Vegan Spanish Croquetas – Potato Croquettes
These vegan Spanish croquetas are crispy, golden potato croquettes made by mashing boiled potatoes with vegan cheese, spinach and parsley, then breading them in Panko and deep-frying until crunchy. A psyllium-and-mustard wet coat replaces egg so the crumbs cling. They are the perfect tapas-style appetizer, served hot with a dipping sauce.
I love croquettes, but who doesn’t love them?! Because this month is the Spanish recipes month, I decided to make the Spanish versions of potato croquettes, called croquetas. Traditional Spanish croquetas are filled with jamón, chicken or cod, but you can easily veganize them and use your stuffings of choice.
I personally like how the greens balance this meal. The spinach and parsley fold right into the potato, so each bite has a little freshness against the rich, fried shell. When I shaped them, I found it easier to make them oval-shaped rather than perfectly round, and I made a vegan aioli for them on the side.
Key ingredients
Potatoes are the backbone here, so reach for a starchy or all-purpose variety rather than waxy salad potatoes. Starchy potatoes mash into a dry, fluffy base that holds its shape when shaped and fried, while waxy ones stay wet and can make the croquettes fall apart. Cutting them into large chunks before boiling keeps them from soaking up too much water.
Vegan cheese brings the salty, melty richness that makes a croqueta feel indulgent. Use a grated block that actually melts rather than a powdery topping; the melt is what binds the centre and gives you that pull when you bite in. Taste it first, since some vegan cheeses are quite salty and you will want to ease up on the added salt.
Baby spinach and parsley are the greens that cut through the fried shell. Baby spinach wilts down to almost nothing in the warm mash, so a full cup adds colour and freshness without making the mixture watery. Chop the parsley finely so it distributes evenly instead of clumping.
Psyllium husks or ground flax seeds mixed with water do the job egg does in a classic croqueta. Both form a gel that turns the breadcrumb coat into a sticky, cohesive crust. Whisk them with the water and let them sit a minute to thicken before you start dipping.
Panko breadcrumbs are the secret to the crunch. Their large, airy flakes fry up lighter and crispier than fine breadcrumbs, and they hold that crunch even after the croquettes come off the heat. The mustard and pressed garlic stirred into the wet coat quietly season the crust from the outside in.
Tips for getting it right
The most common mistake is skipping the chill. After you shape the croquettes, refrigerate them for the full 30 minutes. Cold croquettes hold their shape in the hot oil; warm, soft ones tend to slump or burst open the moment they hit the pan.
Drain and cool the boiled potatoes well before mashing. Extra water in the mash is the enemy of a crisp croqueta, since steam trapped inside will fight the crust as it fries. You want a thick, dry mash that can be shaped without sticking to your hands.
Use the breadcrumb, wet coat, breadcrumb order and press gently on that final layer so the crumbs really stick. Keep one hand for the dry crumbs and one for the wet mixture, otherwise your fingers turn into breaded mittens halfway through.
Mind the oil temperature. Heat it to 180°C and fry in small batches; crowding the pan drops the heat, and croquettes that fry too slowly drink up oil and turn greasy instead of crisp. You know they are ready when the shell is deep golden and crackly, about 3 minutes per batch, then rest them on paper towels.
How to serve them
Croquetas are made for sharing, so serve them hot from the pan with a dipping sauce and a cold beer, the way they turn up on a tapas table. I made a vegan aioli for them, and the cool, garlicky dip is the ideal foil for the crunchy shell. Set them out alongside other small plates as part of a tapas spread, or browse more vegan dipping sauces to go with them.
Storage and make-ahead
These are at their crispy best straight from the fryer, but the recipe is friendly to making ahead. You can shape and bread the croquettes, then keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to fry, which actually helps them hold together. Leftover fried croquettes keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days; reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer rather than the microwave so the crust crisps back up instead of going soft. They pair nicely with a bowl of cream of potato soup if you want to turn them into more of a meal.
Summarise & Save This Recipe
★ Add us as a trusted Google source
Vegan Spanish Croquetas – Potato Croquettes
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 cup vegan cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp mustard
- 2 Tbsp psyllium husks or ground flax seeds
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- oil for frying
- 1 pinch sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let them cool.
- Mash the potatoes in a large bowl.
- Stir in the grated vegan cheese, spinach, and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into round croquettes and transfer to a plate. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Spread the breadcrumbs on a plate.
- In another bowl, combine the psyllium husks (or ground flax seeds), 2 Tbsp of water, mustard, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Roll the croquettes in the breadcrumbs, tapping off the excess. Dip them in the wet mixture from the second bowl to coat, then roll again in the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help the crumbs stick.
- In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil to 180°C. Deep-fry the croquettes, turning them until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve with a dipping sauce and some beer.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
A simple gel does the job. Whisk 2 tablespoons of psyllium husks or ground flax seeds with about 2 tablespoons of water until it thickens, then add mustard, pressed garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Dip the breaded croquettes in this wet mixture so the final layer of crumbs sticks, just like an egg wash would.
Usually it is moisture and temperature. Use starchy potatoes, drain and cool them well, and keep the mash thick and dry. Most importantly, refrigerate the shaped croquettes for 30 minutes before frying so they firm up, and make sure the oil is at 180°C so the crust sets quickly instead of letting them slump.
Yes. You can shape and bread them, then keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to fry, which helps them hold their shape. Already-fried croquettes keep for a couple of days in an airtight container; reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer so the shell crisps up again.
Starchy or all-purpose potatoes work best because they mash into a dry, fluffy base that holds its shape when fried. Waxy salad potatoes stay wet and dense, which makes the mixture harder to shape and more likely to break apart in the oil.
Serve them hot with a dipping sauce and a cold beer, as part of a tapas spread. A garlicky vegan aioli is a classic match, and they sit happily next to other small plates. You can also serve them alongside a soup to make more of a meal.
As written they are not, because Panko breadcrumbs contain wheat. To make them gluten free, swap the Panko for certified gluten-free breadcrumbs and check that your mustard and vegan cheese are gluten free as well.
Spanish croquetas are not made with potato though, those are the French ones. Spanish ones are made with bechamel, really easy to make vegan, just swapping the milk
Loved, loved, loved these! I tried them last weekend for a party. I wanted it to be like a Spanish tapas. Everybody loved them! Yes, it was a bit of work, but so worth it! Thanks!
Yay! So happy to hear everybody liked them! 😀