Get ready for a culinary adventure!
I’m so excited to highlight some amazing tastes from Portugal in this list of 25 sensational recipes.
From the savory to the sweet, there’s so much to explore, so let’s dive in!
1. Portuguese Sweet Bread
The Portuguese clearly adore their breads, as this list will prove!
This Portuguese sweet bread is often baked during Easter, but it’s so wonderfully tasty that you’ll want it all year.
This slightly sweet bread is incredible when slathered with butter.
Though it may be a bit tricky to make like any great bread, the aroma alone makes it completely worth the effort!
2. Portuguese Cod Fish Casserole
Bacalhau might just be Portugal’s most well-known seafood. No need to worry, however, as it’s nothing scary or difficult. I’m just talking about cod!
They prepare cod in countless ways in Portugal. Try baking, frying, grilling, or even boiling it with vegetables and eggs.
In this recipe, cod gets a unique twist because it is baked as a casserole with potatoes and a tasty tomato broth. I can’t wait!
3. Portuguese Chickpea Soup
Sopa de grão de bico is a satisfying soup made primarily with flavorful chickpeas. I can’t wait to try the addition of potatoes, carrots, and cabbage for added nutrition and vibrant color.
A blast of cumin, cilantro, and lemon adds great flavor and aroma to the mix, resulting in a ridiculously tasty soup. It’s very hearty and filling, making it more of a stew than a simple soup!
4. Portuguese Tomato Soup with Poached Eggs and Bread
This quick and simple Portuguese dish really hits the spot for the whole family when I’m short on time. What a wonderful and satisfying meal, right?
It features tasty tomato soup with poached eggs and toasted bread. It’ll only takes about 40 minutes to cook up, so I’ll be able to enjoy it even on busy weeknights!
5. Portuguese Milk Tarts (Queijadas de Leite)
Just the name “Portuguese milk tarts” makes me super giddy! These sweet and smooth delicacies are very delicate and melt right in your mouth.
Prepared with simple ingredients, these tasty tarts are simple to prepare and wonderful to eat. Made with just a few simple items, Portuguese milk tarts are perfect for any sweet treat lover.
6. Portuguese Fried Potatoes
They are seasoned with salt, pepper, and parsley after being fried in butter and olive oil. These circular snacks have incredible flavor and are very addictive.
They are like the French fries I know and crave, only round in shape. It’s a basic snack that really hits the spot when I need a little something.
7. Portuguese Prego Rolls
These are remarkably tasty sandwiches with juicy grilled steak for its filling. Taking one look at this prego roll tells me how incredibly delicious it is. The tasty steak is loaded with flavor because it’s marinated in peri-peri sauce, herbs, and tomatoes.
I know that a fresh bread roll then serves as the perfect vessel to hold this wonderful hunk of juicy meat. When they unite, it’s a masterpiece.
8. Garlic Bread
To start any Portuguese meal, try this satisfying garlic bread. Nothing beats soft bread that is both crisp outside and infused with delicious garlic flavor!
Time and energy are needed to prepare bread from scratch. The delicious reward of preparing bread at home makes it all worthwhile. This garlic bread recipe is really worth kneading, punching, and rolling!
9. Pao De Deus (Sweet Bread)
Pão de Deus, or the Bread of God, is just as divine as it sounds. This mildly sweet Portuguese bread boasts a nutty coconut filling that’ll fill you with joy. The coconut topping is crispy, making the bread’s exterior muffin-like.
It’s truly a heavenly treat! Now, I want to enjoy this incredibly divine bread.
10. Portuguese Kale, Tomato, and Sausage Soup (Caldo Verde)
Caldo verde is Portugal’s take on comfort food. Its potatoes, greens, and sausage give the soup so much flavor. This dish started in Northern Portugal, where folks usually eat it during winter as a warm, comforting meal.
This soup is iconic because of its green tint caused by dark green cabbage. However, if that’s unavailable, collard greens or kale can work as great substitutes!
11. Arroz Doce (Portuguese Rice Pudding)
I’m a major fan of rice pudding. I enjoy it with leftover rice, Mexican-style, and thick and creamy, and this Portuguese version has it all!
Its texture is similar to a semi-set pudding, just like rice pudding can be. Slicing it after chilling is totally possible. I’m positive it is just as creamy and rich as one would expect!
12. Bifana (Portuguese Pork Sandwich)
Bifanas, or pork sandwiches, are very common in Portugal. Expect melt-in-your-mouth pork nestled between two slices of white bread. This should explain why they’re such a success!
The pork is cooked in tomato paste, white wine, peri-peri sauce, and bay leaf, which gives it an amazingly distinct flavor. A tender interior and crunchy exterior makes the bread an excellent vessel to hold all that juicy filling.
