9 Top Brazilian Rice Recipes To Invigorate Up Your Dinner
As an Amazon Associate, Eat Wine Blog earns from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
When you cook rice the Brazilian way, that does not simply mean cooking up some fluffy rice.
Their rice dishes tend to use rice as a base ingredient which can take on more substance with onion and garlic, then meat, beans, and vegetables.
Rice can be used in beef or chicken dishes, with peas, or as a casserole. Indeed, once you have learned how to cook a few Brazilian rice recipes, you may wonder how you went without them for so long.
In this guide, we will detail nine top Brazilian rice recipes to invigorate up your dinner.
The most straightforward of Brazilian rice dishes includes only five ingredients. Heat up a tablespoon of oil then cook two minced garlic cloves until golden.
Add a cup of unwashed rice to coat in the garlic-infused oil with a teaspoon of salt. Next, add one and a half cups of either water or broth and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and allow the mixture to simmer until the liquid has been absorbed.
Turn the heat off and then allow the rice to steam for around ten minutes with the cover on. Take off the lid and allow the rice to air out for a couple of minutes before fluffing up with a fork.
This is a slight variation on the above recipe as a finely diced onion is used to bulk it up and chopped cilantro is used as a garnish.
Begin by rinsing a cup of long-grain rice in cold water then heating up a quarter of a cup of olive oil in a pot. Add the onion with three cloves of minced garlic to sauté for around four minutes while stirring.
Next, add the rice to stir for a couple of minutes then add two cups of boiling water with a quarter-teaspoon of salt to simmer and cook while covered for around 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and take off the lid then allow the rice to simply sit and cook for around five minutes before fluffing with a fork and garnishing with the chopped cilantro.
For a dish that is full of protein, take the time to make Brazilian Beef With Rice. Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil to brown off lean ground beef with two diced onions and six diced slices of chorizo.
Stir in two minced garlic cloves, canned tomatoes, and chopped up green beans with 250g of long grain rice.
Add a couple of cans of water then bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender when you can add canned chili beans to heat through.
Portuguese colonizers brought this yellow rice dish to Brazil back in the 1500s and it uses saffron for some delectable color and flavoring.
Heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering then soften up a diced onion with half a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of Kosher salt, and a quarter teaspoon each of cumin, coriander, and garlic powder.
Add your cup of long-grain white rice and fully combine into the onion mixture then add one and three-quarters of a cup of chicken broth.
Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for around fifteen minutes. After that time, remove the pot from the heat and simply allow it to sit with the cover on for another ten minutes so the rice steams.
Once uncovered, the moisture should have gone and the onions should be on the top. Fluff it up with a fork and serve.
For a bit more substance to your rice, add some black-eyed peas and create Baião De Dois. This is typically a version of Brazilian comfort food and can come served with either bacon or dried beef, known as carne de sol.
Chop up the bacon and cook until brown and crispy in a saucepan over a medium heat. Remove around a quarter of the cooked bacon to use as a garnish for the dish later.
Add in a chopped onion to cook and soften up in the bacon grease. Next, add garlic cloves and chopped cilantro to cook for a few more minutes.
Then comes a couple of cups of black eyed peas with a couple of cups of water so cover the pot and allow to simmer until tender.
Once sufficiently tender, add one and a quarter cups of rice with a cup of chicken or vegetable broth to simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
You can always add more water though make sure it is seasoned to taste before adding a few cubes of mozzarella cheese to melt before serving.
Another dish that has rice as the prime focus but also includes mozzarella cheese is Brazilian Rice Casserole. Start by thawing out 24oz of frozen spinach then pressing it to remove any more excess moisture.
Place the spinach in a mixing bowl and add a cup of cooked brown rice, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and a cup of liquid egg substitute.
Give the mixture a stir before adding three-quarters of a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, a cup of skim milk, half an onion (chopped), half a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and a quarter teaspoon each of dried marjoram, thyme, and rosemary.
Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and cook at 350°F for around half an hour. Once baked and set, cut into eight squares and serve.
You only need one pot to create a tasty batch of Galinhada Mineira so what are you waiting for? Start by combining a couple of cups of chicken broth or water with two teaspoons of Kosher salt stirring until the salt has dissolved.
Season two and a half pounds of chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper then cook until well browned and lower the heat.
Stir in your spices including turmeric, annatto powder, sweet paprika then five minced garlic cloves, diced carrot, and diced onion.
Stir in the rice and ensure that each grain is coated in oil then add the broth with frozen peas and corn. Submerge the rice grains, bring the mixture to a boil then cover and simmer to allow the rice to absorb the liquid.
Remove the pot from the heat, stir in chopped scallions then leave to cook while standing for ten minutes and serve.
Brazilian Rice With Vegetables is a really simple dish that only requires a few steps. Cut up a bell pepper, tomato, onion, and finely chop two or three garlic cloves.
Wash the rice in cold water and cook the onion and garlic in three tablespoons of oil until softened. Add in the rest of the vegetables with salt, green onion, and your favorite spices before pouring in a couple of cups of water for the rice to absorb.
Another colorful Brazilian rice dish comes served with tomatoes and onions, better known as Arroz Brasileiro.
Heat a quarter cup of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook thin slices of an onion until transparent.
Remove the saucepan before the onion slices brown and add three cups of long-grain rice to stir in for a couple of minutes until fully coated.
Pour in three cups each of boiling chicken stock and boiling water with a couple of seeded, peeled, and chopped tomatoes (though you can use canned tomatoes).
Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and return the mixture to a boil while stirring it occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and allow the mixture to cook for 20 minutes until it has thickened and absorbed the liquid.
Final Thoughts
When you realize that rice features in so many Brazilian dishes, you should be willing to try it in different forms. That could be with vegetables, meat, beans, as a casserole, or simply as a side dish.
Make sure that if you are cooking rice with oil, the oil is hot and coats every single grain of rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Rice Called In Brazil?
The literal translation of rice is arroz while white rice is known as arroz branco. Rice is an important component of Brazilian cuisine and the country is one of the top consumers globally.
That’s why there are so many Brazilian rice dishes you should try.
Is It True That A Lot Of Brazilians Eat Rice Every Single Day?
While you may think that the Japanese consume a lot of rice in the form of sushi and as a side dish, rice provides the nutritional benefits to feed Brazil as a nation.
As a traditional preference, many Brazilians eat rice and beans as a main meal, though there are plenty of variations. It also helps that rice is available cheaply as it can be an inexpensive way of providing sustenance.
