Chef Juliana
Coração de Frango no Espeto
You think chicken hearts are restaurant food or brave-person food. Wrong. Salt, garlic, lime, a hot espeto, and the discipline not to overcook them: that's the skewer everyone eats first.
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Espeto de Legumes na Brasa
Created by
You don't need meat to earn a place on the churrasqueira. Cut the vegetables evenly, season with real garlic and lime, and let the coals turn them sweet, soft, and smoky.
Side Dishes
Brazilian
BBQ
Outdoor Dining
Picnic
20 min
Active Time
12 min cook•32 min total
Yield8 skewers
You know that little voice at the churrasco saying, isso não é pra mim, because everyone else seems to understand the fire and the skewers and you somehow missed the class? Good. Bring that voice here. A gente is going to make it sit down and behave.
Espeto de legumes is comida de verdade in its most obvious form: pepper, onion, zucchini, tomato, garlic, lime, salt. Nothing from a packet pretending to be flavor. The trick isn't talent. Cozinhar não é dom, é um aprendizado. Cut the vegetables the same size so they cook together, oil them so they don't dry out, salt them enough to wake up, and turn them when the edges char and the onion goes glossy.
On the Brazilian table, even at churrasco, this matters. The everyday plate, the pê-efe, is rice, feijão, something that carries the meal, and something green or bright beside it. These skewers do that job beautifully. They make the plate feel alive, they feed the person who isn't eating meat, and they make the meat eaters reach across the table too, which is always funny to watch.
Anota aí: the fire does not need to be dramatic. Medium coals, steady patience, vegetables cut with a little discipline. That's dinner learning to smell like weekend.
Vegetable skewers became common at Brazilian churrascos as the backyard grill widened beyond beef, sausage, and chicken to include side dishes that could share the same fire. In the south, churrasco is strongly tied to cattle culture, but across urban Brazil the home churrasqueira has become a mixed table, with pão de alho, queijo coalho, farofa, salads, and vegetables cooked beside the meat. The skewer itself is practical before it is decorative: small pieces cook quickly over live coals and can be served without sending anyone back to the kitchen.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
zucchini
Quantity
2 medium
cut into 1-inch half-moons
red bell pepper
Quantity
1
cut into 1-inch pieces
yellow bell pepper
Quantity
1
cut into 1-inch pieces
red onion
Quantity
1 large
cut into 1-inch wedges
cherry tomatoes
Quantity
16
small button mushrooms (optional)
Quantity
8
wiped clean
olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
fresh lime juice
Quantity
1 tablespoon
garlic
Quantity
2 cloves
finely grated or minced
coarse salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
cheiro-verde, parsley and scallion
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped, for finishing
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| zucchinicut into 1-inch half-moons | 2 medium |
| red bell peppercut into 1-inch pieces | 1 |
| yellow bell peppercut into 1-inch pieces | 1 |
| red onioncut into 1-inch wedges | 1 large |
| cherry tomatoes | 16 |
| small button mushrooms (optional)wiped clean | 8 |
| olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| fresh lime juice | 1 tablespoon |
| garlicfinely grated or minced | 2 cloves |
| coarse salt | 1 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| cheiro-verde, parsley and scallionchopped, for finishing | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •8 metal skewers or bamboo skewers soaked 30 minutes
- •Medium charcoal grill or grill pan
- •Long tongs
- •Large mixing bowl
Instructions
- 1
Cut evenly
Cut the zucchini, peppers, and onion into pieces about 1 inch wide. Keep them close in size, because the grill is not a mind reader. If one piece is tiny and the next is a brick, one burns while the other stays raw, and then you blame yourself instead of the knife work.
- 2
Season properly
In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the vegetables and toss with your hands until every piece has a light shine. That oil helps carry the garlic, protects the vegetables from drying out, and gives the coals something to brown instead of just scorch.
- 3
Thread the skewers
Thread the vegetables onto skewers, alternating pepper, onion, zucchini, tomato, and mushroom if using. Leave a little breathing room between pieces, not big gaps, just enough for heat to reach the sides. Pack them too tightly and the centers steam instead of char, and nobody came to the churrasqueira for soggy onion.
- 4
Set the fire
Heat the grill to medium, with coals covered in a light gray ash and no wild flames licking the food. Hold your hand about 5 inches above the grate: you should manage 4 to 5 seconds before pulling away. Too hot burns the outside before the onion softens; too cool dries everything out while you wait.
- 5
Grill and turn
Lay the skewers on the grate and grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes. Watch for browned edges, glossy onion, softened zucchini, and peppers that slump a little but still hold their shape. That's the ponto. The vegetables should taste sweet from the fire, not bitter from being forgotten.
- 6
Finish bright
Move the skewers to a plate and sprinkle with the cheiro-verde while the vegetables are still glossy. Taste one piece and add a pinch of salt or a few drops of lime if it tastes flat. Acid and salt at the end wake the vegetables back up after the heat, which is why the plate suddenly tastes finished.
Chef Tips
- •Use what is good today. In season, zucchini and peppers are sweeter, cheaper, and didn't spend a week traveling to you. Out of season, use onion, mushrooms, eggplant, or even chunks of corn instead. Cook with the season and the season cooks for you.
- •If you're using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don't burn through on the grill. Metal skewers are easier and reusable, which a Tuesday cook appreciates.
- •Don't use garlic powder or a seasoning packet here. Grate two cloves of real garlic into oil and lime. It takes one minute and tastes like food, not a factory's idea of food.
- •Honest shortcut: cut the vegetables a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Don't salt them until close to grilling, or they'll throw off water and soften before they ever meet the fire.
- •Serve these with arroz soltinho, feijão, farofa, and a simple salad, or beside whatever is already on the churrasqueira. That's how you resolver o jantar without turning the table into a project.
Advance Preparation
- •Cut the vegetables up to 6 hours ahead and refrigerate them covered. Season with salt only right before grilling.
- •If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before threading.
- •The skewers are best eaten right off the grill, but leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge and are good chopped into rice, beans, or an omelet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 130g)
Calories
80 calories
Total Fat
5 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
4 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
300 mg
Total Carbohydrates
8 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
2 g
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