Spanish Jamón Croquetas

By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: May 22, 2010

Last Updated: December 9th, 20246 Comments on Spanish Jamón Croquetas

There’s a good reason why Spanish Jamón croquetas are amongst the most treasured little bites in the world. They’re absolutely addictive! Creamy, salty and crunchy – the perfect tapas bite!

A blue rimmed platter of Spanish jamon croquetas with a smoked paprika alioli on the side.

When I think of Spanish Jamón Croquetas, I’m transported back to my childhood, to the 70s. My mother made them to impress her Friday night girls’ nights, but while they drank all the wine, I would invariably cook and eat most of them. Nothing has changed, I still ‘test’ a few to ensure they’re OK before anyone else gets a look in.

In Spain they’re a national treasure and are served at every tapas bar in all manner of experimental form. My favourite, and the most classic is jamón ham. The Spanish cousin to Italy’s Prosciutto. Spanish ham in itself is one of my most favourite things to eat in its own right. Reaching dizzying expense, jamón can be out of a lot of people’s budget – but I say go for the cheaper varieties like Serrano, they still impart a tonne of flavour to each fried nugget. Unless you’re a gazillionaire, don’t use the Jamón Iberico – that’s best on its own with a giant glass of Tempranillo.

These croquetas are the perfect bite alongside a leisurely glass of wine or cider and when paired with a simple garlic mayonnaise (known as alioli in Spain). I've paired mine with a smoked paprika alioli which ups the ante even further - it's pure perfection.

A platter of Spanish jamon croquetas with a smoked paprika alioli on the side.

Why they work

They're addictive - I become a little obsessive around croquetas, maybe it's the deep fried crunch, maybe the creamy and salty interior. Maybe a combination of both. All I know is that I monitor everyone's intake to see how many I can get away with eating. I'l always eat the lion's share. :)

The labelled ingredients for Spanish jamon croquetas.

Stuff You'll Need

These croquetas use a bechamal style base, a thick creamy flour and butter combo that creates the body and creaminess of the final croqueta. There's nothing out of the ordinary to hunt out at the supermarket - here are the key flavours.

  • All purpose (plain) flour
  • Butter - mixes with the flour to create a 'roux'
  • Milk - This creates the looser, yet still thick batter/bechemal.
  • Flavourings - we flavour the milk with shallot, parsley, bay leaf, cloves and peppercorns before adding it to the roux.
  • Spanish Jamon - I don't use the super-fancy stuff (iberico) for this recipe, I'll choose a mid-range serrano ham. You can use Italian prosciutto too, just don't tell a Spanish person.
  • Breading station - separate bowls of flour, egg and breadcrumbs (I like to use Japanese panko for a larger crumb and crunchier texture).
  • Oil for deep frying - I'll use a vegetable, canola or sunflower oil.
A pan with milk seasoned with shallots, pepper, cloves, bay leaves and parsley
Milk simmering with Spanish jamon
Small crumbs of butter with flour cooking in a pan
jamon seasoned milk being poured into a pan with butter and flour
A thick jamon flavoured bechamel mixture
A thick jamon flavoured bechamel mixture spread out on a plate
croquetas arranged on a plate before breading
A croqueta being dredged in breadcrumbs
A croqueta being deep fried in oil

Step by Step

Making your croquettas is easier than you'd think. There's a full recipe below but here's a quick breakdown to show you how simple things are.

  1. Step 1 - Season the milk by warming it and infusing it with the flavours of peppercorns, cloves, shallot, parlsey and bay leaf for a while
  2. Step 2 - Strain the milk and return to the pan and add the finely chopped ham. Set aside.
  3. Step 3- Melt the butter and then add the flour - cook it out a little into a crumb.
  4. Step 4 - Pour in the ham and milk mixture and stir
  5. Step 5 - Bring the mixture together to form a thick doughy batter - you can add a little more milk if it becomes too thick to manage.
  6. Step 6 - Spread the dough onto a plate leave to completely cool.
  7. Step 7 - Roll stumpy sausage shapes and arrange on a plate as you continue until all the dough is used.
  8. Step 8 - Dredge each croqueta through flour then egg and then finally coat with the breadcrumbs.
  9. Step 9 - Heat some oil in a small pan for deep frying to around 360ºF/180ºC and fry the croquetas in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and repeat until they're all done.
Spanish jamon croquetas on a plate before cooking
A blue rimmed platter of Spanish jamon croquetas with a smoked paprika alioli on the side.

