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Brazilian Farofa Recipe for Holidays ~ Farofa de Natal

November 21, 2022 by Carrie Tyler 8 Comments

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Brazilian Farofa recipe with bacon, sausage, olives, and more for a Roast Turkey is simply delicious and a traditional recipe for Christmas ~ Farofa de Natal.

Brazilian Farofa Recipe in a pot on blue and white towel on counter.  It has bacon, sausage, green olives, hard boiled eggs, carrots, onions, and garlic and is a delicious traditional recipe for Christmas ~ Farofa de Natal.

Farofa is a very traditional side in Brazil and for Brazilian cuisine. This version has even more goodness since it's a Stuffing version. It has smokey bacon, salty calabrese sausage, sweet carrots, briny and salty olives, and aromatic onions and garlic. It is served with feijao (beans), meats, rice, and more. In this Brazilian Farofa recipe, it's used as a stuffing for turkey, which is also a very traditional use at Christmas, called Farofa de Natal.

Farofa is toasted cassava flour that's mixed with various flavorings, such as fat (oil or butter), pork and garlic. It has an interesting texture because it's sort of like fine breadcrumbs, but with a grainier bite.

Brazilian Farofa Recipe being scooped up by a wood spoon over a bowl on blue and white towel on counter. It has bacon, sausage, green olives, hard boiled eggs, carrots, onions, and garlic and is a delicious traditional recipe for Christmas ~ Farofa de Natal.

Farofa is typically served with the traditional meal, called Feijoada, which has a bean stew, sausages, Couve or Sauteed Kale, and various other sides. The farofa is intended to be sprinkled on Churrasco, which is barbequed meats or on the feijao, bean stew. Most Brazilian families will make their own recipes, but most toast the cassava flour in a fat, such as butter or oil. Then smoked pork meat, sausage, olives, garlic, and onions are all typical additions for flavor and texture.

Ingredients and Swaps

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

Protein Ingredients

  • Bacon - I use a regular smoked, Nitrate-free bacon. Applewood smoked would be great here too.
  • Dried or cooked Calabrese sausage - Calabrese is a common sausage that is used in São Paulo, Brazil. Any mild, hard salami or even Spanish Chorizo will work. If you use a raw calabrese or other raw sausage, make sure to cook the sausage thoroughly before adding the other ingredients.
  • Eggs, hard boiled (large or extra large) - The eggs in this recipe are traditional and such a fun addition, but you can certainly leave them out. There is plenty of flavor and texture from the other ingredients.

Veggies and Aromatics

  • Carrots - For this recipe, I used pre-shredded carrots, but you can certainly grate or shred your own. You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled and then grate them on the large side of a grater or shred them in a food processor. You can also very finely dice the carrots.
  • Garlic cloves - Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. You can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
  • Scallions (green onions) – I love scallions for the green color and mild onion-flavor. You can swap with finely chopped onions, yellow or red, or even shallots.
  • Green bell pepper - Green bell pepper - Green pepper is a common ingredient in Brazilian stews, but you can substitute any bell peppers, such as red bell pepper. Other mild peppers, such as poblanos would also work. Or hot peppers, such as jalapeno or red chilis.
  • Fresh Cilantro leaves - If you don't have fresh, you can use dried cilantro along with fresh parsley. You could also substitute fresh basil.

Other Ingredients

  • Olive Oil and/or butter - Traditional farofa is moistened using some type of fat. I used both olive oil and butter in mine, but you can also pick one or the other. We also have the bacon and sausage fat that is rendered out, but that is usually not enough to really coat all of the farofa. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
  • Cassava Flour - Cassava flour is made from Yuca and is often used in a very finely ground variation for gluten free baking. However, for this recipe, you don't want it too finely ground. It should be the texture of a fine sand. I can find it everywhere here in Brazil, but in the US, it's easiest to order it. This Farinha de Mandioca is perfect. You can also buy this version which is toasted and seasoned Farofa. Be sure to taste for seasoning before adding any additional salt.
  • Olives, pitted and chopped - I used green, but kalamata are good too. If you don't like olives, you can leave them out all together.
  • Salt - I use kosher salt for savory cooking, but any course salt or table salt will be fine. Seasoning the the beef before searing it is important for bringing out the most flavor.
  • Ground black pepper - I used freshly ground black pepper, but pre-ground is perfectly fine.

