Coxinha

Hello everyone, and welcome to A Dica do Dia! Today we will talk about one of the most famous Brazilian snacks, that has also other meanings. Can you guess what it is? Yes, we will talk about coxinha, check out how to use this word, watch a recipe and learn its ingredients and more!

Brazilian Coxinha: Chicken Balls?

One of the meanings of Coxinha is simply delicious. It’s one of the most popular Brazilian snacks or appetizers. You can buy it in every lanchonete here. It consists of chopped chicken meat covered in dough and molded into a shape like a chicken leg. So yes, we can consider this Brazilian pastry as fried chicken balls!

The word coxinha has also become more popular used in a different context in Brazil. It can be used to describe a person who is a bit posh and maybe even snobbish. Politically speaking, coxinha also means someone who is right-wing in Brazil. Some coxinhas might say things like: “Brazil’s economic situation is a piece of shit because of poor people spending the goverment’s money. This bunch of poor people should look for a job instead of eating mortadela!”. Mortadela is a Brazilian cold cut very cheap that you can buy in any supermarket. This word is the opposite for the political context of coxinha, referring to lower class or left-wing parties.

Coxinha Recipe

What about we watch a coxinha recipe and learn how to make it in our own homes? It’s delicious and so easy to cook!

Take Notes!

Coxinha Ingredients for dough:

• Milk;
• Four cups of water;
• Four cups of wheat flour;
• Three sachets of chicken broth;
• Margarine;
• Breadcrumbs;
• Oil for frying.

Coxinha Ingredients for stuffing:

• Oil;
• 1 kg of chicken breast;
• Tomato sauce;
• A whole onion;
• Two cloves of garlic;
• A sachet of chicken broth;
• Salt;
• Parsley and chives to taste.

Preparation of the filling:

1. Cut the chicken into smaller pieces.
2. Chop the onion and garlic.
3. In a pressure cooker, fry the onion until golden, and add the garlic.
4. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and the seasonings (salt, parsley and chives are to taste!).
5. Mix well, let the chicken cook a little, and close the lid of the pan.
6. Maintain it under pressure for thirty minutes.

Preparation of the dough:

1. Boil four glasses of water.
2. Add margarine and the chicken broth sachet.
3. Add the flour, one glass at a time, and always stirring.
4. Stir until the dough starts to come away from the bottom of the pan.

Finish the coxinha:

1. Shred the cooked chicken;
2. Rub oil on your hands and take a part of the dough.
3. Spread the piece on the table in a circular shape.
4. Put the stuffing in the center of the dough and close.
5. Dip it in milk and then in breadcrumbs before frying.
6. Fry! (Pay close attention, because the oil needs to be hot and frying is very fast!)

What Our Students Think About It?

Let’s learn with Jessica more about the different meanings for the word coxinha. Jessica was one of our Portuguese students, have you ever considered learning Portuguese in Rio?

So, guys. If you want to talk about the food then you say a coxinha, and if you want to talk about the person then you say o coxinha. Well, we hope you liked one of the best Brazilian snacks we have! Well, that’s all from us. We hope you like this Dica, and if you want to learn more then subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Kisses from Rio de Janeiro!

Click in the links below to see more related Dicas
Lanche in Portuguese
Lanchonete in Portuguese
Snacks in Brazil
Brazilian Street Food