Chicken Coxinhas with Yuca Dough | Brazilian Cassava Chicken Croquettes
430kcal
Ingredients
For the Yuca Dough
- 2 whole Fresh Yucas you can use frozen yuca if you can not find fresh yuca.
- 1 tbsp Chicken bouillon powder
- 1 cup Salted Melted Butter how much butter you add depends on the size/amount of yuca you use. When you cook and mash the yuca, you don't want the yuca to be too dry. I keep adding butter until the texture of the yuca is soft and easily mouldable, so that when you stuff and close the yuca balls, it doesn't break/crack open
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Salt
For the Filling (Chicken + Catupiry Cheese)
- 2 Cooked and shredded Chicken Breast I boil the chicken breast with 1/4 onion, paprika, 1 bay leaf, garlic powder, and onion powder. To save time, you can buy already cooked pre shredded chicken, or shred a rotisserie chicken.
- 1-2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/4 diced Onion
- 3 diced Garlic cloves
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1 can tomato sauce (6oz)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 pack Catupiry Cheese if you do not have catupiry cheese, a good substitute is softened cream cheese mixed with shredded muenster. or softened cream cheese mixed with a little bit pf heavy cream or Monterrey jack cheese.
For Frying:
- vegetable or canola oil
Method
For the Yuca Dough
- Peel and cut your fresh yuca (if you are using frozen pre cut yuca that is okay, no need to defrost)
- Boil the yuca with the chicken bouillon for approximately 20 minutes. Boil until fork tender. Boil time depends on how thick your yuca is cut and if fresh or frozen. In my experience, for some reason frozen yuca seems to cook faster than fresh yuca.
- Remove from the water and add into a bowl. Devein the yuca and mash.
- Add the salt and garlic powder
- Add the melted butter and mix/smash well. As you do this, remove any stubborn hard pieces. This step is really important. You want to have a very smooth yuca dough. The more you smash the yuca, the softer and dough like it will become. Keep adding melted butter until it is not dry. You know the dough is ready when you are able to form a ball and press into it without it cracking/breaking.
For the Chicken Fillings
- Boil 2 chicken breast with onion, paprika, a bay leaf, and garlic powder
- Shred the chicken
- In a pan, add tbsp of cooking oil, diced onion, and diced garlic. Sauté
- Add the shredded chicken, paprika, and tomato sauce.
- Give it a good mix then add the water and mix well again
- Then Add your heavy cream
- Cook for about 5-6 minutes. You don't want the chicken filling to be too wet.
Forming the Coxhina (yuca ball croquettes)
- You can size these how you'd like, but I did about 5 tbsp of yuca dough per coxhina
- Form into a ball and then smash into a bowl shape to fill with a spoon of the chicken filling, and
- Squeeze in about a tablespoon of catupiry.
- Close and shape into a coxhina
Frying
- To fry, heat your oil on medium high
- I fried in batches of 3 since my coxhina were pretty large
- Fry until golden brown a crispy
- Serve and Enjoy!!
- Remove when ready and lay over paper towels to absorb extra oil
Notes
• For the best chicken coxinhas with yuca dough, make sure the yuca is fully cooked and soft before mashing. Any firmness will make the dough difficult to work with.
• Remove the tough inner fiber from the yuca before mashing to ensure a smooth, pliable dough.
• The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but still hold its shape. If it’s too dry, add a small amount of butter or a splash of broth.
• When shaping your Brazilian coxinhas, keep your hands lightly greased to prevent sticking and help create a smooth finish.
• Make sure the chicken and Catupiry filling is fully enclosed to prevent it from leaking while frying.
• Fry the coxinhas in medium-hot oil (about 350°F) so they cook evenly and become golden brown and crispy without absorbing too much oil.
• Avoid overcrowding the pan, as this lowers the oil temperature and can make the coxinhas greasy.
• If frying in batches, allow the oil temperature to return to heat between batches for best results.
• These Brazilian chicken croquettes can also be frozen before frying. Freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag and fry directly from frozen when ready to use.
• For a lighter option, you can air fry or bake, but frying gives the most authentic crispy texture.
• Remove the tough inner fiber from the yuca before mashing to ensure a smooth, pliable dough.
• The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but still hold its shape. If it’s too dry, add a small amount of butter or a splash of broth.
• When shaping your Brazilian coxinhas, keep your hands lightly greased to prevent sticking and help create a smooth finish.
• Make sure the chicken and Catupiry filling is fully enclosed to prevent it from leaking while frying.
• Fry the coxinhas in medium-hot oil (about 350°F) so they cook evenly and become golden brown and crispy without absorbing too much oil.
• Avoid overcrowding the pan, as this lowers the oil temperature and can make the coxinhas greasy.
• If frying in batches, allow the oil temperature to return to heat between batches for best results.
• These Brazilian chicken croquettes can also be frozen before frying. Freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag and fry directly from frozen when ready to use.
• For a lighter option, you can air fry or bake, but frying gives the most authentic crispy texture.