Simple Equipment and Tools

You will see in the process photos that I started with a large frying pan, but them moved to a dutch oven. If you didn't have all of the additional ingredients in this farofa, the pan would work for just the Cassava flour. But, I ended up needing a larger pot for mixing it all together. I recommend just using a large, wide-bottom, deep pot such as a dutch oven from start to finish!

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Brazilian Farofa Recipe in a bowl with wood spoon on blue and white towel on counter. It has bacon, sausage, green olives, hard boiled eggs, carrots, onions, and garlic and is a delicious traditional recipe for Christmas ~ Farofa de Natal.

Brazilian Farofa de Natal Recipe Tips

Bacon ~ My tip for slicing or dicing bacon is to freeze it! Bacon is generally very fatty and therefore, difficult to cut. When it's frozen, however, it's super easy to cut off what you need, then simply dice it. Then store the rest right back in the freezer.

To make your life easier during the holiday (if you are making this as an addition to a big feast) you can make this Farofa 2-3 days ahead. BUT, leave out the hard boiled eggs and add them right after you have reheated, before you serve. If you reheat the farofa with the eggs, you risk rubbery eggs.

How to Make this Brazilian Farofa Recipe

Dice the bacon strips (See my tip under 'Recipe Tips' above for cutting bacon!).

Dice the Calabrese sausage. Mince the garlic. Slice the scallions. Finely dice the green pepper. Grate the carrot. Chop the olives. Chop the cilantro.

Hard boil the eggs by putting them in a pot of water and then bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 7 minutes. Once cooled enough to handle, peel the eggs and then rough chop.

Preheat a pot on the stove. Add the diced bacon on medium-low heat. Stir so that the bacon doesn't burn. Render the fat and crip the bacon, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon leaving the fat behind and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Set to the side or store in the fridge if doing this in advance.

Cooked diced bacon in a pan for Brazilian Farofa Recipe.

To the same pan, add the diced sausage, carrots, scallions, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the carrots start to soften.

Carrots, garlic, sausage, and scallions added to pan for Brazilian Farofa Recipe.

Then add the cilantro, olives, bacon, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter. If butter, let it melt before moving to the next step.

Cilantro, bacon, olives, and butter added to carrots, garlic, sausage, and scallions added to pan for Brazilian Farofa Recipe.

Note: I realized I needed a larger pot, so that's why I moved from the pan to this dutch oven above. I recommend starting with a pot or dutch oven and only using it for this recipe.

Finally, add 1 cup of the cassava flour at a time, mixing after each cup so it is coated with fat. Drizzle in Olive oil as needed to help moisten all of the cassava flour.

Spatula mixxing in the cassava flour into the sausage, carrots, garlic, bacon, olives and scallions in a dutch oven for Brazilian Farofa Recipe.

Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Last, mix in the chopped eggs.

Brazilian Farofa Recipe in a bowl on blue and white towel on counter. It has bacon, sausage, green olives, hard boiled eggs, carrots, onions, and garlic and is a delicious traditional recipe for Christmas ~ Farofa de Natal.

What to Serve with the Brazilian Farofa Recipe

If you are serving this as a stuffing for Christmas or another holiday or special occasion, then you can serve it with a roast. Roast turkey, roast pork tenderloin, or even a ham or roast beef, would all be delicious with this.

To round out the meal, you can also serve with Brazilian Rice {with Onions and Garlic} and Sauteed Kale with Bacon and Garlic {Couve a Mineira} and Feijão: Brazilian Beans Recipe

Brazilian Farofa Recipe FAQs

What sausage can I use other than Calabrese?

I recommend a dried or cooked sausage so you don't have another cooking step. Calabrese is a common sausage that is used in São Paulo, Brazil. Any mild, hard Italian salami or even Spanish Chorizo will work. You can also use precooked sausages, like Italian sausage or Kielbasa or even chicken sausage. If you use a raw calabrese or other raw sausage, make sure to cook the sausage thoroughly before adding the other ingredients.

