Coxinha

Fri, 11 September 2026

Ingredients

For the chicken and stock

· 500 g chicken breast

· 1 litre water

· 1 onion, roughly chopped

· 1 carrot, roughly chopped

· 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

· 2 bay leaves

· Salt, to taste

For the dough

· 1 litre reserved chicken stock

· 600 g cooked potatoes, mashed until smooth

· 100 g butter

· 550 g plain flour

· Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the filling

· Cooked chicken from above, shredded

· 1 onion, finely chopped

· 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

· 250 g tomato sauce

· 200 g Catupiry or other mild creamy cheese

· Fresh parsley, finely chopped

· Spring onions, finely sliced

· A little reserved chicken stock, if required

· Salt and black pepper, to taste

To coat and fry

· Plain flour, as required

· Beaten eggs, as required

· Breadcrumbs, as required

· Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. Cook the chicken.

Place the chicken breast in a saucepan with the onion, carrot, celery and bay leaves. Add 1 litre of water and season lightly with salt.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is completely cooked through.

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool before shredding. Strain and reserve 1 litre of the cooking stock for the dough. The cooked vegetables can be kept and used for soups, sauces or stews rather than discarded.

2. Make the filling

Sauté the onion and garlic until softened. Add the shredded chicken and tomato sauce and cook for a few minutes until well combined.

Add the parsley and spring onions and season with salt and black pepper. If the mixture seems dry, add a small amount of the reserved chicken stock. The filling should be moist and juicy but not wet.

Allow to cool completely. Keep the creamy cheese separate for filling the coxinhas during assembly.

3. Make the dough.

Place the reserved chicken stock, mashed potatoes and butter in a large saucepan. Season with salt and black pepper and bring to a gentle boil.

Add the flour and stir vigorously over medium heat. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture forms a smooth, uniform dough and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a clean work surface and allow to cool until comfortable enough to handle. Knead briefly until completely smooth.

4. Shape the coxinhas

Take a portion of dough and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Place some chicken filling in the centre, followed by a small amount of creamy cheese.

Bring the dough up around the filling, seal well and shape into the traditional coxinha teardrop shape.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

5. Coat and fry

Lightly coat each coxinha in flour, then beaten egg and finally breadcrumbs, ensuring it is evenly covered.

Heat the vegetable oil to approximately 170–175°C. Fry the coxinhas in batches until crisp and evenly golden brown.

Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.

TV description

Coxinha is one of Brazil's most iconic savoury snacks. Its name means “little thigh”, referring to its traditional shape. A soft potato-and-chicken-stock dough surrounds a juicy shredded chicken and creamy cheese filling before being breaded and fried until golden and crisp.

Chef's tip: Don't throw away the vegetables used to make the chicken stock. They have plenty of flavour left and can be blended into a soup or sauce — an easy way to reduce food waste.