Recipe

Bacalhau à Brás

A cozy Portuguese salt cod skillet with onions, crispy potatoes, and soft eggs, finished with olives, parsley, and optional lemon.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A plated serving of bacalhau à Brás on a white dish, showing flaky salt cod mixed with soft eggs, crisp potato sticks, black olives, and chopped parsley on a simple wooden table

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Bacalhau à Brás is one of those dishes that feels like it should be complicated, but it’s basically a very good skillet scramble with a Portuguese passport. You get sweet, jammy onions, flaky salt cod, crispy little potato sticks, and eggs that stay soft and creamy instead of dry and overcooked. Then you finish it with briny olives, parsley, and an optional squeeze of lemon, and suddenly your kitchen feels like a tiny neighborhood spot in Lisbon.

This is my weeknight-friendly take that keeps the ingredients accessible and the technique low drama. The main thing you need is properly soaked bacalhau and the willingness to turn the heat down for the eggs. Do that and this dish pretty much cooks itself while you stand there “taste testing” like it’s your job.

A kitchen counter with soaked salt cod, sliced onions, eggs, shoestring potatoes, parsley, lemons, and black olives set out and ready to cook

Why It Works

Big flavor from a short ingredient list: onions and garlic build sweetness, bacalhau brings savory depth, olives add that salty pop.
Great texture contrast: crisp potatoes against soft, custardy eggs is the whole point, so we add potatoes at the right moment to keep them snappy.
Gentle eggs, always: low heat at the end means creamy curds that coat everything instead of turning into dry chunks.
Flexible and forgiving: you can use homemade fried potatoes or store-bought shoestrings, and you can scale it up easily for a crowd.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Bacalhau à Brás is best right off the stove while the potatoes still have some crunch, but leftovers are still very worth it.

Refrigerate

Cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Reheat

Stovetop (best): Warm in a nonstick skillet over low heat with a small splash of water or a drizzle of olive oil. Stir gently and pull it off while the eggs are just warmed through.
Microwave (fast): Heat in 30 second bursts, stirring in between. Stop early rather than late so the eggs don’t overcook.

Freezing

I don’t recommend freezing this. Eggs and potatoes both suffer, and you deserve better.

Common Questions

What is bacalhau à Brás?

It’s a classic Portuguese dish of salt cod (bacalhau) cooked with sautéed onions and garlic, mixed with thin fried potatoes, then bound with soft scrambled eggs. It’s usually finished with black olives and parsley.

Do I have to use salt cod?

Traditionally, yes. Salt cod is the standard. If you can’t find it, you can make a similar skillet with cooked shredded cod or even leftover roast fish, but it won’t have the same deep, cured flavor. If you go the fresh-fish route, season a bit more assertively and finish with a squeeze of lemon (optional, but really nice).

How long should I soak salt cod?

Most pieces need 24 to 48 hours in the fridge, changing the water 2 to 4 times. Very thick or very salty pieces can take longer. When in doubt, taste a tiny flake after soaking and adjust. You want it pleasantly seasoned, not aggressively salty.

Help, my cod is still too salty. What do I do?

Give it more time in fresh cold water (another change or two often fixes it). If you’re in a hurry, you can also do a quick extra soak in warm (not boiling) water for 15 to 20 minutes, then taste again. If it’s already cooked and still salty, add a little more onion and a splash of olive oil to balance it, and skip adding any extra salt.

What if my cod tastes bland after soaking?

That’s an easy fix. Finish the dish, then add a small pinch of salt at the very end if it needs it. Black olives also bring salt, so taste after they go in.

Can I use store-bought potato sticks?

Yes, and it’s honestly a great shortcut. Look for shoestring potatoes or “batata palha.” Add them near the end so they keep some crunch. Bonus tip: reserve a small handful to sprinkle on top right before serving.

Why did my eggs turn dry?

Heat was too high or they cooked too long. Pull the skillet off the heat when the eggs still look slightly glossy. Residual heat finishes the job.

Is lemon traditional?

Not always. It’s a fresh, modern finish that I love here. Keep it optional, and you’ll still have a very classic bacalhau à Brás.

What olives are best?

Portuguese black olives are classic, but oil-cured black olives or Kalamata are great too. Just skip the super bland canned black olives if you can.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Large nonstick skillet (12 inch) or very well-seasoned cast iron (nonstick is easiest for the eggs)
Medium saucepan (for the cod)
Colander
Cutting board and knife
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Whisk or fork (for the eggs)

The first time I made bacalhau à Brás, I treated it like a fussy “project dish.” I babysat everything, overthought the timing, and still managed to cook the eggs a little too far because I was chasing perfection instead of paying attention to the pan. Now I cook it like a friend is hanging out at the counter. Onions go until they smell sweet, the cod gets gently flaked, and the eggs go in when I’m ready to turn the heat down and relax. It’s a humble skillet dinner, and that’s exactly why it’s brilliant.

Bacalhau à Brás

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes (plus 24 to 48 hours soaking)

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes (plus soaking)

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 lb salt cod (bacalhau), soaked and rinsed (see note)
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf (optional)
8 oz shoestring potatoes (batata palha), or about 3 cups
6 large eggs
2 tbsp milk or cream (optional, helps keep eggs soft)
1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
Zest of 1 lemon (optional, not strictly traditional but excellent)
1/2 cup black olives, pitted
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon wedges, optional, for serving

Soaking note: Soak bacalhau in cold water in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, changing water 2 to 4 times. Very thick or very salty pieces can need longer. Taste a tiny flake after soaking so you know where you stand on salt.

A glass bowl of soaked salt cod sitting in clear water on a kitchen counter next to a colander, ready to be drained

Instructions

Gently cook the cod. Put the soaked bacalhau in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat (don’t let it boil), then reduce heat and simmer gently for 6 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness, just until the fish flakes easily. Drain and let cool slightly.
Flake and de-bone. Flake the cod into bite-size pieces, removing any skin and pin bones. Set aside.
Sauté the onions. In a large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion (and bay leaf if using) with a pinch of pepper (no salt yet, the cod may be salty). Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and sweet, 10 to 12 minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a drizzle more oil.
Add garlic, then cod. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flaked cod and toss to combine. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to warm it through.
Prep the eggs. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk or cream (if using), black pepper, and lemon zest (if using).
Fold in the potatoes. Reduce heat to low. Add the shoestring potatoes to the skillet and toss quickly. You want them coated and warmed, not soggy. If you like extra crunch, reserve a small handful for topping at the end.
Add eggs and cook gently. Pour in the eggs and stir slowly, scraping the bottom, until the eggs are softly set and still a little glossy, 2 to 4 minutes. Pull the skillet off the heat early. Residual heat finishes the eggs.
Finish and serve. Remove bay leaf if used. Fold in most of the parsley and olives. Taste and adjust. You might not need salt at all, but if it tastes flat, add a small pinch at the end. Serve hot with extra parsley, olives, reserved potato sticks (if using), and optional lemon wedges.