Guide to Spanish Croquetas

Quick Answer

Ah, the Spanish croqueta(croquette). This versatile little dish is so easy to eat, yet so hard to make. Are you familiar with croquetas yet? Read on; we’re sure you’ll find this article delectable.

Questions This Article Answers

What are croquetas?

What is a classic croquetas recipe?

What is besamel?

How to make croquetas?

What are typical croquetas fillings?

Spanish croquetas on bed of potatoes

You've probably found yourself in this situation: You have leftovers, but you don’t want to eat turkey for the fifth day in a row. What’s one to do?

Make croquetas! Croquetas are one of Spain’s go-to dishes. They're one of the few foods that you’ll easily find throughout the country, and each family tends to have their own special receta(recipe) for croquetas. You can pretty much put anything into croquetas— even chocolate!

How to Make Croquetas

So, just what goes in croquetas? First, let’s take a look at some of the vocabulary we’re going to need to talk about making croquetas.

Spanish Vocabulary: Croquetas Ingredients

Spanish	English	Notes
aceite de oliva	olive oil
besamel	béchamel	Not familiar with béchamel? It’s a thick white sauce made from flour, milk, and olive oil or butter.
harina de trigo	wheat flour
huevo	egg
leche entera	whole milk
mantequilla	butter
pan rallado	bread crumbs	Want to know our secret? Use a combination of panko bread crumbs and ground crispy fried onions to give your croquetas a crispy, tasty coating

Croquetas Recipe

Step One: Make Besamel

• Start out by making roux with butter (or olive oil!) and flour. Some people add onions or other fillings during this first step.

• After your roux has toasted for a bit, slowly add your hot milk. Be sure to stir constantly so that no lumps form in your béchamel.

• Reduce the heat to just a simmer, and let the béchamel reduce to a thick consistency. Once it reaches the consistency you need, let it cool for at least an hour.

Just how thick should the béchamel be? This is one place where trial and error is key. It takes a lot of simmering, a lot of stirring, and a lot of patience to get it to the right thickness. Since you’re going to shape the croquettes into ovals, it needs to be fairly firm.

Step Two: Form Your Croquetas

Once the béchamel has cooled, it’s time to dar forma(to shape) the croquettes. While they’re most frequently shaped into ovals, it's also OK to shape them into little balls.

• First, you'll need a bowl with flour, one with two eggs beaten with a bit of water, and another bowl with your breadcrumbs.

• Coat your ovals or balls in the flour, dip them in the egg mix, and then coat them in bread crumbs.

Step Three: Fry Your Croquetas

Now it's time fry your croquetas up! Make sure to take them out of the oil with an espumadera(slotted spoon) and let them rest on papel de cocina(paper towels). This helps get some of the oil out.

Spanish croquetas on a plate with a doily

Croqueta Fillings

So, just what can one fill their croquetas with? Here are some of the most common fillings!

Spanish	English	Notes
bacalao	cod
boletus	porcini
chorizo	chorizo
cocido	stew
huevo duro	hard-boiled egg	Hard-boiled egg is often added to other fillings, like chicken, ham, or cod.
jamón	Spanish ham
morcilla	blood sausage
piñones	pine nuts	Piñones taste amazing in croquetas de morcilla!
pollo	chicken
puerro	leek
queso	cheese	Strong blue cheeses, like roquefort or Cabrales, arguably work best in croquetas. You can add dates for a great sweet touch!

Where Can I Get Croquetas in Spain?

If you’re feeling daunted by the aforementioned recipe, don’t worry. Nearly every restaurant or bar in Spain will have their own croquetas, making them one of the easiest foods to find in the country. Make sure to try ones with different fillings. And if restaurants have a surtido de croquetas(croquette sampler plate), give it a try. That’ll allow you to try different fillings in one course!

Feeling hungry yet? We’re not surprised. When done right, croquetas can be amazing. If you don’t get them right on the first try, don’t get discouraged. It’s a tough recipe, and we promise—you’ll get it one day!

¡Qué aproveche!(Bon appetit!)