Coxinha in the Air Fryer
Brazilian coxinhas with a juicy chicken filling and a creamy core of cream cheese in a soft dough cooked in stock. They are coated in breadcrumbs and cooked golden and crisp in the air fryer – entirely without a deep fryer.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Meat thermometer
- 1 Measuring cup
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Dish
- Plastic wrap
- 2 Deep plate
- 1 Brush
Ingredients
400 g chicken breast- 1 l chicken stock For cooking the chicken
- 1 pcs bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pcs onion Finely chopped
2 clove garlic Finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 pcs spring onions Finely sliced- 2 tbsp parsley Finely chopped
0.5 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper Freshly ground
150 g cream cheese Plain – replaces Brazilian catupiry
Dough
- 5 dl chicken stock From cooking the chicken
25 g butter
300 g plain flour
Coating
2 pcs eggs
150 g breadcrumbs- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil For brushing
Instructions
Chicken filling
- Bring 1 l chicken stock to the boil in a saucepan with 1 pcs bay leaf. Add 400 g chicken breast, turn the heat down and let it simmer with the lid on for 15-18 minutes, until the chicken has a core temperature of 75 °C.
- Remove the chicken and the bay leaf from the saucepan. Measure out 5 dl chicken stock for the dough in a measuring jug, and pour off the rest or save it for a soup.
- Shred the chicken into fine strips with two forks once it has cooled slightly.
- Sauté 1 pcs onion and 2 clove garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is soft.
- Add 1 tbsp tomato purée and the shredded chicken, and stir for 2 minutes. Season with 0.5 tsp salt and 1 pinch black pepper.
- Stir 2 pcs spring onions and 2 tbsp parsley into the filling. Transfer it to a bowl and put it in the fridge.
Dough
- Bring the stock and 25 g butter to the boil in the saucepan.
- Add 300 g plain flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over a low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball and pulls away from the saucepan.
- Knead the dough on a clean worktop for 1-2 minutes until smooth and pliable, as soon as it is cool enough to handle.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes together with the filling: press it out flat on a dish and cover it with cling film, laid directly on the surface so it doesn't dry out. Both the dough and the filling must be cold, otherwise they can't be shaped.
Shaping and coating
- Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces of about 50 g each.
- Shape one piece of dough at a time into a flat, round disc of about 8 cm in the palm of your hand. Grease your hands with a little oil if the dough sticks.
- Fill the centre with about 1 generous tbsp of the chicken filling and a small dollop of cream cheese – 150 g cream cheese in total, divided between the 16 pieces.
- Shape the dough around the filling: gather the edges and pinch them together firmly so there are no cracks. Twist the top into a point, so the coxinha looks like a teardrop or a small chicken drumstick, and press the base lightly flat.
- Beat 2 pcs eggs together in a deep plate, and pour 150 g breadcrumbs into another.
- Dip each coxinha in the egg, then turn it in the breadcrumbs until it is coated all over.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Gently brush the breaded coxinhas on all sides with 3 tbsp rapeseed oil, and place them in the basket in a single layer with a little space between them.
- Cook them at 200 °C for 15 minutes, until golden, crisp and heated through. Gently turn them halfway through.
Serving
- Let them rest for 2-3 minutes before serving, as the filling is very hot. They taste wonderful with chilli sauce or a lime mayo.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
The dough and the filling must be cold before you shape the coxinhas. Lukewarm dough gets sticky, and warm filling makes the dough soft, so it cracks. Pinch the seam together firmly so the cream cheese doesn't leak out during cooking. Air fryer instead of a deep fryer:
Coxinhas are traditionally deep-fried. In the air fryer, a thin layer of oil brushed all the way around gives the same golden, crisp crust with far less fat. If you see pale patches when you turn them, dab on a little extra oil. Variation:
Use chicken thighs instead of breast for a juicier filling, or add a little finely chopped chilli. Small party coxinhas of about 25 g of dough are cooked at 200 °C for 10-12 minutes. Serving:
Serve coxinhas as a snack, for a party or as a lunch with a fresh salad and chilli sauce. Portion size:
The recipe makes about 16 coxinhas, so 4 per portion. If your air fryer is smaller, you can cook them in two batches. About catupiry:
In Brazil, catupiry is used, a soft and creamy Brazilian cheese. Plain cream cheese is the closest substitute you can find in ordinary supermarkets.
The dough and the filling must be cold before you shape the coxinhas. Lukewarm dough gets sticky, and warm filling makes the dough soft, so it cracks. Pinch the seam together firmly so the cream cheese doesn't leak out during cooking. Air fryer instead of a deep fryer:
Coxinhas are traditionally deep-fried. In the air fryer, a thin layer of oil brushed all the way around gives the same golden, crisp crust with far less fat. If you see pale patches when you turn them, dab on a little extra oil. Variation:
Use chicken thighs instead of breast for a juicier filling, or add a little finely chopped chilli. Small party coxinhas of about 25 g of dough are cooked at 200 °C for 10-12 minutes. Serving:
Serve coxinhas as a snack, for a party or as a lunch with a fresh salad and chilli sauce. Portion size:
The recipe makes about 16 coxinhas, so 4 per portion. If your air fryer is smaller, you can cook them in two batches. About catupiry:
In Brazil, catupiry is used, a soft and creamy Brazilian cheese. Plain cream cheese is the closest substitute you can find in ordinary supermarkets.
Nutrition
Calories: 750kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 39gFat: 30gSaturated fat: 11gPolyunsaturated fat: 5gMonounsaturated fat: 12gTrans fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 190mgSodium: 1150mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1000IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 3.4mgNet carbohydrates: 75g
