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Brazilian

Feijão carioca

Non-vegetarian

Feijão

The pot of beans cooked daily in Brazilian homes: pinto-type carioca beans pressure-cooked with bay leaf, then finished with a fried garlic-and-onion refogado. Eaten with rice at nearly every meal.

Feijão carioca is a Brazilian side dish, ready in about 1 hour and made with pinto beans (dried) and garlic. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Top view of traditional Brazilian dishes with rice, beans, beef, and fresh salad served in black bowls.
Photo: Lucas Andrade / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 h
Serves
8
Level
Beginner
Calories
256

Plus 8 hours or overnight soaking.

Ingredients

8 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pick over and rinse the beans, then soak overnight in plenty of water. Drain.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    Pressure-cook the beans with the 2 litres of water and bay leaves (opens in a new tab) for 25–30 minutes once at pressure (or simmer, covered, 1½–2 hours) until completely tender.

    Food safety: Release pressure as the manufacturer directs before opening.

  3. Step 3

    For the refogado, fry the bacon (opens in a new tab) (if using) in the oil, then the onion (opens in a new tab) until golden and the garlic (opens in a new tab) until fragrant.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add a ladle of beans to the pan and mash them into the refogado, then tip it all back into the pot with the salt. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes until the broth is thick and creamy. Finish with spring onion (opens in a new tab).

    • 12 min
    • medium-low heat
    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Brazil · Well documentedMore food from Brazil
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Stews & braises
Cooking method
Pressure-cooked, Simmered
Taste
earthy, savoury, garlicky
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein · High-fibre
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein · High-fibre · Low-fat
Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Pescatarian, Pork-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Batch cooking · Freezer-friendly · Meal-prep friendly
Cook more with
Garlic · Bay leaves · Onion
Techniques
Simmering · Pressure cooking

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

256 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 333 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 21%
  • Carbohydrate 64%
  • Fat 15%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy256 kcal77 kcal
Protein13.7 g4.1 g
Carbohydrate41.1 g12.3 g
Net carbohydrate31.1 g9.3 g
Sugars1.9 g0.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre10 g3 g
Fat4.2 g1.3 g
Saturated fat0.4 g0.1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium596 mg179 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
899 mg
Calcium
103 mg
Iron
3.3 mg
Magnesium
117 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
331 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: bacon, spring onion.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Mashing some beans into the fried garlic is what gives Brazilian feijão its thick, velvety broth.

Serve with

  • With white rice, farofa, a fried egg and salad — the daily 'prato feito'.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze in portions up to 3 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat with a splash of water; the broth thickens as it stands.

Variations

  • Feijão tropeiro (Brazil): Cooked beans fried with bacon, sausage, eggs, kale and cassava flour — from Minas Gerais.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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