Coxinha — Brazilian Chicken Croquettes
Brazil's №1 street snack: a teardrop-shaped croquette of soft dough wrapped around shredded, seasoned chicken (often with creamy catupiry), breaded and deep-fried until golden and crunchy. Shaped to look like a little chicken drumstick — 'coxinha' means 'little thigh' — they're the must-have at every Brazilian party, bakery and boteco.
Poach and shred chicken, then cook it into a moist, well-seasoned filling with onion, garlic and tomato (and a little catupiry or cream cheese, if you like). Make the dough by cooking flour into the seasoned chicken broth with butter until it pulls together into a smooth, firm mass; cool. Take pieces of dough, flatten, fill with chicken, and shape into teardrops. Coat in egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fry until deep golden and crisp.
- Cook the dough hard in the seasoned chicken broth until smooth and firm — it should be pliable, not sticky.
- Keep the filling moist and well-seasoned; a little catupiry or cream cheese makes them luxe.
- Shape into the signature teardrop, seal well, then bread and fry hot so they don't burst.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Deep pan for frying
- Bowls for breading
Ингредиенты
Filling
- 400 g chicken breast, poached and shredded, keep the broth
- 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tomato, finely chopped
- Spring onion, parsley, salt, pepper
- 100 g catupiry or cream cheese, optional
Dough
- 500 ml seasoned chicken broth (from poaching)
- 250 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 20 g butter
To coat & fry
- 2 eggs, beaten; fine breadcrumbs
- Oil, for deep-frying
Приготовление
- ШАГ01
Sauté the onion, garlic and tomato, add the shredded chicken, spring onion, parsley and seasoning, and cook into a moist filling. Cool, then mix in catupiry/cream cheese if using.
- ШАГ02
Bring the seasoned broth and butter to a boil, then tip in the flour all at once and stir hard over the heat until it forms a smooth, firm dough that pulls away from the pan. Cool until handleable.
- ШАГ03
Take a piece of dough, flatten it in your palm, place a spoon of filling in the centre, and close the dough around it, shaping into a teardrop with a little point on top (like a drumstick). Seal well.
- ШАГ04
Roll each coxinha in beaten egg, then in fine breadcrumbs, coating fully.
- ШАГ05
Deep-fry at 170–180°C in batches until deep golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes. Drain and serve hot.
Make ahead
Shape and bread a big batch and freeze raw — fry straight from frozen for fresh, hot coxinhas any time. The filling and dough can both be made a day ahead and assembled when ready.
Storage
Best hot and fresh. Fried coxinhas keep 2 days and re-crisp in a hot oven or air-fryer. Uncooked breaded coxinhas freeze brilliantly — freeze on a tray, then bag, and fry from frozen (a touch longer).
Variations
Coxinha de frango com catupiry
The classic — fill with chicken and a generous pocket of catupiry cheese.
Baked or air-fried
Brush with oil and bake or air-fry for a lighter (less crunchy) version.
Vegetarian
Fill with seasoned jackfruit or mushrooms, or with cheese alone.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Частые вопросы
Why is it called coxinha?
'Coxinha' means 'little thigh' in Portuguese — the snack is shaped like a small chicken drumstick, with a rounded body and a little point on top. The shape is traditional and instantly recognisable across Brazil.
What is catupiry?
Catupiry is a soft, mild Brazilian requeijão (cream cheese) traditionally tucked into coxinhas with the chicken for a creamy centre. If you can't find it, any soft cream cheese works as a substitute. It's optional but very popular ('com catupiry').
Why is my dough sticky or hard to shape?
The dough needs to be cooked enough — stir the flour into the hot broth and keep cooking and stirring until it forms a smooth, firm mass that pulls cleanly from the pan. Too wet and it won't hold a shape; let it cool before shaping, and lightly oil your hands.
How do I stop coxinhas bursting when frying?
Seal them well with no cracks, coat them fully in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry at a steady 170–180°C — too hot and they brown and split before warming through. Don't overcrowd the pan, and don't overfill them.
Can I freeze coxinhas?
Yes, and it's the best way to keep them. Freeze the shaped, breaded raw coxinhas on a tray until solid, then bag them. Fry straight from frozen (a minute or two longer) — no need to thaw, which would make them soggy.
Cooked this? Rate it.
Real ratings from real cooks. We only show a score once enough of you have weighed in — no fabricated stars.