13. Bolo Rei (Portuguese Christmas King Bread)
Fit for a king, Bolo rei is a delicious bread! With a cake-like texture and sweet flavor, this Portuguese Christmas bread is exceptional.
Shaped like a crown, this bread is decorated with jewels made of glazed fruit, walnuts, pine, and almonds. I can’t think of a more perfect holiday dessert.
14. Portuguese Lemonade
Enjoy a hearty meal with a cool glass of deliciousness! This Portuguese lemonade is a great way to extinguish your thirst, and it couldn’t be any easier to make.
I bet this drink’s sweet and zesty balance will really wow me. Made with only a few simple ingredients, I’m eager to see how real lemons and sugar blend for a truly invigorating refreshment.
15. Portuguese Chicken (Peri-Peri Chicken) with Crispy Potatoes
Of all Portuguese dishes, this is perhaps the most well-known aside from egg custard tarts! This dish is very different from regular roast chicken. The chicken’s crispy skin and tender meat makes it a winner.
The sauce made with smoky, earthy, and spicy flavors really elevates it. This marinade will have my taste buds exploding!
16. Portuguese Tomato Sauce
Sautéed onions, garlic, parsley, and tomato concasse are what make up this tasty Portuguese tomato sauce. Don’t worry about the last ingredient, since you don’t have to search for it in any specialty stores. Peeling, seeding, and chopping some tomatoes are all that tomato concasse means!
It would be amazing to use this sauce as a base for pasta sauces and stews.
17. Serradura
Though maybe not as famous as Portuguese custard tarts, Serradura is still worth recognition. This light dessert has just 4 ingredients and needs no baking!
I want this light and airy dessert after a filling meal. A blend of crushed cookies or biscuits and sweetened whipped cream makes this treat a crowd-pleaser!
18. Arroz De Pato
Arroz means rice in Portuguese, while pato means duck. This combination of tender rice and flavorful duck makes an incredible entree. Other ingredients such as savory chorizo, red wine, garlic, and onions give even more flavor to arroz de pato.
I’m ready for this dish!
19. Portuguese Fish Stew (Caldeirada)
A light stew called Caldeirada uses either fish or shellfish for its main protein. Given that it also has bell peppers, potatoes, and onions, this stew is healthy, satisfying, and a full meal on its own.
I appreciate that it’s easy to adjust this recipe to my taste. I am free to use whatever seafood I prefer whether it’s salmon, cod, sea bass, or haddock! Even shellfish like clams and mussels are also welcome.
20. Broa De Milho Recipe (Portuguese Cornbread)
Portuguese cornbread, known as broa de milho, is a favorite in Portugal, too. It is also prepared using cornflour, but it doesn’t have the tender and crumbly consistency I’m used to.
Rather, it’s thick and sourdough-like, with a crusty exterior but a sweet corn flavor. A new twist on a familiar favorite!
21. Peri-Peri Sauce
I’ve already noted that peri-peri chicken is nothing without its signature sauce. The sauce brings the chicken to life!
As a garlicky, lemony, tangy, and spicy blend of herbs and seasonings, I bet this peri-peri sauce is dynamite. Anyone who has eaten at Nando’s knows just how tasty this sauce is. Thanks to this recipe, I can enjoy the world-renowned sauce without even going out.
22. Bolos De Arroz (Portuguese Rice Cakes)
Looking like a tall cupcake, bolos de arroz is a Portuguese rice cake with an amazing flavor. Both sweet and buttery, it’s heaven on earth. The texture is both delicate inside with a golden and crisp outside.
With this dish, I can enjoy any sweet, airy confection, but this one is extra special because it doesn’t have any gluten! With this recipe, just about anyone can prepare and enjoy this tasty treat.
23. Azores Beef Stew With Potatoes (Molha de Carne)
Molha de carne is a tasty, filling soup with beef and potatoes. This savory stew will make your kitchen smell incredible. You’ll be entranced by one whiff!
This stew is amazing when eaten with bread, which is my favorite way to enjoy a hearty dish. Dunk my bread into the both and devour!
24. Apple Cake
Bolo de maçã is just as popular in Portugal as apple cake is in America. Featuring crisp apples in sweet cinnamon syrup, this moist cake is very dense.
It’s perfect for breakfast or dessert, and it’s also easy and quick to prepare!
25. Portuguese Tomato Rice
Tomato rice is a staple in Portuguese households and particularly beloved in south-central Portugal where fresh tomatoes abound. Even though it has just rice and tomatoes, it is not that simple. There’s also a mix of flavor and fragrant items such as broth, sautéed onions, and garlic.
This savory entree tastes wonderful with sausage, chicken, or pork!