Authentic Brazilian Chicken Coxinha Recipe

Pass it along!

This Authentic Brazilian Chicken Coxinha Recipe is the perfect snack food. It is also a great dinner that you can make ahead of time and keep in the freezer. Made with chicken, a special pastry dough, and cream cheese–you can’t go wrong with this finger food.

---

What Is a Popular Snack in Brazil?

No list of Brazilian recipes would be complete without the famous coxinha (pronounced koe-sheen-yuh).

Sold in gas stations, bakeries, and snack shops, these little chicken pastries are ubiquitous in Brazil.

I truly believe that if Americans were to try them, then coxinha would become just as popular in the USA as it is in Brazil. 

What is a Coxinha in Portuguese?

The literal meaning of coxinha is “thigh.” Brazilians use this word for any of a range of items: chicken drumsticks, a human thigh, and one of the most delicious snack treats their street food has to offer.

What is the English of Coxinha?

An English translation of the Portuguese word coxinha (when referring to the Brazilian street food) seems somewhat ungainly: “chicken croquettes.” There is nothing akin to the affectionate nickname Brazilians have given this tasty treat. Thus, why so many people choose to maintain the original Portuguese name.

The Secret to Authentic Brazilian Chicken Coxinha Recipe: The Dough

One of the most interesting things to me about coxinha is the dough. It is pre-cooked before assembling the pastries, and its texture is unlike about any other pastry I have ever tried–crispy on the outside and sticky on the inside.

Making the dough can be rather a tricky business. (If you have already read my post about pastel, you are probably beginning to notice a pattern with Brazilian pastry shells: They are not super easy.) Thankfully, it is not impossible. 

Every time I heard someone describe how to cook the dough, my eyes glazed over. When I actually tried making it myself, though, I found–to my relief–that the actual process was not as bad as it sounded.

The secret to making the dough is to stir constantly. It takes about the same amount of care as taffy and other homemade candies.

I have cheated and skipped cooking the dough. I heated up the broth and milk together and then removed them from the burner to add the flour. That was not the best choice.

I tried correcting my mistake by returning the dough to the heat and cooking it a little bit. It was not the same, but I learned through this experience that the dough is actually (in my experience at least) more resilient than I would have expected. 

Hopefully that short story encourages you that the dough for coxinha is not supposed to be intimidating. 

What Is Coxinha Dough Made Of?

Chicken coxinha is surrounded by a very simple and soft dough. Recipes for this dough vary, but most include at least two of these ingredients:

• all-purpose flour
• milk
• chicken broth
• butter

To enhance the flavor of the dough itself, the recipe in this post calls for chicken bouillon, as well.

Tips for Success

The most important aspect in preparing to enjoy coxinha is to have accurate expectations. Coxinhais crunchy, but not meant to be a French fry. Some of the inner dough might actually seem uncooked–especially when homemade. If this kind of texture throws you off (though I have yet to meet someone who didn’t love coxinha in spite of this novelty), then you need to make your dough shell as thin as possible…without tearing it.

Making coxinha can be a rather involved process. It is great to have a few extra hands to help in the kitchen. If no one is available to aid you, no worries, though. I have singlehandedly whipped up a batch of coxinha in under an hour’s time. 

For successful coxinha, you will want to pay careful attention to the dough (as noted in the section above). 

You might also want to play around a bit with the chicken filling. I have included some optional variations on the filling in the notes section of the recipe below. Coxinha is flexible, and I have tasted multiple versions of it in Brazil.

More variations: Try adding a small cube of mozzarella in the center of the coxinha. For more flavor, you can mix in a bit of oregano or chopped fresh cilantro. Use Italian breadcrumbs for a scrumptious exterior shell.

Ingredients for Chicken Coxinha

To make six to eight servings of authentic Brazilian coxinha, you will need these ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
• 1 tsp salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tbsp.)
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 Tbsp minced green onion
• 1 tsp fresh parsley, minced (optional)
• 1/4 tsp paprika (optional)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 oz cream cheese – or – 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)

Pastry Shell:

• 4 Tbsp salted butter
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Assembly:

• 1 cup fine, plain breadcrumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups oil for frying

How To Make Authentic Brazilian Chicken Coxinha

FILLING

1. To a frying pan or stock pot, add the olive oil, chicken breast strips, chicken bouillon, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, garlic powder, green onion, minced onion, minced parsley (if using), and paprika. Mix well and sauté the chicken until cooked through, though not golden brown. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. Pour the chicken into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cream cheese, heavy cream, tomato paste (or ketchup), and mozzarella cheese. Mix until the chicken is shredded and all the cream ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
3. Taste the chicken and adjust salt and pepper according to your taste. Set aside.

