Feijoada (pronounced fay-jwa-da) is a versatile stew of beans, various meats, and sausages typically served over rice, with sautéed collard greens, orange slices, and topped with farofa (toasted cassava flour).
Feijoada owes its name to its main ingredient, black beans (feijão in Portuguese).
Making feijoada is really easy but requires some planning, as you will need to soak the beans and the salty meats beforehand. It needs a good 20 mins to brown the meat properly, but after that, it requires nothing more than an occasional stir.
Feijoada has as many versions, but in Brazil, it almost always has black beans and always has a mixture of salted, smoked and fresh meats. Some versions are a little spicy from the sausages, others totally mild.
Traditionally, authentic feijoada is made with several pork parts, including the ears, tail, tongue, hock, and feet. These parts contribute what some consider to be an important gelatinous component to the stew. While you might want to give it a try with those extras, and you can certainly ask your butcher to give you these cuts, my version is light, and it does not use them due to my family’s personal preference, as well as convenience.
Talking about convenience, I am using the Brazilian Brand Stew Mix (Chorizo, Sausage, Dry Beef and Smoked slab bacon) from DuBrazil store, pork ribs and pork loin. However, if you are not in Canada and do not have access to a Brazilian grocery store, and cannot find the ingredients online, don’t worry. I am providing recommendations for substitutions so you can make feijoada whenever you feel like it!
I also included an orange peel and a shot of cachaça at the end. Ana Beatriz Canella (duBrazil founder) thanks for the tip, it made all the difference.
Although I always use the pressure cooker (Instant Pot), I have also included instructions for the stovetop and slow cookers.
This is such a great dish for big groups. It is easy to make and very cheap. It is a great reason to gather with friends for a feast! It is enjoyed throughout the country and always a celebratory meal.
In addition to the steamed white rice, feijoada is traditionally served with orange slices, which are believed to increase iron absorption from the black beans. Feijoada is also paired with Sautéed collard greens and farofa (toasted and fried seasoned cassava flour, sometimes with bacon or smoked sausage). While making farofa to serve with feijoada is an extra step, it is so worth it. I definitely recommend you serve this feijoada with farofa.
Feijoada is not complete without a Caipirinha. It is a drink made with cachaça, a Brazilian spirit similar to rum made with sugar cane juice. The traditional one should also contain lemon juice and a bit of sugar, although there are many variations of the drink throughout Brazil. Caipirinhas and beer combine with feijoada but should be consumed in moderation. Natural fruit juices served in glass jars and water are also good options.
The meal is just as warm, comforting, rich and vibrant as Brazil’s music, people, and culture.
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil - or olive oil – or more if needed
- 300 g Pork ribs - or baby back spareribs or bone-in beef short ribs - trimmed of fat, cut into individual ribs
- 150 g Pork loin - or boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 100 g Smoked sausage - you can use paio, or Portuguese chouriço, or Spanish chorizo or linguiça calabresa
- 340 g Feijoada Mix STEW - In Canada, buy it ready to make here – or use 100g Chorizo + 100g Smoked Sausage + 70g Dry Beef + 70g Smoked slab bacon - cut into slices
- 150 g Pork Belly - or bacon - cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 Onion - large - chopped
- 4 tbsp Garlic - 12 cloves/1 bulb - minced
- Black pepper - I used 1 green finger hot chilli pepper thinly sliced – optional to taste
- 2 Bay leaves - leaves
- Salt - to taste
- Black pepper - freshly ground to taste
- 300 g Black beans - soaked overnight, then drained
- Water - enough boiling water to cover
After cook
- Orange zest - from half orange – optional but strongly recommended
- 1 shot Cachaça - optional
To serve (optional)
- White rice - Steamed
- Collard greens - Sautéed
- Farofa - toasted manioc flour
- Hot sauce
- Orange - slices or wedges
- Parsley - or coriander – chopped
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Instructions
The day before - Soak the beans
- Place the beans in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and let soak overnight (or at least 3 hours) at room temperature. Add water as needed so that the beans are always covered. Rinse and drain.
