Main Course · Dinner · Brazilian · Latin American ·

Spicy Brazilian Acarajé Tacos with Vatapá and Green Sauce

Name: Spicy Brazilian Acarajé Tacos with Vatapá and Green Sauce
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Main Course
Ingredients: 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked and peeled; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon salt; Oil for frying; 1 cup dried shrimp or cooked shrimp, ground; 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk; 1/4 cup peanuts, ground; 2 tablespoons palm oil; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Salt to taste; 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped; 1/4 cup parsley, chopped; 1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon lime juice; Salt to taste; Corn tortillas, warmed; Lime wedges, for serving

These flavorful Brazilian tacos combine the crispy texture of Acarajé fritters with creamy vatapá filling, topped with a refreshing green sauce.

4.2(187 reviews)

·By Ethan Brooks·November 10, 2025

Spicy Brazilian Acarajé Tacos with Vatapá and Green Sauce — Main Course served and photographed from above

Prep

1 h

Cook

3 h

Difficulty

Advanced

Serves

Ingredients

Servings

For the Acarajé Fritters

For the Vatapá Filling

For the Green Sauce

For the Tacos

Nutrition

Per serving

Calories: 308 kcal
Protein: 11.5 g
Carbs: 26.4 g
Fat: 26.7 g
Fiber: 4.8 g

Whole recipe

Total

Calories: 1845 kcal
Protein: 68.9 g
Carbs: 158.4 g
Fat: 160.3 g
Fiber: 28.7 g

Breakdown by ingredient▾

Ingredient	Cal	P	C	F	Fib
2 cups dried black-eyed peas soaked and peeled	400	26	72	1	16
1 small onion chopped	28	1	7	0	1
1 clove garlic minced	4	0.2	1	0	0
1 teaspoon salt	0	0	0	0	0
Oil for frying	500	0	0	56	0
1 cup dried shrimp or cooked shrimp ground	200	25	2	3	0
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk	200	2	4	20	0
1/4 cup peanuts ground	207	8	6	18	2
2 tablespoons palm oil	240	0	0	28	0
1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated	5	0	1	0	0
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper	3	0.2	0.5	0.2	0.3
Salt to taste	0	0	0	0	0
1/4 cup cilantro chopped	1	0.1	0.1	0	0.1
1/4 cup parsley chopped	4	0.3	0.8	0.1	0.5
1 jalapeño deseeded and chopped	4	0.1	1	0	0.5
2 tablespoons olive oil	240	0	0	27	0
1 tablespoon lime juice	4	0	1	0	0
Salt to taste	0	0	0	0	0
Corn tortillas warmed	300	6	60	7	8
Lime wedges for serving	5	0	2	0	0.3

These are estimates, not dietary advice.

Preparation

Get these tasks done before you start cooking.

Prepping the Black-Eyed Peas

1
Soak the black-eyed peas
Soak the black-eyed peas overnight in water.
Tip: Soak the black-eyed peas overnight to expedite the preparation process.
2
Drain and peel the peas
Drain and peel the skin from each pea by gently rubbing them.
3
Blend the mixture
Blend the peeled peas with onion, garlic, and salt until smooth.

Making the Vatapá

1
Heat palm oil
Heat palm oil in a pan over medium heat.
2
Add spices
Add ginger and cayenne pepper, stirring until fragrant.
3
Combine ingredients
Add ground shrimp, coconut milk, and ground peanuts, cook until thickened.

How to Make Spicy Brazilian Acarajé Tacos with Vatapá and Green Sauce

Total time: 4 h · Yields 6 servings

1
Frying the Acarajé
Heat oil in a deep skillet and drop spoonfuls of pea mixture, fry until golden.
2
Preparing the Green Sauce
Blend cilantro, parsley, jalapeño, olive oil, lime juice, and salt until smooth.
3
Assembling the Tacos
Fill tortillas with a fritter, add a spoonful of vatapá and drizzle with green sauce.