Coxinha
Photo: Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Food historians place the coxinha's origin in greater São Paulo in the 19th century, developed as a cheaper, longer-lasting stand-in for the chicken thighs sold at factory gates; by the 1950s it was already popular in Rio de Janeiro and Paraná, and the first variations appeared. In May 2025 Time Out Rio listed ten coxinhas worth seeking out in the city, among them the Bar do Momo and Bar da Frente entries.

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Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 6 (makes about 18)Hands-on 1 hrTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Medium

Ingredients

  • 400g cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 300g plain flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Dried breadcrumbs
  • Oil for deep frying

Method

  1. Soften the onion and garlic in a little oil, add the chicken and parsley, season and let the filling cool.
  2. Bring the stock and butter to the boil, add the flour all at once and stir over low heat until the dough pulls away from the pot.
  3. Cool the dough, knead until smooth, then flatten a piece in your palm, add a spoonful of filling and close it into a teardrop.
  4. Dip each coxinha in the beaten egg and roll it in breadcrumbs.
  5. Fry in oil at 170C for 5 to 6 minutes until golden and drain on paper.

Tip from the editors. Chill the shaped coxinhas for 30 minutes before frying so they keep their teardrop shape and do not burst.

Where to eat coxinha

Coxinha in Rio de Janeiro

Bar do Momo ★ 4.3

$$ BrazilianBotequimTijuca

Bar do Momo is a Tijuca botequim in Rio de Janeiro where cold beer comes with petiscos such as bolinho de arroz, bolovo de bacalhau and coxinha de rabada.

DrinkBatidinha de coco or maracujá, with bottled beer and classic drinks

FoodBolinho de arroz, bolovo de bacalhau and coxinha de rabada; feijoada Friday to Sunday

TipRiotur lists the bar open Monday and Wednesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 22:00, and Sunday until 18:00; it is closed Tuesday.

Directions

Bar da Frente ★ 4.4

$$ BrazilianBotequimPraca Da Bandeira

Bar da Frente serves cascos of Heineken beside Porquinho no Quimono and Fondue de Coxinha at its Praça da Bandeira branch in Rio de Janeiro.

DrinkHeineken and Ramal 33 in casco bottles

FoodPorquinho no Quimono, Beijo Grego and Fondue de Coxinha

TipTime Out also lists a Copacabana address; this entry is the Praça da Bandeira house, which opens Wednesday to Sunday.

Directions

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Coxinha in São Paulo

Rotisserie Bologna ★ 4.1

$ Street foodConsolacao

Rotisserie Bologna sells its chicken and catupiry coxinha at the counter on Rua Augusta, its home since 1951, open around the clock except Sunday night.

TryCoxinha de frango com catupiry

Directions

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