Looking for a traditional Portuguese comfort food recipe? Cozido à Portuguesa, also known as Portuguese Stew, is a hearty and generous meal made with tender meats, Portuguese sausages, potatoes and vegetables. Everything is cooked until perfectly tender, creating a flavorful and satisfying dish that’s perfect for sharing.
One of the most traditional dishes in Portuguese cuisine, Cozido à Portuguesa is a classic family meal often served for Sunday lunch and special occasions. The combination of different meats, sausages and vegetables creates a delicious variety of flavors and textures in every serving.
If you want to enjoy a taste of authentic Portuguese cooking at home, this classic boiled dinner is a delicious choice. Serve it warm with the cooked meats, sausages, potatoes and vegetables for a comforting meal the whole family can enjoy.
If you're looking for comforting Portuguese dishes to serve on a cozy family meal, try this Portuguese Cod Soup (Easy Salt Cod Soup), Octopus Stew with Vegetables (Polvo à Jardineira), or Portuguese Peas with Poached Eggs and Chouriço. These hearty and flavorful dishes are perfect for warming up on a chilly day and enjoying a comforting taste of traditional Portuguese cuisine.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
A traditional Portuguese classic: Cozido à Portuguesa is a much-loved dish from Portuguese cuisine and a great way to experience authentic Portuguese flavors.
A complete and hearty meal: A generous combination of meat, sausages, potatoes and vegetables makes this a complete family meal.
Full of traditional flavors: Portuguese sausages and slow cooking give the ingredients a delicious and rich flavor.
Perfect for family meals: This is a generous dish that works especially well for Sunday lunches and family gatherings.
Great for colder days: Warm, comforting and satisfying, it’s the kind of meal everyone can enjoy around the table.
Ingredients for Portuguese Stew (Cozido à Portuguesa)
Here you'll find all the ingredients needed to make this recipe:
- Savoy cabbage - Adds a mild flavor and tender texture to the stew.
- Turnip - Adds a subtle earthy flavor and helps balance the richness of the meats.
- Carrot - Adds natural sweetness, color and a tender texture.
- Potatoes - Make the dish more substantial and absorb the flavorful cooking broth.
- Beef - Provides rich flavor and tender texture.
- Portuguese chouriço - Adds a smoky and rick flavor to the dish.
- Farinheira (Portuguese smoked sausage) - Adds a distinctive traditional Portuguese flavor and a soft, creamy texture.
- Chispe (pig’s trotter) - Adds rich flavor to the cooking broth.
- Pig's ear - Adds a traditional pork flavor and a slightly firm, tender texture.
- Blood sausage - Adds a rich and delicious flavor and distinctive traditional character to the dish.
- Rice - Provides a simple and tasty side dish and can be cooked with the flavorful broth.
- Salt - Enhances the flavors of the meats, sausages and vegetables.
Below you’ll find the correct measurement of all ingredients and the step-by-step guide for this recipe.
How to Make Portuguese Stew (Cozido à Portuguesa)
Step 1: In a pressure cooker, add the beef, pig’s trotter, pig’s ear, Portuguese chouriço and water. Season with salt, close the lid and cook for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Once everything is tender, carefully remove the meat and sausages and place them on a plate. Reserve the cooking liquid.
Step 3: Meanwhile, place the farinheira (Portuguese sausage) and blood sausage in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain well, and set aside.
Step 4: Peel and wash the potatoes. Place them in a large pot with the meat cooking liquid, Savoy cabbage cut into pieces, carrots cut into strips, and turnip. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender.
Step 5: Turn off the heat and serve.
Step 6: If you want to prepare rice with the stew: Transfer some of the meat cooking liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, add the rice, and season with a little salt. Stir and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Variations
• Change the sausages: Portuguese chouriço, farinheira and blood sausage are traditional choices, but you can adjust the combination according to what is available.
