Coxinha (say “ko-SHEEN-ya”) is Brazil’s favourite snack: a soft dough made from flour cooked in chicken stock, wrapped around a filling of seasoned shredded chicken, shaped like a teardrop, breaded and fried until crisp and golden. You’ll find them in every corner bar and bakery in Brazil, and in miniature at almost every birthday party.

They take a couple of hours from start to finish, but none of it is difficult, and they freeze beautifully before frying. That makes them good party food: shape a batch one weekend and fry them straight from the freezer when you need them.

Makes about 18 medium coxinhas, enough for 6 people as a snack, or about 35 party-sized ones.

Why it’s called “little thigh”

Coxa means thigh in Portuguese, and coxinha means “little thigh”, after the shape, which looks like a chicken drumstick. The dish is most closely tied to São Paulo. A popular story says it was invented in the 19th century for an imperial prince who would only eat chicken thighs, but there’s no real evidence for it. What’s clear is that coxinhas became a standard snack in São Paulo’s bars and bakeries during the 20th century and spread across the country from there.

What you’ll need

Chicken and stock

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 litre (4 cups) water
½ onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fine sea salt

Filling

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
60 ml (¼ cup) of the chicken stock
3 tbsp chopped parsley and spring onion (scallion) greens, mixed
½ tsp sweet paprika (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
120 g (½ cup) Catupiry or requeijão cremoso, or full-fat cream cheese (optional)

Dough

500 ml (2 cups) of the chicken stock
30 g (2 tbsp) butter
½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
280 g (2 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

Breading and frying

2 large eggs beaten with 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk
160 g (1 ½ cups) fine dry breadcrumbs
About 1.5 litres (6 cups) neutral oil, such as sunflower, rapeseed (canola) or peanut

A few notes on the ingredients

Catupiry is a soft, mild, spreadable Brazilian cheese, and requeijão cremoso is a similar, widely sold style. A spoonful in the middle of each coxinha makes the filling creamy. They’re sold in Brazilian and Portuguese grocers; full-fat cream cheese, softened, is the usual substitute.

The stock flavours both the filling and the dough, so poach the chicken yourself rather than using plain water. If you’re using leftover roast or rotisserie chicken, use 560 ml (2 ¼ cups) of good chicken stock and about 375 g (2 ½ cups) of shredded meat.

Breadcrumbs. Brazilians use fine, dry farinha de rosca. Panko gives a spikier, crunchier crust that’s less traditional but very good.

Step 1: Poach the chicken and make the filling

Put the chicken, water, onion half, garlic, bay leaf and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part.
Lift out the chicken. Strain the stock and measure 560 ml (2 ¼ cups), topping up with water if needed: 500 ml for the dough and 60 ml for the filling.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it very finely with two forks, or pulse it briefly in a food processor. Fine shreds are easier to wrap.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the chopped onion for 5 minutes until soft, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the chicken and 60 ml (¼ cup) stock and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the filling is moist but not wet. Stir in the herbs and paprika, and season well with salt and pepper. Spread it on a plate and let it cool completely.

Step 2: Make the dough

In a clean saucepan, bring 500 ml (2 cups) stock, the butter and salt to a boil.
Turn the heat to low and add all the flour at once. Stir hard with a wooden spoon. It will look lumpy at first, then come together. Keep stirring for 2–3 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides and leaves a thin film on the bottom of the pan.
Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface. When it’s cool enough to touch, after about 5 minutes, knead it for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth, rather like play dough. Cover it with a bowl or cling film so it doesn’t dry out.

Step 3: Shape

Oil your hands lightly. Take a piece of dough about 40 g (1 ½ oz), a little smaller than a golf ball, and roll it into a ball.
Press it into a disc about 8 cm (3 in) across, then cup it in your palm so it forms a small bowl.
Add about 1 ½ tbsp (25 g) filling and, if you like, ½ tsp Catupiry or cream cheese.
Bring the edges up around the filling and pinch them closed at the top, then twist and gently pull the top into a point. Tap the base on the counter so it’s flat and the coxinha stands up. Check for cracks and smooth them with an oiled finger.
Repeat with the rest, keeping the shaped coxinhas and the dough covered as you go.

Step 4: Bread and fry

Dip each coxinha in the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, then roll it in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the coating sticks. If you have time, chill them for 20–30 minutes. A cold, firm coxinha holds its shape better in the oil.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot to a depth of at least 5 cm (2 in), to 175°C (350°F).
Fry 4 or 5 at a time for 4–5 minutes, turning, until deep golden all over. The filling is already cooked, so you’re only browning the crust and heating the centre.
Drain on a wire rack and let them cool for 5 minutes before eating. The filling stays very hot.

Troubleshooting

The dough cracks while shaping. It has cooled too much or dried out. Keep it covered, knead it briefly in your oiled hands to warm it, or work in a teaspoon of warm water.
The dough is too sticky. It needed another minute or two of cooking in the pan. Oil your hands rather than adding flour.
They burst in the oil. Usually a wet or warm filling, overfilling, or a seam that wasn’t sealed. Steam builds up inside and splits the dough.
They’re greasy. The oil was too cool, often from frying too many at once. Let the oil come back to 175°C (350°F) between batches.
Brown outside, cold inside. The oil was too hot. This is most common when frying from frozen; see below.

Make ahead and freezing

You can make the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Shaped, breaded, uncooked coxinhas keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

To freeze: freeze the breaded coxinhas on a tray until solid, about 2 hours, then move them to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Fry from frozen at a slightly lower 165–170°C (330–340°F) for 6–8 minutes, until deep golden and piping hot in the centre. Don’t thaw them first, or the coating goes soggy.

Leftovers: refrigerate fried coxinhas within 2 hours and eat within 3 days. Reheat in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 10–12 minutes, or in an air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 6–8 minutes, until crisp and hot through. The microwave makes them soft.

Air fryer instead of frying: spray the breaded coxinhas well with oil and cook at 200°C (400°F) for 12–15 minutes, turning halfway. They’re lighter and paler, with a drier crust, but still good.

Variations

Potato dough: many Brazilian cooks add mashed potato to the dough for a softer texture. Stir 150 g (⅔ cup) smooth mashed potato into the stock before adding the flour, and reduce the flour by about 30 g (¼ cup).
Cheese only: fill with cubes of mozzarella mixed with a little cream cheese.
Vegetarian: use vegetable stock and a filling of chopped hearts of palm (palmito) or sautéed mushrooms with onion, tomato and parsley.
Spicy: add a finely chopped chilli or a few dashes of hot sauce to the filling.

How to serve them

In Brazil coxinhas are eaten warm, often standing at a counter, with a bottle of hot pepper sauce on the side and a squeeze of lime, and usually with a cold drink. For a party, make the smaller size, about 20 g (¾ oz) of dough with 2 tsp filling, and fry them for 3–4 minutes. Put them out with other snacks, such as our Mexican street corn (elote), cut into short pieces. If you’ve spent the afternoon frying and want a quick dinner the next day, our 30-minute Korean bulgogi beef bowl is ready almost as fast as reheated coxinhas.

Can’t find Catupiry? Our world pantry guide lists the closest swaps.

For more on cooling, freezing and reheating, see our make-ahead, storage and freezing guide.

Looking for more? See our easy chicken dinner recipes from around the world, sorted by time.