Iberico Ham Croquettes Recipe

Perfect for game day or any appetizer party, Croquetas de Jamon are tasty Spanish Ham Croquettes that are filled, not with potatoes, but with a creamy bechamel sauce.

In Spain, these bites are traditionally served in bars and restaurants as a tapas dish. Spanish coquetas can include a variety of other fillings added to the bechamel, like chicken, mushrooms, spinach, cheese or salt cod. But today, we’re making the most popular type, croquetas de jamon, ham croquettes.

Bechamel sauce is sometimes called “white sauce”. It is a basic sauce made from a cooked butter and flour roux that is then mixed with milk.

Frozen Iberico Ham Croquetas

The classic bechamel ratio is 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp flour mixed with 1 cup of milk makes a nice and thin sauce. Two Tbsp of each makes a medium thick sauce, and three makes a very thick sauce.

Bechamel makes our Greek Chicken Pie super creamy and takes the French grilled ham and cheese, Croque Monsieur, to the next level!

To make croquetas we vary from the basic bechamel recipe slightly by adding more flour than fat to create a VERY thick sauce that can be shaped once it has chilled.

Spanish Ham Croquettes Recipe

Speaking of chilling, the bechemel and ham mixture NEEDS to be refrigerated overnight in order for it to be firm enough for you to be able to shape it into little thumbs to make the croquettes.

Day one, you make your bechamel and mix in the ham. Traditionally, croquetas de jamon use Spanish Serrano ham, which can be a bit pricey to get here in the States. So, feel free to substitute any cooked ham you may have leftover from dinner or you grab from your deli.

On day two, you shape your croquetas de jamon and bread them. Then, they’re ready for either the freezer or the frying pan!

Croquetas De Jamon

Croquetas de jamon can be fried right after makingthem, but they are also the perfect appetizer to make ahead of time for a party.

Once breaded and frozen, you can store them in an air-tight container in the freezer until you are ready to fry them up and serve them to your guests, who will pretty much instantly fall in love with the creamy center, crispy exterior, and salty bits of ham.

Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.

Croquetas Are Bite Sized Goodness: 8 Croquette Recipes To Try

Hi thanks so much for the recipe. I followed it to the letter and it’s lovely, but I still can taste a little of the flour. My husband said I’m mad but any idea why this is? Many thanks

Hi Lyndsay. Glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you can still taste the flour, likely you didn’t cook it enough in step 2. It seems strange to simply cook flour in butter, but that will help eliminate some of that raw flour flavor.

I absolutely love your recipe and will be trying it whilst we practice social distancing due to the current state of things. I just wanted to check with you as I am in the UK that where you say 2 c of milk that refers to cup measurement? I do have cup measures but wanted to clarify :-)

Frozen Ibérico Ham Croquettes (1kg)

Many tks for the recipe ! I tried once another recipe, but the croquetas came somewhat appart when I fried them. Maybe the bechamel was not thick enough, or I didn’t freeze them those 15 mins. A question, do you think an air fryer would work?

Hi Antonio. We hope you enjoy these! We do find the freezing to be pretty essential to having the croquetas hold their shape. I think these would work in an air fryer, as long as they are frozen pretty firmly before transferring them to the fryer. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out for you!

Hello, I'm a Spaniard and I have eaten and enjoyed Croquetas all my life, of which the best are (of course!) the ones that my mother used to make. Your recipe gets everything right as far as I know. Just to mention that one traditional home recipe for Croquetas uses the meat leftovers from Cocido (stew). In general they're a great way to use meat, chicken or even fish leftovers. And if they're good ones, they can be eaten cold too!With only a handful of ingredients, my mother-in-law's traditional Spanish ham croquettes recipe is the best I've ever tried. In only 30 minutes, you can whip up a batch of croquette dough too. It's easier than you might think!

Spanish Ham Croquettes

The dough for ham croquettes is really easy to make. You just need about 30 minutes and a strong arm. Let's go!

7. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, over the next 15-20 minutes. Every time the mixture gets dry, add some more milk.

9. Pour the croquette dough into a large bowl, and let it cool to room temperature. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the dough, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).

Serrano Ham Croquettes

5. Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan and once hot (but not smoking), add the croquettes. Fry for 5 minutes, turning halfway through to ensure they brown evenly on all sides.

Jamón Serrano is a type of dry cured Spanish ham. It's one of the most popular types of ham in Spain, in part because it is less expensive than most Iberian ham (jamón Ibérico).

Croquettes in Spain are fried bechamel sauce fritters. They are a way to stretch leftovers by mixing them with creamy bechamel sauce (flour, butter/oil, and milk). Ham croquettes are the most popular variety in Spain, but others include chicken croquettes, mushroom croquettes, and spinach and pine nut croquettes.

Croquetas De Jamón (cuban Ham Croquettes)

Ham croquettes can be made well in advance. After making the croquette logs and breading them, you can keep them in the refrigerator for 24 hours (uncooked) and in the freezer (in an airtight container) for up to three months.

Once cooked, leftover croquettes will last in the fridge for up to three days. You can reheat them in a hot oven (350°F/170°C) for about 10-15 minutes.

Calories: 91.9 kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.05 g | Protein: 4.92 g | Fat: 6.85 g | Saturated Fat: 2.55 g | Trans Fat: 0.08 g | Cholesterol: 27.67 mg | Sodium: 214.84 mg | Potassium: 66.34 mg | Fiber: 0.13 g | Sugar: 2.27 g | Vitamin A: 142.12 IU | Vitamin C: 0.34 mg | Calcium: 49.98 mg | Iron: 0.26 mg

Chantarelle And Iberico Ham Croquettes (croquetas De Senderuelas Y Jamon Iberico)