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Migas Portuguesas

Stale bread transformed into a garlicky, olive-oil-soaked savory porridge, often crowned with golden pork — the Alentejo’s great comfort food.

⏱ 15 minPrep time
🔥 30 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
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Migas Portuguesas recipe photo

Migas Portuguesas turns day-old bread into a garlicky, golden panade — bread cubes fried in olive oil with garlic until crisp outside and creamy within, often joined by chunks of pork or chouriço. It is peasant cooking at its most brilliant.

Humble and fiercely flavorful, migas appear across Portugal, especially alongside roast meats and fish. The texture is the point: crusty edges, soft centers, and enough olive oil to carry the garlic deep into every crumb.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Dampen the bread cubes with a little water, squeeze gently, and rest 10 minutes.
  2. Fry the chouriço or pork in the olive oil until crisp, then remove and set aside.
  3. In the same oil, cook the garlic until golden and stir in the paprika.
  4. Add the bread, tossing to coat, and cook until crisp outside, adding splashes of water or stock to keep the centers soft.
  5. Return the meat, season, finish with cilantro, and serve with roast meat or fried eggs.

💡 Chef tips & storage

The bread must be truly stale — fresh bread turns to mush. Add liquid gradually: you want crisp crusts and a soft, moist interior.

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Recipe details

Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Servings4
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →