Coxinha

About This Recipe

Coxinha is Brazil's most iconic salgado (savoury snack) — a teardrop-shaped croquette filled with shredded chicken and catupiry cream cheese, encased in a dough made from chicken broth, breaded, and deep-fried to golden perfection. Found at every padaria (bakery), boteco (bar), and birthday party across the country, coxinha is the taste of Brazilian conviviality.

Ingredients

Serves 20

• 300 gchicken breast(poached and shredded)
• 100 gcream cheese or catupiry(softened)
• 1 smallonion(finely diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbsptomato paste
• 1 bunchchives or spring onion(chopped)
• 500 mlchicken stock
• 250 gplain flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 2eggs(beaten, for breading)
• 150 gbreadcrumbs
• 500 mlvegetable oil(for frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make filling

   Sauté onion and garlic. Add tomato paste and shredded chicken; cook 5 min. Mix in cream cheese and chives. Season. Cool.

2. 2

   Make dough

   Bring chicken stock to a boil with salt. Add flour all at once; stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms. Cool until handleable.

3. 3

   Shape coxinhas

   Take a ball of dough, flatten in palm, add filling, and pinch into a teardrop shape. Repeat.

4. 4

   Bread

   Dip each coxinha in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs.

5. 5

   Fry

   Deep-fry in 180 °C oil until deep golden, about 4–5 min. Drain on paper.

Variations

• •

  Fill with pulled beef instead of chicken

• •

  Add diced jalapeños to the filling for heat

• •

  Bake instead of fry at 200 °C for 20 min

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate unfried for up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Fry directly from frozen — add 2 min extra.

Frequently Asked Questions