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Serrano Ham and Manchego Croquettes

A firm Manchego and Serrano ham béchamel becomes a crisp, double-breaded croquette designed for frying in small batches and serving hot.

Golden croquettes reveal a creamy Serrano ham and Manchego center on a small plate.

These croquettes begin with a béchamel cooked far thicker than a pourable sauce, so the filling can be shaped once thoroughly chilled. A second egg-and-panko coat reinforces the shell and helps keep the creamy center contained during shallow frying.

Cook the béchamel to a firm paste

Whisking the warm milk into the roux gradually prevents lumps, while a steady simmer drives off enough moisture to make a sturdy filling. Keep stirring across the bottom of the pan until the mixture holds a clear furrow instead of flowing back immediately.

Cold filling is easier to shape

Pressing parchment or wrap directly against the surface limits a skin as the béchamel cools. A full chill makes the portions easier to roll neatly and gives the breading a firm base rather than a soft center that can push through the crumbs.

Short croquette logs are coated in flour, egg, and panko before chilling and frying. — The chilled ham and Manchego filling is shaped into even logs before breading.

Build a continuous crumb shell

Flour helps the egg cling, and panko creates the crisp exterior. Repeating the egg and crumb coating closes thin spots around the ends, where exposed filling is most likely to escape into the oil.

Fry only what you can serve hot

A heavy skillet and a steady oil temperature give the coating time to crisp before it absorbs too much oil. Fry a few at once, let the oil recover between batches, and carry each batch directly to the table while its shell is at its crispest.

A crisp golden croquette shows creamy béchamel with ham and Manchego inside. — A broken-open croquette shows its creamy ham and Manchego center inside a crisp golden crust.

If a croquette begins to leak

Remove it from the oil if the crumb shell splits, then check that the next pieces are fully cold and sealed at both ends. Avoid crowding the skillet, which can lower the oil temperature and leave the crust soft before it sets.

Serrano Ham and Manchego Croquettes

6 tapas servings

210 minutes total

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 oz Serrano ham, finely diced
• 4 oz Manchego cheese, finely grated
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 3 cups neutral oil, for shallow-frying

Method

Prepare the filling ingredients
Warm the whole milk in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Finely dice the Serrano ham and grate the Manchego and nutmeg while keeping the filling ingredients ready beside the stove.
Look for: The milk is steaming at the edges without a skin or active bubbles.
Cook the roux
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste is smooth and smells lightly toasted but has not browned.
Look for: The roux is pale, smooth, and bubbling gently with no dry flour visible.
Make a thick béchamel
Whisk the warm milk into the roux in several small additions, smoothing each addition before pouring in more. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring along the bottom, until it forms a very thick paste that pulls from the sides of the pan.
Look for: The béchamel holds a furrow when stirred and does not flow back immediately.
Season and enrich the filling
Take the pan off the heat and fold in the diced Serrano ham, grated Manchego, nutmeg, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly distributed. Spread the filling in a shallow dish and press parchment or wrap directly against its surface.
Look for: The filling is cohesive with ham and cheese throughout and no oily layer on top.
Chill until firm
Refrigerate the covered filling for at least 2 hours, until cold and firm enough to hold a clean shape when scooped. Do not begin breading while the center is still soft or warm.
Look for: A spoonful keeps its mound instead of slumping when lifted from the dish.
Shape the croquettes
Divide the chilled filling into 18 equal portions and roll each into a short log about 2 inches long and 3/4 inch thick. Keep the remaining filling cold as you work so the logs stay firm and easy to coat.
Look for: The logs have smooth, closed ends and hold their shape without sticking heavily to your hands.
Bread with a sealed coating
Set out the remaining flour, beaten eggs, and panko in separate shallow dishes. Roll each log in flour and shake off excess, dip in egg, coat fully in panko, then dip in egg and panko once more to seal any thin spots.
Look for: The coating is dry and continuous, especially over both ends where filling can escape.
Set the breading
Arrange the breaded logs on a parchment-lined tray without touching and refrigerate for 20 minutes. This short rest helps the double coating adhere before the croquettes meet the hot oil.
Look for: The outer crumbs feel dry and attached rather than loose when a croquette is moved.
Heat the shallow-frying oil
Pour the neutral oil into a heavy 10-inch skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch and heat it over medium to 350 F. Use a thermometer and wait for the temperature to recover between batches so the coating browns before it absorbs excess oil.
Look for: A panko crumb sizzles steadily on contact without darkening immediately.
Fry in small batches and serve hot
Fry 4 to 5 croquettes at a time, turning gently for 4 to 5 minutes until evenly deep golden and hot through; avoid crowding the skillet. Transfer to a wire rack to drain and serve each small batch hot while the remaining croquettes stay chilled.
Look for: The coating is crisp and evenly golden, and no filling leaks into the oil.