"Baião" Brazilian Blackeyed Peas and Rice (Baião de dois)

If you're looking for an easy but hearty dinner recipe to warm up chilly winter nights, try this Brazilian-inspired blackeyed peas and rice dish.

This traditional Brazilian one-pot meal dish continues to be enjoyed among families at home as well as by diners in restaurants around the world.

This dish blends the flavors of beans, rice, aromatics, and other pantry ingredients into an unforgettable combination. It involves pan-frying onions, garlic, peppers, and other seasonings to create a unique flavor profile that both excites the taste buds and provides a hearty filling meal.

What is Baião De Dois?

You will find this Baião de dois recipe very similar to what you know as Hoppin John or Southern black-eyed peas and rice.

This is a traditional dish from northeast Brazil in the state of Maranhão. It is often served during special occasions like weddings and anniversaries, yet it's simple enough to make and enjoy on a weeknight. Baiao de dois is an incredibly delicious dish that involves a blend of two staples in the South American cuisine, beans (Black Eyed Peas) and Rice.

It is typically made with black-eyed peas, onions, garlic, and bacon, and it's topped with white rice. Together, these ingredients create a unique combination of flavors that perfectly capture what makes baiao de dois so amazing. Of course, every region has their own take on what goes in this dish as no two recipes are exactly alike.

Mood Music (music to pair with Baião de Dois)

No doubt gotta come with a version of the song Baião of which there are many renditions. I like this funky version by one of my favorite Brazilian groups, Banda Black Rio.

Ingredients Needed To Make Baião de dois

• Black-eyed Peas
• Bacon
• Sausage - I prefer andouille but in many versions, the dish is frequently accompanied with Spanish chorizo
• Red Onion
• Bell Peppers
• Garlic Cloves
• Haitian Epis Seasoning
• Achiote Paste - I used those store-bought annatto seeds paste cubes. Note achiote and annatto are the same
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Smoked Paprika
• Ground Allspice
• Rice

How To Make Brazilian Black-Eyed Peas and Rice (step by step)

Heat a large pot, saucepan or dutch oven on medium heat. Add the diced bacon and sausage to render their respective fat.

Add the onions cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic cloves, and about a quarter of the spices cooking for another 30 seconds.

Add annatto and peppers cook for 1-2 minutes. The annatto will start to breakdown.

Add the peas plus the epis seasoning and water or chicken stock if using. Mix well using a slotted spoon.

Bring to simmer and cook on low heat for about 35 minutes.

Add the rice and continue cooking covered 15 minutes.

Cooking Considerations and Tips When Making Blackeyed Peas and Rice

This recipe is meant to be a guide. Feel free to put your own spin on it as others have done and as I have done.

I used a combination of bacon and pork andouille sausage, but I've seen recipes that call for chicken or beef.

Epis seasoning is another element I added to my version. I use epis like you would a sofrito, i.e. as a seasoning base.

I toyed with the idea of using palm oil to reflect the African influence even more, but stayed with more commonly used achiote in this dish. It imparts similar red color as palm, but a different flavor profile that in my opinion better maintains the balance in the dish,

I prefer jasmine rice, but use your preferred long grain white rice.

Make sure to add enough water to ensure the rice gets fully cooked. The recipe calls for 5 ½ cups of water and 2 ½ cups rice.

In certain regions a mild white cheese like panela is included. The diced pieces of panela are added to the peas and rice at the end of cooking.

I consider adding tomatoes for some acidity but felt like the epis seasoning base provided enough.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Making Baião de dois

Why is it called Baião de dois?

The name/phrase is rooted in music. Brazilian musicians Humberto Teixeira and Luis Gonzaga wrote a song called Baião-de-Dois ('Dance for two') that became a big deal in Brazil reaching peak popularity in the 1950s. The name of the song was used to describe the dish of blackeyed peas and rice in recognition of how well the peas and rice meshed together.

What goes with Baião de dois?

I like a few soul food staples like Southern collard greens or you can make Brazilian style collards couve mineira. For meat proteins, I like a fried pork chop, grilled red snapper, or fried chicken.

What is the difference between baião and Baião de dois?

"Baião" by itself actually refers to a dance and musical rhythm aka Baião rhythm, whereas Baião de dois is the food dish as described in detail previously. Baião de dois translated to English means Baião for two which in a food context probably refers to the balance and synergy between the two key ingredients.

For other blackeyed pea recipes you might like try these:

Blackeyed Pea Soup

Blackeyed Pea Falafel

Blackeyed Pea Salad

Purple Hull Peas and Okra

Southern Blackeyed Peas

Make This Recipe

This Brazilian blackeyed peas and rice dish is a delicious and easy way to feed a crowd. It's hearty and filling, but not too heavy. The black eyed peas add a nice creamy texture, while the rice provides a perfect amount of chewiness. And because it only takes about an hour to make, it's ideal for busy weeknights. So what are you waiting for? Give this recipe a try!

If you make this comforting soul food baião de dois recipe or any other recipe please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.

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