Can I freeze this Farofa recipe?

Yes, you can freeze this Brazilian Farofa recipe. I recommend holding off on adding the hard boiled egg until you have thawed and reheated the farofa, so it doesn't get rubbery. To freeze it, you can use a freezer bag or airtight container. It will last for 6 months in the freezer. To reheat, you can thaw it in the fridge for an hour or so, just to loosen up the farofa. Then add it to a casserole dish and warm it in the oven at 375 F degrees for 15-20 minutes, covered. Remove the cover for the last 5 minutes.

Can I make this Farofa recipe Vegetarian?

To make this recipe vegetarian, you will want to replace the bacon and sausage. It also has egg, so if that's a problem, just leave it out. Here are some recommendations for substitutes for the sausage and bacon. Diced Portabella mushrooms are great for the meaty texture and then for the smoky flavor, you can use a teaspoon of smoked paprika. You can also use meat alternatives or diced extra firm tofu with paprika. They also make vegetarian chorizo, so check that out!

Is this Farofa Gluten Free?

Yes, Cassava Flour is gluten free, as it's made from Yuca, which is gluten free. All of the other ingredients in this recipe are also gluten free. Always make sure to check ingredient labels to confirm there is no added gluten.

Brazilian Farofa Recipe in a pot on blue and white towel on counter. It has bacon, sausage, green olives, hard boiled eggs, carrots, onions, and garlic and is a delicious traditional recipe for Christmas ~ Farofa de Natal.

Brazilian Farofa Recipe for Turkey Stuffing ~ Farofa de Natal

Carrie Tyler
Farofa is a very traditional side in Brazil and for Brazilian cuisine. This version has even more goodness since it's a Stuffing version. It has smokey bacon, salty calabrese sausage, sweet carrots, briny and salty olives, and aromatic onions and garlic. It is served with feijao (beans), meats, rice, and more. In this Brazilian Farofa recipe, it's used as a stuffing for turkey, which is also a very traditional use at Christmas, called Farofa de Natal.
4 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Brazilian
Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices Bacon, sliced
  • 6 ounces Calabrese sausage/salami, diced (or any mild, hard salami)
  • 1 Medium Carrot, grated
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • ¾ cup Scallions (green onions) sliced. Or yellow or red onion, finely diced.
  • 1 Green Pepper (You can use any bell pepper, poblano, or jalapena)
  • 1 cup Olives, pitted and chopped (I used green, but kalamata are good too)
  • ¼ cup Fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Butter, salted
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Black PEpper
  • 3 cups Cassava Flour
  • 1-3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 Eggs, hard boiled (large or extra large)

Instructions
 

  • Dice the bacon strips (see notes for Tip!). Dice the Calabrese sausage. Mince the garlic. Slice the scallions. Finely dice the green pepper. Grate the carrot. Chop the olives. Chop the cilantro.
    4 slices Bacon, sliced, 6 ounces Calabrese sausage/salami, diced, 1 Medium Carrot, grated, 3 cloves Garlic, minced, ¾ cup Scallions (green onions) sliced., 1 Green Pepper, 1 cup Olives, pitted and chopped, ¼ cup Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Hard boil the eggs by putting them in a pot of water and then bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 7 minutes. Once cooled enough to handle, peel the eggs and then rough chop.
    4 Eggs, hard boiled
  • Preheat a pot on the stove. Add the diced bacon on medium-low heat. Stir so that the bacon doesn't burn. Render the fat and crip the bacon, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon leaving the fat behind and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Set to the side or store in the fridge if doing this in advance.
    4 slices Bacon, sliced
  • To the same pan, add the diced sausage, carrots, scallions, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the carrots start to soften. Then add the cilantro, olives, bacon, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter. If butter, let it melt before moving to the next step.
    2 tablespoons Butter, salted
  • Finally, add 1 cup of the cassava flour at a time, mixing after each cup so it is coated with fat. Drizzle in Olive oil as needed to help moisten all of the cassava flour. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Last, mix in the chopped eggs.
    4 slices Bacon, sliced, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Ground Black PEpper, 3 cups Cassava Flour, 4 Eggs, hard boiled, 1-3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Notes

