Easy Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew) - Simple Living Recipes (2024)

Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew) is Brazil's national dish for a good reason! It's incredibly delicious, and this version is super easy to make.

Easy Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew) - Simple Living Recipes (1)

Feijoada is considered the national dish of Brazil. It reminds me of family reunion, friends, weekend, nice chatting, and laughter! It is the type of food that you can't get enough.

The story goes that the brazilian feijoada was created by the African slaves living in Brazil. Their masters used the pig for their meals, and threw away the parts that did not interest them, such as ears, tail, feet, etc… The slaves then collected these discarded parts and added them to black beans, thus creating 'feijoada'.

I'm so glad the slaves had this great idea, as I can't imagine Brazil without feijoada. There is nothing better than a good weekend, with a delicious feijoada.

How to make an Easy Feijoada (step by step)

Follow the step by step below for a very easy and tasty feijoada. It takes a little while to be ready, but there is nothing complicated.

Easy Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew) - Simple Living Recipes (2)

Tips for a great Brazilian Feijoada

Beans:

It is very important to soak the beans. Do not skip this step. First, because it helps to soften the beans. Second, and even more important, because beans have a protein called lectin, which serves to protect the grain from predatory insects. Lectin when ingested can cause some problems, such as: bloating, stomach pain and gas (among other problems).

Thus, the best way to eliminate lectin is to soak the beans, and cook them under pressure.

When soaking, change your water at least once or twice, and do not use this water for cooking. Have you noticed the foam that forms on the water? Wash the beans thoroughly to remove any residue.

When cooking it, always use the pressure cooker. In addition to being much faster, the high heat helps to eliminate this anti-nutrient.

Cuts of meat:

In Brazil, the most common type of meat used in feijoada is "carne seca", a cut of meat that has been dehydrated e salted (a lot). Note that it's not the same as beef jerky. They taste very different.

In many countries it's really hard to find carne seca, so, here in United States, the closest that I could find to replace it is Corned Beef. Although it's not dried, you can cut it into cubes like carne seca, and once it's cooked, the texture is very similar. Just be careful when buying corned beef. Give preference buying the ones that come salted, but have a little packet of spices alongside, so you can discard it. If you buy the corned beef that has already been seasoned with tons of spices, it will give your feijoada a taste that is different from the original.

For the ribs, I buy them boneless, to make life easier, but you can use the bone-in pork ribs if you want. Just cut them in between the bones.

As for sausage, the most traditionally used are the Calabresa and Paio sausages, but I haven't found them in the United States, so from the sausages I've tried, the closest in flavor is the Smoked Kielbasa. Don't use any Italian flavored sausage, as it will change the flavor of your feijoada, drasticaly.

About the different parts of the pig used in Feijoada… well... feel free to use it according to your taste. I don't like using some parts, so the only thing I use to give a really good taste is smoked ham hock or smoked neck. They help to thicken the broth, and the fact that they are smoked is what makes feijoada taste so good. Also, you don't have to eat it. When I use the smoked ham hock I remove it before serving.

How to thicken your feijoada

As soon as everything is finished cooking in the pressure cooker, you'll notice that the feijoada broth is still very thin. Therefore, continue cooking with the lid off, for about 30-40 minutes. This will help to create a thick sauce and combine all the flavors.

If you want to thicken the broth even more, you can separate some of the beans and smash them with a fork to create a paste. Then add this paste back to the feijoada.

Another factor is, the more fatty meats are used, the thicker your liquid will be. So, if you want to limit the fat a little more, use the bean paste technique mentioned above.

Now, let's go to the recipe for this super easy feijoada…

Easy Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew) - Simple Living Recipes (3)

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5 from 2 votes

Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew)

This black bean stew is Brazil's national dish for a good reason! It's incredibly delicious, and this version is super easy to make.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Waiting time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs 3 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Brazilian

Keyword: black beans, pork meat, stew

Servings: 17

Calories: 587kcal

Author: Lilian Vallezi

Ingredients

  • 24 oz dried black beans
  • 10 cups of water (to cook the beans)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ lb corned beef (just salted meat, discard pack of spices)
  • 2 lb Pork ribs (country-style or baby back ribs) (1 lb if boneless)
  • 1 lb Smoked Ham hock or smoked neck (or any other smoked pork meat)
  • 12 oz Smoked Sausage
  • 10 oz sliced bacon (cut into strips)
  • 1 red onion (chopped)
  • 6 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • salt to taste (if necessary)

Instructions

  • Start by soaking the beans for 12 hours. Drain the water, wash the beans and drain it again.

  • Cut corned beef into cubes, and ribs between bones (or into cubes, if boneless). Cut the bacon into pieces, and the sausage into slices. Chop onion and garlic.

  • In a large pan, sauté corned beef and ribs in olive oil (you will have to make it in batches). When they are seared, transfer them to a pressure cooker (I like Instant Pot) and add the drained beans, 10 cups of fresh water and smoked meat (in my case I like using smoked neck or ham hock).

