Coxinha in Australia

When my wife and I arrived in Australia in 2013, finding a coxinha felt like a treasure hunt. You had to know someone who knew someone, get hold of a phone number, and hope the order had gone in at least a week in advance.

When Aussie friends tried to understand this obsession with coxinha, pastel and all the other savoury snacks Latin America does so well, the answer was always the same: "Try a meat pie, mate."

It's not that meat pies are bad. They're just not coxinha.

Back when we lived in Mosman, the owner of the local Chinese grocery heard me going on about coxinha and handed me a meat pie from the bakery a couple of doors down. The baker dropped off a basket of pastries every morning, and he was a bit tired of them. It turned into a small, lovely routine: two Brazilians still finding their feet, stopping at the corner shop, and the owner pulling a free meat pie out of the basket for us.

To be fair, that Mosman meat pie was excellent. But given the choice, I'd take a good coxinha every time.

The good news is the hunt is over. The 56 places in this guide, from Sydney to Fremantle, were built by the Brazilian community over the same years we were learning to live here. This page is where to find them.

— Gildo Santos, Founder, Canguaru

How coxinha took root in Australia

It started in home kitchens. Before there were Brazilian cafés, coxinha in Australia meant a home cook (a tia, literally "auntie") taking orders by phone and later by WhatsApp, frying in batches for birthdays, and sending frozen trays home for the freezer.

Those home businesses are still here, and several are in this guide. Around them grew the bakeries and cafés selling coxinha daily alongside cheese bread (pão de queijo), the Brazilian steakhouses (churrascarias) putting it on the entrée list, the food trucks and weekend market stalls frying to order, the caterers taking it to weddings and office parties, and the Brazilian grocers stocking frozen packs.

Coxinha went from something you asked around for to something you can pick up on a lunch break.

What makes a coxinha a coxinha

A proper coxinha starts with a dough made from wheat flour and chicken stock, which gives it a flavour and softness that sets it apart from other fried snacks.

The dough is wrapped around a filling, classically shredded chicken with creamy catupiry cheese (frango com catupiry), then shaped into its signature drumstick form, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden.

The name means "little thigh" in Portuguese, a nod to the shape. What you're looking for in a great one:

• A thin, crisp shell that gives way without shattering
• Dough that stays soft and slightly stretchy, never dense or doughy
• A generous, well-seasoned filling. The chicken-to-dough ratio matters
• Served hot, ideally minutes out of the fryer

Where coxinha shows up in Australia

• Brazilian cafés and bakeries: the most reliable option, usually daily, alongside other savoury snacks (salgados)
• Restaurants and Brazilian steakhouses: as an entrée or bar snack
• Markets and food trucks: weekend stalls where coxinha is fried fresh to order
• Brazilian grocery stores: frozen packs to cook at home
• Home-based businesses and caterers: pre-orders, party trays and bulk boxes, often the closest thing to homemade

Each listing tells you what kind of business it is, where it is and how to order, so you can match the craving to the occasion: a quick snack on your lunch break, a freezer stash for home, or a hundred mini coxinhas for a birthday party.

Beyond the classic chicken

Chicken with catupiry remains the gold standard, but businesses across Australia are getting creative. Keep an eye out for cheese, beef, pulled pork, prawn and jackfruit fillings, along with vegan and gluten-free versions from specialist makers.

Mini coxinhas, bite-sized for platters, are a party staple, and some places do jumbo versions that are practically a meal.

How to use this guide

Browse the listings by city and suburb to find coxinha near you. Every listing includes location, contact details and how to order, and we link social pages so you can check what's fresh this week.

Found a place we've missed? Canguaru is built by and for the community, and listings are free. Let us know about any café, stall or home business serving coxinha in Australia and we'll add it to the guide.

Boa coxinha! 🥟