21 Best Portuguese Recipes
Discover the most delicious Portuguese recipes in the comfort of your home. Portugal offers a variety of sweet and savory dishes.
Let’s find the
Best Portuguese Recipes
1. Bifanas
This is a traditional Portuguese pork sandwich. The pork is thinly sliced, marinated, and then simmered. It is served in between rolls. You can enjoy it with piri piri hot sauce or yellow mustard.
The recipe requires 25 minutes of prep time and 1 hour 35 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include boneless pork chops, bay leaves, white wine, paprika, papa secos. white wine vinegar, kosher salt, lard, mustard and sweet paprika.
2. Queijadas
It is one of the most popular Portuguese desserts. The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of cooking time.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. The ingredients include all-purpose flour, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, milk and sugar. Bake it for 45 minutes. Once you see it’s golden brown you are all set.
3. Papo Secos
These Portuguese rolls are light. It is one of the easiest Portuguese recipes. The recipe requires 1 hour of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time. You require a baking sheet and stand mixer.
To activate the yeast the ingredients include granulated sugar, lukewarm water, and active dry yeast. Bake the recipe for 20 minutes or until it’s golden brown. For the bread, the ingredients include bread flour, cornmeal, unsalted butter, lukewarm water, and salt.
Keep them in a sealed container at room temperature and it will be good for up to 2 days. It also freezes well.
4. Portuguese Fish Stew
It is also called Caldeirada de Peixe. This is one of the most popular Portuguese recipes. You will find this recipe in every home and restaurant.
The recipe varies from region to region in Portugal, people in some regions like thick broth while others likes thin broth. You can choose the white fish of your choice for this recipe, cod, conger and group are the most common ones.
The recipe requires 15 minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include fresh grouper, tomato paste, bay leaves, cooking oil, paprika, white wine, ground cinnamon, olive oil, kosher salt, cumin, and bell pepper.
5. Portuguese Chicken Bake
It is one of my favorite dinner recipes and also one of the most nutritious Portuguese recipes. The equipment needed are 9×13 casserole dish and a silicone lid.
The recipe requires 20 minutes of prep time and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ingredients include roasted tomatoes, oregano, paprika, peri peri sauce, onion powder, chicken thighs, carrots,and brown sugar. It is best served with baguette or rice.
You can keep it in the fridge in an air-tight container in the fridge and it will be good for 4 days. It freezes well for 3 months.
6. Portuguese Bean Soup
This is a flavorful and protein-rich recipe and certainly one of the most satisfying entree soup recipes. Packed with protein and fiber, it is one of the most nutritious Portuguese recipes. You require a food processor for this recipe.
It requires 30 minutes of prep time and an hour of cooking time. The ingredients include onion, tomato sauce, chorizo, chopped ham, ground pepper, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, celery stalks, tomato sauce, smoked paprika, chorizo, broth, spinach and carrots.
It is best served with crusty bread. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it will be good for 4 days. You can even freeze the soup.
7. Caldo Verde
It is a traditional Portuguese soup. It is also known as caldo verde or green soup. The most widely used green for this recipe is couve Galega. You can either make it veg or non veg depending on your preference.
The recipe requires 25 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include collard greens, Spanish onions, potatoes, kosher salt, pepper, Spanish chorizo, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic. Keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator and it will be good for 4 days. It freezes well for 3 months.
8. Cacoila Sandwich
It is a great breakfast or dinner recipe. This is a savory slow-cooked pork recipe. You require a Dutch oven for this recipe.
The recipe requires 15 minutes of prep time and 3 hours 30 minutes of cooking time. To make the recipe preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ingredients include slow-cooked pork, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, allspice, smoked paprika, orange juice, red wine vinegar, cinnamon, buns, and cumin.
9. Portuguese Carne Asada
It is a lovely beef recipe. There a two ways to make it. You can either use a slow cooker or an instant pot.
It requires 1 hour 10 minutes of prep time and To make the recipe, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ingredients include garlic, sweet paprika, bay leaves, Portuguese chourico, smoked sweet paprika, baby carrots, yellow onions,red potatoes, red pepper flakes, parsley leaves, and tomato paste. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it will be good for 3 days.
10. Bolo de Bolacha
It is a biscuit cake and tastes fabulous. It’s a no-bake refrigerator cake. The recipe requires 35 minutes of prep time and a total of 8 hours and 35 minutes.
This dessert is popular among all age groups. The ingredients include unsweetened cocoa powder, chocolate curls, unsalted butter, chilled cream, Marie biscuit, icing sugar, and vanilla extract.
11. Classic Portuguese Bean Soup
It is a hearty soup. It requires 15 minutes of prep time and 2 hours of cooking time. This is one of the best Portuguese recipes and one of my favorites.
The ingredients include smoked ham hocks, Portuguese sausage sticks, macaroni pasta, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, macaroni pasta, cabbage, and potatoes.
12. Classic Bolo de bolacha
It is one of my favorite biscuit cakes. This requires an hour to make. I prefer Maria’s biscuits but if you can’t find them then buy any round butter biscuits.
The ingredients include Maria’s biscuits, butter, coffee, egg yolks, and butter.
13. Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Burger
It is one of the best recipes for summer BBQs. Peri Peri sauce is the star of this recipe. You can make it with a mix of red chilies, paprika, pepper, oregano, salt, malt vinegar, red food coloring, and bell pepper. You require a blender to make the sauce.
