Recipe Roundup

19 Brazilian Recipes in Honor of the Rio Olympics

These traditional and Brazilian-inspired recipes will make you feel like you're alongside the athletes in Rio, enjoying the country's rich culinary history.

By Epicurious Editors

August 1, 2016

Image may contain Dish Food Meal and Bowl

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Mira Evnine
1/19
Caipirinha
Considered the national drink of Brazil, a traditional Caipirinha is made with just fresh limes, sugar, and cachaça, a Brazilian spirit distilled from sugarcane juice.
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Teri Lyn Fisher
2/19
Teeny-Weeny Coxinha
This Brazilian fritter is traditionally shaped like a drumstick to represent the filling's main ingredient: chicken.
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Photo by MIKKEL VANG
3/19
Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca Capixaba)
This version of fish stew comes from Espírito Santo, a state along Brazil's South Atlantic coastline. Fish and shrimp nestle in a bright, lime-spiked broth studded with tomatoes, peppers, and plantains.
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Photo by Ben Fink
4/19
Chocolate Brigadeiros
These little chocolate fudge balls are as common and as loved in Brazil as chocolate chip cookies are in the U.S.
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Photo by Ben Fink
5/19
Baked Coconut (Cocada de Forno)
Like a coconut pudding cake, this dessert is based on a dish served at Brazil a Gosto, chef Luiza Trajano's restaurant in São Paulo.
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Ben Fink
6/19
Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
A soft, chewy bread roll about the size of a golf ball infused with cheesy flavor, pão de queijo is Brazil's favorite savory snack. Manioc starch, which comes from a root vegetable also known as cassava or yucca, gives the bread an incredible gooey, chewy texture.
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Dan Forbes
7/19
Christmas Caipirinhas
Inspired by Brazil's national cocktail, the caipirinha, this party drink cuts the traditional cachaça-sugar-lime trio with ginger beer and spices it up with an addition of fresh ginger.
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Photo by Evan Sung © 2016
8/19
Grilled Beef Skirt Steak With Onion Marinade
This is one of those recipes that will make you look like an incredible cook for very little effort. Because of skirt steak’s relatively loose grain, it soaks up marinade incredibly well.
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John Kernick
9/19
Xuxu and Shrimp with Chile and Lemon
Crisp chayote squash goes by many names, but its Brazilian one, xuxu, was the inspiration for this quick stir-fry. After being sautéed with shrimp and hearts of palm, the whole thing is tossed with a quick sauce of garlic, onion, jalapeño, and lots of bright lemon juice.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
10/19
Mint Caipirinha Ice Pops
Inspired by Brazil's national drink, these boozy popsicles are made with cachaça, lime juice, and mint.
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Photo by Ben Fink
11/19
Toasted Manioc Flour With Eggs and Scallions (Farofa de Ovo e Cebolinha)
Farofa is the term for a side dish using toasted farinha de mandioca—in English, manioc flour—which is similar in looks and texture to breadcrumbs, but made from yuca, a root vegetable.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
12/19
Grilled White Cheese With Oregano Oil
These skewers are traditionally made with Brazilian queijo de coalho, a dense, salty white cheese very similar in taste and texture to the haloumi used in this recipe. Queso para frier (aka "frying cheese") and queso blanco, easily found at Latin markets, make fine substitutes.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
13/19
Potato, Pepper, and Chorizo Empañadas
Variations on empanadas exist across Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. (In Brazil, they are most often referred to as a pastel.) Tip: Make a double batch so you'll have extra on hand for quick meals. To freeze, place individual, unbaked pies on a baking sheet and put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag. When you're ready to eat, transfer frozen empanadas to a parchment-lined baking sheet, place directly in a preheated oven, and add 5 to 10 minutes onto the cooking time.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
14/19
Chicharrones Tacos
A wildly popular Latin snack food throughout the Americas, chicharrones are made from pork belly that has been cooked for a long time with the skin on. Though usually eaten as a crispy snack, they also make a tasty taco filling when heated in sauce until softened and chewy.
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