Croquetas de jamón are the tapa everyone claims to make at home and almost nobody gets right, because the béchamel needs real patience, not a shortcut.
Get the chilling time right and the rest takes care of itself.
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 60g plain flour
- 600ml whole milk, warmed
- 150g Jamón Serrano, finely diced
- Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Plain flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, for crumbing
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Method
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to form a roux.
- Gradually whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until you have a thick, smooth béchamel — keep whisking over low heat for 8–10 minutes until very thick.
- Stir in the diced jamón, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture into a shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
- Once firm, roll the mixture into small logs (about 2 tbsp each). Coat each in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumb sticks.
- Heat oil to 180°C and fry the croquettes in batches for 2–3 minutes until deep golden. Drain on paper towel.
- Serve immediately while the outside is crisp and the centre is still molten — this is non-negotiable with croquetas.
Don't skip the chilling time — a béchamel that hasn't fully set will fall apart the moment it hits hot oil, no matter how carefully you crumb it.
This is the home version
What you've just read works on a normal stove. At a Tapas Madriz event it's the same dish, the same method, just cooked live in front of a crowd — and we clean up, not you.
See How It Works at Your Event Get a Quote
