Brazilian Seafood Moqueca with Octopus & Shrimp
A vibrant Brazilian stew featuring tender octopus and succulent shrimp simmered in creamy coconut milk with aromatic red palm oil. This colorful one-pot dish brings the authentic flavors of Bahia straight to your table — festive, rich and utterly irresistible.
🛒 Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh octopus
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh peeled shrimp
- 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
- 2 onions
- 2 mild aromatic peppers (with green stems)
- ½ bell pepper
- 2 limes (1 for cleaning, 1 for juice)
- ½ bunch fresh chives
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro
- 200 ml (¾ cup) coconut milk
- 3–4 tbsp red palm oil (dendê)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Salt, black pepper and cumin to taste
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Directions
- 1
Rinse the octopus under cold running water and drain thoroughly.
- 2
Place it in a pot with 1 whole unpeeled onion and olive oil. Cover and cook over very low heat until the onion is very soft and almost falling apart (45–60 min). The octopus will reach the perfect texture at this point.
- 3
Remove the onion, peel and chop it, and set aside. Drain the octopus, reserving the cooking broth carefully.
- 4
Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- 5
Rinse the shrimp with lime juice and drain. Season with crushed garlic, salt, black pepper and cumin. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
- 6
In a large clay pot or deep skillet, heat the palm oil with olive oil over medium heat.
- 7
Add sliced tomatoes, the second onion (thinly sliced), aromatic peppers and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 8
Add the octopus pieces and the reserved onion, pour in the cooking broth and stir gently.
- 9
Layer the marinated shrimp on top and pour the coconut milk evenly over everything. Do not stir — let the layers remain intact.
- 10
Cover and simmer on low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and fully cooked.
- 11
Stir in chopped chives and cilantro, squeeze in the lime juice and adjust seasoning to taste.
- 12
Serve directly from the pot with fluffy white rice and farofa.
💡 Chef's Tip
The key to perfect moqueca is patience — cook the octopus low and slow, never rush it. Palm oil gives the iconic orange hue; adjust the quantity to your preference. A traditional clay pot (panela de barro) deepens the authentic flavor significantly.
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Same category — Main Dishes
Same difficulty — Medium
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