Coxinha

About This Recipe

Coxinha (meaning 'little thigh') is Brazil's most iconic street snack — a teardrop-shaped croquette made from a yeasted or potato-enriched dough, filled with shredded chicken and cream cheese seasoned with onion, parsley, and chilli, then breaded and deep-fried to a crackling golden crust.

Ingredients

Serves 20

• 500 gplain flour
• 500 mlchicken stock
• 1 tbspbutter
• 1 tspsalt (for dough)
• 400 gcooked chicken breast, shredded
• 150 gcream cheese
• 1 mediumonion, very finely diced
• 2 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped
• 1 pcsred chilli, finely diced
• 1 tspsalt (for filling)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 2 pcseggs, beaten
• 200 gfine breadcrumbs
• 1 Lvegetable oil, for deep frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Bring chicken stock to a boil with butter and salt. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the pan sides and forms a smooth dough. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Mix shredded chicken with cream cheese, sautéed onion and garlic, parsley, chilli, salt, and pepper until well combined.

3. 3

   Shape coxinhas

   With wet hands, portion the dough into golf-ball sized pieces. Flatten into a disc in your palm. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre. Close the dough around the filling and shape into a teardrop, pinching the top to form a point.

4. 4

   Bread

   Dip each coxinha in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs, pressing to coat firmly.

5. 5

   Fry

   Deep-fry in oil at 175°C for 3–4 minutes until deep golden brown. Fry in batches to avoid crowding. Drain on kitchen paper.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve hot as a snack or starter with hot sauce or catupiry (Brazilian cream cheese) for dipping.

Variations

• •

  Fill with shredded cheese and jalapeño for a vegetarian version.

• •

  Use turkey instead of chicken for a festive variation.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked coxinhas up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot oven. Freeze uncooked up to 2 months.