BrazilLatin America

Coxinha

Name: Coxinha
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 700 g Chicken breast (boneless, skinless); 4 cups Chicken broth, for poaching; 1 Yellow onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 3 stalks Green onions (scallions), finely sliced; ¼ cup Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 8 oz Cream cheese, softened; 3 tbsp Unsalted butter, 1 tbsp for the filling, 2 tbsp for the dough; 2½ cups All-purpose flour; 1½ tsp Table salt, divided; ½ tsp Ground black pepper; 2 Eggs (large), beaten, for breading; 2 cups Plain breadcrumbs, for breading; 6 cups Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

2 hr 30 minServes 8$60.97

Chicken breast is poached, shredded, and cooked with onion, garlic, green onion, and parsley, then enriched with cream cheese. A smooth dough, made by cooking flour into the seasoned poaching liquid, is wrapped around the filling and shaped into teardrops, which are breaded and deep-fried until golden. Cream cheese is used in place of requeijão or Catupiry, the soft Brazilian cheeses that often go into coxinhas; it is tangier and firmer.

Ingredients

700 gChicken breast (boneless, skinless)Buy 1.55 lb
4 cupsChicken brothfor poachingBuy 1 carton
1Yellow onionfinely choppedBuy 0.32 lb
3 clovesGarlicmincedBuy 1 head
3 stalksGreen onions (scallions)finely slicedBuy 1 bunch
¼ cupFlat-leaf parsleyfinely choppedBuy 1 bunch
8 ozCream cheesesoftenedBuy 1 package
3 tbspUnsalted butter1 tbsp for the filling, 2 tbsp for the doughBuy 1 package
2½ cupsAll-purpose flourBuy 1 bag
1½ tspTable saltdividedBuy 1 canister
½ tspGround black pepperBuy 1 jar
2Eggs (large)beaten, for breadingBuy 1 carton
2 cupsPlain breadcrumbsfor breadingBuy 1 package
6 cupsVegetable oilfor deep-fryingBuy 3 bottles

Substitution

Cream cheese in place of “Requeijão cremoso or Catupiry (soft Brazilian cheese)”. Cream cheese replaces requeijão or Catupiry, which are not canonical ingredients; it is tangier and firmer, so the filling is less runny.

Method

Put the chicken in a pot with the broth and enough water to cover, simmer gently until cooked through, about 20 minutes, then lift out the chicken and reserve the cooking liquid.
Shred the chicken finely. Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a pan, cook the onion and garlic until soft, add the chicken, green onions, parsley, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and the pepper, and cook 2 minutes; off the heat, stir in the cream cheese and cool.
For the dough, bring 2 1/2 cups of the reserved liquid to a boil with the remaining butter and salt, add the flour all at once, and stir hard over low heat until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the pan, 2 to 3 minutes; knead briefly while warm until smooth, then cover and cool until comfortable to handle.
Flatten golf-ball-sized pieces of dough in your palm, fill each with a heaping tablespoon of filling, and close and shape into a teardrop; you should get about 24.
Dip each in the beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) in a deep pot and fry a few at a time until deep golden, 3 to 4 minutes; drain on paper towels and serve warm.