Brazilian BBQ Class in Rio (3.5h): 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks

We had an amazing experience! Chef Marcela was wonderful and made the class so much fun. We made caipirinhas, garlic bread (Soo good), chicken hearts, picanha, chicken, grilled vegetables, farofa, rice, molho à campanha, and finished with delicious grilled pineapple for dessert. Everything tasted incredible, and we learned so much about Brazilian flavors and cooking along the way. Definitely a highlight of our time in Rio!

Marcela was great and very insightful , and the food was top tier.

I absolutely loved my Cook in Rio churrasco experience with Ercia! The class took place in a beautiful outdoor setting that felt like a Brazilian backyard barbecue, and Ercia made the whole experience incredibly welcoming, social, and fun from the beginning. We made bottomless caipirinhas, garlic-herb bread, vegetable skewers, molho à campanha, farofa, chicken skewers, chicken hearts, and picanha, which we learned how to cut and cook over the fire. We even finished with grilled pineapple with cinnamon and sugar for dessert. I loved that we were actually involved in every part of the cooking instead of just watching. One of my favorite parts was the atmosphere Ercia created. She encouraged everyone to cook together, talk, practice Portuguese, and actually get to know each other. I came in for a cooking class and ended up making friends from around the world who I even went out with afterward! The food was incredible, but the combination of Brazilian culture, cooking, and the social environment made the experience really special. I would absolutely recommend Cook in Rio to anyone visiting Rio, especially if you are traveling solo and want to meet people while doing something genuinely memorable.

This class was an absolute blast thanks to Chef Andre Vasconcellos and his team. The food was delicious but beyond that it was a very pleasant experience. Chef André explained a lot about the roots of Brazilian cooking, provided great technical advice and made us very comfortable. We learned so much! And had fabulous food. The menu had great diversity, we spent more than 3 hours enjoying the experience and the food. Overall a very special night for us, we left with our stomachs and hearts full! Definitely a highlight of our stay in Brazil! Thank you Andre 🙏

It was great!!!! Chef Alex was super attentive, welcoming and very friendly!!! The food was wonderful and very tasty. Worth every penny for the great experience!!!

Excellent experience, we had a lot of fun with chef Alex!!!!! And the food is very good toooo

Great host, thorough instruction, was a great time for me and my friends

We learned how to make caipirinha, cheese bread and vegetable salad. The meat was prepared literally without our involvement or knowledge…so no much learning there. Not what one expects from a BBQ class. But that was not even the main problem. Three things: 1. When we came in, we were told that “hygiene first” and we were sent to wash our hands. That makes sense. BUT the “chef” was smoking cigaretes and didn’t care to wash his hands! In the middle of the class, he went to the bathroom (no problem), I hope he washed his hands…but when he came back, he didn’t join us but instead smoked another cigarette few metres away from us and came back to cook without washing his hands! 2. The chef spits when he speaks so get ready for spit flying everywhere! Gross! 3. The chef was DRUNK! I swear to god…he was drunk, high or both. We couldn’t figure it out! I wanted to terminate the class, but my partner asked me not to. We stayed. But I couldn’t get out of there fast enough after the class ended. It was a waste of money. I would rate the experience as -2, but my partner keeps telling me that it is Brazil and I may be expecting too much. Maybe. But hygiene and being sober during the class…I don’t think I expect too much! This was to be a 3.5h class but we were out in 2hrs 15min!

We learned how to make caipirinha, cheese bread and vegetable salad. The meat was prepared literally without our involvement or knowledge…so no much learning there. Not what one expects from a BBQ class. But that was not even the problem. Three things: 1. When we came in, we were told that “hygiene first” and we were sent to wash our hands. That makes sense. BUT the “chef” was smoking cigaretes and didn’t care to wash his hands! In the middle of the class, he went to the bathroom (no problem), I hope he washed his hands…but when he came back, he didn’t join us but instead smoked another cigarette few metres away from us and came back to cook without washing his hands! 2. The chef spits when he speaks so get ready for spit flying everywhere! Gross! 3. The chef was DRUNK! I swear to god…he was drunk, high or both. We couldn’t figure it out! I wanted to terminate the class, but my partner asked me not to. We stayed. But I couldn’t get out of there fast enough after the class ended. It was a waste of money. I would rate the experience as -2, but my partner keeps telling me that it is Brazil and I may be expecting too much. Maybe. But hygiene and being sober during the class…I don’t think I expect too much! This was to be a 3.5h class but we were out in 2hrs 15min!

We had an amazing experience at Alex’s BBQ Cooking Class! From start to finish, everything was fun, engaging, and incredibly well organized. We loved that this wasn’t just a demonstration—we had the opportunity to cook everything ourselves, making it a truly hands-on experience. The food was absolutely delicious, and every dish we prepared was packed with flavor. We enjoyed every bite and left with full stomachs, new cooking skills, and wonderful memories. If you’re looking for an authentic, interactive cooking experience, I highly recommend Alex’s BBQ Cooking Class!