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Coxinha, or little thigh, is the teardrop-shaped chicken croquette that rules Brazilian snack bars and birthday parties. A creamy shredded chicken filling is wrapped in dough, coated in crumbs and fried until crisp. Here a mozzarella dough and a crushed pork rind coating keep every bit of the crunch with very few carbs.
Per serving: 467 calories · 3.7 g net carbs · 35 g protein · 34 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Filling: 14 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/4 cup requeijão cremoso or cream cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Dough: 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 large egg for the dough
- Coating: 1 large egg beaten
- 2 ounces pork rinds crushed into fine crumbs
- Avocado oil for frying (about 3 tablespoons absorbed)
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a saucepan, cover with salted water and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until cooked through. Cool slightly and shred finely with two forks.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for 3 minutes until soft. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook 2 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the requeijão and parsley. Cool completely.
- For the dough, microwave the mozzarella and cream cheese together in 30-second bursts, stirring, until smooth. Mix in the almond flour and egg and knead into a smooth dough. Chill for 10 minutes so it is easier to handle.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Flatten each into a disc in your oiled palm, add a heaped tablespoon of filling, and pinch the dough up and around it, shaping it into a teardrop with a pointed top.
- Dip each coxinha in beaten egg, then roll in the pork rind crumbs, pressing so they stick.
- Heat 1 inch of avocado oil in a deep pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the coxinhas in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until deep golden. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
About This Dish
Coxinha means little thigh, a nod to its drumstick shape. A popular legend says it was invented in the 1800s for a son of Princess Isabel who would only eat chicken thighs, but there is no firm evidence for the story. What is certain is that coxinha became one of the most popular salgados in Brazil, sold in bakeries, snack bars and train stations. The creamy filling often includes Catupiry, the famous Brazilian soft cheese. No Brazilian children's birthday party table is complete without a tray of mini coxinhas, alongside brigadeiros for dessert.
This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 2: Snacks & Street Food (Historic Ouro Preto). See all Brazilian recipes