Brazilian Summer BBQ Menu Ideas: Celebrating the Rio Olympics!
It’s the countdown to the 2016 Summer Olympics! In just two weeks the Games will kick off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the carnaval capital of the world. What a festive theme for a summer bbq with family and friends—and the perfect excuse to savor all those flavorful dishes and treats that Brazil is famous for! So whether you’ll be planning a “watching party” for the Olympics opening extravaganza or a fun sports-themed cookout, you’ll love this spread of dishes, desserts and drinks to really get everyone in the mood. Rio, here we come!
Flavors of Brazil: Our Suggested Entree and Sides
Just right for a summer bbq, we found a great selection of Brazilian dishes that pack a lot of flavor but are also easy to serve outdoors. These 5 recipes will complete your basic picnic menu right there!
Recreate Brazil’s traditional long skewers of grilled meat with these Brazilian Style Garlic-Cilantro Steak Skewers (1), marinated in herbs and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese before serving.
The perfect complements would be a zesty Brazilian Kale Salad (2) topped with sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes, Grilled Corn with Garlic Mayo and Grated Cheese (3), and Bean Fritters with Prawn and Mango Ceviche (4) made nice and spicy with red chili peppers and tangy with fresh lime juice! Then, to balance all the bold flavors, serve Pao de Queijo (traditional Brazilian cheese bread) (5).
Recipe and image sources: 1 – McCormick / 2 – Tesco / 3 – BBC Good Food / 4 – Food Network (UK) / 5 – All Recipes
Flavors of Brazil: Delicious Desserts and Sweets
Brazilians love fresh fruits in iced treats, just like these refreshing Brazilian Limeade Popsicles (1), sure to keep everyone cool at your summer bbq. Another fruit-based dessert would be the Romeu & Julieta (2), a duo of goiabada (a guava marmalade available in international food stores) layered with white cheese—made handy for a cookout by serving on skewers.
For something truly traditional, you must try Brazil’s best-loved desserts! Bolo de rolo or Rocambole (3), a thin sponge cake rolled into a log with a filling of guava, marmalade or doce de leite. Torta Holandesa (4 – Brazilian “Dutch Pie”) which consists of layers of wafers, covered with a cold white cream and topped with dark chocolate ganache. And of course, the iconic Brigadeiro (5), Brazil’s version of chocolate truffles coated in your choice of chocolate sprinkles, chopped nuts or grated coconut.
Recipe and image sources: 1 – The Merry Thought / 2 – 196 Flavors / 3 – HubPages / 4 – Olivia’s Cuisine / 5 – Betty Crocker
Flavors of Brazil: Thirst-quenching Cocktails and Juices
Brazilian beverages are a celebration of tropical fruits, too—with all their exotic flavors and luscious colors!
For the adults at your event, treat them to spiked drinks like Brazilian Guava Cocktails (1); Pineapple Mint Caipirinhas (2), a zesty variation of Brazil’s national drink; or Berry Cherry Mojitos (4) in bold, bright red.
While for the children and non-alcohol drinkers, the perfect thirst-quenchers would be Brazilian Lemonade (5) or its chillier version Frozen Brazilian Lemonade (3), or a golden Mango Granita (6) that’s a blend of several tropical fruit juices and pulp frozen to crystally goodness and finished with a hint of mint!
Recipe and image sources: 1 – McCormick / 2 – Cynthia Presser / 3 – The Idea Room / 4 – Entertaining is Easy, via Yummly / 5 – Today’s Creative Life / 6 – Tesco
For finger food ideas that would make great additions to your Olympics-themed Summer BBQ, too, check out our post on Flavorful Appetizers for a Brazilian-inspired Summer Party. Here’s to an incredible Rio Olympics 2016!
Being from Spanish heritage, I love that your blog has many Spanish recipes, love the Brazilian BBQ. Well done!
Maria
We definitely have an affinity for the Spanish culture 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Maria! Oh yes, we also did a Spanish-inspired picnic yesterday!