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25 Portuguese Dishes Built on Seafood, Rice, and Sausage
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Portuguese cooking is rooted in practicality, seasonality, and deep, satisfying flavor — shaped by centuries of coastal fishing, inland farming, and global trade. Whether we're craving a showstopping braised pork and clams or comforting Bacalhau à Brás (salt cod, eggs, and potatoes), Portuguese cuisine is filled with hit after hit. Prepare these delicious classic Portuguese recipes at home and transport yourself to Portugal. Whatever you do, don't forget the Portuguese wine pairing.
Porco à Alentejana (Portuguese Braised Pork and Clams)
With clams from the sea and pork from the nearby mountains, this simple braise speaks to the landscape, and diet, of Portugal itself. The garlicky broth is great with crusty bread and a dry Portuguese wine.
Pastéis de Nata
Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling
Pastéis de nata are the famous Portuguese tarts made from puff pastry and egg custard. They're baked at a very high temperature, which turns the pastry a deep golden brown on top while maintaining a flaky, buttery texture. The souffled custard stays creamy and smooth thanks to cornstarch.
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup with Sausage)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
For this hearty soup, first sear linguiça — the Portuguese smoke-cured pork sausage — for savory drippings, then simmer kale and potatoes until the broth turns silky and the greens are tender. A splash of vinegar at the end sharpens the flavors, and the sausage returns for a satisfying finish.
Arroz de Galinha
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Shredded rotisserie chicken, olives, sautéed onions and bell pepper, as well as crispy soppressata, are topped with cooked saffron rice and baked for this cozy recipe inspired by the Portuguese rice dishes that chef George Mendes enjoyed growing up.
Clams with Kale and Chouriço on Toasts
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Chef Anita Lo steams clams with wine, tomatoes, and spicy Portuguese chouriço, then spoons the brothy mix over garlicky toasts. The addition of kale brings color and gentle bitterness — perfect against the porky depth.
Portuguese-Style Meatballs
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox
F&W's Ann Taylor Pittman bakes jumbo beef meatballs, then simmers them in a paprika-scented tomato and white wine sauce with garlic and cilantro. They’re plush inside, glossy outside — and delicious through and through.
Stuffed Clams with Linguiça and Arugula
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Linguiça makes a delightful pairing with littleneck clams in a flavorful stuffing for this tasty hot appetizer. If you can find them, use Portuguese rolls for the stuffing; their light, airy crumb readily absorbs flavor.
Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage
Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
This cold-weather bowl inspired by Portuguese caldo verde pairs peppery greens and tender potatoes with lean turkey sausage for balanced richness. The result is hearty and bright, with a rustic, satisfying texture.
Cataplana (Portuguese Fish Stew)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
F&W's Justin Chapple shares his version of the savory feast of shellfish and smoky linguiça hailing from the Algarve in Portugal. Named for the vessel it's traditionally cooked and served in, the stew gets lots of flavor from the rich, garlicky linguiça.
Piri Piri Chicken
Cara Cormack
F&W's Justin Chapple threads juicy chicken thighs and shishitos on skewers, then slathers them with a bright, peppery piri piri sauce blitzed from bird’s eye chiles, paprika, and red wine vinegar. Grilled until lightly charred, the skewers finish with a fresh cilantro shower — and a little reserved sauce for dipping.
Portuguese Piri Piri Sauce
Ian Knauer
Made with roasted red pepper and dried red chiles, this easy sauce works as a marinade for grilled meats and fish, as a spread for toast, or on Portuguese breakfast sandwiches.
Pork and Clam Cataplana
Quentin Bacon
Emeril Lagasse's take on cataplana calls for boneless pork loin and relies on lots of good Portuguese olive oil to play off the dish's dry white wine. Serve with crusty Portuguese bread to soak up the sauce.
10-Minute Salt Cod with Corn and Littleneck Clams
Anna Williams
Chef George Mendes combines littleneck clams, buttery corn, and quick-cured fresh cod in a savory broth made from the clams and white wine. Since cod is naturally soft and flaky (“as well as bland,” Mendes adds), salting it yields a firmer texture and a more pronounced flavor.
Caldo Verde with Beef Shank and Sausage
Eva Kolenko
Chef Abraham Conlon's version of this hearty Portuguese soup comes together in a single pot. It features beef and linguiça, greens, potatoes, and kidney beans in a richly flavored broth that’s perked up with a hit of tangy sherry vinegar.
Portuguese Beef Stew with Ruby Port
Tara Fisher
Winemaker Dirk Niepoort likes to serve this hearty beef stew with his substantial Douro Valley reds. At his home in Oporto, he boosts the sauce’s depth by adding aged vintage Port, sediment and all.
Bacalhau à Brás (Salt Cod, Eggs, and Potatoes)
Russ Crandall
Considered the ultimate comfort meal in Portugal, bacalhau à brás uses many of the quintessential ingredients found in Portuguese cooking: bacalhau (salt cod), eggs, potatoes, and black olives.
Portuguese Clam and Chorizo Stew
Tina Rupp
This classic seafood stew leans on jarred piquillo peppers to provide a sweet, smoky edge. Since piquillos are super mild, the combination of roasted red peppers plus a pinch of cayenne makes a great substitute.
Ed's Portuguese Fish Stew
Con Poulos
Chef Michael Cimarusti serves this flavorful stew loaded with clams, mussels, cod, and chunks of smoky linguiça at his L.A. restaurant Connie & Ted's, and you can make it at home with this recipe.
Linguiça Breakfast Sandwich with Avocado and Salsa Verde
Chef George Mendes' Portuguese take on the classic egg sandwich features homemade salsa verde and swaps out breakfast sausage for spicy, smoky linguiça pork sausage.
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Tuna Confit
Christina Holmes
Simple tomato salads such as this one are common throughout the Algarve region of southern Portugal. To make it, a full pound of fresh tuna is poached in olive oil loaded with spices and aromatics, though best-quality, olive oil-packed canned tuna may be substituted.
Rice Pudding
Quentin Bacon
Gently perfumed with lemon zest and cinnamon, this classic dessert is served at almost every Portuguese celebration. The pudding is very sweet — as are most desserts in Portugal — though this recipe from Emeril Lagasse has been modified for American tastes.
Bolinho de Bacalhau
Ian Knauer
Golden, crisp salt-cod fritters give way to a fluffy, potato-rich center, perfumed with garlic, onion, and cilantro. Food editor and cookbook author Ian Knauer’s version makes for an ideal bar snack — hot from the oil, with just a squeeze of lemon.
Roast Chicken with Port and Figs
Dana Gallagher
In this recipe from the Food & Wine cookbook, Quick From Scratch Chicken, dried figs are poached in ruby port for a glossy, Portuguese-inspired sweet-savory pan sauce.
Portuguese-Style Roast Potatoes
Ian Knauer
Food editor and cookbook author Ian Knauer parboils waxy potatoes for creamy centers, then roasts them in olive oil and smoked paprika until crisp. A last hit of salt makes them irresistible.
Cataplana Stew with Sausage and Clams
Gareth Morgans
In this take on the Algarve favorite, quick-cooking sausage stands in for long-braised pork, so the clam-studded stew comes together quickly enough to make it weeknight-friendly. The resulting broth is smoky, briny, and deeply savory.