Malt vinegar is less sharper than white vinegar. You can either use chicken thigh or chicken breast. I like to use butter lettuce, but you can use other lettuce too.
The recipe requires 15 minutes of cooking time and 3 hours of marinating time. The ingredients include Birds Eye red chilies, malt vinegar, bell pepper, oregano, sugar, vegetable oil, onion powder, red food coloring, smoked paprika and kosher salt. For the burger the ingredients include chicken breasts or thighs, lettuce, soft rolls, olive oil and tomatoes. It is best served with French fries.
14. Portuguese Stewed Beef
It is one of the best Portuguese comfort foods. The recipe is also called Cacoila. The recipe requires 20 minutes of prep time and 3 hours of cooking time.
It is on our rotation menu and everyone loves it. The ingredients include crushed red peppers, chuck roast, garlic, allspice berries, red table wine, parsley, onion, tomato paste, ground cinnamon, unsalted butter, and bay leaf.
15. Portuguese Shrimp Mozambique
It is one of the best Portuguese dinner recipes. The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 10 minutes of cooking time. It is best served with rice or French fries.
The ingredients include shrimp, hot pepper sauce, unsalted butter, lemon wedge, white wine, garlic, Sazon Goya spice and parsley.
16. Portuguese Fish Stew
It is a light and flavorful recipe. The recipe is also known as Caldeirada. It requires 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time. You require a Dutch oven for this recipe.
The ingredients include bay leaves, chicken stock, tomatoes, garlic, onion, fish sauce, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, saffron, ground clove, white wine, thyme, tomatoes and olive oil.
17. Portuguese Grilled Piri Piri Chicken
It is a homemade version of Nandu’s recipe but it tastes as good as the original. I like to use Red Thai Chilies as it’s spicy and has a unique flavor. Before you make the recipe let the chicken marinate for an hour. Marinade with lemon juice and garlic.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and bake for 35 minutes. For doneness use an instant read thermometer and check if the internal temperature is 165°F. If it has reached 165°F then it’s done.
The recipe has a spicy, sweet and savory flavor and we make it quite often. It is best served over Mediterranean rice. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it will be good for 3 days.
The recipe requires 15 minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include chicken legs, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, garlic, Red Thai chilies, smoked paprika, lemon, and olive oil.
18. Portuguese Stuffing
To get the right flavor choose Portuguese chorizo sausage. The recipe is a big hit in Thanksgiving but I make it regularly. I can be a great make-ahead recipe, in fact you can make it 2 days in advance and then refrigerate it.
For the recipe, the equipment needed are a large skillet, oven, casserole dish, knife and a wooden spoon. The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of cooking time.
Preheat the oven to 350°F for half an hour until it’s brown. The ingredients include onion, ground beef, chicken stock, butter, chorizo sausage, cornbread, onion, olive oil, and celery.
19. Portuguese Potatoes And Chorizo
This is one of the most loved Portuguese recipes. The equipment needed are a bowl, knife, and baking sheet. It is one of my favorite appetizers. I always keep it on my menu whenever I host a party.
This recipe requires 20 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 50 minutes. The ingredients include Portuguese Chorizo, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, peri peri sauce, green onions, lemon, and chili powder.
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it will be good for 5 days.
20. Portuguese Rice
It is one of the best Portuguese recipes for a busy weeknight dinner. The recipe requires 5 minutes of prep time and 10 minutes of cooking time.
The ingredients include dried chili flakes, olive oil Birds Eyes chilies, basmati rice, lemon juice, turmeric powder, bell pepper, smoked paprika, green peas, cilantro leaves, and ground cumin.
21. Peri Peri Sauce
Peri Peri sauce works well with all meat recipes. It also is perfect for dipping. It is also referred as Pili Pili sauce or Piri Piri sauce. You require a large skillet and a blender for this recipe.
Increase or decrease the amount of chili according to your tastebud. If you want the sauce to be mild then put less chili. The sauce has a garlicky, spicy, tangy and sweet flavor. The sauce is gluten-free and vegan.
The recipe requires 10 minutes of prep time and 5 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients include sherry vinegar, vegetable oil, lemon juice, roasted peppers, sweet paprika, lemon zest, dried oregano and black pepper.
Keep the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and it will be good for a couple of weeks.
21 Traditional Portuguese Recipes
From bifanas to Portuguese chicken bake and more, make the best Portuguese recipes
Ingredients
- Bifanas
- Queijadas
- Papo Secos
- Portuguese Fish Stew
- Portuguese Chicken Bake
- Portuguese Bean Soup
- Caldo Verde
- Cacoila Sandwich
- Portuguese Carne Asada
- Bolo de Bolacha
- Classic Portuguese Bean Soup
- Classic Bolo de bolacha
- Nando's Peri Peri Chicken Burger
- Portuguese Stewed Beef
- Portuguese Shrimp Mozambique
- Portuguese Fish Stew
- Portuguese Grilled Piri Piri Chicken
- Portuguese Stuffing
- Portuguese Potatoes And Chorizo
- Portuguese Rice
- Peri Peri Sauce
Instructions
- Choose your favorite Portuguese recipe
- Gather the ingredients
- Make the recipe