Croquetas de Jamon
Creamy ham croquettes
Ingredients
- 150 g Jamon serrano
- 750 ml Milk
- 80 g Butter
- 100 g All-purpose flour
- 1 Onion
- ½ g Nutmeg
- 2 Egg
- 200 g Breadcrumbs
- 500 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp Salt
Method
- Mince the onion fine.
- Warm the milk over low heat. Do not let it boil.
- While the milk warms, chop the jamón into tiny pieces.
- Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Sweat the minced onion until translucent.
- Whisk in the flour and cook the roux until it smells biscuity, not toasted.
- Whisk in the warm milk in three additions, smoothing between each. Simmer until very thick.
- Stir in the jamón, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Cook a little longer to bring it together.
- Spread the bechamel onto an oiled tray in an even layer and press cling film onto the surface.
- Chill the bechamel until completely firm, at least 2 hours or overnight — it must be cold and solid to shape and bread cleanly.
- Shape the cold, firm bechamel into short logs with floured hands.
- Beat the eggs. Roll each log first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, packing them well.
- While breading, heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven to 190 °C (375 °F).
- Fry the croquetas in small batches, turning, until deeply golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve immediately — the centre must be molten when broken open.
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About Croquetas de Jamon
Croquetas de Jamón are a Spanish bar staple born from economy and precision: a thick béchamel thickened with butter and flour, enriched with chopped jamón serrano, then chilled, breaded, and fried until the exterior shatters and the interior stays creamy, almost liquid. The béchamel base is foundational—cooked long enough to lose the raw flour taste but not so long as to darken, it becomes the canvas for the jamón's salty intensity. The chilling step is not negotiable; it allows the filling to set just enough to hold its shape against the oil.
These are textural theater: a crisp, golden shell yielding immediately to a spoon, within which lurks a center that's still pourable, warm, and loaded with the rich salt of cured ham. The ratio of ham to sauce is generous enough to announce itself on the first bite. They're meant to be eaten at a standing bar with a beer or sherry, just after they've been fried, before the exterior softens. A squeeze of lemon is customary, cutting the richness. This is not weeknight cooking—it's a project—but it's one that rewards the technique with a professional result that tastes like you learned it in Madrid.
Croquetas de Jamon: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Croquetas de Jamon?
A serving has about 528 calories — 19.7g protein, 45g carbs, 29.9g fat, 1.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Croquetas de Jamon gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains All-purpose flour, Breadcrumbs. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
Is Croquetas de Jamon dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Milk, Butter. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Croquetas de Jamon take to make?
About 90 minutes start to finish, but only around 58 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Croquetas de Jamon make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.