Favas com chouriço are one of the most iconic dishes in Portuguese cuisine. They were even immortalized in José Cid’s song: “Make me favas com chouriço, my favorite dish, when I come home for dinner, I can hardly believe it…”. This dish is part of our cultural and culinary identity.

Favas com Chouriço translates literally to Broad beans with traditional Portuguese smoked sausage (Chouriço).

They are usually enjoyed during the peak season for fava beans, in April and May. Loved across the country, they are especially popular in Almeirim, where they are considered a true local specialty. There may be slight variations in the recipe, mainly in the type of sausages used, but the base remains the same: fava beans, tomato sauce, and sausages.

Below, we’ll walk you through our version of favas with chouriço — a dish we absolutely love at home.

Contents hide

Favas with Chouriço – Traditional Portuguese Recipe

Preparation

Necessary utensils

Ingredients for Favas com Chouriço

Favas com Chouriço – Step-by-Step Recipe

Serving Suggestions and Side Dishes

Tips

Storage and Reuse

Conclusion

Favas com Chouriço: How to Make This Classic Portuguese Dish

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Favas with Chouriço – Traditional Portuguese Recipe

Preparation

Servings: 4 people
Prep time: 1 hour (20 minutes for prep, 40 minutes to cook)
Difficulty: Easy

Necessary utensils

Large pot
Knife
Wooden spoon or spatula
Tablespoon
Peeler

A red-lidded Dutch oven sits open on a patterned tablecloth next to a knife, spoon, vegetable peeler, and wooden spoon—perfect for preparing Portuguese recipes like Favas com Chouriço. — Utensils for making fava com chouriço

Ingredients for Favas com Chouriço

1 good chouriço (I like to use two halves: one spicier and one mild)
50 g (about 2 oz) bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 kg (2.2 lbs) frozen favas
1 large onion or 2 medium onions
3 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
400 g (about 14 oz) crushed tomatoes (I used a can)
2 large carrots
1 small chili pepper (piri-piri)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Various ingredients for the traditional dish, Favas com Chorizo, are arranged on a patterned tablecloth, including diced carrots, chopped onions, fava beans, olive oil, sausage slices, ham, minced garlic, salt, and red peppers - ready for a perfect recipe! — Ingredients for making broad beans with chorizo

Favas com Chouriço – Step-by-Step Recipe

How to peel the favas:
1. Freeze the favas before peeling — this makes it much easier to remove the outer skin.
2. Remove the favas from the pod while they are still frozen.
3. With the skin still on, make a small cut near the “eye” of the fava (the germination end, usually marked by a dark line).
4. Then, gently press the base of the fava (opposite the eye): the seed should pop out easily, separating from the skin.

Several green broad bean pods and some shelled broad beans are displayed on a wooden surface, perfect for preparing the Broad Bean Recipe. — Remove the beans from the pod

A person uses a knife to shell fava beans over a white bowl. A plate of shelled beans sits on a patterned tablecloth, and an empty floral plate sits nearby. — Cut the “eye” off the bean

A hand is peeling a fava bean on a white plate, with a bowl of unpeeled fava beans to the left—perfect for making Favas com Chouriço, a Portuguese classic—on a patterned tablecloth. — Press on the base to remove the shell

Making Favas com Chouriço:

Chop the onion and garlic, cut the bacon into strips, and slice the chouriço. Take this time to peel the carrots and cut them into rounds or cubes, depending on your preference.
Sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil — you don’t need much, as the bacon and chouriço will release plenty of fat.
Once the onion is golden, add the bacon and chouriço. Let them cook for about 5 minutes so they release their fat and flavor.

A red pot on the stovetop contains chopped onions, sliced chorizo sausage, and chunks of meat sautéing. A wooden spoon sits inside the pot, stirring the mixture. — Sauté the onion, garlic, chouriço, and bacon over medium heat.

Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and chili pepper, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer gently for a few minutes.
Then, add the favas and carrots.

A hand pours a bowl of chopped tomatoes into a red pan with sliced sausage, onions and garlic, while stirring with a wooden spoon on a black stovetop, preparing the classic Portuguese recipe Favas com Chouriço. — Add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, and seasoning.

A hand pours a bowl of green fava beans into a red pot of tomato-based Fava Bean and Chorizo stew on the stovetop. A wooden spoon sits inside, stirring the mixture. — Add the peeled broad beans.

