If you’ve got some time, patience, and access to a smoker, homemade smoked Portuguese sausage is within your reach. Go on. Impress your friends.
Portuguese
If you love comida Portuguesa–caldo verde, bacalhau, chouriço, porco, enchidos–then these easy Portuguese recipes are for you. Everything from petiscos and main courses to side dishes and desserts. Not only do we have recipes for every course, but we also have recipes from every area of Portugal–the mainland as well as from Madeira and the Azores.
Our Most Popular Portuguese Recipes
If you’re looking to zero in on our most beloved and popular recipes, consider the humble Pastéis de Bacalhau (salt cod and potato fritters) as a nibble. And there’s this lovely modern Portuguese recipe variation: Chouriço and Potato Balls. Same concept but using the classic Portuguese sausage in place of fish. My grandmother’s malassadas (Portuguese doughnuts) are always a crowd-pleaser. And my Portuguese Orange Olive Cake, which has been sold in a few pastry shops in Paris, no less!) is divine, if I say so myself. But without a doubt, the number-one most popular Portuguese recipe here is Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese custard cups) with their shatteringly crisp shell and creamy custard.
Chouriço Recipes
Speaking of chouriço, it’s in so many of our dishes such as this easy Sausage Frittata or my mom’s Carne Assada (roast beef). We even have a recipe to make your own chouriço.
Soup lover? Try the classic Caldo Verde. (collards, potato, and sausage soup). Or Fennel Soup. Pork fans, you’re in luck. We have Bifanas (Portuguese pork sandwiches), which you can’t make without an easy recipe for Papo Secos (Portuguese rolls). And Portuguese Clams and Sausage and my personal favorite, Porco Alentejana (Portuguese pork and clams).
Portuguese Smashed Potatoes ~ Batatas à Murro
Portuguese smashed potatoes are a spectacular way to update that same-old side dish. Crisp outside, tender inside, and doused with salty garlic and oil.
Portuguese Bean Soup
A leisurely way to make a super comforting and filling soup that makes rainy days more bearable. And the leftovers are even better.
Portuguese Almond Torte ~ Bolo de Amêndoa
Dense and rich, this gluten-free cake is a fave among the Portuguese, and anyone who’s ever tried it. Its unforgettable taste comes from almonds, lemon, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Pastéis de Bacalhau ~ Salt Cod Fritters
One of Portugal’s most beloved dishes, these deep-fried fritters are a melding of salt cod, potato, and onion that are readily devoured.
Grilled Shrimp with Piri-Piri Sauce
A simple hot pepper sauce made from piri-piri peppers brings big flavor to shrimp in mere minutes. Those Portuguese know what they’re doing.
Milk Mayonnaise
Maionese de leite in Portuguese, milk mayonnaise–you heard us–is a creamy, eggless emulsion held together by oil, milk (natch), and a lotta love.
Portuguese Clams with Vinho Verde ~ Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
A poetic take on fresh clams simmered in white wine. This comforting Portuguese classic is sorta the epitome of simple done well.
Portuguese Deep-Fried Green Beans
In Portugal, deep-frying beans is a long-standing tradition. Serve these peixinhos da horta as a starter, snack, or, as the Portuguese do, a side dish.
Portuguese Carne Assada
A traditional Azorean dish that boasts meltingly tender oven-braised beef, potatoes, chouriço, and onions. It’s a rustic, homey, Sunday supper sorta dish from David’s VERY Portuguese mom.