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Brazilian

Coxinha (Brazilian Chicken Croquettes)

A Brazilian party snack with shredded chicken filling wrapped in soft dough, crumbed, and fried until crisp.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Coxinha (Brazilian Chicken Croquettes)

1 hr 10 mintotal

1 hr 5 min hands-on5 min hands-off

Prep 35 min · Cook 30 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes brief cooling time for the chicken filling and dough before shaping the croquettes.

Method

  1. Heat butter in a pan, add onion and garlic, and cook until soft and fragrant.

  2. Add shredded chicken, salt, black pepper, cream cheese, and parsley. Mix until the filling is moist but not wet, then cool.

  3. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan. Add flour all at once and stir firmly until a smooth dough pulls away from the pan.

  4. Cool the dough slightly, then knead until smooth. Divide into small portions.

  5. Flatten each portion, add chicken filling, and shape into a teardrop-like coxinha.

  6. Dip each croquette in beaten egg, coat with breadcrumbs, and press gently so the crumbs stick.

  7. Fry in medium-hot oil until crisp and golden. Drain well and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The outside should be crisp and golden, with a soft dough layer and moist chicken filling inside.

Getting it right

Tip

The dough should be warm but comfortable to touch before shaping; hot dough tears easily.

What to serve it with

Serve as a party snack with a simple chilli sauce or fresh salad.

Common mistakes

The coxinha splits open in the oil.
Seal the dough completely around the filling and let the crumbed pieces rest before frying. A gap anywhere lets oil in and filling out, and warm dough is soft enough to tear as it goes into the pan.
The dough is impossible to shape.
Knead it while still warm and keep your hands lightly oiled. This dough stiffens as it cools and cracks when worked cold, so shape them all in one go rather than in stages.

Substitutions

  • Cream cheese is a practical substitute for Brazilian requeijão-style creamy filling.
  • Do not make the filling watery, or the croquettes may split while frying.
  • For allergen safety, check packaged breadcrumbs for milk, egg, sesame, or soy traces.

Storing and reheating

Shaped, crumbed and uncooked, they keep two days in the fridge and freeze for three months — fry from frozen at a slightly lower heat. Fried ones keep two days and re-crisp in a hot oven. They are a poor thing microwaved.