chicken and Saffron Rice
Total preparation time: 60 minutes
Locally known as Galinhada, it is a one-pot dish for the days when you don’t have time to cook but cannot fathom having something ordinary.
Usually made with juicy chicken pieces, saffron-flavored rice, and vegetables— this one is a flavor-robust and satisfying dish.
DIY recipe—
28. Brazilian Chicken Kabob
Total calories (per 100g): 151
Total preparation time: 25 minutes
I bet you haven’t tasted a chicken kabob like this before!
The chicken pieces are juicy, tender, and garner flavors from the delectable marinade made from cachaça, lime juice, paprika, red chili, brown sugar, and mint leaves.
Indulge yourself in this delicious skewer and enjoy!
29. Ham and Cheese Toasties
Total calories (per 100g): 280
Total preparation time: 35 minutes
Sometimes simple dishes are the most soul-warming.
This classic recipe demands the presence of an appetizing mustardy white sauce which elevates the whole experience of a ham and cheese sandwich.
Some key flavoring elements are— cheese, mustard, dried oregano, tomato, and heavy cream.
30. Churrasco Skewers
Total calories (per 100g): 173.3
Total preparation time: 30 minutes
Easy to make and quick, this is an excellent side dish option for weekday meals.
Prepared from tender and juicy skirt steaks draped in the skewer, it owes its flavors to the chimichurri sauce dressing.
The steak is grilled to the perfect amount and served with rice and veggies.
DIY recipe—
The Bottom Line
We hope this wholesome guide took you to the mesmerizing land of Brazilian side dishes.
If you have any tips or suggestions, please let us know below!
Do share this guide with your family and friends.