  • Let it cook on High pressure for 30 minutes (after it gets pressure). When it's done cooking, let it naturally release pressure for 30 minutes.

  • While the beans are still cooking, place the bacon in the same pan in which you seared the meat, and fry the bacon in the fat it will release. Once it starts crispening, add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. Then add sausage and let it cook for a minute. Turn off the heat and wait for the beans and meats to finish cooking in the pressure cooker.

  • After the meats and beans are ready, and pressure has been naturally released for 30 minutes, transfer everything to the same big pan, with the sausage, bacon, onion and garlic. Add the bay leaves and adjust salt if necessary. Cook it over medium heat for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until liquid thickens to your liking.

    Your feijoada is ready! Serve it on a bed of white rice, vinaigrette, farofa and orange slices.

    Enjoy it!

Notes

*If you want to thicken the liquid even more, you can separate some of the beans and smash them with a fork to create a paste. Then add this paste back to the feijoada.

*It is very important to soak the beans. First, because it helps to soften the beans. Second, and even more important, because beans have a protein called lectin, which can cause some problems when eaten, such as: bloating, stomach pain and gas. When soaking, change your water at least once or twice, and discard it. Do not use this water for cooking. Wash the beans to remove any residue, then drain it.

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Nutrition Estimate:

Calories: 587kcal

All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc. Simple Living Recipes is not responsible for any miscalculation or misinformation in the nutrition label.

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FAQs

What is feijoada called in English? ›

The word feijoada comes from the word feijão, which is Portuguese for beans. Feijoada is a black bean stew that is brewed with a variety of salted and smoked pork and beef products from carne-seca to smoked pork spareribs.

What does Brazil's national dish of feijoada consist of? ›

Feijoada, Brazil's national dish, is a stew loaded with black beans and meats of every description: smoked pork loin, bacon and sausage such as chorizo.

What is the difference between feijoada and feijão? ›

Feijoada (Portuguese pronunciation: [fejʒuˈadɐ]) is a stew of beans with beef and pork. The name feijoada is derived from feijão, 'bean' in Portuguese. Varieties are prepared in the Portuguese-speaking world. The basic ingredients of feijoada are beans and fresh pork or beef.

What is Brazil's national dish? ›

Feijoada, a stew made of beans with salted pork or beef, and served with a variety side dishes such as white rice, collard greens, farofa (cassava flour) and peeled sliced oranges, is considered by many to be Brazil's national dish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada).

What is the difference between Brazilian and Portuguese feijoada? ›

The word 'feijão' means beans in Portuguese. While the Portuguese used the cream-coloured feijão-fradinho (black-eyed bean), in Brazil it's the black beans that get a thumbs-up.

What are the two most common ingredients in Brazilian food? ›

Dende oil: A staple ingredient in Brazilian cuisine, dende oil is made from the fruit of the palm tree and is used to add a rich, nutty flavor to many dishes. Coconut milk: A common ingredient in Brazilian cuisine, coconut milk is used to add creaminess and sweetness to many dishes.

What is a good side dish for feijoada? ›

Feijoada is always served with fresh chunks of oranges, sauteed and shredded “couve” (similar to collard greens), farofa, and white rice. The best way to serve it is to assemble all the goodies in a buffet type setting, so that each guest can make their own plate.

Is feijoada good for you? ›

The national dish of Brazil is Feijoada. Eaten daily in some households, this highly nutritious, comforting stew is made up of beans, kale and cassava. This is traditionally a meat dish, but can made vegetarian as well.

What did the slaves eat in feijoada? ›

The most widespread popular legend about the origin of feijoada is that the masters gave their slaves the "leftovers" of the pigs when they were being slaughtered. Cooking these ingredients with beans and water gave rise to the recipe.

What is Brazil's most famous dish? ›

Some typical dishes are feijoada, considered the country's national dish, and regional foods such as beiju, feijão tropeiro, vatapá, moqueca capixaba, polenta (from Italian cuisine) and acarajé (from African cuisine).

Why is feijoada served with orange? ›

Feijoada is traditionally served with orange slices because the citrus helps to balance the heavy, rich flavors of the stew.

What is Portugal's national dish? ›

Bacalhau

The national dish of Portugal, bacalhau is dried and salted codfish, which is usually soaked in milk or water before cooking. The Portuguese have been eating bacalhau since the 16th century when their fishing boats brought it back from Newfoundland.

What do they eat in Brazil for peasant? ›

Feijoada, the national dish of Brazil, is a peasant, comfort stew of black beans and meat.

What is Brazilian grilled meat called? ›

Picanha, Brazil's favorite cut of beef, has been a favorite in Brazil for years as an affordable yet flavorful cut of meat, especially when prepared in the traditional churrasco style. In the US, it is still relatively unknown outside of the Brazilian Steakhouse.

What is the national dish of China? ›

Peking Duck (The National Dish of China) 北京烤鸭 | Recipe | National dish, Peking duck, Recipes.

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