Brazilian Coxinha

About This Recipe

Coxinhas (literally 'little thighs') are Brazil's most beloved street snack — small, tear-drop-shaped fritters made of soft dough wrapped around a filling of shredded chicken and Catupiry cream cheese, then breaded and deep-fried until they become golden, crisp, savoury jewels. They are everywhere in São Paulo and Rio: at bakery counters, party platters, beach-side carts, and gas-station hot cabinets. The technique is fiddly the first time (the dough is essentially a savoury choux made from chicken stock and flour) but rewarding — the deep-fried exterior cracks open to reveal warm cheesy chicken inside, which has earned coxinhas a cult following far beyond Brazil. Served as an aperitif with a cold Brahma or a guaraná soda, they are the most Brazilian of small bites.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 500 gboneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 Lwater
• 1 smallonion, halved
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 1 smallonion, very finely diced (for filling)
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 small bunchflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tspsalt (for filling)
• 1/2 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 150 gCatupiry cream cheese (or full-fat cream cheese)
• 500 mlchicken cooking stock (from poaching)
• 60 gunsalted butter
• 1 tspsalt (for dough)
• 400 gall-purpose flour
• 2eggs, lightly beaten
• 200 gfine dry breadcrumbs (or panko)
• neutral oil for deep-frying (about 1.5 L)

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken

   Place chicken in a pot with water, halved onion, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook 18 minutes until just cooked through. Lift chicken out and shred finely with two forks. Reserve and strain the cooking stock — you need 500 ml.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet. Sauté diced onion 6 minutes until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Off the heat, fold in Catupiry. Cool fully.

3. 3

   Make the dough

   Bring 500 ml of the strained chicken stock, butter, and 1 tsp salt to a boil in a wide saucepan. When the butter has melted, dump in all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over medium heat for 3–4 minutes — the dough comes together into a glossy ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.

4. 4

   Cool and knead briefly

   Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface. Let cool 5 minutes until handleable but still warm. Knead briefly to smooth it out.

5. 5

   Shape coxinhas

   Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Take one piece in your palm and flatten into a disc 8 mm thick. Place a heaping tablespoon of cooled chicken filling in the center. Gather the edges up around the filling and pinch into a closed tear-drop shape, with a pointed top — the classic coxinha silhouette of a little chicken thigh.

6. 6

   Bread

   Set out two wide shallow dishes: beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Dip each coxinha in egg, letting drips fall off, then roll in breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to coat. Place on a tray.

7. 7

   Heat the oil

   Heat oil to 175°C in a heavy pot.

8. 8

   Fry in batches

   Lower 3–4 coxinhas into the oil. Fry 4–5 minutes, turning gently, until deeply golden all over and crisp. Lift onto paper towels with a slotted spoon.

9. 9

   Continue and serve

   Continue with remaining coxinhas. Serve warm, piled on a platter — they're at their best 5 minutes after frying. Cold beer on the side.

Variations

• •

  Cheese-only coxinhas: skip chicken, double the Catupiry — very popular in Minas Gerais.

• •

  Spicy coxinha: add 1 tbsp minced jalapeño to the chicken filling.

• •

  Pumpkin and chicken coxinha: substitute 200 g cooked mashed pumpkin into the dough for a slightly sweet, autumn version.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked coxinhas up to 2 days; reheat in a 200°C oven for 10 minutes to crisp the shell. Microwave makes them soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions