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    Home » South America » Farofa (Toasted Cassava Flour) from Brazil

    Farofa (Toasted Cassava Flour) from Brazil

    Published on Jun 25, 2024 Modified: Oct 11, 2023 by Alexandria Drzazgowski.

    Jump to Recipe

    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!

    Spoonful of farofa coming out of a bowl.

    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!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for Farofa
    • How to Make This Recipe
    • Picking the Right Cassava Flour
    • FAQs
    • Farofa

    Ingredients for Farofa

    Ingredients shown are used to prepare farofa.
    1. 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). 
    2. Bacon: Make this vegetarian by omitting the bacon!
    3. Onion: This recipe uses white onion, but you can also use different types of onions if you have them on hand.
    4. Garlic: I highly recommend chopping up fresh garlic for the yummiest results.
    5. Salted Butter
    6. Salt & Pepper

    How to Make This Recipe

    Diced bacon being sauted to a crisp for farofa.

    Step 1: Add the bacon into a skillet until it crisps up.

    Onions, garlic added to the skillet with bacon for farofa.

    Step 2: Melt the butter, then add the onion and garlic and saute until fragrant.

    Cassava flour added to the bacon mixture in the skillet.

    Step 3: Add the cassava flour into the skillet and toast for 10-15 minutes until golden.

    Toasted farofa.

    Step 4: Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Feijoada!

    Picking the Right Cassava Flour

    Package of Julia cassava flour alongside a small bowl of the white flour used in preparing farofa.

    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

    Top view of a bowl of farofa sitting on a plate with a spoon resting on the side.
    Can I Store Leftover Farofa?

    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.

    What is Cassava Flour?

    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.

    How to Serve this Farofa Recipe?

    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: 

    • A large bowl of feijoada in a bowl on a cutting board with a spoon resting in the stew.
      Feijoada (Black Bean Stew) from Brazil
    • Close up of chocolate brigadeiro with chocolate sprinkles in a little paper cups.
      Brigadeiro Recipe (Chocolate Fudge Balls) from Brazil
    • A refreshing Açaí Na Tigela layered with granola, sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and a drizzle of creamy topping.
      Brazilian Açaí Bowls (Açaí na Tigela)
    • Red chimichurri served in a bowl with a spoon in the sauce .
      Red Chimichurri

    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!

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    A serving bowl piled high with farofa and some spilling over onto a platter next to a serving spoon laying beside it.

    Farofa

    Farofa is a delicious Brazilian side dish that adds the perfect crunch and flavor to many dishes. Just a few simple ingredients come together for a dish that is crucial to Brazilian cuisine!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: brazilian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 188kcal
    Author: Alexandria Drzazgowski

    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

    Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
    • 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!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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