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What to eat in Brazil? Top 15 Brazilian Stews

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 15 Brazilian Stews
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01

Stew

BRAZIL
4.4
Moqueca
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Moqueca is a seafood stew with a base of palm oil and coconut milk or olive oil, combined with fish or shrimps (or both). The dish is stewed in traditional clay pots along with vegetables and fresh herbs, and it is traditionally served over rice.


It can be traced back to 300 years ago, when it was first invented due to the fact that the Portuguese brought coconuts to the country, and slaves from Africa introduced palm oil to Brazilian cuisine. There are numerous versions of moqueca, such as moqueca Capixaba, or moqueca Baiana, from the Bahia state in the northeast of the country.


The dish is traditionally garnished with fresh chopped cilantro on top, and accompanied by rice, pirão, or farofa.

MOST ICONIC Moqueca

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02

Stew

BAHIA, Brazil
4.4
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A classic dish of the Brazilian Bahia region, bobó de camarão is a stew made with puréed cassava (bobó), fresh shrimps, coconut milk, and dendê palm oil. The word bobó comes from the Ewe people who were brought to Brazil as slaves, denoting a dish made with beans, although there are no beans in bobó de camarão as we know it today, due to the fact that the Afro-Brazilians enthusiastically took to cassava when they were first introduced to it.


The dish is traditionally accompanied by rice on the side, and is a staple of most traditional Brazilian eateries and Bahian self-service restaurants.

MOST ICONIC Bobó de camarão

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03

Stew

MINAS GERAIS, Brazil
4.4
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Vaca atolada is a Brazilian meat dish prepared with beef ribs, garlic, onions, tomatoes, parsley, cassava, chili peppers, and (if available) ground colorau (urucum seed). The marinated meat is cooked and drenched in a thick sauce, hence the alternative name for the dish – cow stuck in the mud.


This spicy meat dish is traditionally served with white rice, while fresh green salads are often served on the side. Vaca atolada is especially popular in the inner regions of Brazil, particularly the state of Minas Gerais.

MOST ICONIC Vaca atolada

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04

Stew

BAHIA, Brazil
4.4
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Moqueca Baiana is a seafood stew originating from the Brazilian state of Bahia, hence the word Baiana in its name. It consists of white fish, shrimps, or other seafood combined with coconut milk, dendê oil, lime juice, and various vegetables such as red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, spring onions, garlic, onions, and sometimes ginger.


When done, the dish is typically garnished with chopped coriander, then served with rice and farofa. This seafood stew was originally prepared by the native people of Brazil. Over time, new elements were added to the stew, such as coconut milk, which was first introduced to Brazil by Portuguese colonists, and palm oil, which was brought over to the country by African slaves.

MOST ICONIC Moqueca Baiana

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05
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Feijoada or feijoada completa is Brazil's national dish, a hearty stew featuring pork and black beans. The dish is consumed throughout the country, and every family in Brazil has their own, special recipe. Sautéed greens, cheese rolls, rice, and fresh, sliced oranges are served as an accompaniment to the smoked pork and richly flavored black beans.


Traditionally, it is prepared for Saturday lunch, so that the consumers may sleep it off. The beans are flavored with onions, tomatoes, coriander, and garlic, while pork meat can be additionally enriched with dried beef and smoked pork sausages. Before the main meal, consumers are offered caldinho de feijao, a bean broth served in shot glasses or small ceramic cups and garnished with pork rinds known as torresmos
VARIATIONS OF Feijoada

MOST ICONIC Feijoada

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06

Stew

BAHIA, Brazil
4.3
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Rich, substantial, and tropically flavored - vatapá is one of the most famous Brazilian dishes, a main course consisting of a combination of stale bread, fish (usually cod), shrimp, coconut milk, manioc flour, dendê palm oil, and cashews.


The dish is often consumed with white rice, or as a filling for acarajé fritters, another popular Brazilian dish. Bright yellow in color, vatapá is a specialty of Bahia, a state on the country's northeastern coast that is heavily influenced by the West Africans who were brought to the country as slaves. 

MOST ICONIC Vatapá

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07

Stew

ESPÍRITO SANTO, Brazil
4.3
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Moqueca capixaba is a traditional stew originating from the region of Espírito Santo. It is prepared with fish, lime juice, coriander, and vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, and garlic, all nicely colored with annatto. Traditionally, the stew is cooked in a clay pot called panela de barro – the seafood should only be layered with other ingredients and the heat is turned up for the stew to simmer on its own.


In some cases, chili peppers are added for a bit of heat. When served, moqueca capixaba is typically accompanied by white rice or a creamy manioc porridge called pirão.

MOST ICONIC Moqueca capixaba

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08

Stew

PARÁ, Brazil and  one more region
4.1
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A specialty dish from the Brazilian regions of Pará and Bahia, maniçoba is a part of the feijoada family of Brazilian dishes. In addition to dried meat, salted pork, bacon, and sausages, chopped cassava leaves are used instead of beans which are commonly used in a traditional feijoada.


One must be extra careful when preparing the dish due to the toxic cyanides found in cassava leaves, which is why they need to be ground and boiled for at least one week in order to remove the toxins. Since it is a lengthy process, maniçoba is mostly prepared for festivities and religious celebrations, when it's consumed by large groups of people. 
09

Stew

GOIÁS, Brazil and  one more region
3.9
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Galinhada is a Brazilian stew made with rice and chicken. It is a popular dish throughout Brazil, especially in the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais, during special occasions and festivities. The name of the dish is derived from the Portuguese word galinha, meaning chicken.


Although it can be found in numerous restaurants and eateries, it is also widely prepared at home, and almost every family has a secret recipe that is handed down from generation to generation. It is recommended to serve the dish with hot sauce and garnish it with finely diced green onions.

MOST ICONIC Galinhada

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10

Stew

PARANÁ, Brazil
3.9
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Barreado is a Brazilian Carnival staple dish originating from the state of Paraná. This hearty stew is made with beef (usually second-grade cuts of tougher meat with lots of fat), onions, tomatoes, beef bouillon, cumin, bay leaves, and fried bacon.


The ingredients are placed in a clay pot, and then water is added until all the ingredients are covered. The clay pot is traditionally sealed with a ring of dough made from manioc flour and wheat flour. Once prepared, the stew is left to simmer over a low flame anywhere from 12 to 48 hours, resulting in extremely tender meat that falls apart. 

MOST ICONIC Barreado

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11
Stew
BAHIA, Brazil
3.8
12
Vegetable Soup
NORTHEAST REGION, Brazil
3.7
13
14
Stew
BELÉM, Brazil
3.5
15
Stew
CEARÁ, Brazil
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 15 Brazilian Stews” list until February 13, 2025, 1,564 ratings were recorded, of which 1,096 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Brazilian Stews