Rissóis de carne are the little half-moons that no Portuguese party table is allowed to be without: a soft cooked dough around a savory meat filling, breaded and fried to golden perfection. Every family celebration of my childhood involved a tray of these — and an aunt guarding them.
They are a labor of love — dough, filling, shaping, breading — which is why they are traditionally made in big batches and frozen, ready to fry whenever guests appear.
The cooked-dough method (like a choux without eggs) is what gives rissóis their signature tender bite under the crisp breadcrumb shell. Follow the steps and you will nail it on the first try.
Rissóis de Carne Recipe
Prep time: 40 minutes · Cook time: 10 minutes · Total: 50 minutes · Servings: 8 · Calories: ~188 per serving
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ pound ground beef or pork
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup beef or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For breading and frying:
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ cups breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the flour vigorously until the dough forms a ball and pulls from the sides of the pan. Cover with a towel and let cool.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the meat and brown it, breaking up the lumps.
- Stir in the tomato paste, stock and paprika and simmer until slightly thickened. Sprinkle in the flour to bind, add the parsley, season, and cool completely.
- Roll the dough to ⅛ inch on a floured surface and cut 4-inch circles.
- Place a teaspoon of filling on each circle, fold into a half-moon, press firmly and crimp with a fork.
- Dip each rissól in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs (twice for extra crunch).
- Fry at 350°F in batches, turning, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- They freeze perfectly after breading — fry straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes.
- Rissóis de camarão (shrimp in béchamel) are the other Portuguese party icon — same dough, different soul.
- Serve with chilled white wine or an espresso, depending on the hour — both are traditional.
