Bacalhau à Brás
Shredded cod, straw potatoes, creamy eggs, onion, and olives in one of the most beloved dishes in Portugal.
Cod · Lisbon / NationalPillar page
Easy Portuguese Recipes
A carefully selected collection of the most accessible Portuguese recipes to start cooking with confidence.
Editorial curation
Not every Portuguese recipe needs to be long or complex. There are simple dishes, quick snacks, easy soups, and homemade sweets that work well for beginners.
On this page, easy means more accessible in execution, with straightforward techniques and less difficult-to-find ingredients. Recipes that require lengthy preparation, specific cuts, or delicate points are excluded from this selection.
Even in simple recipes, attention to salt, olive oil, texture, and cooking time remains important. Use the related guides to adjust ingredients in Brazil.
Editorial cluster
Quick and easy recipes
Easy dishes for lunch, dinner, or a first experience with Portuguese cuisine.
Bacalhau à lagareiro
Cod fillets roasted with smashed potatoes, garlic, and plenty of olive oil.
Cod · Beiras / NationalBacalhau cozido com todos
Cod served with potatoes, greens, eggs, chickpeas, or vegetables, very present on Christmas tables.
Cod · National / ChristmasPataniscas de bacalhau
Cod fritters in a light batter, often served as a snack or with bean rice.
Cod · Lisbon / EstremaduraSalada de bacalhau com grão
Cold or warm cod salad with flakes, chickpeas, onion, eggs, and olive oil.
Cod · NationalArroz de bacalhau
Moist and aromatic rice with cod flakes, tomato, bell pepper, and herbs.
Cod · NationalCaldo verde
Portuguese soup made with potatoes, finely chopped kale, olive oil, and slices of chorizo.
Soups and broths · Minho / NorthAçorda alentejana
Bread soup with garlic, coriander, olive oil, and egg, deeply connected to Alentejo.
Soups and broths · AlentejoCanja à portuguesa
Chicken broth with rice or small pasta, simple, comforting, and familiar.
Soups and broths · NationalSopa de tomate alentejana
Tomato soup with bread and egg, simple, aromatic, and very connected to rural cuisine.
Soups and broths · AlentejoEditorial cluster
Simple snacks
Starters with straightforward preparation for an uncomplicated Portuguese table.
Peixinhos da horta
Green beans wrapped in a light batter and fried until golden.
Starters and snacks · NationalAzeitonas temperadas à portuguesa
Olives marinated with garlic, olive oil, herbs, and lemon peel.
Starters and snacks · NationalCenouras à algarvia
Carrots boiled and marinated with garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and herbs.
Starters and snacks · AlgarvePica-pau
Strips of meat sautéed with garlic, sauce, pickles, and olives.
Starters and snacks · Portuguese tavernsPão com chouriço
Rustic bread stuffed with chorizo, baked until fragrant.
Starters and snacks · National / fairsEditorial cluster
Easy and homemade sweets
Portuguese desserts with friendlier preparation, respecting time and texture.
Arroz doce português
Rice slowly cooked with milk, sugar, lemon, and cinnamon.
Sweets and desserts · NationalLeite-creme português
Cream made with milk and egg yolks flavored with lemon and cinnamon, finished with burnt sugar.
Sweets and desserts · NationalBaba de camelo
Portuguese mousse made with cooked sweetened condensed milk and eggs, creamy and intense.
Sweets and desserts · NationalBolo de iogurte tradicional
Simple yogurt cake, fluffy and versatile, widely used in family recipes.
Sweets and desserts · NationalBolo de laranja à portuguesa
Homemade orange cake, moist, fragrant, and simple.
Sweets and desserts · NationalEditorial cluster
Guides to help you get started
Basic techniques for cooking with fewer mistakes.
How to use olive oil in Portuguese cooking
Learn when to use olive oil for sautéing, finishing, roasting, dressing salads, and enhancing Portuguese recipes.
Essential techniquesHow to substitute Portuguese ingredients in Brazil
An honest guide to adapting greens, cream, sausages, cheeses, breads, cod, and Portuguese groceries in Brazil.
Substitutions in BrazilHow to prepare fluffy Portuguese rice
Tips for side rice, tomato rice, greens rice, and Portuguese bases with good texture.
Essential techniquesNon-alcoholic drinks to accompany Portuguese recipes
Suggestions for sparkling water, lemonade, teas, coffees, and light drinks to accompany Portuguese dishes without alcohol.
Wines and pairingsContinue browsing
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Portuguese Cuisine in Brazil
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Quick questions about this topic
Does this page replace individual recipes?
No. It serves as a pillar page to organize recipes, guides, and related topics. Complete recipes remain on individual pages.
Is the content official from Portugal?
We do not use the word official without proof. The content is editorial from Empório Portugal, based on Portuguese culinary tradition and rewritten in its own language.
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