The Portuguese love rice and eat it with almost everything: meat, fish, soup, and even as a main dish. In fact, Portugal is the European country with the highest rice consumption per capita.
In Portugal, the main types of rice are agulha, which has a longer, looser grain, and carolino, the Portuguese favorite, with a short, starchy grain that is perfect for soupy rice dishes. In this article, we’ll explore different Portuguese rice dishes made with both carolino and agulha rice, served either as side dishes or as main courses.
We’ve gathered 10 of the best rice dishes in Portugal — comforting recipes full of tradition and deeply connected to Portuguese cuisine. As food critic Fortunato da Câmara once said: “In Portugal, you say ‘rice with…’ and let your imagination run free.”
1. Seafood Rice (Arroz de Marisco)
Arroz de marisco is a soupy rice dish made with a seafood broth and different types of seafood, such as shrimp, clams, imitation crab, and mussels. It may also include crab and other shellfish. It’s a dish enjoyed all over the country and is often associated with celebrations or special occasions, such as birthdays or family gatherings — at least in our family.
It has a rich ocean flavor and is sometimes so brothy that it’s eaten with a spoon. Besides being a common homemade dish, it’s also relatively easy to prepare. You can check out the quick and simple recipe we usually make at home here.
It’s also a dish found in almost every restaurant along the Portuguese coast, as it’s considered one of the essential dishes of Portuguese gastronomy.
2. Octopus Rice (Arroz de Polvo)
Arroz de polvo is a traditional and comforting recipe, especially for anyone who loves octopus. It’s a slightly soupy rice dish made with the broth used to cook the octopus, combined with tender pieces of octopus and finished with fresh parsley. It tastes intensely of the sea and octopus, with the parsley adding a fresh touch.
It’s an easy recipe to recreate at home and quite economical, since one medium-sized octopus can easily feed four people. It’s also a classic dish in many Portuguese restaurants.
3. Duck Rice (Arroz de Pato)
Arroz de pato is a delicious traditional dish from Braga, although it can now be found throughout Portugal. It’s made with shredded duck, layered with long-grain rice cooked in the duck’s broth, and finished in the oven with chorizo and cheese on top. What could possibly go wrong with that?
It is believed that the dish originated in a seminary in Braga, with references dating back to 1812. Over time, it has gone through a few changes: in the past, it included pork ear and didn’t have cheese. The modern version, however, is the one most people know and love today.
Even though it’s strongly associated with Braga, it’s now a nationwide favourite, simply because Portuguese people love it. It’s very common in restaurants across the country, but it’s also relatively easy to make at home.
4. Tomato Rice (Arroz de Tomate)
Arroz de tomate is a soupy rice dish, known in Portugal as arroz malandro. It’s made with short-grain carolino rice, which becomes soft and creamy as it cooks, and with tomatoes — ideally ripe beef tomatoes in season (from June to September).
It’s fair to say this is one of the most popular and traditional rice dishes in Portugal. It’s usually served as a side dish with grilled fish, fried small fish (petingas), codfish fritters, or fried cuttlefish. But the truth is, it works with almost anything. It’s a dish that tastes like summer, seaside terraces, and slow, easy living.
It’s popular all over the country and you’ll find it in almost every traditional restaurant. At the same time, it’s one of those essential recipes worth having in your cooking repertoire. You can find our version of tomato rice here.
5. Blood Rice (Arroz de Cabidela)
Arroz de cabidela, also known as arroz pica no chão, is a famous dish from the Minho region. It’s a moist rice dish made with stewed chicken and its blood. It’s a rich, hearty meal that fills you up and is especially comforting in winter.
The chicken is slowly stewed until tender and falling apart, after which the rice is added along with the chicken’s blood mixed with vinegar to prevent it from curdling. The rice turns slightly soupy and is usually finished with fresh parsley on top. The dish has a strong, distinctive flavour, balanced by the acidity of the vinegar.
It’s not a dish for everyone and often carries a sense of nostalgia, but it’s definitely worth trying at least once in your life.
6. Lamprey Rice (Arroz de Lampreia)
Arroz de lampreia is a traditional dish from Northern Portugal, especially the Minho region. It’s made with lamprey, a prehistoric-looking fish similar to an eel, considered a delicacy that is both expensive and hard to find. It’s also a seasonal dish, available mainly between January and April. Its intense flavour is not for everyone, but highly appreciated by those who enjoy it.
To prepare it, the lamprey must first be carefully cleaned and marinated for several hours in wine and garlic. It is then slowly cooked, after which the rice is added, along with the lamprey’s blood mixed with wine. The result is a deeply coloured rice dish with a strong, distinctive flavour.
It’s not an easy dish to make at home, as both cleaning the lamprey and working with its blood require experience. It’s also not a universally liked dish, but for those who enjoy traditional and bold flavours, it’s worth trying in a specialised restaurant.
7. Monkfish Rice (Arroz de Tamboril)
Arroz de tamboril is a soupy rice dish with a strong taste of the sea, made with pieces of monkfish. It’s prepared with carolino rice, onion, garlic, and tomato, and may also include shrimp or other seafood such as clams. It’s finished with fresh coriander. The rice is cooked in a fish or seafood broth, and the monkfish is added partway through cooking, keeping a firm yet delicate texture.
It’s similar to seafood rice (arroz de marisco), with an intense ocean flavour and a fresh, aromatic profile. It’s very common in coastal regions and especially traditional in the Algarve. Without a doubt, it’s one of those rice dishes you should try in Portugal.
8. Rice and Beans (Arroz de Feijão)
Rice and beans is another creamy rice dish, similar to tomato rice, but with red beans as the star ingredient. It’s made with short-grain rice, to which onion, garlic, tomato paste, and red beans are added, and finished with chopped parsley. It’s a versatile dish that pairs well with everything from meat to fish.
It’s very popular throughout Portugal and eaten from north to south of the country. It’s true comfort food, easy to make, and without a doubt an essential part of Portuguese cuisine.
9. Sarrabulho Rice (Arroz de Sarrabulho)
Arroz de sarrabulho is a soupy rice dish made with a mix of meats, sausages, and pork blood. It’s a traditional dish from the Minho region, especially from Ponte de Lima, born out of the Northern Portuguese tradition of using every part of the pig. It is closely linked to the seasonal pig slaughter festivals.
It’s usually served alongside rojões — pieces of pork marinated in garlic wine (vinha d’alhos) and fried in lard — as well as flour-coated tripe, liver, and belouras. It’s a very rich, heavy dish that is quite filling, but also iconic and highly appreciated in Northern Portugal.
It has a strong flavour, marked by cumin and vinegar, and is a deeply comforting dish — at least for us. To try this Minho specialty, we recommend visiting one of the many traditional restaurants in Ponte de Lima.
10. Turnip Greens Rice (Arroz de Grelos)
Arroz de grelos is a soupy rice dish made with the tender young leaves and shoots of turnips or cabbage. Turnip greens (grelos de nabo) usually have a slightly bitter taste, which contrasts nicely with the softness of the rice.
To prepare it, you start with a base of sautéed onion and garlic, then add carolino rice, the greens, and boiling water. It’s cooked until the rice is perfectly done, with a loose, soupy texture. To make it even more flavourful, it can include sausages such as chorizo or bacon.
This rice pairs well with almost anything. We often have it at home with meat or fish, especially since my father-in-law loves it. It’s a typical winter dish, as turnip greens are usually in season between October and January. It’s very easy to make at home and can also be found in some restaurants, particularly in Northern Portugal.
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