PASTRY SHELL

1. In the saucepan, mix together the chicken broth, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil. Slowly pour in the flour, a little at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk at the beginning and a wooden spoon after it begins to form a dough. Make sure it is mixed thoroughly. Cook on the stove, stirring constantly, until it begins to separate from the bottom of the pan. (This is a common Brazilian way of cooking and measuring when food is “done”: Drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan; if you can see the bottom and the dough holds most of its shape without running quickly to cover the exposed pan, it is done. This usually takes about 2 minutes for me.) Remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly, just until you can handle the dough without scorching your hands.

ASSEMBLY

1. Pour the 1 cup of milk into a bowl. Pour the breadcrumbs in another bowl. Set aside.
2. When the dough is cool enough to handle, dust your hands and fashion it into balls. For large coxinha, make about 8-10 balls. For smaller coxinha, make about 15-18 balls. (My dough balls look more like lumps. The idea is just to portion out the dough evenly. 😉 If this is your first time making coxinha, I recommend making larger balls of dough, as they will be easier to handle.) The dough might still be sticky, so use a generous amount of flour on your hands. 
3. Once the dough is measured out, take each piece one-by-one and make the coxinha. To assemble the coxinha, flatten the dough ball in one palm. The dough should still be thick enough that it will not easily snag or open up (about ½ inch or so in thickness). Put about 1-2 Tbsp of chicken filling inside (depending on the size of the dough ball and how much it can hold). Fold the sides of the dough around the chicken filling and pull the sides together at the top, making the signature spire (which looks a lot like a kewpie baby’s hair). If the spire does not hold its shape well, no worries. It will still taste just as good. IMPORTANT: Make sure that there are no holes or gaps in the pastry shell, as this will cause the filling to leak out into the oil while frying and also affect the taste of the filling because oil will get inside.
4. Roll the coxinha ball in the bowl of milk, turning to moisten all sides, and then roll it in the bowl of breadcrumbs, likewise coating all sides. Repeat for all the other coxinha.
5. To fry the coxinha, heat up about 2 cups of oil over medium heat in a deep pan to 120 F, or just until beginning to show ripples on the surface. (I have found that using a pan of small circumference and great depth helps me save some oil.) Add the coxinha. Fry on each side just until beginning to brown. This should take about 2-3 minutes. If you find that your coxinha are browning rather quickly, reduce the heat. When golden brown on all sides, remove the coxinha to a paper-towel-lined dish to drain the oil. (Please note that the dough inside of the fried shell will still be a bit doughy. That is normal and is exactly how Brazilians cook it, and it tastes delicious.)
6. Serve hot with ketchup and mayonnaise for dipping. (Take my word for it: Mayonnaise is ideal for dipping coxinha. Just give it a try!)

How Do You Eat Coxinha?

In Brazil, coxinha is served with a dipping sauce of some kind, though you can certainly eat it plain. Typically, families serve it with mayonnaise or tomato ketchup.

Coxinha is not usually the main dish in a meal. Instead, Brazilians indulge in this delicious street food as a snack or a main feature of the cafe de tarde table.

How to Serve and Store Coxinha

Coxinha is not the easiest snack (unless you keep it in the freezer), but it is hearty and delicious. In addition to being a great finger food, coxinha is also a good main dish, and I have definitely served it that way.

If you want to make coxinha for a special event but do not have time immediately before, you can freeze it. Coxinha is just as good frozen, thawed, and fried as it is fried immediately after assembly. (Thank goodness for that!) Just make sure to thaw the dough completely before frying it. Otherwise, the shell will be hot, but the inside dough will stk be cold. And believe me as I speak from experience: you do not want that.

Traditionally, coxinha is served with a variety of condiments–mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise being the most common. I highly recommend eating it with mayonnaise.

How Do You Cook Frozen Coxinha?

Coxinha keeps exceptionally well in the freezer. When midnight hunger strikes you, it is easy to pull out these treats and indulge…if you have a time machine.

Because frozen coxinha require defrosting. And microwave methods are not recommended. So you need some magical time powers if you don’t have the forethought to keep these chicken treats at the ready.

Jk. 😉

Ok, but really: How do you cook coxinha that has been frozen?

First, shake off any visible ice.This is important for keeping the dough from becoming sticky and soggy as it thaws.

Second, set the coxinha out to thaw at room temperature for at least two hours. (Because the dough is thick, this process can take awhile.) To speed up the process, place the coxinha above a warm stove or oven and/or under a range hood light.

Third, cook the coxinha as outlined in the recipe.

Do not re-freeze thawed coxinha. Consume all of it. Or–if you have trouble downing it all by yourself–invite over a few friends to enjoy chicken croquettes with you.

Equipment Needed to Make This Recipe

Stainless steel stock pot

Wooden spoon

Frying pan (or deep fryer) **I usually use a small saucepan

Closing Thoughts

Every time before our family travels to Brazil, we make a list of all the foods we want to savor on our trip.

And guess which food tops the list?

That’s right: Brazilian chicken coxinha.

We hope you come to find it as much of a delight as we do.

Pass it along!