  1. Bacon ~ My tip for slicing or dicing bacon is to freeze it! Bacon is generally very fatty and therefore, difficult to cut. When it's frozen, however, it's super easy to cut off what you need, then simply dice it. Then store the rest right back in the freezer.
  2. What sausage can I use other than Calabrese?
    I recommend a dried or cooked sausage so you don't have another cooking step. Calabrese is a common sausage that is used in São Paulo, Brazil. Any mild, hard Italian salami or even Spanish Chorizo will work. You can also use precooked sausages, like Italian sausage or Kielbasa or even chicken sausage. If you use a raw calabrese or other raw sausage, make sure to cook the sausage thoroughly before adding the other ingredients.
  3. Can I freeze this Farofa recipe?
    Yes, but I recommend holding off on adding the hard boiled egg until you have thawed and reheated the farofa, so it doesn't get rubbery. To freeze it, you can use a freezer bag or airtight container. It will last for 6 months in the freezer. To reheat, you can thaw it in the fridge for an hour or so, just to loosen up the farofa. Then add it to a casserole dish and warm it in the oven at 375 F degrees for 15-20 minutes, covered. Remove the cover for the last 5 minutes.
  4. Can I make this Farofa recipe Vegetarian?
    Yes, here are some recommendations for substitutes for the sausage and bacon. Diced Portabella mushrooms are great for the meaty texture and then for the smoky flavor, you can use a teaspoon of smoked paprika. You can also use meat alternatives or diced extra firm tofu with paprika. They also make vegetarian chorizo, so check that out!
Keyword bacon, brazilian dinner, brazilian recipes, sides
« Polpettone ~ Cheese Stuffed Meatballs!
Moqueca de Ovos ~ Brazilian Egg Stew »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul

    November 29, 2022 at 2:40 pm

    5 stars
    Sounds good. I was wondering if we could just use the farofa that comes in a bag with all the other ingredients ? Thank you for all the great recipes.

    Reply
    • Carrie Tyler

      December 06, 2022 at 8:20 pm

      Hi Paul! I'm not familiar with that fantastic bag of goodies! Where do you find that?

      Reply
  2. Chef Mimi

    November 29, 2022 at 9:52 pm

    Wow this sounds so good! Now I have to locate cassava!

    Reply
  3. João Mello

    December 04, 2022 at 4:13 am

    Farofa de Natal Christmas evening diner also have dried fruits like raisins,dried figs olives cashews nuts or walnuts, bacon, smoked calabresa sausage, sauteed onions and olives. The farofa de Natal is also used for turkey stuffing.

    Reply
  4. João Mello

    December 04, 2022 at 4:14 am

    3 stars
    Farofa de Natal Christmas evening diner also have dried fruits like raisins,dried figs olives cashews nuts or walnuts, bacon, smoked calabresa sausage, sauteed onions and olives. The farofa de Natal is also used for turkey stuffing

    Reply
  5. Pat

    February 05, 2023 at 4:25 am

    Can this be made with ground beef and potatoes?

    Reply
    • Carrie Tyler

      February 05, 2023 at 11:58 pm

      Hi Pat,
      Thanks for the question. Do you mean adding ground beef and potatoes to the farofa? You could start with browning the ground beef in the pot first and then adding the rest of the ingredients. For potatoes, I suppose that you could add graded, hashbrown-like potatoes or very finely diced potatoes. The potatoes take some time to cook though, so I would brown them in the pot with the ground beef and made sure they are cooked through before moving on with the rest of the recipe.
      Thanks!
      Carrie

      Reply
  6. Pat

    February 05, 2023 at 4:26 am

    4 stars
    Looking Good 👍

    Reply

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Hi there! I'm Carrie and a recent transplant with my family to São Paulo, Brazil from Hoboken, NJ! I am a recipe developer and author sharing my journey through Brazilian food recipes made super easy and delicious! Read more about me →

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