Croquetas de Jamón (Cuban Ham Croquettes)
Two croquetas de jamón and a Cuban cafecito… that’s my idea of the perfect breakfast. Growing up Cuban, ham croquettes were a treasured staple, and even now, I still swing by the Cuban bakery whenever I can for a couple to-go.
They’re crunchy, creamy, and so nostalgic, and once you know the steps, you can make them just as delicious in your own kitchen. I’ll guide you through each step so yours turn out bakery-worthy.
5-Star Review
“This is my go-to croqueta recipe! It has never once failed me. It definitely has a Miami feel when they’re fresh. I feel like it’s a very forgiving recipe in that it will allow you to make reasonable substitutions and additions, like shredded cheese or parm or garlic, etc. I have also just used the recipe as a guide for other kinds of croquettes too.”
—Frank
How To Make Ham Croquetas
Making croquetas de jamón at home might feel intimidating, but trust me, it’s doable once you break it down. The key is patience: take your time with the béchamel so it turns silky smooth, then let the mixture chill until it’s firm enough to shape.
After that, it’s as simple as breading and frying until you’ve got a plate of croquetas that are crispy outside, melt-in-your-mouth inside, and totally worth the effort.
⭐️ PRO TIP: To keep the croquetas from bursting, make sure to fry them at medium-high heat (no higher than 350ºF). You may have to first heat up the oil to 400ºF because the temperature of the oil usually drops once you add the croquetas in. Also, do not fry them for very long in the hot oil. Only fry the croquetas until golden brown – 3-4 minutes tops.
Recommended For This Recipe
Dutch Oven
A solid heavy cast iron Dutch oven ensures even heat distribution and retention, making it perfect for making these croquetas along with soups, stews, roasts, etc.
Whether you fry up a batch for breakfast or as a snack, these ham croquettes always hit the spot. I love pairing them with a sweet batido de trigo or another classic Cuban milkshake. The contrast of the crispy croquette with an ice-cold milkshake is the kind of nostalgic pairing you’ll want to repeat again and again.
Croquetas de Jamón (Ham Croquettes)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon dry cooking wine, (vino seco)
- 1 pound ground ham*, (see note)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup bread crumbs, (or finely ground saltine crackers)
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt butter at medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the cooking wine and ground ham to the sauce. Mix together slowly until all is combined. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the filling to a bowl. Let it rest at room temperature then refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight (the longer the better). The mixture has to harden in order to form into logs and coat evenly. If this step is skipped, it will be very hard to form logs, coat with the breading, and fry. This is an important step. Don't skip it.
- Remove the filling from the refrigerator. Form logs from the mixture straight from the fridge. It's ok if they are cold, it will be easier to form the logs this way. You want the logs to be approximately 3" long and 1" wide. If the mixture is sticky as you're making the logs, add bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the mixture until it's no longer sticky.
- Continue forming the logs until you have all the croquette logs done then place them back in the fridge to firm up once again, about 30 minutes.**
- Remove the logs from the fridge. Dip each croquette log in the egg wash and then coat in bread crumb/flour mixture. Repeat with each one until they are all breaded. Let the croquettes rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before frying.
- In a large pot or pan, heat enough vegetable oil to cover the croquettes completely. Fry each croquette until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes, at medium-high heat. Don't crowd the pot too much as you are frying. This will help them all get evenly cooked.
- Remove the croquettes from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with saltines and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Best ham for croquetas. You can use leftover holiday ham like my Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze recipe, diced ham that comes fully cooked, or ham steak. If you prefer a milder taste, go for a less salty ham. If you want a more robust flavor, opt for a saltier or more intensely flavored ham. The ham mixture must be cold. To form into logs and coat evenly, the mixture needs to be cold. If the mixture is warm, it will be very hard to form logs, coat with the breading, and fry. If the mixture is sticky, add breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the mixture until it’s no longer sticky. Make sure the logs are all the same size. You want the logs to be approximately 3″ long and 1″ wide. This will ensure they all fry and cook evenly. Do not crowd the pan. Adding too many croquetas at once to your pot will cause the temperature of the oil to suddenly drop, which may cause the croquetas to burst. I would recommend frying them 3 at a time PRO TIP: To keep the croquetas from bursting, make sure to fry them at medium-high heat (no higher than 350ºF). You may have to first heat up the oil to 400ºF because the temperature of the oil usually drops once you add the croquetas in. Also, do not fry them for very long in the hot oil. Only fry the croquetas until golden brown – 3-4 minutes tops. Make Ahead Instructions: You can make these ham croquetas up until step 9. After coating the croqueta logs with the breadcrumbs, you can transfer the uncooked, breaded croquettes to a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Storage Tips: You can keep cooked croquettes at room temperature for up to 1 day before placing them in the fridge in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3 days.
I have to make these! Plus I saw you have a pizza croquetas recipe too?! My husband is your new biggest fan :) So far we have found one little Cuban bakery about 30 mins from where we live, so it’s a special treat when we get to have these! How do you grind the ham? Could I just put it in the food processor?
It is also cheap and easy to buy an old hand crank meat grinder at the Goodwill and then process your own ground ham. Mine works fantastic on ham.
hi my mom used to make these for us as a kid we are from cuba what is the reason to add the nutmeg my mom never added that what does this do for it ?
Hi Frank, this is how I was taught as a kid. If you do not have nutmeg or don’t want to add it, you don’t have to. It will still taste delicious. Hope that helps!
what does the nutmeg do for the flavor. We followed your recipe without the nutmeg but added Parsley. they turned out so good. But we are wondering why so many recipes for cuban croquettes require Nutmeg?
It’s just a common ingredient as part of croquette recipes. Not sure what else you’d like me to say :)
Is the nutmeg added to the ham mix or the bread crumbs?
Hi! In the ham mix.
Awesome recipe! My girlfriend is from Cuba and I’m just your average gringo but I swear when I made these for her she couldn’t tell me apart from her abuela!
Oh Tyler, that makes me so happy! Glad you both love them as much as I do! :)
When I made this, the texture was very mushy and off-putting. Do you think I might’ve ground the ham too fine or could it be something else?
Hi Ethan! The mixture should be somewhat mushy which is why you need to freeze it to be able to make the logs, coat with breadcrumbs and fry them. If you felt like it was WAY too mushy, something could have happened between the ground ham as you mentioned (maybe it was too wet) or maybe the milk or not enough flour? Hard to tell really since I wasn’t present when they were made. I’ve made these several times with this specific recipe/instructions so just make sure to follow the recipe exactly as it is written. Good luck! :)
This recipe is even better if you add Sazon con achiote to ham mixture (a bit) and let sit in fridge overnight
Those pictures of the croquetas de jamon made my mouth water and my mind go back to the day where I could walk into a Cuban bakery in New York and buy these with a cup of coffee. I had to download the pictures just to compare how mine will look when I’m done. Thank you for the recipe.
The nutmeg adds an interesting flavor. Maybe a touch of garlic powder substitute. Ill have to try it. A+ recipe
Seriously excellentt! I, too was raised
with croquettas de jamon, but never paid attention when my mother was making them! Unlike you, I live far away from a bakery that makes these. You have brought back a part of my childhood with this recipe. Gracias!
have you fried cooking these in an air fryer?
No, but if you do, let me know how it turns out! :)
do you dice up the ham really fine?
Yes, you use ground ham.
I’ve tried making croquetas in my air fryer. I wouldn’t recommend it. The breading didn’t brown, it just got dry and split open.
Just got back from Hialeah and have been craving these since the moment I left .. well really since the moment I ran out as I stopped at a Latin Café on the way out and took a bunch to-go!
Just curious, what kind of ham are you using? The thicker ham slices that are pre-packaged, or more like cooked ham from the deli? Latin Café had some sort of green herb in theirs, any idea what that may have been? Really appreciate the recipe, I’ve tried others and this reads much better. I’ll be trying this one out tonight for some Saturday morning breakfast!
Hi Jarret, you can use any ground ham or place diced ham in a food processor and pulse until ground. Not sure about the green herb but I’d guess it’s maybe finely chopped parsley or cilantro. Hope that helps!
Yes, I made it, first time making croquetas. Came out great, I added a little more onion and a clove of garlic. I doubled the recipe and got 24 regular sized croquetas. I also dusted them with flour before dipping them an egg and they turned out good.
Sounds delicious, Lissy! Thank you for your comment!
Hello! Can you provide more details about what the ground ham is supposed to be? Do I buy a pound of sliced ham from the deli and put it in a food processor? How finely chopped should it be? Do I remove excess water or leave it? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, you can buy ground ham at the grocery store. It is usually available in the meat & seafood section. Aside from that, you can grind store-bought diced ham in a food processor until finely ground like hamburger meat.
Wow! These are perfect! I have been looking for a croquette recipe like this for my partner, his late mother used to make these every year after Christmas with leftover ham or Turkey, I have tried to emulate her recipe but could not as I didn’t know how she made it with a creamy sauce that kept a nice shape.
Thank you :) a happy nostalgic recipe to surprise him with!
Going to Miami to CALLE 8 for the croquetaso. Croqueta eating contest. Got to tell you I have lived there for many years and the best croquettes I find is the Catalina brand. Luckily you can find them anywhere and if you like the croquettes you should try their potato balls out of this world
I used to play dominos with the older guys while I waited for the cigar shop to roll up a few stogies for me! As an Irish kid from Philly Calle Ocho was a whole new world to me. The food….the politics….the cafe con leche y azugar .that place serves up life!
Perfect!! 😍
Best recipe for these I have used yet! Having spent many years in Miami I love Cuban and Cuban influenced foods….these are at the top of my list
Like any recipe, this one is also adaptable to individualized tampering. I added a touch of ham seasoning and cayenne pepper. to perk it up a notch. I also use sherry instead of dry white wine.
I forgot to give a star rating. Five….wish there were six.
this sounds fabulous and I was looking for new breakfasts to try. With the chilling, would it be okay to make the filling and chill overnight? or would that be a recipe for disaster?
Hi! Yes, I think that would be ok. :)
Just made these – my cuban grandpa says they are better than the ones he makes – which means they are great! very good recipe.
Awesome! Great to hear! :)
Great recipe! I am in Italy and just devoured a batch!!
I was wondering about freezing? would you suggest I make them all thru the steps and already freeze them breaded (like you find in the frozen food aisle in some latin bodegas) or would you freeze them after frying?
I’d suggest freezing after frying. So happy you liked them! :)
Great recipe! My local Cuban restaurant serves these with a green, garlicky, cklantro type sauce. Any idea of what I can search to find a similar recipe?
Having lived in Miami for 14 years I came to love Cuban foods and Calle Ocho. Every decent lunch truck sells them . The old men playing dominos eat them while smoking a good cigar…..I used to go and play them….they taught me how to smoke a cigar the right way, I taught them how to play dominos the yankee way.
I made a slight variation to the recipe. I had leftover roasted pineapple so I added that to the ham when I processed the ham into a mulch. It really adds a new twist to on old standard! It was about a half cup of pineapple.
I made these. I am Cuban and these are my favorite food but I had never thought to make them. Not as difficult as I thought. It took me a few times to perfect the recipe but now I got it down pat. I have been experimenting with different fillings and breadings. But I am becoming a master! Thanks to you, beautiful Jamie.
So happy to hear! Thank you!
Thank you Jamie!
This recipe is perfect, it is the closest I found to my great grandmother’s recipe. I misplaced hers and found this online. The croquetas had the perfect flavor and consistency. Everyone loved them, thanks again 💕
Very good recipe! They are delicious, so everyone loves it. The perfect appetizer to serve to a our friends and family. What about adding iberian recently sliced ham? To die for. Congrats for the recipe, we share it with our clients.
Trying these out today for the first time. I was born and raised in Miami but now I am living in Seattle and there are no croquetas here.
Hope you loved it!
Do yourself a favor and make these. For Thanksgiving I smoked a whole ham that I bought fresh and cured myself. We had a ton of left over meat so I decided to make some croquettes. I’m certain the recipe as-is would be quite as delicious, but I could not help myself and tweaked a little bit. Cooked off some of the moisture in my ground ham and deglazed the pan with quarter cup dry spanish white wine. While the butter was heating steeped a bay leaf in it and then removed after a few minutes. I used a quarter of a small onion (about 3 tablespoon) and 2 cloves garlic sauteed in the butter. I cooked the flour in the butter, onions and garlic for a few minutes to make the roux before adding the milk. In addition to nutmeg added a pinch of cayenne to the bechamel. Finally, added a teaspoon dried oregano and a tablespoon fresh parsley to mixture just before setting to cool. Besides my wife and three kids, my half Cuban, half Puerto Rican mother also approved so I must have something right! Thank you Jamie for the recipe and inspiration!
This sounds delicious! So happy you loved it! :)
Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! Looks like many delicious things happening in this site…
I had to add more milk as the mixture was extremely dry after I added the ham. I’m not sure what I did wrong. The milk was room temp, I weighed the ham and used exactly 1/3 c flour and 4 tablespoons of butter for the roux. Very tasty though.
I had to add a quarter cup more of milk as well. But this tastes wonderful, I grew up with Spanish croquettes in Mexico City and this is the very same recipe!!
I know folks are asking about the type of ham, I used about three thick slices from a presliced cooked ham from Easter that had not been warmed up previously. I tend not to cook it all, just cut off what I need for holiday. Anyway, I cut off fat and pulsed it only about 2-3 times. I would buy those individual thick slices if I didn’t have a big ham.
Hi! Technically the mixture should not be wet so if it’s on the drier side, it’s ok because it will be easier to form logs, firm up, bread, and fry. Check out the video for helpful step by steps! Glad you loved it!