Brazilian Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Coxinhas (Chicken Croquettes)
A popular Brazilian street food shaped like a little chicken drumstick, featuring a creamy, seasoned chicken filling encased in a savory dough, breaded, and deep-fried.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Crispy
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes
Instructions
5 steps- 1
Make Filling: Mix the shredded chicken, cream cheese, and parsley together. Season to taste and set aside.
- 2
Make Dough: In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and butter to a boil. Dump in all the flour at once and stir vigorously over medium heat until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Let it cool.
- 3
Shape: Take a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and flatten it in your palm. Place a spoonful of chicken filling in the center. Pinch the dough closed around the filling, shaping it into a teardrop or drumstick shape.
- 4
Bread: Dip each shaped coxinha into the beaten eggs, then roll in breadcrumbs until fully coated.
- 5
Fry: Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F (175°C). Deep fry the coxinhas in batches until deep golden brown and crispy all over. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
66/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving705
Calories
37 g
Protein
69 g
Carbs
31 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Coxinha means little thigh in Portuguese, and the snack is shaped like a teardrop to mimic a chicken drumstick, a form said to date to late nineteenth-century Sao Paulo state. The dough is unusual: shredded chicken is bound into a stiff paste cooked from the chicken broth itself plus wheat flour, then wrapped around a filling, breaded, and deep-fried. It is one of Brazil's most beloved salgados, the savory bar and party snacks sold everywhere from bakeries to street carts, and the giveaway of a good one is a creamy filling against a thin, crackly crust.
Listahan note
This version cooks the dough directly in the seasoned chicken broth so every bite tastes of the filling, and it folds catupiry-style cream cheese into the shredded chicken to keep the center molten. It is built for a make-ahead party batch rather than a quick weeknight fry.
Technique cues
- Cook the flour into the hot broth until the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pan; an underworked dough will split and leak oil when fried.
- Knead the cooled dough briefly until smooth and pliable, which makes it stretch thin around the filling without cracking.
- Fry at a steady 350F so the crust sets and browns before the filling overheats; too cool and the coxinhas drink up oil, too hot and they brown raw.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- While the chicken poaches, dice the aromatics and ready the breading station so the dough and filling come together without waiting.
- Make-ahead
- Shape and bread the coxinhas a day ahead and refrigerate, or freeze them raw; fry straight from the fridge or frozen with a slightly longer time.
- Leftover move
- Reheat fried coxinhas in a 375F oven or air fryer for eight minutes to re-crisp the shell rather than microwaving them soft.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Set up the egg-and-crumb dredge on parchment so the whole station lifts into the trash, and let the fry oil cool fully before straining it for reuse.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Chicken thighs
Filling and broth base
Purpose: Poaching thighs gives both the shredded filling and the flavorful broth that the dough is built on, so one ingredient does double duty.
Handling: Poach until tender, then shred finely and reserve the cooking liquid for the dough.
Adaptation: Leftover rotisserie chicken plus a good store broth works in a pinch, though the broth-built dough loses a little depth.
All-purpose flour
Dough structure
Purpose: Flour cooked into the hot broth forms the stiff, pliable dough that holds the teardrop shape and fries into a thin shell.
Handling: Add it all at once to the simmering broth and stir hard until it forms a smooth mass.
Adaptation: A measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum can work, though the dough is more delicate to shape.
Cream cheese (catupiry-style)
Creamy center
Purpose: Folding a soft creamy cheese into the chicken gives the molten center that distinguishes a great coxinha from a dry one.
Handling: Stir it into the warm shredded chicken so it loosens and coats every strand.
Adaptation: Brazilian catupiry if you can find it, or a half-and-half mix of cream cheese and a little crema for a looser center.
Breadcrumbs
Crisp coating
Purpose: A breadcrumb coat over an egg wash gives the signature crackly crust that contrasts the soft interior.
Handling: Roll each shaped coxinha in egg then breadcrumbs just before frying.
Adaptation: Panko gives an even crispier shell; gluten-free crumbs work for a wheat-free coating.
Onion and garlic
Aromatic base
Purpose: Sauteed onion and garlic season the chicken filling and the broth, keeping the snack savory rather than bland.
Handling: Finely dice and soften in oil before adding the shredded chicken.
Adaptation: A pinch of onion and garlic powder can stand in, though fresh gives a rounder flavor.
Neutral frying oil
Fry medium
Purpose: A deep, stable oil at the right temperature sets the crust quickly and keeps the coxinhas from absorbing grease.
Handling: Heat to 350F and fry in small batches to hold the temperature.
Adaptation: Any high-smoke-point oil such as canola, sunflower, or peanut works.
Technique notes
- Keep a small bowl of water nearby and wet your hands while shaping; the dough stops sticking and stretches thinner around the filling.
- Pinch the seam closed firmly and roll the tip to a clean point so the dough does not split and leak in the hot oil.
- Fry one test coxinha first to check the oil temperature and dough seal before committing the whole batch.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Use a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum for the dough and gluten-free crumbs for the coating; shape gently as the dough is more fragile.
- Baked or air-fried option
- Brush breaded coxinhas with oil and bake at 400F or air-fry until golden for a lighter, less greasy version.
- Dairy-free option
- Swap the cream cheese for a dairy-free cream cheese or a thick cashew cream to keep the molten center.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken and store broth so the only cooking is the dough and the fry.
Serve alongside
- A simple tomato and onion vinaigrette salad
- Pao de queijo
- Fried cassava (mandioca frita)
- Guarana soda
- An ice-cold lager
- Caipirinha
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate fried coxinhas in an airtight container for up to three days and reheat in a hot oven or air fryer to restore the crust. Raw shaped and breaded coxinhas freeze for up to two months; fry from frozen, lowering the heat slightly so the center heats through. Avoid the microwave, which turns the crisp shell soft.
Equipment
- Heavy pot or Dutch oven for deep frying
- Frying or candy thermometer to hold 350F
- Sturdy wooden spoon for cooking the stiff dough
- Spider or slotted spoon for lifting the coxinhas
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