A person adds chopped carrots from a bowl to a red pot of fava beans and chorizo, stirring the beans and tomato-based sauce with a wooden spoon on the stove to prepare this classic recipe. — And cook the carrots.

If needed, add a little boiling water. The sauce should be plentiful but not too watery.
Let the favas cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender and soft.

A red pot filled with a thick, orange stew of vegetables, beans, and chunks of meat—Favas com Chouriço, a savory Portuguese recipe—is being stirred with a wooden spoon on a black stovetop. — If necessary, add a little water to the sauce; as shown in the image, it should be quite thick.

Adjust the seasoning and, if needed, add a bit more water to keep the sauce generous.
Once the sauce is thick and the favas are fully cooked, remove from the heat. It’s ready to serve.

A bowl of Fava Beans with Chorizo on a patterned tablecloth. This traditional Portuguese recipe looks thick and comforting. — Step-by-step recipe for Broad Beans with Chorizo

Serving Suggestions and Side Dishes

To accompany favas com chouriço, we suggest serving with white rice or slices of toasted bread. Both options soak up the flavorful sauce from the favas and take the dish to another level.

When it comes to wine, we recommend a rich and robust red, such as a wine from Alentejo or Dão, or for a more rustic and traditional approach, a red Vinho Verde.

Tips

In Portugal, favas are easy to find in spring, both in supermarkets and at local markets. During the rest of the year, they are less common, but you can usually find them in the frozen section of supermarkets.
We like our favas well-cooked and tender, so we let them cook for longer.
If you prefer firmer favas, cook them for 15 to 20 minutes.
Although it takes some effort, it’s really necessary to peel the favas. Otherwise, they can be too fibrous, hard to chew, and lose some of their flavor.
The trick to this recipe, and what really gives it its flavor, is the sausages you use. Choose a chouriço that you particularly enjoy — it can be smoked, spicy, or any type you like.
If you want, you can add paprika paste or sweet paprika (colorau) to intensify the flavor of the dish further.
Instead of canned crushed tomatoes, you can use fresh tomatoes, as long as they are fully ripe and of good quality. In that case, the result can be even better than using canned tomatoes.

A bowl of Favas com Chouriço (Broad Beans with Chorizo) - filled with chunks of chorizo, vegetables, and broad beans in a tomato-based sauce. The bowl sits on a wicker plate atop a patterned tablecloth, showcasing a traditional Portuguese recipe. — Typical Portuguese Broad Beans with Chouriço

Storage and Reuse

Favas com chouriço keep well in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. This is one of those dishes that often tastes even better when reheated than on the day it was first made.

You can also freeze it for up to 2 to 3 months without significant loss of quality. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave or on the stove — it will remain flavorful and maintain a good texture.

Conclusion

Favas com chouriço is a traditional Portuguese comfort dish, most commonly enjoyed during fava season, in April and May.

It’s a simple recipe to make, with an aroma that feels like home. We hope you enjoy cooking it, and that the pleasure of tasting it is even greater.

Bom Apetite!

Favas com Chouriço: How to Make This Classic Portuguese Dish

Jorge Bastos

Discover how to make Favas com Chouriço, a traditional Portuguese recipe that’s homemade and delicious. Step-by-step with practical tips.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Large pot
Knife
Wooden spoon or spatula
Tablespoon
Peeler

Ingredients

1 good-quality chouriço
50 g bacon about 2 oz
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 kg frozen favas about 2.2 lbs
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
400 g about 14 oz crushed tomatoes
2 large carrots
1 small piri-piri chili pepper
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Instructions

Peel the favas.
Chop the onion and garlic, cut the bacon into strips, and slice the chouriço. Take this time to peel the carrots and cut them into rounds or cubes, depending on your preference.
Sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil — you don’t need much, as the bacon and chouriço will release plenty of fat.
Once the onion is golden, add the bacon and chouriço. Let them cook for about 5 minutes so they release their fat and flavor.
Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and piri piri chili pepper, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer gently for a few minutes.
Then, add the favas and carrots.
If needed, add a little boiling water. The sauce should be plentiful but not too watery.
Let the favas cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender and soft.
Adjust the seasoning and, if needed, add a bit more water to keep the sauce generous.
Once the sauce is thick and the favas are fully cooked, remove from the heat. It’s ready to serve.