Best Bacalao Croquettes Recipe Ever! - Visit Southern Spain (2024)

Some foods can transport you to other places just by thinking about them, and one of them is the famous Bacalao Croquettes. Just one bite of these Spanish tapas and you are immediately on the shores of southern Spain.

However, it is not easy to find a croquettes recipe for inexperienced cooks, since there are usually different key tricks to not fail in the recipe.

Fortunately, in this article, you found a recipe that any home cook can make.

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Do not take your eyes off this article, because here we will tell you how to make croquettes, as well as some fascinating tips about its history and its role in Spanish culture.

Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish fish recipes? Have a look at my other posts:

• Buñuelos de Bacalao
• Spanish Fish Soup
• Spanish Garlic Shrimp

Background of the Dish

The history between the south of Spain and the bacalao croquettes goes back centuries, more precisely during the Spanish War of Independence that took place between 1808 and 1814.

It is believed that they arrived in Spanish territory at this time because they adopted many customs from France.

Although it was a dish offered to royalty, it quickly became a popular thing eaten by people from all walks of life.

This was because it could be prepared with cheap ingredients such as eggs, milk, and flour.

Over time it underwent modifications, and in Andalusia, they took it upon themselves to add seafood to their croquettes, which gave rise to the now-famous bacalao croquette.​

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Things You’ll Need for Bacalao Croquettes

To make these cod croquettes you only need some bacalao and a frying pan. There is really no excuse to not make these croquetas since the other main ingredients are flour, eggs, oil, and milk.

Ingredients

• 200 g desalted cod
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup (100g) flour
• 1/4 cup (100g) butter
• 3 1/2 cups (850 ml) milk
• Olive oil
• Black pepper
• A pinch of nutmeg
• fresh parsley to taste
• To batter and fry:
• 1 cup (200g) flour
• 3 eggs
• Bread crumbs
• extra virgin olive oil

How to Make Bacalao Croquettes – Step by Step Guide

1. The first step in this fish croquettes recipe is to finely chop the onion and garlic and fry them in a frying pan or wide saucepan with a splash of olive oil, fry for a few minutes until translucent. Add the cod and stir to integrate the flavors. Remove from heat and reserve in a container.

2. In the same skillet, you used, heat the butter until it has melted. Add the flour and with the help of a whisk or a wooden spoon stir until it has been well integrated with the butter. Cook the flour over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Incorporate the milk in small quantities, and without stopping stirring, integrate it well with the flour before adding more, in this way you will ensure that the cream will not have lumps, approximately 10-12 minutes. Without stopping to stir and all the milk and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Continue cooking at medium heat for about 5 minutes without stopping stirring.

5. Add the cod with the onion that you had reserved and stir until it has been well integrated with the cream.

6. Continue stirring until you have a thick dough that will come off the pan or saucepan. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.

7. In a bowl greased with butter and sprinkled with flour, spread the Spanish croquettes dough and cover it with plastic so that it does not crust. Let cool in the fridge, for at least 2 hours for the mixture to solidify, so the dough is better handled.

8. When the dough is cold, shape the croquettes with the help of two spoons or by hand. You can give it an oval or round shape, as you like. Flour them, pass them through the egg and breadcrumbs. Let them air dry or put them in the fridge for a while so that the batter hardens.

9. Start frying in a high-walled pan with plenty of hot oil, paying attention to the temperature so they don’t burn.

10. When the fish croquettes are golden, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate covered with absorbent paper so that the excess oil drains off.

Substitution of Ingredients

When it comes to replacements in the ingredients, this croquette recipe is one of the best because it allows you to play with the different variants.

For example, if you don’t have cod you can use other types of fish such as mackerel, or even shrimp. Or try the crispy shrimp croquettes recipe and the mackerel croquettes instead.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the classic bacalao croquette, but it would still taste amazing.

You can completely skip the onion and parsley, but I can assure you that they give an amazing flavor to this dish.

The same thing happens with the seasoning, you can add or remove it as much as you like.

If you liked this recipe, then you should try and make other fish recipes, such as the Spanish stuffed peppers recipe, the Espeto de sardinas, or the baked Spanish mackerel fillet.

Bacalao croquettes are not the only tapas that the Spaniards love, but the Spanish mushroom croquettes and potato croquettes with cheese are an absolute delicacy.

And of course, for another recipe with fish, we encourage you to try the Spanish salmon croquettes recipe and complete your list of Spanish croquettes.

Tips on Serving Bacalao Croquettes

As well as other bacalao recipes, these bacalao croquettes are meant to be eaten at lunch or at dinner, but some bars in Spain serve them as an afternoon snack alongside some beer.

You can make an all Andalusian tapas lunch and serve this Bacalao Croquettes with Spanish chicken croquettes, Cazon en Adobo and Andalusia’s most delicious Flamenquines Cordobeses.

You can even dip them in Andalusian gazpacho and I can assure you that you will feel like you are in southern Spain.

Try the Spanish ceviche recipe, a tasty ceviche with cod fillet, that doesn’t even require cooking, or the Spanish mackerel ceviche

When the Spaniards celebrate Easter, they usually eat cod fish dishes like the bunuelos de bacalao and bacalao al Pil-Pil.

How to Store Bacalao Croquettes

Unlike other croquette recipes, there are different ways you can store these croquettes without spoiling them.

The simplest thing to do is to cook and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you follow this bacalao recipe, then you can put the already battered croquettes (but not fried) in a bowl covered with a clean plastic bag (or plastic wrap).

Take them to the freezer and freeze them for up to 30 days.

When you want to eat them, leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours just to let the excess ice come out, then you can fry them, though very carefully to avoid splashing from the hot oil.

Recipe Card: Bacalao Croquettes