Feijoada for the Instant Pot is on modern twist on the traditional Brazilian stew that keeps all the flavor but is much faster to the table.
This is a dish that can traditionally take days to cook. The Instant Pot reduces the time is to about 90 minutes - give or take. Cook the beans in the Instant Pot, cook the stew meat in a Dutch oven, then while the stew finished on the stovetop, cook the rice in the Instant Pot.
What is Feijoada?
Feijoada is typically pronounced as “fay-zhoo-AH-da” in English, while in Brazilian Portuguese it is rendered as [fɐjˈʒwada]. It essentially means “bean stew,” highlighting the dish’s primary ingredient—black beans—combined with a variety of meats. Brazil, unlike most of South America, speaks Portuguese. The word originates from the Portuguese “feijão,” meaning “bean,” with the augmentative suffix “-ada” suggesting abundance or a hearty mix, perfectly encapsulating this robust, traditional dish.
Feijoada originated in the kitchens of colonial Brazil. It was born out of necessity and creativity. Enslaved Africans and impoverished locals used every part of the animal. Early cooks transformed humble ingredients like black beans, leftover pork, and beef scraps into a nourishing meal that quickly became a symbol of community and resilience.
Over time, feijoada evolved into a celebrated national dish that embodies the melding of African, Portuguese, and indigenous influences. Beyond its taste, feijoada carries a deep cultural significance. It’s a dish that tells the story of Brazil—a country known for its diverse heritage and vibrant traditions. Each serving of feijoada is a reminder of a past where resourcefulness met flavor, and where every ingredient had a story to tell.
How to Make this Brazilian Stew
Traditionally, feijoada is prepared with black beans slowly simmered with a variety of pork cuts such as sausage, ribs, and bacon, as well as beef. Basically, you can put whatever meats you have on hand in this dish. It makes it tasty and economical.
Whether you’re serving it at a family gathering or a festive celebration, feijoada invites you to connect with a rich culinary legacy. Feijoada can make a lot of food for a lot of people depending on how much meat you put in. This recipe will serve 12 with a side salad. You can easily double or triple it, add more beans or rice or more meat.
Serving Feijoada
It’s often served with rice, collard greens, orange slices, and farofa (toasted cassava flour). I'm allergic to oranges, so we served ours with extra cilantro and Crystal hot sauce and a little sour cream.
Leftovers are great the next day served with quesadillas. You can also portion leftovers out and freeze them to enjoy another day.
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Feijoada Brazilian Stew for the Instant Pot
Equipment
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Ingredients
~~ -- For the Beans -- ~~
- 16 ounce (453.59 g) Black beans
- 1 clove (1 clove) Garlic, broken up
- 3 quart (2.84 l) Water
- 1 (1) Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) *Epazote
~~ -- For the Stew -- ~~
- 5 cloves (5 cloves) Garlic
- 1 (1) Onion, medium, about 1 cup chopped
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) Fresh Cilantro
- 16 ounce (453.59 g) Polska Kielbasa
- 8 ounce (226.8 g) Chicken sausages, tomato basil
- 16 ounce (453.59 g) Beef, chuck or other stew meat
- 2 teaspoons (1.97 teaspoons) Salt
- 1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) Black pepper, freshly ground
- 3 tablespoon (2.96 tablespoon) *Beef base
~~ -- For the Rice -- ~~
- 40 ounce (1.13 kg) Rice, white long grain
- 40 ounce (1.13 kg) Water
- 1 tablespoon (0.99 tablespoon) Butter
- 1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) Salt
Instructions
- Mise en place
For the Beans
- 16 ounce (453.59 g) Black beans, 1 clove Garlic, 3 quart (2.84 l) Water, 1 Bay leaf, 1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) EpazotePut the beans in the Instant Pot with the water, bay leaf, garlic, and epazote. Seal the Instant Pot and cook in on high for 50 minutes. Let it natural release.
For the Stew
- While the beans are cooking, make the stew.
- 5 cloves Garlic, 1 Onion, 4 ounces (113.4 g) Fresh CilantroPut the garlic, onion, and cilantro into a food processor and puree it. If you don't have food processor, you can finely mince the garlic, onion and cilantro.
- 16 ounce (453.59 g) Polska KielbasaSlice the polska on the bias.
- 8 ounce (226.8 g) Chicken sausagesSlice the chicken sausages.
- 16 ounce (453.59 g) Beef, 2 teaspoons (1.97 teaspoons) Salt, 1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) Black pepperCut the beef into cubes and generously season with salt and black pepper.
- Put the sausages into the Dutch oven and saute them to sear and start to render their fat.
- Add the beef to the pan and sear all sides.
- Let the beef and sausage cook on low heat until the beans have finished cooking, stirring occaisonally.
- 3 tablespoon (2.96 tablespoon) Beef baseWhen the beans are finished, add the beef base, the sausages and beef to the beans in the Instant Pot. Leave the juices in the Dutch Oven and set it aside.
- Close the Instant Pot and set it for 10 minutes. Use natural release. Put the contents of the Instant Pot in the Dutch Oven and set it the flame to low.
Make the Rice
- 40 ounce (1.13 kg) Rice, 40 ounce (1.13 kg) Water, 1 tablespoon (0.99 tablespoon) Butter, 1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) SaltClean the Instant Pot. Add the rice, water, salt and butter. Cook the rice on low for 12 minutes.
- Remove the rice from the Instant Pot and serve it with the Feijoada and fresh cilantro to garnish.
