📺 Original Video: Best CHICKEN DRUMSTICK RECIPE I ever made, PERIOD! by Guga Foods
📅 Duration: 13:28
TL;DR
- Brazilian coxinha (deep-fried chicken croquettes) made from scratch with smoked drumstick meat
- Two versions: classic plain and a cream cheese-stuffed “Heaven’s Chicken” that steals the show
- The dough is impossibly creamy, the filling is smoky and rich, and the panko crust shatters perfectly
- Freezer-friendly batch cooking makes this a killer party snack or family dinner
- Angel literally couldn’t stop eating them, which tells you everything
Quick Info
| Detail | Value |
| Dish | Coxinha (Brazilian Chicken Croquettes) |
| Servings | ~7 pieces |
| Prep Time | 45 min |
| Cook Time | 30 min (smoking) + frying |
| Difficulty | Medium |
Ingredients
For the Smoked Drumsticks:
- 7 chicken drumsticks (bigger ones for classic coxinha, smaller ones for Heaven’s Chicken)
- Guga’s rub (recipe in video description)
- Extra salt to taste
- Garlic butter (for basting)
For the Dough:
- Chicken stock
- Table cream
- 1 whole stick of butter
- Salt and pepper
- Flour (added gradually to consistency)
- Egg yolks
- Chives
For the Heaven’s Chicken Filling:
- Shredded smoked drumstick meat (from the smaller drumsticks)
- Requeijão (Brazilian cream cheese) or regular cream cheese as a substitute
- Organic chives
For Breading & Frying:
- Flour
- Eggs (whisked)
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
▶00:22 Step 1: Prep the drumsticks. Separate the bigger drumsticks for classic coxinha and the smaller ones for Heaven’s Chicken. Remove all the skin from every drumstick.
▶00:37 Step 2: Clean the bones. Make an incision all the way around each drumstick and pull everything down, leaving the bone exposed and clean. For extra texture points, grab some pliers and pull out the tendons. Not required, but it makes a real difference when you’re eating them.
▶01:11 Step 3: Season generously. Coat the drumsticks with Guga’s rub. Since the rub doesn’t pack a ton of salt, add extra salt separately. Mix everything well.
▶01:28 Step 4: Smoke the drumsticks. Set your grill to 375°F and smoke until the internal temp hits 165°F. Baste with garlic butter every 15 minutes. This step gives the final product a subtle smoky flavor that sets it apart.
▶02:25 Step 5: Make the dough. Combine chicken stock, table cream, and a whole stick of butter. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a light simmer. Drop the heat to low, then start adding flour gradually while stirring. There’s no exact measurement here. You’re going by feel until the consistency is right.
▶03:00 Step 6: Add the egg yolks. Once the dough reaches the right consistency, immediately kill the heat. Toss in egg yolks and mix them in. Keeping the heat off is critical because you don’t want the eggs to cook, you want them to incorporate and make the dough extra creamy. Keep mixing until completely smooth, then fold in chives.
▶03:31 Step 7: Make the filling. Take the smaller drumsticks, shred the meat, and discard the skins. Give the shredded chicken a rough chop. Clean the bones well if you want to use them for the Heaven’s Chicken presentation.
▶04:03 Step 8: Mix the filling. Combine the chopped chicken with requeijão (or cream cheese) and chives. Mix well. The requeijão has this incredible runny, ultra-creamy texture that takes the filling to another level, but cream cheese works fine in a pinch.
▶04:36 Step 9: Assemble the classic coxinha. Once the dough has cooled, spread it flat, place a whole cleaned drumstick in the center, and wrap the dough around it tightly. This is the traditional Brazilian bar snack, coxinha, and you’ll find it in basically every bar in the country.
▶05:06 Step 10: Assemble Heaven’s Chicken. For the boneless version, spread the dough, add the cream cheese filling, then press a clean bone into the center and mold it into a drumstick shape. This one’s trickier but take it slow and you’ll get the hang of it.
▶05:21 Step 11: Freeze. Pop the assembled coxinhas in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This firms everything up and makes breading way easier.
▶05:37 Step 12: Bread and fry. Roll each piece in flour, dip in egg wash, then coat in panko breadcrumbs. Deep fry until golden and crispy. Guga recommends panko over regular breadcrumbs, and honestly, the crunch speaks for itself.
The Verdict
▶07:16 These came out looking absolutely gorgeous. The presentation with the bone sticking out is a real showstopper. Angel’s first bite of the classic version had him sold immediately. The dough alone is incredibly creamy even without the cheese filling, and the smoked chicken adds this subtle depth you wouldn’t expect from a fried snack.
▶09:15 But the Heaven’s Chicken version? That’s where things get ridiculous. When they pulled the bone out and cut it open, the cream cheese filling was oozing out in the most beautiful cross-section. Angel picked the cheese version as the clear winner, and couldn’t stop going back for more. “So creamy… you don’t need to chew it,” he said, which is the highest compliment you can give a coxinha.
▶11:14 The best part? You can batch these and freeze them. When you’re ready, just thaw slightly, bread, and fry. Having a stash of homemade coxinha in the freezer is honestly a life upgrade.
Tips & Variations
- Bigger drumsticks are easier to work with for the classic bone-in version
- Freeze before breading for at least 30 minutes. It makes shaping and coating so much cleaner
- Requeijão vs cream cheese: The Brazilian stuff is runnier and creamier, but regular cream cheese is a solid substitute
- Panko > regular breadcrumbs for that superior crunch
- Batch and freeze: Make a big batch, freeze unbreaded, then bread and fry fresh when you want them
- Boneless option: Skip the bone entirely for a simpler version (traditional coxinha style)
- The tendon removal step is optional but genuinely improves the texture
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