Feijão: Brazilian Beans Recipe

This Feijão, or Brazilian Beans Recipe is delicious, thick, & hearty. It's a go-to side dish for any beef, chicken, pork, or seafood main dish dinner.

One of the best known foods from Brazil is bowl of Black Beans, known as Feijão. It's a very traditional dish in Brazil you will find in most family homes. This Brazilian Beans Recipe is easy with tons of flavor from onion, garlic, bacon, cilantro, and more.

But the most important ingredient is love and patience to let the beans cook down for that distinctive, thick, saucy, and hearty dish.

The slow cooker makes it incredibly easy to make these anytime, but I have included instructions for stove top as well.

I was first introduced to Feijão at my mother-in-law and father-in-law's house more than 15 years ago. Feijão are a staple in Brazilian homes. In fact, the school that my children will go to in São Paulo has a cafeteria that serves them at lunch every day.

My mother-in-law makes them in the slow cooker in large batches. She then portions them out and freezes some for later. It's a great way to always have them on hand!

This is one of the few Brazilian recipes that I have been making for many years. If you have never tried these beans, you really MUST and I promise you will love them.

Background: This recipe is for Feijão, which is part of the larger Feijoada. Feijoada is the entire meal with black beans, where additional meats are cooked with the beans. It's also traditionally served with rice, Farofa, Couve a Mineira (kale or green cabbage), Pão de Queijo, and orange slices.

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Ingredients and Swaps

Fridge or Fresh Ingredients

• Garlic cloves – Fresh is best, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic in a jar to save time.
• Onion, medium – Yellow or white onions are good for this recipe.
• Fresh Cilantro – There really is no substitute for fresh cilantro, but if you absolutely cannot get or do not want cilantro, you can use fresh parsley and a teaspoon of dried oregano.
• Bacon slices – Pork is usually used to help flavor beans. For this feijao, I used just bacon. However, you can also add pork/ham hock, or any pork sausage sliced up.

Pantry Ingredients

• Dry black beans, soaked overnight – I used a 16 ounce bag of Goya Black Beans. You can also use canned beans that have been rinsed as well. It will be approximately four 15oz cans to equal one 16 oz bag of dry beans.
• Vegetable broth – You can also use beef or chicken broth or stock. You can also use water.
• Beef Bouillon – You can also use vegetable or chicken bouillon or base.
• Bay leaves
• Long grain white rice

Simple Equipment and Tools

This slow cooker version of Brazilian style black beans is so easy!  If you do not already have , I HIGHLY recommend them!  I love my 6-Quart Crock Pot! If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can make these in a large pot on the stove. See the recipe notes for stovetop instructions.

I used a mini food processor for the onions, garlic, and cilantro. You can also dice and chop using a knife and cutting board.

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Recipe Tips

Soak the dry beans the night before! I buy dry beans for this recipe and first rinse them in a strainer to rinse off any unwanted particles. Transfer the beans to a large bowl, then cover with cold water so that the water is at least 2 inches above the beans. That’s because the beans will soak up the water and expand in size. Place the bowl with beans and water in the fridge to soak the night before you plan to cook the beans.

Slow Cooker Instructions for Brazilian beans

Into a slow cooker, add the drained and rinsed beans, bacon, beef bouillon, the puréed onion/garlic/cilantro mixture, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Cover with enough vegetable broth (or beef broth or water) to cover the beans, about 4-5 cups. Set the slow cooker for 8-10 hours, depending on your schedule.

While the black beans are cooking, when you are getting ready to eat, make the rice according to package instructions.

Scoop beans over rice and enjoy as a main dish or a side to steak or sausage!

Stove top or Oven Instructions

You can cook these black beans on the stove or in the oven. To do so, make sure that you have a large pot or dutch oven. Follow the instructions to prep and add everything to the pot the same way as with the slow cooker. On the stove top, bring the contents to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Or place the covered pot in the oven at 400 F degrees for 2 hours or until the beans are tender.

Instant Pot Instructions

You can make these Brazilian black beans in an instant pot as well. Follow the instructions in this recipe for the instant pot and then set the instant pot for 30 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

Feijão: Brazilian Beans Recipe

Carrie Tyler

These Brazilian Black Beans, known as Feijão, are an absolutely delicious traditional dish in Brazil.  The slow cooker makes it incredibly easy and allows all of the meat, onion, cilantro, and garlic flavors to cook into the beans for a distinctive, thick, saucy, hearty dish. Serve of rice for a delicious meal or side dish.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Brazilian

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb Dry Black beans (soaked overnight)
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion, medium
• 4 oz Fresh Cilantro
• 5 slices Bacon, raw
• 4-5 cups Vegetable or Beef broth or Water
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 cube Beef Bouillon
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Cups Long grain white rice

Instructions

 

• The night before, pick through the beans to make sure there are no particles and then rinse with water in a strainer. Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. When ready to cook, drain the beans.
• Put the garlic, onion and cilantro with 2 tbls water in a blender and purée it until all minced. Add another tbls of water if needed.
• Slice the raw bacon.
• Into a dutch oven or large pot with lid (or slow cooker), add the bacon, beans, beef bouillon, the puréed mixture, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.
• Cover with enough vegetable broth (or beef broth or water) to cover the beans, about 4-5 cups.
• Stove: Bring to a boil, stir, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook 1.5-2 hours until the beans are tender and the liquid has cooked down and is thick.

  Slow Cooker: Set for 8-10 hours, depending on your schedule.
• While the black beans are cooking, when you are getting ready to eat, make the rice according to package instructions. Scoop beans over rice and enjoy as a main dish or a side to steak or sausage. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Canned beans -  I used a 16 ounce bag of Goya Black Beans. You can also use canned beans that have been rinsed as well. It will be approximately four 15oz cans to equal one 16 oz bag of dry beans.
2. Storing - These black beans will last 5-6 days in the fridge in a sealed container. These cooked Brazilian black beans freeze beautifully. Just portion them out into freezer bags and flatten them. You can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, you can place in the fridge overnight to thaw and then warm on the stove or in the microwave.
3. Stove top Instructions - To do so, make sure that you have a large pot or dutch oven. Follow the instructions to prep and add everything to the pot the same way as with the slow cooker. On the stove top, bring the contents to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Or place the covered pot in the oven at 400 F degrees for 2 hours or until the beans are tender.
4. Is this recipe Gluten Free? Yes, this recipe is gluten free. However, always be sure to check food ingredient labels to ensure that they are in fact gluten free.
5. Are these Brazilian Black Beans Vegetarian? No, there are several pork and beef ingredients that are added to the beans for deep flavor. To make this vegetarian, eliminate the bacon.

Keyword beans, black beans, brazilian recipes, feijao, slow cooker