Best Croquetas de Jamon (Ham Croquettes)

Here is another delicious Spanish delicacy that I just had to try to make at home from scratch… Croquetas de jamon! Or crunchy creamy Spanish ham croquettes…

I already tried my hand at making croquetas de bacalao, the salt cod version and that was such a huge success so next in line: ham croquettes.

Believe it or not: this ham croquette recipe is actually very easy to make.

Spanish Specialty

Making croquettes from scratch might scare you off.

I know that is can sound very complicated. That is why I put off making my own croquettes at home for so long.

Until I finally found the courage to give it a try. And as soon as I started, I put my back into it. It is very simple. You just need a couple of very basic cooking techniques to put this one together.

Here is how you make croquettes de jamon!

Prepared my style of course, in a nutshell.

Easy Croquetas de Jamon (Spanish Ham Croquettes)

First of all you need a good filling.

So you basically prepare a very thick kind of béchamel sauce with sautéed onions, garlic and ham in it. Butter, milk, flour.

Nothing more to it.

Once your filling is ready, then let the ham filling chill and set in the fridge. Cut it up later on once it is solid, bread the croquettes a couple of time.

And then all you have to do is just fry them in hot oil.

These croquetas de jamon are such a super creamy treat!

Serve them as an appetizer, starter or even for lunch.

More Croquette Recipes

Croquettes are very popular in Spain.

You can find them everywhere, in every bar and restaurant. And there are far more different types of croquettes: with canned tuna, fish, vegetables, mushrooms, blood sausage.

Even blue cheese and walnut croquettes!

Do you love these Spanish croquetas de jamon?

Then you should also check out my homemade salt cod croquetas! Or give my prawn croquettes a try!

Enjoy!

Easy Croquetas de Jamon Recipe

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Croquetas de Jamon

Prep Time

6 hrs

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

6 hrs 30 mins

 

Here's another delicious Spanish delicacy that I just had to try to make at home from scratch... Croquetas de jamon! Or crunchy creamy Spanish ham croquettes...

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: 14 croquetas

Calories per serving: 132 kcal

Ingredients

• 4,5 oz serrano ham (125 g)
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk (320 ml)
• 1,5 oz unsalted butter (45 g)
• 3 oz plain flour (85 g)
• 1 small onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 4 large eggs
• 3,5 oz breadcrumbs or panko (100 g)
• nutmeg
• pepper
• salt

Instructions

1. Peel the yellow onion and the garlic clove and chop them both up finely. Add them together with the unsalted butter to a large pan and place this over medium heat.
   
2. Let the butter melt and gently cook the onion and garlic for 4 minutes. In the meantime chop the cured ham finely and add it to the pan.
   
3. Stir well. Let the ham fry gently for 3 minutes. Then pour in the plain flour.
   
4. Stir the ingredients quickly and cook for 2 more minutes. Then little by little pour in the whole milk to make a kind of béchamel sauce.
   
5. Keep stirring constantly until the milk is fully incorporated. Season with a pinch of pepper, nutmeg and salt. Turn the heat a little lower now, put a lid on the pan and let the béchamel sauce thicken for 5 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the bottom from burning. In the end take the pan off the heat and check the seasoning. Add extra pepper, nutmeg or salt to taste if necessary.
   
6. Pour the béchamel sauce in a large and shallow baking dish. Flatten the top evenly using a spatula and then cover it nicely with a piece of cling film so it doesn’t dry out.
   
7. Let the croquette filling cool down fully at room temperature. Then put it in the fridge to chill and set for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight. Then cut the filling up into even portions and shape it a little if you like. It will feel a little sticky but that's normal.
   
8. Beat the eggs in a deep plate and pour the breadcrumbs in another deep plate. Coat the croquetas first with the egg and then with the breadcrumbs. Then repeat this once more.
   

9. Place the breaded croquetas on a clean plate. Chill the breaded croquetas in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Then fry them in batches in hot oil until golden. Serve hot.