Fried Chicken Coxinhas with Creamy Catupiry Filling

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-11 · Updated 2026-05-11

Brazilian street-food style chicken croquettes filled with creamy Catupiry cheese, coated in crispy breadcrumbs and fried until golden. This brazilian-inspired snacks ready in about 40 minutes turns cooked and shredded chicken breasts, small, finely chopped onion, minced garlic cloves into a satisfying snack for between meals, packed lunches, or game-day spreads — minimal active time and easy to scale up for a crowd. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 6, so it fits into lunchboxes, road trips, or an afternoon-energy gap without derailing the day. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb, cooked and shredded chicken breasts
• 1 small, finely chopped onion
• 2, minced garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 oz Catupiry cheese or cream cheese
• 2, beaten eggs
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• for frying vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat and sauté 1 small finely chopped onion with 2 minced garlic cloves for 3-4 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
2. Step 2: Add 1 lb cooked shredded chicken, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper, stirring to combine.
3. Step 3: Pour in 2 cups chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Gradually whisk in 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup milk, stirring constantly until dough thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Step 4: Once dough is cool enough to handle, take a golf ball-sized portion and flatten it into a disc in your palm.
5. Step 5: Place about 1 tbsp of Catupiry cheese (or cream cheese) in the center, add a small spoonful of shredded chicken mixture, then fold the dough around the filling, shaping it into a teardrop or drumstick shape.
6. Step 6: Dip each coxinha into 2 beaten eggs, then coat thoroughly with 2 cups breadcrumbs.
7. Step 7: Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy pot to 350°F. Fry coxinhas in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
8. Step 8: Drain on paper towels and serve warm as a delicious Brazilian snack or appetizer.