The day before - Soak the meats (optional, do it when using salted meats, and if it is recommended in the package instructions)
- There are two types of meats: One that must be soaked in water for several hours and one that can be directly added to the dish as it is cooking. Read the instructions.
- If it needs, the day before you plan on cooking the feijoada, trim the excess fat of all the meats that must be soaked and place them in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water 3-4 times to eliminate the excess salt. Drain the meat.
Boil dried meat (optional if it is recommended in the instructions)
- Place the meat in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let them cook for 20 minutes. That helps get rid of excess salt. This step is not needed if substituting the traditional salted, dried meats. Check the meat instructions.
In batches, sear the meats (do not wash the pan, you will use it to brown all the meats)
- You will start by browning the meats to add a layer of delicious flavour to this stew.
- In a pressure cooker (or Instant Pot or a large heavy-bottom saucepan with a fitted lid), heat the oil using the sauté option (or over medium heat).
- Add the ribs and fry until crisp.
- Remove, set aside, and keep the oil in the pan.
- Add the pork loin and fry until crisp.
- Remove, set aside, and keep the oil in the pan.
- Add the smoked sausage and fry until crisp.
- Remove, set aside, and keep the oil in the pan.
- Add the Feijoada Mix STEW and fry until crisp.
- Remove and keep the oil in the pan.
- Add the pork belly and fry until crisp.
- Remove, set aside, and keep the oil in the pan.
Sauté onion and garlic and prepare to cook
- Pour in a little oil if it needs more and stir in the onion and garlic and cook until onions are soft and translucent.
- Season with pepper.
- Season lightly with salt. If making feijoada with the traditional salted meats (dried beef may be very salty), you probably will not need a lot of salt. Leave the seasoning to the end, so you can taste and add as needed.
- Add sliced pepper to the pan.
- Add the reserved meats, bay leaves, and drained beans.
- Cover with just enough boiling water to cover. Make sure the water is covering the beans and meats.
Cooking in a Pressure cooker (Instant Pot)
- This is the way most people cook beans in Brazil.
- Lock the lid, set the Pressure cooker (Instant Pot) to cook at high pressure for about 30 minutes.Note: Make the rice and farofa while you are waiting.
- I usually wait 20 to 30 minutes to release the pressure naturally, and the safety pin drop by itself.
- If you are in a hurry, allow the Pressure cooker (Instant Pot) to naturally release pressure for 5-10 minutes. Carefully turn the steam valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid, away from your face.Note: Make the collard greens while you are waiting.
- At this point, the meat and beans should be tender. If not, continue cooking in increments of 5 minutes until they are.
- When it is ready, carefully open the lid, away from your face, and stir.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt or pepper, if necessary.
Cooking using the stovetop method
- If using the stove method, using a clay pot is the traditional way to cook it, but a large Dutch Oven or a heavy-bottomed pot will work just as well!
- Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the beans are soft and the meats are tender about 2-2 1/2 hours. Adding water as necessary to keep the beans covered.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt or pepper, if necessary.
- If there is too much liquid in the pot, take the lid off in the last hour.
Cooking in a slow cooker
- You can also use a Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker, leave it there and forget… when you come back, it’s ready.
- After sauteing the onion and garlic and browning the meat, place all the ingredients right into the slow cooker's crock and cover with water - low heat for 8-10 hours or high heat for 4-6 hours or until beans and meat is meltingly tender.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt or pepper, if necessary.
- The long slow simmer gets the meat super tender and melds all the wonderful flavours.
Cooking in the oven
- Another method is to cook it in the oven for 3-4 hrs at 140-160C/285-320F fan/gas 3.
Pull out and discard the bones and fat
- Skim off any excess fat that has risen to the top.
- Remove any remaining meat from the bones. Discard bones. Return meat to the pan.
- Add more water if need.
- Add a piece of orange peel (and optionally a shot of cachaça) and turn the sauté option on (or medium-low) and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- The orange at the finish will really make the dish.
For a thick, hearty texture
- If there is too much liquid in the pot, turn the sauté option on (or medium-low) and let it reduce a bit.
- Many people in Brazil like their feijoada very soupy, but if you prefer it thicker, using the back of a ladle, mash about 1/4 of the beans.
