Bring Portugal
to your table.
Recipes from Portuguese kitchens, slow and traditional or quick in the air fryer, and the made-in-Portugal cookware to cook them with.
- 27 recipes
- 48 Portuguese-made products
- 0 pots of hot oil
Less oil, same soulAir Fryer→
The old wayTraditional→
Stories & guidesThe blog→Portuguese food is simple food, done carefully: good olive oil, too much garlic, salt cod soaked for two days, and a table that's never quite big enough.
Written for home kitchens
The dishes people miss most after a trip to Portugal, with quantities, timings and the small tricks that make them taste right.
Honest air fryer versions
Pastéis, piri-piri chicken, natas. We tell you what the air fryer does well, and what it changes.
Made in Portugal, mostly
Cataplanas, clay roasters, Bordallo Pinheiro, cork and conservas, plus a few best sellers that save time.
Cataplana de MariscoAlgarve Seafood Stew
The Algarve's famous seafood stew, steamed shut in a cataplana: clams, prawns and chouriço in a tomato, wine and coriander broth. Ready in 40 minutes.
- 40 min
- Serves 4
Latest recipes
Air FryerPastéis de Bacalhau in the Air Fryer
Portugal's favourite salt cod fritters made in the air fryer: crisp outside, fluffy inside, with no pot of hot oil. Includes how to soak the bacalhau.
TraditionalCataplana de MariscoAlgarve Seafood Stew
The Algarve's famous seafood stew, steamed shut in a cataplana: clams, prawns and chouriço in a tomato, wine and coriander broth. Ready in 40 minutes.
Air FryerFrango Piri-Piri in the Air Fryer
Portuguese piri-piri chicken with crisp, blistered skin, made in the air fryer in 25 minutes. Includes the marinade and a piri-piri oil for basting.
TraditionalCaldo VerdePortuguese Green Soup
Portugal's national soup: a silky potato base, ribbons of finely shredded greens and a slice of chouriço on top. Simple, cheap and done in 40 minutes.
Air FryerBatatas a Murro in the Air Fryer (Punched Potatoes)
Portuguese punched potatoes made in the air fryer: salt-crusted skins, a fluffy middle and plenty of garlic olive oil. The classic partner for bacalhau.
TraditionalBacalhau à BrásSalt Cod with Eggs and Potatoes
Lisbon's favourite salt cod dish: flaked bacalhau, matchstick potatoes and onions, bound with barely-set eggs and finished with olives and parsley.
Quick weeknight Portuguese
Air FryerBifanas with an Air Fryer Shortcut
The Portuguese garlic pork sandwich. Marinate the pork, air fry it fast, then dunk it in the reduced wine sauce, just like the snack bars in Lisbon.
Air FryerChouriço Assado Two WaysClay Grill or Air Fryer
Flame-grilled Portuguese chouriço in a clay assador, the way it's done at the table in Portugal, plus a no-fire air fryer version for weeknights.
Air FryerSardinhas Assadas in the Air FryerGrilled Sardines
The smell of Lisbon in June, without a charcoal grill: whole salted sardines crisped in the air fryer, served on bread with roasted pepper salad.
Air FryerLulas Fritas in the Air FryerCrispy Squid Rings
Crunchy squid rings made in the air fryer with a light breadcrumb coating, served with lemon and garlic mayonnaise. A beach-bar favourite at home.
TraditionalAçorda AlentejanaGarlic and Coriander Bread Soup
The Alentejo's famous bread soup: garlic, coriander and olive oil, boiling water, stale bread and a poached egg. Ready in 20 minutes from pantry staples.
Air FryerCarapaus Fritos in the Air FryerCrispy Horse Mackerel
Small Portuguese horse mackerel, salted, floured and crisped in the air fryer. Served with tomato rice or açorda, it's a real Portuguese weeknight fish supper.
