If you’re Brazilian, you know that rice is a staple at almost every meal. And if you eat a lot of rice, chances are you often have leftovers. This Brazilian Fried Rice (called arroz biro-biro in Brazil) is one of our favorite ways to use up that extra rice. It’s packed with flavor, thanks to crispy bacon or smoked sausage, onions, garlic, and eggs. It’s commonly served alongside Brazilian barbecue or a juicy steak, but honestly, it’s so good you could eat it all on its own. Give it a try—I’m sure you’re going to love it!
Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Cooked white rice (leftover rice is best): I have posted a Brazilian white rice recipe you can check out here. However, if you just have some plain white rice, that works as well.
- Bacon or double-smoked farmer’s sausage, diced.
- Onion, finely chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Eggs
- Batata palha (similar to hickory sticks/shoestring potatoes). I get mine from brazilianmarket.ca. My favorite brand is called Yoki. Amazon often sells it as well, but usually at a outrageous price. Something like $67.00 a bag. That’s just crazy! Alternatively, I know people who sometimes find them at Walmart or Portuguese stores like Tavora.
- Chopped parsley and green onions
Quick How-To:
Cook bacon or sausage until crispy and set it aside. Sauté onions and garlic and cramble eggs in the same pan, mix in rice, and stir well to combine. Finish with batata palha, parsley, and green onions, then serve immediately
How to Serve
Brazilian Fried Rice is a fantastic side dish for churrasco (Brazilian barbecue) or a perfectly seared steak. But honestly, it’s so flavorful that you can enjoy it on its own as a quick and satisfying meal. For extra crunch, top it with more batata palha just before serving!
If you are serving this with Brazilian Barbecue (Churrasco), I recommend checking out these Farofa recipes, which pair perfectly with Brazilian steak! Brazilian Bacon Farofa Recipe and Best Brazilian Farofa with Eggs. I am famous for my farofa so I wouldn’t miss these if I were you!
How to Store
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in microwave.
Tips for the Best Fried Rice
- Use Leftover Rice – Freshly cooked rice is too soft and can turn mushy when fried. Leftover rice that has been sitting in the fridge overnight is ideal because it dries out, making it perfect for frying.
- No Leftover Rice? – If you need to make fresh rice, spread it out on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This helps dry it out quickly, so you’ll still get great results.
- Freeze Extra Rice – If you ever have plain leftover rice, freeze it in portions for later. That way, you’ll always have rice ready to make this dish—nothing goes to waste!
Brazilian Fried Rice is the ultimate comfort food, bringing together crispy bits of bacon, fluffy eggs, and crunchy potato sticks for an irresistible dish. Whether served as a side or a main meal, it’s sure to become a favorite in your kitchen!
Brazilian Fried Rice (Arroz Biro-Biro)
Ingredients
- 3 3 cups of cooked white rice (leftover rice is best)
- 5 slices of bacon or 1 double-smoked farmer’s sausage diced
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup Batata palha Brazilian potato sticks or to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet or wok, cook the bacon or sausage over medium heat until crispy. Remove some of the excess fat if needed, but keep a little in the pan for flavor. Set the bacon aside.
- Cook bacon or sausage until crispy, then sauté onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook until it start to get golden.
- Push everything to one side of the pan and crack the eggs into the empty space. Scramble them lightly and let them cook before mixing them into the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the cooked rice and stir well to combine. Cook for a few more minutes, allowing the rice to absorb all the flavors.
- Add the bacon or sausage back in. Stir in the batata palha, chopped parsley, and green onions. Mix everything well and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use Leftover Rice – Freshly cooked rice is too soft and can turn mushy when fried. Leftover rice that has been sitting in the fridge overnight is ideal because it dries out, making it perfect for frying.
- No Leftover Rice? – If you need to make fresh rice, spread it out on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This helps dry it out quickly, so you’ll still get great results.
- Freeze Extra Rice – If you ever have plain leftover rice, freeze it in portions for later. That way, you’ll always have rice ready to make this dish—nothing goes to waste!
- Please note that calories provided are an estimate.
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