Potato croquettes are small balls of seasoned mashed potato mixed with Parmesan, onion, garlic and parsley, coated in flour, egg and panko and fried until the outside is golden and crunchy and the inside is hot, soft and creamy. A potato croquette is one of the best ways to use up leftover mashed potatoes, and a batch takes about 35 minutes once the potatoes are cold. Serve them as an appetizer with a dip, or as a side dish in place of fries or mash.
How to make potato croquettes: Mix 2 cups of cooled mashed potatoes with Parmesan, minced onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 egg. Shape into balls. Dip each in flour, then beaten egg, then panko. Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F and fry in batches for about 2 minutes, until light brown and 160°F in the center. Let the oil come back to temperature between batches, and drain on a rack.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crisp outside, creamy inside. A panko shell around soft potato.
- Made for leftovers. Cold mashed potatoes are exactly what you need.
- Quick to fry. About 2 minutes a batch.
- Full of flavor. Parmesan, garlic, onion and parsley in every bite.
- Appetizer or side. They work on a party tray or a dinner plate.
Ingredient Notes
Mashed potatoes. Two cups, cooled. Cold, firm potatoes hold a shape. Warm ones do not.
Parmesan cheese. A 1/2 cup, grated.
Onion and garlic. A 1/4 cup of finely minced onion and 1 finely minced clove.
Parsley. A 1/4 cup, minced.
Eggs. Three large eggs. One goes into the potato mixture and two are beaten for the coating.
Salt and black pepper. A 1/2 teaspoon of each.
Flour and panko. A 1/4 cup of flour and 1 cup of panko, for the coating.
Oil. Enough to come 2 inches up the side of the pan.
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed potatoes, cooled
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 3 large eggs, divided
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup panko
- 1/4 cup flour
- Oil, for frying
How to Make Potato Croquettes
1. Mix the potatoes. Combine the cooled mashed potatoes, Parmesan, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and one egg in a large bowl until well combined.
2. Set up the coating. Put the flour in one shallow bowl, whisk the remaining two eggs in another and put the panko in a third.
3. Shape and coat. Form the potato mixture into balls. Dip each ball in flour, then egg, then panko. Set the coated croquettes on a baking sheet or plate.
4. Heat the oil. Heat 2 inches of oil in a high-sided frying pan over medium-high heat to 350°F.
5. Fry in batches. Add croquettes without crowding the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until light brown. Because the mixture contains egg, check that the center reaches 160°F with a food thermometer, and keep cooking if needed. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
6. Drain and serve. Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and drain on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, or on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve promptly.
How to Keep Croquettes From Falling Apart
A croquette that bursts or dissolves in the pan is the most common problem with this dish. It nearly always comes down to one of three things: the potatoes, the coating or the oil.
| Cause | What goes wrong | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Warm or loose potatoes | The balls are too soft to hold a shape | Start with cooled mashed potatoes. Cold is even better |
| Gaps in the coating | Oil gets inside and the potato leaks out | Cover every bit of the ball with flour, then egg, then panko |
| Oil that is too cool | The shell does not set, and the croquette soaks up oil and slumps | Heat to 350°F and let it come back up between batches |
| A crowded pan | The oil temperature drops and the croquettes bump into each other | Fry only a few at a time |
An optional chill
If your croquettes feel soft after coating, put the tray in the refrigerator for an hour, or as long as overnight. The cold firms up the potato and helps the shell set, so they hold together better in the hot oil. This is extra time, on top of the 35 minutes, and you can skip it when the mixture is already firm.
Tips for Success
What kind of mashed potatoes work?
Plain, fairly stiff mashed potatoes. If yours were made with a lot of milk or cream, they may be too loose to shape.
How big should the balls be?
About the size of a golf ball. Small croquettes heat through in the short frying time.
How do I keep my hands from getting coated?
Use one hand for the flour and panko and the other for the egg.
Which oil should I use?
A neutral frying oil, such as vegetable or canola.
Why drain on a rack?
Air moves under the croquettes on a rack, so the bottoms stay crisp.
Can I use another cheese?
Parmesan is used here. Pecorino Romano is a sharper, saltier swap.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers, and keep them for 3 to 4 days. They can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, though the texture is at its nicest fresh. Thaw in the refrigerator, and reheat in a hot oven until the centers reach 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve the croquettes hot with ketchup, garlic mayonnaise or a warm marinara for dipping. As a side, they go with roast chicken, steak or sausages. For more potato dishes, try the garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups, the slow cooker loaded potato bake or a bowl of baked potato soup. For a full dinner, there is the meat and potato casserole, the crockpot ham and potato casserole and the sausage and potato casserole with spring veggies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a potato croquette?
Mashed potatoes, Parmesan, onion, garlic, parsley and egg, with a coating of flour, egg and panko.
How do you make homemade potato croquettes?
Mix cooled mashed potatoes with the seasonings and an egg, shape into balls, coat them and fry at 350°F until light brown.
What can you serve with potato croquettes?
A dipping sauce as an appetizer, or roast meat and a salad as a side dish.
How can you help potato croquettes hold together while frying?
Use cooled potatoes, coat them completely, keep the oil at 350°F and chill them first if they are soft.
Final Notes
I make extra mashed potatoes on purpose and put the bowl in the fridge overnight, so the croquettes are ready to shape the next day. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Potato Croquettes
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Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed potatoes cooled
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup onion finely minced
- 1/4 cup parsley minced; more to serve if desired
- 3 large eggs divided: one for the potato mixture and two for the coating
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup panko
- 1/4 cup flour
- oil for frying; enough to reach 2 inches in the pan
Instructions
- Combine the cooled mashed potatoes, Parmesan, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and one egg in a large bowl until well combined.
- Put the flour in one shallow bowl, whisk the remaining two eggs in another and put the panko in a third.
- Form the potato mixture into balls. Dip each ball in flour, then egg, then panko. Set the coated croquettes on a baking sheet or plate.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a high-sided frying pan over medium-high heat to 350°F.
- Add croquettes without crowding the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until light brown. Because the mixture contains egg, check that the center reaches 160°F with a food thermometer, and keep cooking if needed. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
- Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and drain on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, or on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve promptly.
Notes
Nutrition
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