Brazilian

Serving

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

Name: Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight; 1/2 lb smoked sausage (linguica or kielbasa), sliced; 1/2 lb thick-cut bacon, chopped; 1/2 lb pork ribs or shoulder, cut into chunks; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 bay leaves; 1 orange, unpeeled and halved

The ultimate Brazilian comfort food, this hearty and deeply savory stew simmers black beans with a variety of smoked and salted pork cuts until thick and rich.

30 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

14 min prep

23 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

One-pot
Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners 30-minute meals

Instructions

5 steps

1
Render Meat: In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until the fat renders. Add the sausage and pork chunks, browning them on all sides.
2
Sauté Aromatics: Remove the meat temporarily. In the remaining fat, sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until softened and fragrant.
3
Simmer: Return all the meat to the pot. Add the drained black beans, bay leaves, and enough water to cover everything by two inches. Drop in the two halves of the orange (this adds subtle acidity and helps tenderize the meat).
4
Cook: Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 2 hours, or until the beans and meat are very tender. Stir occasionally and add water if it gets too thick.
5
Thicken and Serve: Remove the orange halves and bay leaves. Using a wooden spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth. Serve hot over white rice with a side of collard greens and farofa.

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

75/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 86

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 50

Pantry-friendly 41

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

795

Calories

57 g

Protein

37 g

Carbs

47 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Feijoada is Brazil's national dish, a black bean stew built on a mix of pork cuts — sausage, bacon, ribs — that slowly break down into the beans over a long simmer. Bean-and-meat stews of this kind exist across Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking regions, but Brazil's version became distinct through its use of black beans specifically, served with rice, collard greens, and orange slices.

Listahan note

This version simmers the soaked beans together with all three cuts of pork rather than cooking the meats separately and combining them at the end, so the rendered fat from the bacon and sausage seasons the beans directly as they soften.

Technique cues

Soak the dried black beans overnight, then start them in fresh water rather than the soaking liquid, which can carry a slightly bitter edge from the beans' outer skins.
Brown the bacon first to render its fat before adding the onion, so the aromatics cook in rendered pork fat rather than plain oil — this is what gives feijoada its deep savory base.
Simmer uncovered for the last stretch of cooking once the beans are tender, letting the liquid reduce until it coats the beans in a thick, dark gravy rather than staying soupy.
Skim excess fat off the surface periodically during the long simmer; a stew this rich in pork throws off a noticeable amount of fat that's easiest to remove while it's still cooking.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Prep any side dishes while Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) finishes with the pork ribs or shoulder — the hands-off cook time is the window to use. Everything else is quick — the simmer is the one step that takes real time.
Make-ahead: Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) reheats well, so cooking it a day ahead and finishing it just before serving is a reasonable way to spread out the work. This one leans on the pork ribs or shoulder. The simmer step is what sets the pace here.
Leftover move: Leftover Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) reheats well covered on the stove or in the oven with a splash of liquid; avoid the microwave, which tends to toughen the pork ribs or shoulder on a fast reheat. Plan around the simmer; that's the slow part.
Cleanup rhythm: Deglaze the pan used for Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) with a splash of water or broth right after cooking — it lifts the browned bits before they dry on and saves scrubbing later. This one leans on the pork ribs or shoulder. Plan around the simmer; that's the slow part.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight

Main protein or body

Purpose: lb dried black beans, soaked overnight gives Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) its main substance and carries the seasoning.

Handling: Rinse, soak, whisk, or separate as the recipe requires so the texture stays clean.