Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew)
Fish simmered in coconut milk, dendê palm oil, peppers, and lime in a clay pot, the taste of the Bahian coast.
Afro-Brazilian · easy · serves 4
prep 20 min · cook 25 min
~743 cal · 40g protein · 76g carbs · 33g fat · 6g fiber · 8g sugars · 22g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Moqueca is the great fish stew of Bahia on Brazil's northeastern coast, a dish with deep Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous roots that some call the oldest recipe in the country. Traditionally cooked and served in a heavy clay pot, it is the taste of the tropical coastline.
White fish (and often shrimp) is simmered gently with , tomatoes, peppers, onion, and cilantro, all bound and coloured by dende, the vivid orange West African that gives Bahian food its unmistakable richness and hue. A squeeze of lime brightens the whole pot.
Rich, fragrant, and just spicy enough, moqueca is served bubbling with white rice and pirao to soak up the golden broth. It is festive, communal food that carries the history of Bahia in every spoonful, where Africa, Portugal, and the Americas meet at the table.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
1.5 lbs firm white fish fillets (snapper, cod)
3 tbsp lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, rings
1 yellow bell pepper, rings
1 red onion, rings
2 tomatoes, sliced
14 oz can
2 tbsp dendê (red ), or 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sweet paprika
1 big handful cilantro, chopped
4 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
1
Marinate the fish (or palm hearts) in lime juice, garlic, and salt for 20 minutes.
2
In a wide clay pot or deep skillet, layer half the onion, peppers, and tomato. Lay the fish on top, then the remaining vegetables.
3
Pour the coconut milk over, cover, and simmer gently 15 minutes without stirring, moqueca is layered, never stirred.
4
Drizzle the dendê over and shake the pan to marry it in. Simmer 5 more minutes.
5
Shower with cilantro and bring the whole pot to the table with rice.
Salvador da Bahia coastal cooking.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Bahia. Bahia is the Afro-Brazilian soul of the country, cooking with dendê palm oil, coconut, and dried shrimp in dishes like moqueca and acarajé. West African heritage flavors a vibrant, coastal table.
🗺️
Brazil. Brazil is a continent-sized country with an Afro-Brazilian coastal soul, from Bahia's palm-oil and coconut moquecas to the national feijoada bean stew. Cassava, black beans, tropical fruit, and churrasco barbecue anchor a joyful, diverse table.
🌍
South America. Migration reworked the plate within living memory. Japanese arrivals in Peru and Brazil produced Nikkei cooking, Italians made pasta and pizza entirely ordinary in Argentina, Uruguay and Sao Paulo, and West African cooking carried into Bahia by the slave trade gave Brazil dende palm oil, okra and a whole ritual repertoire.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Brazil
Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Puffs)Chewy-crisp little cheese breads made from tapioca starch, naturally gluten-free and dangerously poppable.
FeijoadaBrazil’s black-bean and smoked-meat feast, simmered for hours and served with rice, greens, orange, and farofa.
BrigadeiroFudgy chocolate truffles of condensed milk cooked with cocoa and butter, rolled in sprinkles. No Brazilian party exists without them.
Browse all Brazil recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Skillet or frying pan, Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Brazil meal
CaipirinhaDrink
BrigadeiroDessert
Feijão TropeiroLunch
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Lo'i Feke (Octopus in Coconut Cream)Tonga
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew)?
Fish simmered in coconut milk, dendê palm oil, peppers, and lime in a clay pot, the taste of the Bahian coast.
Where does Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew) come from?
Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew) is a Afro-Brazilian dish from Bahia, Brazil.
Can Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Moqueca Baiana (Bahian Fish Stew) take to make?
About 45 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 25 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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