Farofa is a delicious side dish that adds the perfect crunch and flavor to any Brazilian feast. Just a few simple ingredients come together for a dish that is crucial to Brazilian cuisine!
Farofa is a deliciously crispy side dish with a crunchy texture like toasted bread crumbs but with the flavor of bacon, garlic, and onion. It’s the perfect addition to any stew, barbecue meat, or just a plate of rice and beans.
This Farofa Recipe holds a unique importance in Brazilian cuisine. The main ingredient in the dish is yuca flour or cassava flour. This gluten-free flour on its own has a mild taste but when cooked in a bit of butter, garlic, and bacon, it soaks up those flavors, providing a deliciously salty, buttery, garlicky goodness to your dish.
Serve it alongside Feijoada and Brigadeiros or a Brazilian Açaí Bowl for the perfect Brazilian meal! For a similar recipe made for breakfast, try this Ribel from Liechtenstein!
Ingredients for Farofa
- Cassava Flour: Try Julia Brand White Cassava Flour. It is a coarser texture and will therefore work far better than fine cassava flour. If you use fine cassava flour, the end result will not be the same (or nearly as good).
- Bacon: Make this vegetarian by omitting the bacon!
- Onion: This recipe uses white onion, but you can also use different types of onions if you have them on hand.
- Garlic: I highly recommend chopping up fresh garlic for the yummiest results.
- Salted Butter
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Add the bacon into a skillet until it crisps up.
Step 2: Melt the butter, then add the onion and garlic and saute until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the cassava flour into the skillet and toast for 10-15 minutes until golden.
Step 4: Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Feijoada!
Picking the Right Cassava Flour
I tried Farofa on my first visit to Brazil, so when it came time to cook the dish, I knew what to look for in terms of taste and texture. When is why I was so annoyed when I could NOT get this recipe correct the first two times I tried it… it was driving me crazy!
I finally figured out the problem: I was using a finely ground Cassava flour instead of a coarse ground cassava flour.
When I switched to a coarse ground cassava flour, I finally got the “breadcrumb” texture I had been chasing! You can find it on Amazon or buy it at a South American grocery store.
FAQs
You can put leftover farofa in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. Reheat on the stovetop to use again. It can also be frozen for up to two months.
Cassava flour is made from yuca. The vegetable is peeled and ground to the texture of bread crumbs. There are many ingredients made from the yuca plant like yuca starch and tapioca flour but cassava flour is different. It is also not the same as corn flour.
Farofa is served as a side dish with rice and black beans or meat. It’s common to mix all these things together on your plate.
Farofa is also delicious when served with stew-like feijoada.
Did you enjoy this Brazilian Farofa recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
If you tried this Farofa Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Farofa
Equipment
- Knife/Knives
- Cutting Board
- Skillet
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 pieces bacon, diced
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- ½ white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cassava flour, Julia Brand White Cassava Flour
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the 2 slices diced bacon to a skillet over medium heat and stir continuously until the bacon crisps.
- Add 3 tbsp butter and allow it to melt completely.
- Then add ½ an onion and 3 cloves garlic into the skillet and saute until the garlic is fragrant and the onion is cooked.
- Add 1 cup cassava flour into the skillet and stir continuously for 10-15 minutes, until the cassava flour toasts and turns a brown shade.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with Feijoada and enjoy!
Notes
- Cassava Flour: Try Julia Brand White Cassava Flour. It is a coarser texture and will therefore work far better than fine cassava flour. If you use fine cassava flour, the end result will not be the same (or nearly as good).
- There are several different types of Cassava flour available online to purchase. Stick with the Julia Brand the first time. Others may be ground more fine and the end result will not be as good!
- To make this recipe vegan, leave out the bacon and butter and substitute with a vegan sausage and olive oil. You can also skip the bacon to make it vegetarian.
- You can add whatever you like to your farofa. It’s delicious with a little bit of green onion, fresh herbs, or Brazilian sausage. Feel free to try it out a few different ways!
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