Coxinha (Brazilian chicken croquettes)
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the chicken for 20 minutes in simmering water with the stock cube. Drain, keeping 500 ml of the broth, then shred the chicken with a fork.
- Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 minutes, add the shredded chicken and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Off the heat, stir in the catupiry.
- Bring the 500 ml of broth to the boil with the butter. Tip in all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough comes away from the pan.
- Turn the dough onto the work surface and knead it while warm for 2 minutes until smooth. Leave it to cool for 30 minutes under a tea towel.
- Take a 30 g ball of dough, flatten it in your hand, put a spoonful of filling in the centre and close it by pinching the top to form a teardrop.
- Dip each coxinha in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes in oil at 180 °C until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
Notes
Crispy outside, soft inside and filled with creamy chicken: the coxinha is the snack you find in every bar and at every party in Brazil. Here is our coxinha traditional Brazilian recipe, with its pretty teardrop shape.
Coxinha: origin and history
As for coxinha origin and history, the name means “little thigh” in Portuguese, because its shape recalls a chicken drumstick. A legend says that in the 19th century, on a farm in the state of São Paulo, a cook invented this snack for the son of Princess Isabel, who would only eat chicken thighs. Historians have no proof of this. What is certain is that the coxinha spread in the 20th century with the industrialisation of São Paulo: cheap and filling, it was eaten standing at the counter. Today it is the most popular salgadinho (little savoury snack) in the country.
The Brazilian chicken croquette
Brazilian chicken croquettes are unlike any other. The dough is not a classic batter: it is a cooked dough, made by tipping flour into boiling chicken broth, a bit like choux pastry without eggs. It becomes soft and supple and keeps the flavour of the broth. The filling combines shredded chicken, onion, herbs and a creamy cheese. Everything is breaded and fried, for a golden crust that crunches as you bite.
An easy coxinha recipe in three stages
This easy coxinha recipe comes together in three stages. First the filling: the chicken is cooked in broth, then shredded and mixed with cheese. Next the dough, cooked in a few minutes with the cooking broth. Finally shaping, breading and frying. Allow an hour of work for about 25 party-sized coxinhas. This homemade coxinha is nothing like the frozen ones: the dough is thin and the filling generous.
Coxinha de frango com catupiry
The coxinha de frango com catupiry is Brazilians’ favourite version. Catupiry is a very creamy processed cheese sold in tubs, created in Brazil in 1911. Mixed with the chicken, it makes the filling soft and rich. The classic coxinha is simply chicken, but adding creamy cheese has become so common that you find it almost everywhere.
How to replace catupiry?
Catupiry is hard to find outside Brazil, except in Brazilian shops. To replace catupiry in coxinha, use a very creamy, slightly salty soft cheese: cream cheese such as Philadelphia, or a spreadable cheese such as Kiri. Avoid very runny cheeses, which make the dough soggy. Kiri is the one whose flavour is closest to catupiry.
Lump-free coxinha dough
For a lump-free coxinha dough, the broth must be at a rolling boil when you add the flour, and all the flour must go in at once. Stir immediately and vigorously: lumps form when flour is sprinkled into liquid that is not hot enough. Then knead the still-warm dough on the work surface: it becomes as smooth as modelling clay. If it is too sticky, add a spoonful of flour.
How to shape coxinhas?
Here is how to shape coxinhas. Lightly oil your hands. Take a walnut-sized ball of dough, about 30 g, and flatten it into a disc in your palm. Hollow it slightly, place a spoonful of filling in the centre, then bring the edges up and pinch to close. Turn the coxinha between your hands to give it its teardrop shape, with a flat base so it can stand upright.
A crispy coxinha coating
For a crispy coxinha coating, dip each coxinha in beaten egg, then roll it in fine breadcrumbs. In Brazil, milk is often used instead of egg, but egg gives a sturdier crust that holds up better to frying. For an even crispier result, use panko breadcrumbs. Fry at 180 °C: if the oil is too cool, the coating goes soggy; too hot, it burns before the inside is warm.
Coxinha in the Thermomix
The coxinha Thermomix method simplifies the filling and the dough. For the filling, cook the chicken in the broth for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature, speed 1, then shred it for 5 seconds on reverse, speed 4. For the dough, heat 500 ml of broth with the butter for 8 minutes at 100 °C, speed 1, add the flour and mix for 1 minute on speed 4, then 2 minutes on dough mode. Shape and bread as in the recipe.
Coxinha in the air fryer
The coxinha air fryer version is lighter. After breading, spray each coxinha with a little oil. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes at 200 °C, turning them halfway, until golden. The crust is slightly less crispy than when deep-fried, but the coxinha contains much less fat.
Freezing coxinhas
For freezing coxinhas, it is best to freeze them raw and breaded. Place them on a tray without touching, freeze for 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag: they keep for 3 months. Fry them straight from frozen at 170 °C for 6 to 7 minutes, so the centre has time to heat through. Cooked coxinhas reheat in 10 minutes in the oven at 180 °C.
Coxinha calories
For coxinha calories, allow about 145 kcal for a 50 g fried coxinha. The frying and the coating provide a good share of the fat, while the chicken provides the protein. The air fryer version comes down to around 110 kcal each.
What to serve with coxinhas?
In Brazil, coxinhas are eaten hot, with a few drops of chilli sauce and a cold drink. For a complete Brazilian spread, serve them with our pão de queijo and finish with our chocolate brigadeiros. Fans of fried snacks will also love Portuguese bolinhos de bacalhau and Dutch bitterballen. A pinch of paprika in the filling gives it a lovely colour, and our spice guide will help you vary the flavours.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my coxinhas burst open when frying?
The dough was not sealed properly or the filling was too wet. Pinch the top of the teardrop firmly, drain the filling well and check the oil is at 180 °C before adding the coxinhas.
Can I make coxinhas the day before?
Yes. Shape and bread them, then keep them in the fridge covered with cling film until the next day. Fry them at the last minute so they stay crispy.
