Brazilian coxinha — fried chicken croquettes

Coxinha is Brazil’s most beloved snack — teardrop-shaped potato-dough croquettes filled with shredded chicken and fried until golden. They are served hot at parties, bars and snack bars, usually with ketchup or spicy mayonnaise.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 ml chicken stock
• 250 g potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 60 g butter
• 300 g flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

• 400 g chicken breast
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 100 g cream cheese (catupiry or Philadelphia type)
• Chopped parsley, salt, black pepper to taste

For frying:

• 2 beaten eggs
• 150 g breadcrumbs
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation

1. Boil the chicken breast in salted water for about 20 minutes. Let it cool and shred the meat finely or pull it apart with a fork.
2. In a pan, fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add the shredded chicken, salt, pepper and parsley. Let it cool slightly, then mix in the cream cheese.
3. For the dough: bring the chicken stock to a boil with the butter and salt. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the pan.
4. Add the mashed potatoes to the hot dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Let it cool.
5. Take pieces of dough the size of a large walnut, flatten them in your palm, place a spoonful of filling in the center and close, shaping into a teardrop (a cone with a point).
6. Dip the croquettes in the beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumbs.
7. Fry in hot oil (about 180°C) for 3–4 minutes, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Preparation time: 40 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes | Servings: about 20 coxinha