- Or, with a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of the cooked black beans from the pot and mash the mixture with a fork or wooden spoon. Add this mashed bean back to the pot to thicken the sauce.
- Cook until the stew thickens to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- By mashing some of the beans, the released starch makes the dish thick and smooth.
To serve
- Remove the orange peel and bay leaves, and discard.
- Spoon some of the collard greens and rice onto each serving plate.
- Spoon the Feijoada over the rice.
- Serve Feijoada hot, with farofa on the side.
- Shake some of the hot sauce over the entire plate.
- Garnish with the orange slices or wedges on the side to squeeze on top.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley (or coriander)
Notes
Recommended serving
Calculate 75g of dry beans and 250g to 300g of meat per person and vary the types of meat within this proportion.Light feijoada meats and substitutions
To make it easier, I used the Brazilian Brand Stew Mix from duBrazil store. It is already cut and ready to cook with all meat you need (in my opinion) for a delicious Brazilian Feijoada. But you can also buy the separated meat from duBrazil store. However, if you are not in Canada, you can use the substitutes. You will need to shop online or at a Brazilian grocery store to make Fast2eat feijoada, but it is very worth it. I’ve included the meat links and recommended substitutions if you prefer to make it with ingredients you can easily find.Dry Beef (Carne Seca or Carne de sol)
In Canada, buy it here. An air-dried, salted piece of beef, very popular in Brazilian cuisine. There are two types: One that must be soaked in water for several hours and one that can be directly added to the dish as it is cooking. Read the instructions. This is the hardest one to substitute, as nothing will taste quite the same, but you could use corned beef or boneless short ribs instead. Use at least 20g/0.7oz per person.Smoked Calabresa Sausage (linguiça Calabresa)
In Canada, buy it here. This is a smoked cured pork sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika. If you cannot find it, use another smoked sausage, like andouille or kielbasa. Smoked chorizo can also be used. Use at least 25g/0.9oz per person.Smoked Paio Sausage (Linguiça Paio Defumada)
In Canada, buy it here. Another traditional smoked Portuguese and Brazilian sausage, Paio, is made of pork loin and seasoned with garlic, salt, and Capsicum pepper. Substitute for smoked chorizo, Portuguese Chouriço or another type of smoked sausage. Use at least 25g/0.9oz per person.Bacon
Traditionally, hunks of slab bacon would be used. Use the thick-cut bacon that you can easily find at any supermarket. Use at least 20g/0.7oz per person.A quick note regarding substitutions:
Be aware that, depending on your substitutions' salt content, you may have or have not to soak the meats for 24 hours.Orange at the end
Legend has it that adding an orange (no need to peel) to Brazilian black bean stew helps eliminate the excess fat. Add only a piece of orange peel, and that seems to do the trick!Bay leaves
Bay leaves are a must in any of my bean recipes! They add a subtle, slightly herbal aroma that brings some freshness to the hearty beans.Onion and garlic
The foundation of every savoury Brazilian recipe!Soaking the Beans
If you soak the black beans overnight, which I highly recommend, you will need to do that the night before. Soaking Guarantees that the beans will cook up nice and tender. It is easy – rinse the beans and put them in a bowl. Cover them with water by an inch or so. Add water as needed so that the beans are always covered. Leave the bowl in a cool spot to soak overnight. Rinse and drain. Note: soaking the beans overnight is optional. The idea is that soaked beans will cook faster and that soaking will help break down some of the complex sugars, making them easier to digest. If you do not soak your beans, it is a-okay! They will take a little longer to cook, but they will get there.Can I use canned beans?
