Black beans slowly cooked with pork, ribs, bacon, and smoked sausages with classic accompaniments
Feijoada is Brazil’s deeply savory black bean and pork stew, served as a complete meal with rice, finely sliced collard greens, orange, and farofa. Recipes vary by region and household, and many traditional versions include salted or less familiar pork cuts. This accessible version keeps the essential smoked, cured, and fresh pork character while using pork shoulder, ribs, bacon, linguiça, and chouriço.
- Prep
- 45 mins
- Cook
- 3 hours
- Total
- 3 hours 45 mins
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Cuisine
- Brazilian
The recipe
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Before you start
Soak the beans in plenty of cold water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse. If using especially salty cured meats, soak them separately and change the water several times. Keep the sausages in thick slices so they remain juicy during the long simmer.
Ingredients
For the feijoada
For the rice
For the collard greens
For serving
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Large heavy stockpot with lid paid link
- Wide heavy frying pan paid link
- Medium saucepan with lid paid link
- Large sauté pan paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Cutting board paid link
- Wooden spoon paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
Method
Place the soaked, drained beans in a large heavy pot with 3000 ml fresh water and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a wide frying pan until lightly browned and its fat has rendered. Transfer the bacon to the bean pot.
Brown the pork shoulder and ribs in batches in the bacon fat, adding oil as needed, and transfer them to the beans.
Cook the onion in the same pan for 8 minutes, add 40 g garlic for 1 minute, then scrape the mixture into the pot.
Simmer the beans and meats gently for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding hot water when needed to keep everything barely covered.
Add the sliced linguiça and chouriço and continue cooking for 35 to 45 minutes until the beans are creamy and all meats are tender.
Mash one ladleful of beans against the side of the pot and stir it back in to thicken the broth. Season carefully with salt and black pepper.
For the rice, heat 25 ml oil in a saucepan, cook 10 g garlic for 30 seconds, stir in the rice, water, and salt, cover, and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Rest covered for 10 minutes.
For the collards, heat 40 ml oil in a wide pan, cook the sliced garlic briefly, add the shredded greens and salt, and toss for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender and bright.
Let the feijoada rest for 15 minutes, skim excessive surface fat if needed, and serve with rice, collards, orange slices, and farofa.
Chef’s notes
Never cook dried beans in their soaking water; drain and rinse them first.
Salt cured and smoked meats vary greatly, so delay final seasoning until the stew is almost finished.
Keep the simmer gentle to tenderize the pork without shredding the sausages.
Mash only a small amount of beans to thicken the broth while leaving most beans whole.
Tips and variations
Include properly soaked salted pork or beef when available for a more elaborate traditional version.
Kielbasa can replace linguiça when necessary, though Brazilian sausage gives a more characteristic flavor.
Cook the feijoada one day ahead, chill safely, remove excess fat, and reheat gently.
Serve hot chili sauce at the table rather than making the entire pot spicy.
Serve with
Serve the black bean stew in a deep bowl with the meats visible, arranging rice, greens, orange, and farofa separately so diners can combine them.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat to at least 74°C. Freeze the feijoada without its accompaniments for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 1180 kcal
- Calories
- 60 g
- Protein
- 112 g
- Carbohydrates
- 54 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
- Sugar
- 1750 mg
- Sodium
Allergens
Check sausages, bacon, farofa, and stock-style seasonings for gluten, soy, milk, mustard, sulfites, or other additives. Feijoada can be high in sodium because of cured meats.
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Questions
Do black beans need to be soaked?
Soaking shortens the cooking time and promotes even softening, although cooking times still vary with the age of the beans.
What meats belong in feijoada?
Traditional combinations vary and may include fresh, smoked, cured, and salted pork or beef cuts plus sausages.
Why is orange served with feijoada?
Fresh orange provides acidity and sweetness that refresh the palate alongside the rich beans and pork.
Can feijoada be made ahead?
Yes. The flavor improves overnight when it is cooled quickly, refrigerated, and reheated safely.
