These mashed potato croquettes feature a crispy exterior and creamy filling packed with crab, prosciutto and gruyere! Dip your crab croquettes into a refreshing cilantro aioli for an unforgettable appetizer or toss a few of the fried treats with a salad for a light dinner.
I don’t know about you, but around here we’re always looking for new ways to eat potatoes. They’re inexpensive, filling and delicious boiled, baked or fried! These little balls of deliciousness are our latest potato obsession. Filled with a trio of indulgent ingredients — crab, prosciutto and gruyere — our mashed potato croquettes are fried to perfection and served with an incredibly fresh cilantro aioli!
mashed potato croquettes
Croquettes are simply fried balls of goodness that can feature any number of delicious fillings! The ingredients can be bound together with flour, bechamel sauce, or (my personal favorite) mashed potatoes. While I’ve included instructions for mashed potatoes that will be the perfect consistency for these croquettes, you could also use your own favorite mashed potato recipe. If you happen to make our gouda mashed potatoes, the leftovers would work perfectly in this recipe.
The filling for these mashed potato croquettes includes shredded gruyere, chopped prosciutto and lump crabmeat. You can stir the shredded gruyere directly into the finished mashed potatoes so that they melt right in and create a creamy center. After that, let the mashed potatoes cool a bit and then stir in your prosciutto and crabmeat. This is where you can get a little creative! If you want to make seafood croquettes, try substituting the prosciutto with smoked salmon, lobster or even chopped and cooked shrimp! And if you’re not into seafood, you can try adding little pieces of ham or mushrooms instead of crab!
frying the croquettes
Before you form your crab croquettes, I recommend placing the mixture in the fridge for at least half an hour so that they’ll hold their shape better. Then I like to form my croquettes so that they’re about the size of golf balls or a bit smaller. I generally get about 26 croquettes with this recipe, but you can definitely make them a bit smaller if you’d like!
For the coating, first dredge each croquette in flour, then dip it in beaten egg and roll it through breadcrumbs. If your breadcrumbs are unseasoned, I recommend adding a bit of salt and pepper and any other of your favorite herbs and spices. Oregano, garlic powder and onion powder would work great here!
And to fry the croquettes, heat about one inch (2.5 cm) of oil in a saute pan. If using a thermometer, the temperature should be at about 350 F (175 C), which is about medium-high heat for us. If they’re browning too fast or slow you can adjust the temperature accordingly. Cook the croquettes in batches for about three minutes each or until golden brown on every side. Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Let them cool for a quick minute and then dig in!
cilantro aioli dipping sauce
Alright, now onto the delicious cilantro aioli! These crab croquettes wouldn’t be complete without some sort of dipping sauce and our absolute favorite is this quick and easy aioli. It’s made by blitzing just six ingredients in a blender until smooth: mayo, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and jalapeno. It lightens up the fried croquettes and adds a bit of freshness to the overall dish!
If you’re looking for other dipping options, sriracha mayo, marinara sauce or even ranch dressing would be great!
If you’re looking for more crowd pleasing appetizers, definitely check out these:
- pastry wrapped baked brie with honey, figs and walnuts
- maple glazed prosciutto wrapped dates with goat cheese
- chipotle pumpkin mac and cheese
- blueberry gouda scones
ingredients
mashed potato croquettes with crab, prosciutto and gruyere
- russet potatoes 3 large (1 kg)
- milk 2 tbsp
- butter 2 tbsp (30 g)
- grated gruyere 1 c (100 g)
- salt ½ tsp
- garlic powder ½ tsp
- lump crabmeat 6 oz (170 g)
- chopped prosciutto 5 slices (60 g)
- egg 1 yolk
croquette coating
- flour ⅓ c (50 g)
- eggs 2 large
- breadcrumbs 1.5 c (150 g)
- salt and pepper to taste
- vegetable oil for frying
cilantro aioli
- mayonnaise ½ c (120 g)
- sour cream ¼ c (60 g)
- cilantro ½ bunch
- (you can use both leaves and stems)
- garlic 1 clove
- lime juice 2 tbsp
- jalapeno ½ small
- salt to taste
instructions
mashed potato croquettes with crab, prosciutto and gruyere
- Peel and cube the potatoes. Cook in salted boiling water until fork tender (approximately 20 minutes). Drain and add the butter, milk, grated gruyere, garlic powder and salt. Mash together with a potato masher or fork and let cool.
- In a large bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, crab meat, prosciutto and egg yolk. Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Prepare three shallow plates - one with flour, one with two eggs lightly beaten, and one with breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Form the mashed potato mixture into balls using approximately 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture for each croquette. Dredge each croquette in flour, roll in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs.
- Heat approximately one inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. If using a thermometer, the oil should be at about 350 F (175 C).
- Working in batches, fry the croquettes until golden brown on all sides (approximately 3-4 minutes). Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to dry.
cilantro aioli
- Seed and stem the jalapeno. Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.
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