I do not recommend it. A pot of black beans that has simmered with fatty, salty meat is magical, and the flavours and complexity cannot be exceptionally replicated with beans from a can. However, if you are in a pinch, do not have dried beans and do not mind compromising flavour, you can use rinsed canned beans at the rate of 1:3. Meaning 1 cup of dried beans should be substituted for 3 cups of cooked (canned) beans. I also would not cook the canned beans for as long as I would the dried beans. So, start with only the meats and add the canned beans at the end, when the meats are tender but not yet ready, letting them simmer for 30 minutes (do not use the lid of the pressure cooker) to take on the flavour of the other ingredients.Soaking the meat
If using the traditional feijoada salted dried meat, you need to soak them in cold water for 24 hours and change the water a few times to get rid of the excess salt. If you are substituting other ingredients, you can skip that step. Always check the instructions.If you do not soak the meat and feijoada is too salty
if you do not soak the salty meats for 24 hours, changing the water at least 3 times, do not worry, there is a trick that can help you! If you notice your stew is too salty, add two or three peeled potatoes and let them cook with the feijoada for 10-15 minutes. No more than that, or they will release a lot of starch in the stew. The potatoes will absorb liquid, and in this case, the liquid is salty, which helps with the dish's overall salt content. You will have to add more water so your beans are not too thick, which also helps dilute the saltiness. Unfortunately, that means that some of the flavours that took hours to develop will even be gone. In the future, remember to soak the salted meat and hold on seasoning the feijoada until the very end!Prep ahead
If you plan to throw dinner in the slow cooker before you leave for work in the morning, I suggest that you brown all the meats the night before and store them, covered, in the fridge overnight. That way, you can throw everything into the slow cooker in the morning and turn it on.Make ahead
Feijoada can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding more water to bring it back to the original consistency. Feijoada is even tastier the next day of cooking, after a night in the fridge. Plan 3 days ahead to prepare the feijoada: Day 1 - Desalt the meat and soak the beans. Day 2 - Cook the beans and meat. Store the pan in the refrigerator (if you prefer, divide the feijoada into smaller pots to store). Day 3 - When ready to serve, remove the feijoada from the refrigerator, place it back in a large pot and reheat, over medium-low heat, until it starts to boil, lower the heat, and let it warm for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time gently to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add more water, if necessary, to bring it back to the original consistency.Serve the feijoada with the side dishes.
What do you serve with Feijoada?
If you are looking for the perfect feijoada experience, a few sides must be served with it.
- White Rice – And forget bland boiled rice. You must make it the Brazilian way!
- Farofa – toasted manioc flour.
- Sautéed Collard Greens
- Orange Slices – Supposedly, eating oranges with feijoada helps with digestion. Don't skip the orange on top... Squeeze it, and it really will make the dish!
- Hot Sauce or Pickled Chili Peppers
- To drink, caipirinhas or shots of cachaça will take you straight to Brazil!
Leftovers
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.Freezing
Feijoada can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.Freeze in individual portions for easy reheating. You can thaw overnight in the fridge or add straight from the freezer to a pot and reheat over very low heat, with the pan covered and stirring from time to time, adding more water as needed. How to Keep Your Cutting Board from Slipping? A cutting board that slips around as you chop is risky business. The easiest way to keep your board stable is to grab a paper towel or a damp Kitchen Towel (thin cotton), or a piece of the non-slip mat or sponge cloth. Wet it and wring it out as much water as possible, so it's just damp, then lay it out flat on your counter under your cutting board to create traction between the board and the counter. It acts as a grip, preventing your board from moving around.
Fast2eat has partnered with Dubrazil to share new and simple Brazilian recipes your family will love!
This recipe was prepared with the following DuBrazil products:
Brazilian Brand Stew Mix – 340g
 |
Feijoada Mix is a Brazilian stew mix that contains Special Portuguese chorizo, calabresa Brazilian Style sausage, dried beef, and smoked Slab bacon. It must be cooked. Ensure internal product temperature of 74°C/165°F. Put the meats to cook with black beans and water under pressure for 30 minutes or until beans are soft. |
Camil black beans
 |
Camil black beans are among the best sellers in Brazil - You will see the difference when you take it to your plate. |
Tio João White Rice
 |
Brazilian long-grain white rice. A white, fluffy, and tasty rice is mouthwatering. With Tio João rice 100% Noble Grains, it is like that. It goes through a process of selection and improvement of grains, making the rice perfect and with an excellent yield. It is a product that combines taste, quality, and innovation with the excellence that Brazilians deserve. Get one step closer to the taste of Brazil. |
Thanks to DuBrazil for supplying the products to help me write this post today!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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