Galinhada — Brazilian Farmhouse Chicken and Rice
Galinhada is the soul food of São Paulo's countryside: a golden free-range chicken slowly braised with rustic rice that soaks up every drop of flavour. Hearty, warming and wonderfully simple, this one-pot wonder has fed Brazilian families for generations.
🛒 Ingredients
5 servings
- 1 large free-range chicken, cut into pieces
- 5 cups of white rice (short-grain or slightly broken rice preferred)
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4–5 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley and basil, tied into a bouquet
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons corn or sunflower oil
- Salt, to taste
- 1 bunch of spring onions or chives, sliced
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Directions
- 1
Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and black pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until golden and fragrant.
- 3
Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides. Add small splashes of water as needed to prevent sticking.
- 4
Once the chicken is beautifully golden, add the raw rice. Stir and fry together until the rice takes on the amber colour of the chicken.
- 5
Pour in about 1.5 litres of hot water and season with salt.
- 6
Add the tied herb bouquet. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, checking the chicken for tenderness with a fork.
- 7
Just before serving, stir in the sliced spring onions.
- 8
Serve immediately — the dish should be moist and slightly saucy, not dry.
💡 Chef's Tip
The key step is toasting the raw rice in the chicken juices before adding water — this builds the deep, savoury flavour the dish is known for. A true free-range or corn-fed chicken makes all the difference.
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