TraditionalBolo de BolachaNo-Bake Biscuit and Coffee Cake
Maria biscuits dipped in strong coffee and layered with buttercream. Portugal's favourite no-bake birthday cake, assembled in 30 minutes and chilled overnight.
Air FryerEntremeada in the Air FryerGarlic Pork Belly
Thin slices of pork belly marinated in garlic, paprika and white wine, crisped in the air fryer. A Portuguese barbecue favourite, ready in 15 minutes.
TraditionalAmêijoas à Bulhão PatoClams with Garlic and Coriander
Clams steamed open in olive oil, garlic, coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Lisbon's favourite seafood petisco, ready in 10 minutes once the clams are clean.
TraditionalBitoquePortuguese Steak with a Fried Egg
The café classic: thin steak seared in garlic and bay, a quick beer pan sauce, a fried egg on top, chips, rice and salad. Portugal's favourite everyday plate.
Air FryerBacalhau Assado in the Air FryerRoast Salt Cod
A thick loin of salt cod roasted in the air fryer with olive oil, garlic and onions, served with punched potatoes. Christmas Eve's dish, made on any weeknight.
Made in Portugal,
for your kitchen.
Artame cataplanas, clay chouriço roasters from Portuguese potteries, Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage bowls and the best conservas from Matosinhos to Aveiro.
Browse the shopCook Portugal by region
Tascas, snack bars and pastelarias: bifanas, natas, Brás and clams.
5 recipesPorto & the NorthMinho and Trás-os-Montes: caldo verde, duck rice and hearty feijoada.
3 recipesAlentejoBread, pork, olive oil and coriander from Portugal's golden plains.
2 recipesAlgarveThe south coast: cataplanas, piri-piri chicken and beach-bar squid.
3 recipesMadeira & AzoresIsland cooking from the Atlantic, from bolo do caco to Azorean stews.
1 recipesAll over PortugalThe dishes every Portuguese family makes, from Minho to the Algarve.
13 recipesFrom the blog
Food cultureWhy Do Portuguese Eat BacalhauThe Story of the Faithful Friend
Why do Portuguese eat bacalhau when no cod swims off Portugal? Salt, Catholic fasting, Newfoundland fleets and the Estado Novo, explained simply.
Eat like a localWhat to Eat in SintraTravesseiros, Queijadas and the Coast
What to eat in Sintra: travesseiros and queijadas, Colares wine, and grilled fish on the nearby coast, plus tips to eat well on a Sintra day trip.
Eat like a localWhat to Eat in Porto12 Local Dishes and How to Order
What to eat in Porto, dish by dish: francesinha, tripas, bifanas, sandes de pernil, bolinhos de bacalhau and port, with tips on how locals order.
Eat like a localWhat to Eat in AveiroOvos Moles, Eels and the Lagoon
What to eat in Aveiro: ovos moles, eel stew, tripas de Aveiro, lagoon seafood and salt from the pans, plus how to fit it all into a day trip.
Food cultureVinho VerdeWhat It Is and What to Eat With It
Vinho verde is a region, not a "green wine". What it tastes like, why it's slightly fizzy, Alvarinho vs Loureiro, red vinho verde and the food to pair.
Order it in Portuguese next time.
Portugal Lifestyle Pro teaches the European Portuguese you'll actually use: at the café, the market and the tasca. Lessons from A1 to C2, real spoken Portuguese to train your ear, 20 games, and 200+ stories about Portuguese food and culture.
- Snap a photo of any food and learn its name
- Hear real spoken European Portuguese, slowed down if you need it
- Five minutes a day, at your level
Pull up a chair at our mesa.
Mesa means table, and in Portugal the table is where everything happens: long Sunday lunches, petiscos with friends, a pot of caldo verde in the middle and everyone reaching across. We write down the dishes Portuguese families cook every week, with the quantities and small tricks that make them taste right, and we're honest about what the air fryer shortcuts change.
Most of the kit we recommend is made in Portugal, by potteries, cork makers and canneries that have been at it for generations.
Bom apetite!