• Add chicken: Some versions of Cozido include chicken. Add chicken pieces to the pressure cooker along with the other meats for a lighter flavor and a different texture.
• Serve with rice: Cook rice separately using some of the flavorful cooking broth. This is a delicious way to make use of the broth.
• Adapt it to your region: There are many variations of Cozido throughout Portugal, with different combinations of meats, sausages and vegetables. Feel free to adapt the ingredients while keeping the traditional cooking method.
• Use the leftovers: Leftover meat and vegetables can be refrigerated and reheated the next day. The flavorful meat can also be shredded and used in sandwiches, casseroles or other meals.
Tips for Making Portuguese Stew
• Cut the ingredients into similar-sized pieces: This helps the different ingredients cook more evenly.
• Keep the cooking broth: The flavorful broth can be used to make soup, rice or other dishes.
• Slice the meat before serving: Once cooked and slightly cooled, slice the larger pieces of meat and arrange everything on a large serving platter.
• Serve hot: Cozido à Portuguesa is best served warm, with the meats, sausages, potatoes and vegetables arranged together in a tureen or large platter.
FAQs
What is Cozido à Portuguesa?
Cozido à Portuguesa is a traditional Portuguese boiled dinner made with a combination of meats, Portuguese sausages, potatoes and vegetables. It is one of the best-known traditional dishes in Portuguese cuisine.
What is farinheira?
Farinheira is a traditional Portuguese sausage made mainly with wheat flour, pork fat and seasonings. It has a soft texture and is commonly used in traditional Portuguese dishes, including Cozido à Portuguesa.
Is Cozido à Portuguesa a stew?
Although it is often described in English as Portuguese stew, Cozido à Portuguesa is more accurately a Portuguese boiled dinner. The ingredients are cooked in water rather than simmered in a thick stew sauce.
What meat is used in Portuguese stew?
Traditional Cozido à Portuguesa can include several types of meat, depending on the region and recipe. Pork and beef are commonly used, together with traditional Portuguese sausages.
What do you serve with Cozido à Portuguesa?
Cozido à Portuguesa is traditionally served with the cooked meats, sausages, potatoes and vegetables. The cooking broth can also be used to prepare rice or soup.
You May Also Like
- Portuguese cod stew (Caldeirada de bacalhau)
- Jardineira (Portuguese Beef stew)
- Coelho à caçador (Portuguese rabbit stew)
- Portuguese bean stew with poached eggs
- Portuguese octopus Lagareiro (Polvo à Lagareiro)
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Portuguese Stew (Cozido à Portuguesa)
Looking for a traditional Portuguese comfort food recipe? Cozido à Portuguesa, also known as Portuguese Stew, is a hearty and generous meal made with tender meats, Portuguese sausages, potatoes and vegetables. Everything is cooked until perfectly tender, creating a flavorful and satisfying dish that’s perfect for sharing.
- 1 savoy cabbage
- 1 turnip
- 3 carrots
- 1.2 kg (2 2/3 pounds) potatoes
- 750 grams (1 2/3 pounds) beef
- 150 grams (5 1/3 ounces) Portuguese chouriço
- 1 farinheira (Portuguese smoked sausage)
- 1 chispe (pig’s trotter)
- 1 pig's ear
- 1 blood sausage
- 250 grams (1 1/4 cups) rice
- Salt (to taste)
- In a pressure cooker, add the beef, pig’s trotter, pig’s ear, Portuguese chouriço and water. Season with salt, close the lid and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Once everything is tender, carefully remove the meat and sausages and place them on a plate. Reserve the cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, place the farinheira (Portuguese sausage) and blood sausage in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain well, and set aside.
- Peel and wash the potatoes. Place them in a large pot with the meat cooking liquid, Savoy cabbage cut into pieces, carrots cut into strips, and turnip. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender.
- Turn off the heat and serve.
- If you want to prepare rice with the stew: Transfer some of the meat cooking liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, add the rice, and season with a little salt. Stir and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes.
