🥟 Ham croquetas (croquetas de jamón)

Name: Ham croquetas (croquetas de jamón)
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Spain
Ingredients: 120 g Serrano ham, finely chopped; Half a small onion, very finely chopped; 60 g butter; 70 g flour; 600 ml milk; Pinch of nutmeg, black pepper; 2 eggs, beaten; 100 g fine breadcrumbs; Oil for frying

Origin: Spain

294kcal

per serving · 120 g

245kcal

per 100 g

11 gProtein9 g / 100 g

18 gFat15 g / 100 g

22 gCarbs18 g / 100 g

Croquetas de jamón are the best-known Spanish croquettes: a thick, creamy béchamel studded with small pieces of cured Serrano ham, rolled in egg and breadcrumbs and fried golden. The salty, aromatic ham seasons the soft, almost molten filling, while the coating stays thin and crisp. They are served hot as a tapa in almost every Spanish bar.

Diets

Not vegetarianbecause of: serrano ham

Not veganbecause of: béchamel sauce, serrano ham, egg

Contains porkbecause of: serrano ham

Contains glutenbecause of: béchamel sauce, breadcrumbs

Contains dairybecause of: béchamel sauce

Not keto18 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Gluten ⚠ Eggs ⚠ Milk

What it is made of

béchamel sauceserrano hambreadcrumbsegg

Recipe

6 servings45 min

Ingredients

120 g Serrano ham, finely chopped
Half a small onion, very finely chopped
60 g butter
70 g flour
600 ml milk
Pinch of nutmeg, black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
100 g fine breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Method

Melt the butter, add the onion and ham and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until very thick. Season with nutmeg and pepper.
Spread the mixture in a dish, cover the surface and chill for at least 4 hours.
Shape into small logs, roll in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs.
Fry in 2–3 cm of hot oil at 175 °C for 2–3 minutes until golden, drain on paper and serve hot.

How to make it lighter

Bake instead of frying: brush with a little oil and bake at 200 °C for 15–20 minutes, turning once.
Count them before you start — each croqueta is small but rich, so three or four with a salad make a portion.
Use semi-skimmed milk for the béchamel; the texture stays creamy.

History

Croquettes are generally thought to have reached Spain from French cooking in the 19th century, and Spanish cooks adapted them using béchamel and local ingredients. Cured ham, a pillar of Spanish food, became the most classic filling, and many families use the trimmings of a whole ham to make them.

Count it in one photo

Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Ham croquetas (croquetas de jamón) and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.

Download on the App Store

Similar dishes

Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →