How to fry croquettes so they don’t break

Homemade croquettes are essential in any Spanish cuisine. Especially because they represent a dish that very few manage to resist. Its creamy flavor and its crunchy appearance make it one of the greatest delicacies of Spanish gastronomy. For this reason, the variety of croquettes on the market is immense, from classic recipes such as ham  or cod to a list of more creative and original croquettes .

Although the recipe that you are going to prepare for croquettes is delicious, it will not do all the work if they open when they are fried, as they will spoil. And is that when frying croquettes it is important to submerge them in very hot oil, in addition to other tricks so that they do not open when fried.

In this article we show you how to fry homemade or frozen croquettes so that you can enjoy one of the most typical dishes of Spain. A very versatile preparation where you can use all kinds of fillings: chicken, ham, cheese, meat … Take note, let’s start!

How to fry croquettes so they don’t open

• If the dough is well done, but when frying the croquettes open, what affects this the most is that the oil is not hot. This is a very common big mistake that will cause your croquettes to open when fried. The oil must be of good quality and be very hot. In addition, it has to completely cover the kibble, so it is better to use a deep fryer.
• Keep in mind that, when putting the croquette in oil at high temperatures (180-190 ºC), the batter begins to dehydrate and that is why it becomes crispy. So you must take care of the batter of the croquettes, the type of breadcrumbs, the egg, etc.
• The thicker the breadcrumbs, the better, so a layer or two will suffice. In addition, before frying croquettes it is advisable to leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes,whether they are frozen or not, otherwise it would cause a very sudden change in temperature in the food.
• When you go to fry croquettes, do not introduce many at the same time, as this will cause a drop in the temperature of the oil and the batter of all of them will be spoiled.
• The best oil to obtain perfect croquettes is the extra olive oil, since it is the one that best withstands high temperatures.
• Make sure the oil reaches a minimum temperature of 175ºC. If you’re using a frying panand don’t have a thermometer, start frying croquettes when the oil bubbles up.
• Finally, at the end of the frying of your croquettes it is convenient to put them on an absorbent paper to eliminate excess fat.

Tricks to coat the croquettes well and not to break

If you are going to make homemade croquettes, you should know that the batter is the most important part of its preparation. This is because a good batter will guarantee that the croquettes do not break and remain crisp. These are the best options to learn how to batter them successfully:

1. Once you have the croquettes already formed on a tray , put them in the fridgeuntil they cool. This will help prevent them from breaking when you fry them.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl until well mixed, there should be no clumps of yolk.
3. Coat the croquettes in wheat flour or very fine breadcrumbs.
4. Dip the croquettes in the egguntil they are well covered.
5. Pass the croquettes again through the breadcrumbs. If you want extra crunchy croquettes, use a thicker breadcrumbs than the one you used before.
6. Let them rest for 10-15 minutesfor the breadcrumbs to adhere completely before frying.

Tricks so that the croquettes do not open

As we said before, something essential to fry croquettes and that they do not open is that the oil is very hot, but not excessively. So you can use the trick of putting a long wooden toothpick in the oil and, when large bubbles come out quickly, start frying them.

Another reason that will cause the croquettes to open when you fry them is a dough that is too liquid, because if they do not have the necessary consistency to keep the shape they will spread. Therefore, it is important that the dough is just right and the béchamel thickens properly. You can also put the dough in the freezer for 45 to 60 minutes before forming the croquettes so that it hardens a bit. Next, form the croquettes, coat them and fry them.

Some believe that the shape of the croquettes can make them open more easily, so if you give the dough a square shape and fry them in hot oil, they will not open. In addition, we can also make some mistakes without knowing it, that’s why we offer you the most common ones so you can avoid them:

1. The success of preparing the croquettes will depend on the shape of the dough, that is, to obtain perfect croquettes it should not be too liquid,as it will be more difficult to coat, nor too soft. Mixing all the ingredients to perfection until the dough is just right is key, so to obtain a perfect bechamel sauce you must add the same amount of butter as flour.
2. Another very common mistake when croquettes are coated is that they are not all the same size. It is very important that each croquette you prepare has the same shape as the others so that they cook evenly. For this, you can use a pastry bagor two spoons.
3. You will never get perfect croquettes if they are badly battered. Follow the steps that we have shown you above to coat the croquettes well: beat the egg very well, pass them in flour or breadcrumbs, egg again and breadcrumbs again. This is the optimal way to coat your croquettesso that they are crunchy.
4. And the last and main mistake, never think of frying croquettes with the warm oil,otherwise they will open. We start with this same advice, but it is essential, do not forget it. And enjoy your homemade croquettes!