Brazilian Vinaigrette is a condiment, rather than a salad dressing as the name might imply. It’s a classic accompaniment to traditional “Churrasco” (Brazilian style grilled meats) found at both steakhouses and home barbecues in Brazil. It’s similar to a Mexican style Pico de gallo, with a some swaps in flavor profiles and ingredients. This bright, flavorful vegetable mix is a fantastic pairing with pretty much any grilled protein, including beef, chicken, pork, and fish. I especially love it served with rice and beans on the side, where it can mix in with everything on the plate and add flavor to every bite!
Ingredient Notes
- Tomato – You can use any plum tomato like roma, on-the-vine, etc.
- Bell Pepper – I like green pepper, but I’ve also combined red pepper and it’s great too. Red, yellow, and orange peppers will be a bit sweeter than green.
- Onion – a regular white onion is most popular in this recipe, but yellow works fine, and even purple onion would taste great too.
- Parsley – opt for flat-leaf Italian style parsley as opposed to curly leaf.
- Oil – you can use an oil of your choice. A neutral oil (like avacado or vegetable) will not affect the flavor much, whereas an olive oil will add a little flavor. I usually use avocado oil.
- Vinegar – I like to use plain white vinegar, to me it tastes most authentic to my Brazilian friend’s recipes to me, and I also just really love vinegar! But white wine vinegar is also great, and even red wine vinegar would be good. A lot of times I will do half regular vinegar and half white wine vinegar.
How to Make Brazilian Vinaigrette
- Combine finely diced tomatoes, onions and bell peppers with minced parsley.
- Add oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
- That’s it! Easy! It’s ready to be piled on top of your grilled meats.
Serving Suggestions
This vinaigrette is amazing served with any type of grilled meat, but here are some of my favorite recipes if you’d like to explore Brazilian style cuisine a little bit more and make this a meal! I suggest serving rice and beans with whatever you make because this vinaigrette is so great mixed up along with those. You can find my whole collection of Brazilian-inspired recipes, here.
Brazilian Style Rice
Quick and Easy Black Beans
Brazilian Style Black Beans (Pressure Cooker)
Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Brazilian Lemonade
Brazilian Brigadeiros
FAQ’s
- Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! In fact the flavors get better if it has time to sit for a few hours. While it’s still great to eat leftovers the next day, I wouldn’t purposely make it a day ahead of time. - How long can I store this?
Leftovers should be stored in the fridge and are good for a day or two. It won’t spoil after that, but it might get a little mushy. - Can it be frozen?
I would not freeze this dish, it’s best fresh.
Brazilian Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes diced small (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium white onion or 1/2 large diced small (about 1 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper diced small (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup neutral oil like avocado or vegetable, but olive oil works as well
- 4 tablespoons white vinegar or white wine vinegar I often do half of each, white wine vinegar is a little more mild
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine. Chill for at least an hour (and up to a few) before using. Keep in mind that flavors, including salt, intensifies after sitting so taste when ready to serve and you can always add additional salt, if needed. You may also add more vinegar if you prefer things more tangy!
Questions & Reviews
You will not be disappointed if you follow this recipe to the letter. For me, I like to add a drained can of sweet corn, the juice of a lime, and equal amount of cilantro to parsley. This is preferencial for me though. The recipe as written will be a hot at your churrasco.
I have been making my Brazilian MIL’s vinaigrete recipe for YEARS, which calls for lime juice; I was intrigued by the idea of using white vinegar, so I tried your recipe and LOVED IT! I used your suggestion of 1/2 white vinegar, half white wine vinegar (although I added a bit extra white wine vinegar at the end). I also used approx 6T of olive oil versus the entire 1/2 cup and added about 1/2 tsp extra kosher salt at the end. We served with churrasco (grilled meats, rice + beans, Brazilian potato salad). Don’t tell my MIL, but this will be my go-to vinaigrete recipe from now on – if you’re familiar with Brazilian mothers, you know she will not be happy that I found a recipe I like better than hers lol!
one easy and great side dish i made it with Brazilian rice and grilled chicken will give try to other suggestions of yours