Almost every Spanish bar has croquetas, and almost every Spaniard has an opinion about whose are best. That makes them a good test. Order a plate and you learn a lot about the kitchen in a few bites. Our croquetas dish page covers where they came from. This post is about the practical side: what the fillings are, how bars sell them, and how to tell a good one from a bad one.
What is actually inside
A croqueta starts with béchamel: flour cooked in butter or olive oil, then loosened with milk until it is thick. The filling is stirred in, the mixture is chilled until firm, and then it is shaped, rolled in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried. The béchamel is the whole point. It should be the main texture, not a glue for the filling.
The fillings you will see most often:
- Jamón. The classic, with small pieces of cured ham through the béchamel.
- Pollo. Chicken, often made from leftover meat from a stew or roast. In Madrid, croquetas made from the meat of a cocido are a home-cooking tradition.
- Bacalao. Salt cod, soaked and flaked.
- Setas. Wild or cultivated mushrooms.
- Queso. Often a blue cheese such as Cabrales, which gives a sharp, salty croqueta.
- Chipirones en su tinta. Small squid in their ink, which turns the béchamel black.
How bars sell them
In Spain you will usually see croquetas on the menu in one of two ways. Some bars sell them by the piece, which is useful when you want to try two or three fillings. Others sell a ración, a plate of several, sometimes with a half-ración option for smaller groups. If the menu says caseras (homemade), the bar is telling you it makes them itself. That is a claim, not a guarantee, but it is worth noticing.
Croquetas are a tapa or a starter to share. They are rich, so one ración between two or three people is usually plenty alongside other dishes. Order them early, eat them while they are hot, and don't leave them sitting while you finish something else. As they cool, the centre firms up and the crust softens.
How to tell a good one
You don't need to be an expert. Break one open and look. None of these signs is proof on its own, but together they tell you a lot.
- The crust is thin and crisp. It should crack, not chew. A thick, hard shell of breadcrumbs is usually less pleasant to eat.
- The centre is soft and creamy. A good croqueta is close to flowing inside. A stiff, pasty centre is the most common disappointment.
- You can see and taste the filling. Pieces of jamón or flakes of cod should be there, not just a vague flavour.
- It is hot all the way through. It should still be hot in the centre when it reaches the table.
- It is not greasy. A crust that leaves oil on the plate is a bad sign, whatever the cause.
Shape tells you little. Some good bars shape very neatly and some make them a little uneven, so judge by the inside.
Common mistakes when ordering
- Ordering only one filling. If the bar sells by the piece, mix them. Jamón next to a mushroom or cod croqueta tells you more about the kitchen.
- Treating them as a main course. They are filling but one-note after a few. Pair them with something fresh, like a salad or pimientos de padrón.
- Letting them go cold. This is the big one.
- Adding sauce. A good croqueta doesn't need aioli or ketchup, and too much sauce hides the béchamel you came to taste.
Where to try croquetas outside Spain
These venues in our directory list croquetas in their own descriptions:
- Txikito, New York: a Basque restaurant in Chelsea, open since 2008, whose listing names salt cod croquettes.
- Morito Exmouth Market, London: Moro's tapas bar sibling, with salt cod croquetas and sherry by the glass.
- La Barra at Mercado Little, New York: a tapas bar at Hudson Yards that lists traditional croquetas de jamón.
- VASO, Bangkok: a Michelin-listed tapas bar whose menu includes Joselito ibérico croquetas.
- MoVida Next Door, Melbourne: its listing says there is always a croqueta on.
If you want the recipe side of things, start with our croquetas page and its linked recipe.
