A whole chicken marinated in garlic, lime, and paprika, then roasted until the skin turns crisp and golden, a Brazilian Sunday classic.
Frango assado is Brazil's home-style roast chicken, marinated generously in garlic, lime juice, and paprika before roasting until the skin turns deeply golden and the meat stays tender and juicy throughout. It's a Sunday lunch staple across Brazilian households, often served alongside rice, farofa, and a simple salad, embodying the kind of unfussy, flavorful cooking found in Brazilian home kitchens on any given weekend. The technique that defines this chicken is the marinade time and basting: garlic and lime need real contact time with the chicken -- ideally several hours or overnight -- to properly tenderize and season the meat, while regular basting with the pan juices during roasting builds a deeply colored, flavorful skin. Some households add a splash of beer or white wine to the marinade for extra depth, a common variation across Brazilian recipes. Served with white rice, black beans, and farofa, frango assado is straightforward Brazilian comfort food -- reliable, crowd-pleasing, and a fixture of family gatherings across the country.
Serves 4
Combine garlic, lime juice, olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper into a paste.
Rub the marinade all over the chicken, including under the skin and inside the cavity. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Place onion quarters in a roasting pan and set the chicken on top. Pour in beer or wine if using.
Roast 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 180C/350F and continue roasting 50-55 minutes.
Baste with pan juices every 20 minutes to build a deeply golden, flavorful skin.
Check doneness (74C/165F in the thigh), rest 10 minutes, then carve. Serve with rice and pan juices spooned over.
Marinate overnight if possible -- lime and garlic need real time to properly season the meat throughout, not just the surface.
Baste consistently every 20 minutes during roasting; this is what builds the deep golden color and prevents the skin from drying out.
Rub some marinade under the skin as well as over it so the flavor reaches the meat directly, not just the crust.
Add sliced potatoes to the roasting pan in the last 45 minutes so they cook in the flavorful drippings.
Use bone-in chicken thighs instead of a whole bird for a quicker weeknight version, roasting about 35-40 minutes.
Add a splash of Brazilian cachaca to the marinade for extra depth, a variation found in some households.
Refrigerate leftover chicken up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a 180C/350F oven for 12-15 minutes to keep the skin from turning soggy.
Frango assado is a fixture of Brazilian Sunday lunch tradition, reflecting the country's broader culinary emphasis on garlic, lime, and simple, bold seasoning applied to affordable proteins for family gatherings.
Yes -- bone-in thighs and drumsticks work well; reduce roasting time to about 35-40 minutes at 200C/400F.
The marinade time was likely too short, or basting was skipped during roasting. Marinate longer and baste regularly with pan juices for the best color.
White rice, black or pinto beans, and farofa (toasted cassava flour) are the classic Brazilian accompaniments, along with a simple green salad.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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