Feijoada Recipe (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

Traditional Brazilian feijoada made with black beans, smoky sausage, pork, and bacon slowly simmered until rich, hearty, and full of flavor.

Prep Time:9

Cook Time:3

Soak time:8

Total Time:3 13

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Brazilian

Keyword: beans, black beans, Brazilian, feijoada

Servings: servings

Calories: 683kcal

Author: Claudia Genschow

Sort through the black beans and discard any damaged beans or debris. Rinse well under cold water, then transfer to a large bowl and cover generously with water. Let soak for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
1 kg dried black beans
In your largest pot, add the pork ribs, smoked dried beef, bacon, chouriço sausage, calabresa sausage, rinsed and drained beans, and bay leaves.
300 g pork side ribs, 300 g smoked dried beef, 300 g smoked side bacon , 600 g chouriço sausage, 300 g calabresa sausage, 5 bay leaves
Cover everything with water, making sure all the ingredients stay submerged.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and let simmer gently until the beans are tender and the meats are fully cooked, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed to keep everything submerged.
Once cooked, carefully remove the meats and sausages from the pot. Slice and chop them into bite-sized pieces, then return them to the pot.
In a frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and minced garlic and cook until lightly golden and fragrant. Add the onions and cook until softened.
2 onions, 1 head garlic, 1 head garlic
Add the garlic and onion mixture to the feijoada and stir well.
Stir in the chopped parsley and green onions. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
salt, fresh parsley, green onions
Let the feijoada simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Feijoada is traditionally a slow-cooked dish, so give it time to simmer gently for the best flavor and texture.
Keep an eye on the water level during cooking and add more hot water as needed to keep the beans and meats submerged.
The amount of salt needed can vary depending on the saltiness of the meats and sausages, so it’s best to adjust seasoning near the end of cooking.
If you want to vary the meats, use about 3 kg of meat for every 1 kg of dried beans while mixing different cuts and sausages.
Harvest double smoked sausage from Costco works well as an easy substitute for calabresa sausage in Canada.
Feijoada tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had more time to develop.
Freeze leftovers in portions for easy meals later on. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat gently from frozen over low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
On the recipe card above, simply use the serving slider to automatically adjust the ingredient amounts to your desired portion size. This recipe can be easily scaled up or down.