Fogo de Chao rolls are a version of Brazilian cheese bread, also known as pão de queijo-those warm, chewy, gluten-free rolls served endlessly at Brazilian steakhouses. This copycat recipe recreates the signature crisp exterior and stretchy center, just like the restaurant version.
What Are Fogo de Chao Rolls?
If you’ve never been to the Brazilian steakhouse, you might be wondering what these rolls even are. They are the warm, chewy Brazilian cheese bread served at the popular Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão. They’re made with tapioca flour instead of wheat flour, which makes them naturally gluten-free.
Unlike standard dinner rolls, these cheese puffs have a crisp, lightly golden exterior and a soft, stretchy, almost elastic center thanks to the tapioca starch and melted cheese. They’re meant to be eaten warm, when the cheese pull and texture are at their best.
Recipe Essentials
I’d be willing to be you have almost all of these fogo de chao rolls ingredients already on hand. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Tapioca flour – This specific flour helps to give the rolls their signature chew and texture. It also makes them naturally gluten free.
- Whole milk
- Unsalted butter
- Coarse kosher salt
- Cotija cheese
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Olive oil
- Cooking spray
How to Make Fogo de Chao Rolls (Step-by-Step)
Making this Brazilian steakhouse favorite might just be easier than you think, just follow these simple steps.
- Prepare oven and pan. Preheat the oven and grease the insides of a light colored mini muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable shortening.
- Boil butter, salt an milk. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, coarse kosher salt and whole milk. Bring to a low boil.
- Slowly add flour. As soon as mixture boils, transfer it to a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, slowly add in the tapioca flour. Be very careful because the mixture can spit out and it is hot!
- Add in remaining ingredients. Blend in the grated cheese, eggs, sugar and olive oil. Mixture will be the consistency of a chunky pancake batter- pourable & thick, but liquid-y.
- Add batter to pan. Spoon or pour the dough into individual muffin tins to about 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake. Puffs will start to puff right out of the tin and be golden brown on the tops with a dimple in the center.
Tips for the Perfect Chewy Center
Fogo de chao rolls have a signature chewy center. Follow these tips to ensure yours come out perfectly.
- Tapioca flour is non-negotiable – In addition to making them gluten-free, this flour is crucial for the chewy texture we all know and love. It gelatinizes when mixed with hot liquid, thus creating the signature chew.
- Add flour while liquid is hot – This process is what jumpstarts the gelatinization noted above and creates the chewy texture.
- Don’t over mix – Mix until just combined; Over-mixing introduces excess air, which can cause the rolls to rise unevenly and collapse.
- Use finely grated cheese – Finely shredded cheese melts faster and more evenly, thus dispersing throughout the dough instead of clumping.
- Serve warm – As the rolls cool, the starches firm up, making the texture different. If you want soft, chewy rolls, serve them hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Fogo de Chao serves a version of Brazilian cheese bread called pão de queijo, made with tapioca flour and cheese for a chewy, gluten-free roll.
This usually happens if the batter is too thick, the eggs were cold, or the rolls were overbaked.
Yes. Traditional pão de queijo uses tapioca flour instead of wheat flour, making them naturally gluten-free.
More Copycat Recipes
I love recreating recipes in my own kitchen. Here are some of my favorite copycat recipes.
Cheese Puff Bread Recipe- Copy Cat Fogo de Chao Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 5 oz Parmesan or Cotija cheese finely shredded
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the insides of a light colored mini muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable shortening.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and 1 cup whole milk. Bring to a low boil.
- As soon as mixture boils, transfer it to a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, slowly add in the 2 cups tapioca flour. Be very careful because the mixture can spit out and it is hot!
- Blend in the grated 5 oz Parmesan or Cotija cheese, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mixture will be the consistency of a chunky pancake batter- pourable and thick, but liquid-y.
- Spoon or pour the dough into individual muffin tins to about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Puffs will start to puff right out of the tin and be golden brown on the tops with a dimple in the center.
- If you've tried this recipe, please come back and leave us a comment or star rating to let us know how it was!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I don’t have any kind of mixer other than my hands. Can I still mix ingredients in a mixing bowl just to get the ingredients incorporated. It may not be as smooth as mixing with blender and mixer, but hand is all I got. Thank you.
Yep- go for it and work those arms! I’d use a whisk, the mixing isn’t just about smooth ingredients, it is also about incorporating air into the batter.
I would like to buy Maky a mixer. I think everyone would should have one! And Jessica your recipe is fantastic! Thank you very much for sharing ❤️. You can email me and let me know how I can get in touch with or how I can send a purchased mixer to Maky.
Thank you so much, Annette, unfortunately, I don’t have a way to get in touch with Maky- maybe they will see your comment? I don’t store email addresses to make sure I respect everyone’s privacy. <3
Have you ever tried using a non diary substitute to milk? Does the fat content of the milk make a difference to how the bread turns out?
I have not used a non-dairy option. The fat certainly makes a difference, so maybe use soy, it has the highest fat.
I have made this recipe again and again and again. My family loves it, my superbowl party guests (remember before 2020?) love it, my gluten-free as well as gluten-eating friends love it – This recipe is easy and WONDERFUL.
Oh, pre-2020, those were the days! I’m glad you love them! I haven’t made them in a while, I should 🙂
Hello, thanks you for your recipe, i have a question: i dit it many many times, but get many other results, i want my bread had a hole in the middle its surface , I cant do it, can u help me ?
That really has to do with the oven temperature and losing temperature when it deflates.
Can you use cassava flour if you do not have tapioca flour?
Hi Sophia, I’ve never tried it, but maybe? I know you can swap it for AP flour, but tapioca flour is a little different. It will change the texture and flavor since cassava is more earthy, but you should still have tasty rolls. Let us know how they turn out!
Followed recipe exactly with Parmesan cheese and came out great!
Awesome! Thank you!
This never got doughy… It was like a liquid and I followed the ratio exactly… Anyone else not get it to be dough?
It doesn’t get super doughy- it is very wet and won’t hold shape. Did you try baking them?
Made these tonight and I just wanted to say they were UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!!! Seriously they turned out perfect, JUST like what you get at Fogo de Chao. Thank you so much for this recipe! Will definitely be making these again!
Aw, thanks! Comments like this is why we do what we do! Enjoy and make sure to try a few others!
This is a staple in our family thanks to you. It is highly requested by my kids and husband. My 13 year old eats half of this batch before I even put them on the table. tastes so much like fogos. Too bad my local grocery store, Kroger is out of Tapioca flour often. Everyone needs to try this!!
Thanks for letting me know, Lina! You can order it on Amazon if you have trouble finding it. Health stores like Whole Foods often carry it too.
Tapioca flour or starch easily to find in any asian grocery store.
Can you use regular muffin tins
Hi Nancy! You can, but you might need to cook them a little longer and the chewy inside ratio might be a little off.
Thank you for this recipe, it was fantastic!
Great! And thank you for coming back to let us know!