Ready to get cooking?

I prefer the term 'timeless' over 'retro', croquetas get a bit of a bad rep for being a bit old fashioned, but honestly, nobody in Spain thinks this! They're treasured and enjoyed in every corner of the country, and for good reason. Once you create your own at home you'll see why!

Serve as part of a bigger tapas offering, there's some more suggestions below. These little treats are just perfect alongside a wine, sangria, ice-cold beer or dry cider or a fruity cocktail.

One last thing, I will invariably serve my croquetas with some kind of mayonnaise (alioli) - always HOMEMADE mayo, a simple garlic mayo or more often my favourite smoked paprika alioli. Jamon croquetas and alioli together are pure perfection. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

A small plate of Spanish jamon croquetas with a smoked paprika alioli on the side

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A blue rimmed platter of Spanish jamon croquetas with a smoked paprika alioli on the side.

Spanish Jamón Croquetas

Rate this recipe

4.67 from 3 votes
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Recipe by Lee
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack, Tapas
Cuisine Spanish
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings (adjustable) 4
Calories (per serving) | 549

Ingredients

Smoked paprika Alioli

Instructions

  • Pour the milk into a saucepan, add the cloves, peppercorns, shallot and bay leaf. Bring to a light simmer over a moderate heat for 10 minutes. Strain the milk through a sieve and return to the pan. Discard the solids.
  • Add the chopped ham to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly then remove from the heat.
  • In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over a moderate heat. Stir in the flour to create a crumbly texture. Cook, stirring constantly for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat Then pour in half the ham/milk mixture. Stir well. Pour this mixture into the pan and stir again until fully incorporated. Spoon the sticky mixture onto a plate and smooth out. Leave to completely cool.
  • Arrange 2 shallow bowls, one with the flour, seasoned generously with salt and pepper) the next with the beaten egg, and a third with the breadcrumbs.
  • Take a small golf ball sized piece of the ham mixture and mould it into a croquette shape. Dip it into the flour to coat. Tap off any excess flour then dip into the egg. Lastly, roll the croqueta in the breadcrumbs to fully coat. Arrange on a plate as you continue, using up all of the mixture. Cover the croquetas with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan until hot (around 360ºF/180ºC). Drop in 4-5 croquetas and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all the croquetas are fried.
  • The perfect tapas dish eaten either hot or cold. They can also be made in advance and warmed in the oven for about 15 minutes. 
  • I love to serve mine alongside a little bowl of mayonnaise to dip.

Notes

  • Ham - you can use any kind of cured ham like Italian proscuitto. Don't use the expensive stuff like pricey serrano or iberico, that's too good to use up on a croqueta. Buy the inexpensive brand - it won't sacrifice on flavour.
  • Refrigeration - once cooked, the croquetas will be good for a few days in the fridge. Either eat cold or warmed in the oven until hot (about 10 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC)
  • Freezer - for the best results, freeze the croquetas before you cook them. Coat the croquetas in breadcrumbs and then arrange in a single layer (not touching) on a baking tray. Freeze until completely solid, then tumble the croquetas into a plastic bag. Defrost completely in a single layer and then fry as normal.
  • Serving suggestion - I love to serve my croquetas with some kind of aioli (alioli) - try my smoked paprika alioli at: cookeatworld.com/asparagus-with-smoked-alioli/

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcal (27%) | Carbohydrates: 54g (18%) | Protein: 17g (34%) | Fat: 29g (45%) | Saturated Fat: 14g (88%) | Cholesterol: 139mg (46%) | Sodium: 478mg (21%) | Potassium: 338mg (10%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 8g (9%) | Vitamin A: 646IU (13%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 200mg (20%) | Iron: 4mg (22%)
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