Brazilian Coxinha with Shredded Chicken

Coxinha (little thigh) is one of Brazil's most popular *salgadinhos* — savoury snacks sold at every *boteco*, bakery, and birthday party across the country. It is a teardrop-shaped fried croquette of shredded chicken and cream cheese, wrapped in a soft potato-and-flour dough, breaded in crumbs, and deep-fried until golden and crisp. The distinctive teardrop shape is said to represent a chicken thigh — the legend, as told by Olivia's Cuisine, holds that a 19th-century Brazilian emperor's son would eat only the thigh of the chicken, and when there were no thighs left, the cook shaped the dough into a thigh to fool him. Whether the story is true or not, the shape is distinctive, and the snack is appealing.

What makes coxinha special is the dough. Unlike most croquettes, which are filled then breaded, coxinha's dough is cooked (like a choux or a pâte à choux) — flour and potato are stirred into boiling chicken broth and butter until a thick paste forms, then eggs are beaten in. This cooked dough is soft, pliable, and easy to shape around the chicken filling. The result, once fried, is a croquette with a creamy, slightly chewy interior and a crisp golden shell — the ultimate Brazilian party snack.

About the Ingredients

Chicken is poached in broth with aromatics, then shredded. The poaching broth is then used to make the dough, which is the key to coxinha's deep chicken flavour. The Spruce Eats provides an authoritative recipe using bone-in chicken breasts and the poaching broth for the dough.

The dough is a cooked dough of chicken broth, butter, all-purpose flour, and mashed potato (or just flour). The potato makes the dough softer and creamier. Eggs are beaten in off the heat to enrich and bind. I Heart Brazil provides a complete from-scratch guide.

The filling is shredded chicken sautéed with onion, garlic, and a little cream cheese or requeijão (Brazilian cream cheese) to make it creamy. Some versions add a little catupiry (a soft Brazilian cheese) in the center.

The coating is flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs (panko or fresh). The coxinha is shaped into a teardrop, breaded, and fried.

Ingredients (makes approximately 25 coxinhas):

Chicken and Broth: - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or bone-in, skin-on for richer broth) - 5 cups chicken broth (plus water to cover) - 1 carrot, halved - 1 onion, halved - 2 cloves garlic - 1 bay leaf

Filling: - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 1/2 onion, finely chopped - 2 cloves garlic, minced - The poached, shredded chicken - 1/2 cup cream cheese or requeijão - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley - 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste) - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dough: - 3 cups all-purpose flour - 1 cup mashed potato (about 1 medium potato, boiled and mashed) - 2 cups of the strained chicken poaching broth - 3 tablespoons butter - 2 eggs, beaten

For coating and frying: - 1 cup all-purpose flour - 2 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water - 2 cups panko or fresh breadcrumbs - Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions: Poach the chicken: in a large pot, combine the chicken, broth, carrot, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Add water to cover if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred when cool enough to handle. Strain and reserve the broth (you need 2 cups for the dough).

Prepare the filling: heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the shredded chicken, cream cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cream cheese melts and the filling is creamy. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Prepare the dough: in a large pot, bring the 2 cups of reserved chicken broth and the butter to a boil. Add the flour and mashed potato all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pot. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each, until the dough is smooth and glossy.

To shape: with wet, oiled hands, take a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and flatten it into a disc in your palm. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center. Bring the edges of the dough up around the filling and pinch to seal, shaping the top into a pointed teardrop. Roll in flour, then dip in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs. Set on a baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a deep pot to 350°F (347°F). Fry the coxinhas in batches of 5–6 for 3–4 minutes until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with hot sauce.

The Mimosa Pairing Logic: The creamy, chicken-rich interior and the crisp golden shell of the coxinha want a bright, refreshing drink that can cut through the richness. A classic Champagne mimosa or a passionfruit mimosa is ideal — the tropical passionfruit is a particularly Brazilian choice, echoing the country's love of tropical fruits and cutting through the creamy chicken with bright, tangy acidity. The wine's effervescence refreshes the palate of the fried coating. This pairing is, in its way, the brunch equivalent of a coxinha and a glass of guaraná or a caipirinha — a sparkling toast to Brazil's great salgadinho tradition.

Reference Links: - Coxinha: Brazilian chicken croquettes recipe: The Spruce Eats - Coxinhas (Brazilian chicken croquettes): Olivia's Cuisine - Coxinha Brazilian chicken croquettes recipe: I Heart Brazil - Traditional coxinha (Brazilian chicken croquettes): Tasty Recollections

Make-Ahead: The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. The dough can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped tightly and refrigerated (bring to room temperature before shaping). The shaped, breaded coxinhas can be frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Fry from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the frying time. Coxinhas are best fried just before serving; they do not reheat well once fried.

Pro Tips: Wet and oil your hands when shaping the dough — the cooked dough is sticky and must be handled with oiled, wet hands. The filling must be completely cool before shaping — warm filling will soften the dough. Do not overfill — a teaspoon is plenty; overfilled coxinhas will burst in the fryer. The teardrop shape takes practice; a simple round is perfectly acceptable and equally delicious. Do not overcrowd the fryer — fry in small batches so the oil temperature stays consistent. The oil must be at 350°F (347°F); too cool and the coxinhas will be greasy, too hot and the outside will burn before the inside is hot. Serve immediately — coxinhas are at their best for only a few minutes after frying.