Cuban Ham Croquettes (Croquetas de Jamon)
This authentic Cuban recipe is normally served as an appetizer but you’ll also find it served up in a sandwich in any number of Cuban restaurants that line Calle Ocho (Eighth Street) in Little Havana Miami, Florida.
You will need to use cracker meal for this recipe. You can find this online or if you have access Cuban crackers, you can simply grind them on your own. But be warned that unless the crackers are very fresh, you will have trouble grinding them.
If you are buying ham specifically for this recipe you can use Black Forest ham. Otherwise the recipe works well with left over ham from holiday celebrations. What I love about this recipe, is that it doesn’t feel like you’re eating leftovers. You can double the recipe but keep in mind that it is time consuming to make these. However, if you have helpers, it is a great activity for sitting around the table and spending some quality time together.
What You’ll Need to Make Cuban Ham Croquettes
How to Make Cuban Style Ham Croquettes
Cube and grind the ham to yield about two cups total. You can use a stand mixer with a food grinder attachment to do this. Also, you can also use equal parts of ham and cooked chicken. This produces a milder flavor.
Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Add the butter. Once it melts and coats the bottom of the pan, add the chopped shallot. Stir. Cover the pan and lower the heat. Allow it to cook until softened, about five minutes.
Add the ground meat mixture. Mix well and turn off the heat. Add the heavy cream, cooking wine and pepper. Add salt to taste.
Using your hands scoop out enough of the mixture to make each croquette about an inch long and a half inch wide. Make sure the croquettes are about the same size. They do not need to be perfectly shaped at this stage.
In a small bowl, break two eggs and beat thoroughly. Put the cracker crumbs on a plate or preferably a dish with short sidewalls.
Dip the croquettes one at a time into the egg and then coat with cracker crumbs. 
Put on a cooling rack to allow them to dry slightly.
Fry in hot oil until golden.
Remove to a plate and serve hot.
Ingredients
For the Mixture
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp shallot finely chopped
- 2 cups ham ground
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp golden cooking wine
- 1/8 tsp pepper
For the Croquettes
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup cracker meal
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Use a stand mixer with a food grinder attachment to grind the meat to yield about two cups total. I use the plate with the smaller openings.
- Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Add the butter. Once it melts and coats the bottom of the pan, add the chopped shallot. Stir. Cover the pan and lower the heat. Allow it to cook until softened, about five minutes.
- Add the ham mixture. Mix well and turn off the heat.
- Add the heavy cream, cooking wine and pepper. Add salt to taste.
- Using your hands scoop out enough of the mixture to make each croquette about an inch long and a half inch wide. Make sure the croquettes are about the same size. They do no need to be perfectly shaped at this stage.
- In a small bowl, break two eggs and beat thoroughly.
- Put the cracker crumbs on a plate or preferably a dish with short sidewalls.
- Dip the croquettes one at a time into the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs. Put on a cooling rack to allow them to dry slightly.
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown.
- Remove to plate and serve hot.
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
Ginny’s Recipe Collection provides nutritional breakdowns for informational purposes only. The data on this site has not been evaluated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The data is calculated using an online 3rd party nutritional calculator. Therefore these figures should be considered as estimates only. Online calculators may yield different results based on their own nutritional fact databases and algorithms they use. Furthermore, varying factors such as product types, adjustment of seasonings, natural variation in produce, and the manner in which they are processed may affect the final nutritional information. To get the most accurate analysis, please consult a registered dietician.
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