Croquettes are one of the most popular appetizers in Spanish gastronomy. They are part of the traditional cuisine, with one bite they take us back to our childhood and to the delicacies our grandmothers used to prepare as a recipe to make the most of leftovers so as not to waste food.

From the classic ham, egg and meat croquettes to the most modern versions, they have never ceased to be part of our cuisine.

Keys to make the best croquettes

Although Juan Monteagudo has already told us some tricks to make the winning croquette in 2023, the béchamel sauce is the basis of good croquettes. Getting a thin, lump-free batter has its tricks, from using the right utensils such as whisks, to the correct order of ingredients, using warm milk and stirring constantly while cooking the béchamel sauce.

In order to get crispier croquettes, dredge them in flour before the beaten egg and breadcrumbs. You can use coarser breadcrumbs or make a double batter. Another trick is to let the battered croquettes rest for a few minutes before frying to dry the breadcrumbs.

For a crunchy batter, dip the croquettes in flour, beaten egg and coarse breadcrumbs. Let stand 20-30 minutes before frying.

The best homemade croquettes by Karlos Arguiñano

Karlos Arguiñano, as a good lover of the recipes of a lifetime has taught us how to prepare homemade croquettes for all tastes. Do you want to know which croquettes have been the most liked? Do not miss this ranking of the 10 most viewed homemade croquettes of our website in history.

1. Ham croquettes

The ham croquettes In fact, it is difficult to find a grandmother who has never made them. It is not only one of the most popular dishes in Spanish gastronomy, it is also, without a doubt, one of the best starters to make the whole family happy.

Dare to prepare them at home with Karlos Arguiñano's easy ham croquettes recipes. They are not complicated at all, and if you follow his steps, they will turn out great!

Chicken and egg croquettes

A recipe for chicken and egg croquettes prepared by chef Karlos Arguiñano in an easy and simple way.

Carrot croquettes

Carrot croquettes, a healthy and very easy to prepare dish, with Karlos Arguiñano's step by step guide. Have you ever tried them?

Codfish croquettes

Learn how to prepare the cod croquettes recipe from Karlos Arguiñano, one of the most popular types of croquettes.

5. Meat croquettes

Meat croquettes are a traditional and easy dish to prepare following Karlos Arguiñano's step-by-step instructions, with which we can use the leftover meat from the previous day.

6. Eggplant croquettes

Karlos Arguiñano surprises us with eggplant and cheese croquettes, a traditional recipe with a different touch.

7. Blue cheese croquettes

We share a delicious appetizer prepared step by step by Karlos Arguiñano: Blue cheese croquettes, an original and delicious proposal.

8. Vegetable croquettes

Vegetable and cheese croquettes recipe, stuffed with bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, spinach, a dish prepared by Karlos Arguiñano.

Mushroom croquettes

How to prepare homemade mushroom croquettes thanks to Karlos Arguiñano, a classic dish perfect to serve as an appetizer or starter.

10. Salmon croquettes

Explains how to prepare salmon croquettes with bechamel, a traditional recipe prepared by Karlos Arguiñano with a different touch of salmon and dill inspired by Scandinavian cuisine.

Questions you may have

How to avoid oily croquettes

It is possible that the first few times you make some homemade croquettes If you fry them, they will be greasy or very oily after frying.

To prevent this from happening, make sure the oil is very hot when frying them. If it is still cold when you add them, they will start to soak in the oil from the moment it starts to heat up until it reaches its optimum heat. In addition, this will cause them to cook before frying and they will not turn out well.

On the other hand, once the croquettes are fried, place them on a plate with absorbent paper. Clean the croquettes with absorbent paper (always with small touches so as not to break them). And make sure they release all the excess oil.

Another option to prevent the croquettes are not oily is to prepare the recipe in an air fryer (you can see the recipe here: croquettes in an air fryer).

How to get the croquette perfect

It is important to take into account the preparation of the dough so that our croquettes are perfect. For example, the béchamel sauce must be thick and not liquid, to prevent it from opening when frying.

Keep in mind that the denser the croquettes dough is, the easier it will be to handle them to make their characteristic shape and batter. The ideal is to make the béchamel sauce just right, making it a little creamy. Once it is cold, we can handle it without any problem.

On the other hand, the breading of the croquette is key. We recommend dredging them first in flour, then in egg and finally in breadcrumbs. The latter is very important to achieve a good crunchy breading. You can use coarse breadcrumbs (typical village bread) or wholemeal bread. You can even choose to use the Japanese Panko breadcrumbs forto make them even crispier.

Another option is to innovate with the flavor of the batter. For example, you can try a mixture of breadcrumbs with garlic and parsley or with other different touches such as oregano, paprika, cereals, nuts and even crushed potato chips. They won't be the traditional croquettes, but they will be irresistible!

And finally, the oil must be very hot when frying them. The ideal temperature is between 175º and 180ºC. We can check it with a thermometer or simply put a wooden spoon in and wait for the bubbles to be big. This will guarantee that the croquette is fried and not cooked. It is also important that the oil covers the whole croquette so that it is cooked.equally on all sides.