Cod croquettes: a homemade recipe that turns out great

Cod croquettes are one of the most delightful tapas in Spanish cuisine. Crispy on the outside with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth interior, when done well, they are unrivaled. But anyone who has prepared them at home knows that the difference between a memorable croquette and a disappointing one lies in details that few recipes explain: the béchamel must be thicker than usual, the cod adds moisture that needs to be controlled, and the salt level is a delicate balance because the fish already has its own.

At Bacalalo del Mercat del Ninot, since 1990, we have been selling cod for three decades and advising customers who want to make the best croquettes at home. We know what cut works, what béchamel proportion you need, and what mistakes to avoid. Everything you read here comes from the real experience of our stall, not from recipes copied from the internet.

In this guide, we explain step by step the homemade cod croquette recipe: from the perfect béchamel to the frying tricks that make all the difference. And if you prefer to save yourself the work, we tell you how our Raw Desalted Cod Croquettes give you the same artisanal result in five minutes.

Why Cod Croquettes Are Different

Making cod croquettes is not the same as making ham or chicken croquettes. Cod introduces two variables that completely change the equation: moisture and salinity. If you treat them like any other croquette, the result will be a soft mixture that breaks open when fried or, worse, bland and pasty croquettes.

Desalted cod contains a significantly higher percentage of water than ham or roasted chicken. When you incorporate it into the béchamel, that extra moisture dilutes the mixture. That's why the béchamel for homemade cod croquettes needs to be thicker than for other croquettes: it has to absorb that water without losing body. If you use standard béchamel proportions, you'll end up with a mixture that won't set, even after hours in the fridge.

The second factor is salt. Cod, even when properly desalted, retains a natural saltiness that adds flavor but can be overpowering if not controlled. The golden rule: do not add salt to the béchamel until you have incorporated the cod and tasted the mixture. Often, you won't need any additional salt at all.

There's a third aspect that few mention: texture. Flaked cod has fibers that are noticeable in the mouth, and that's precisely what makes these croquettes special. Unlike a pure béchamel croquette, here you're looking for a contrast between the creaminess of the base and the bits of fish you encounter when you bite. The flaking should be neither too fine (it would become a bland paste) nor too coarse (long fibers make shaping and breading difficult). The ideal size is that of a large grain of rice: enough to be noticeable, small enough for the croquette to maintain its shape.

One last difference: aroma. Cod has a strong odor that can be excessive if not previously sautéed with onion and a touch of nutmeg. These aromatics are not just for show: they fulfill the real function of rounding out the flavor and eliminating any overly marine notes. In the best croquette shops in Barcelona, that initial sautéing of onion with cod is what separates artisanal from industrial.

Ingredients and Proportions for 30 Croquettes

This cod croquette recipe is calculated for about 30 units, enough for 6 people as an appetizer or for 4 as a main course. The proportions have been tested to achieve a firm dough that shapes easily and a creamy interior after frying.

For the dough

• 300 g desalted flaked cod (or the equivalent in Extra Flaked Desalted Cod from Bacalalo)
• 80 g unsalted butter
• 80 g wheat flour
• 750 ml whole milk
• 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly grated nutmeg (about a quarter of a nut)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Ground white pepper
• Salt (only if necessary after tasting)

For the breading

• 2 beaten eggs
• 200 g fine breadcrumbs (Japanese panko for extra crispiness, or traditional breadcrumbs)
• Flour for the first pass (optional, for double breading)

For frying

• 1 liter mild olive oil (0.4) or high-oleic sunflower oil

Notes on Ingredients

The cod: You need cod that is already desalted and flaked. You have three options. The most convenient: directly use Bacalalo's Extra Flaked Desalted Cod, which comes clean, boneless, skinless, and ready to incorporate. The second: buy loins or cuts of desalted cod and flake it yourself. The third: start with salted cod, desalt it at home, and flake it. Any option works, but the first saves you 24-48 hours of desalting and the work of cleaning and flaking.

The butter: Use unsalted butter to control the overall salinity. Butter provides a rounded flavor and a silky texture that oil cannot achieve. Do not substitute it with margarine: the result is not comparable.

The milk: Always whole. Skim or semi-skimmed milk has less fat and protein, which produces a less creamy béchamel with a poorer texture. Moreover, the fat in the milk is what carries the aromas of cod and nutmeg in the mouth.

Nutmeg: Grate it at the moment; never use powdered nutmeg from a jar. The difference in aroma is abysmal. You need very little: a quarter of a nut grated directly onto the béchamel. It's the perfect complement to cod and sautéed onion.

The Perfect Béchamel for Cod Croquettes

Béchamel is the soul of the croquette. If the béchamel fails, everything fails. The one you need for cod croquettes is thicker than standard cooking béchamel: the key proportion is 80g butter, 80g flour, and 750ml milk. This proportion is more heavily loaded with flour than usual precisely to compensate for the moisture that the cod will bring.

The roux: the base of everything

The roux is the mixture of butter and flour that gives structure to the béchamel. For croquettes, the roux should be cooked slowly, over medium-low heat, for at least 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. This time is crucial: raw flour has an unpleasant starchy taste that only disappears with sufficient cooking. If the roux is not well cooked, your croquettes will taste of flour. You'll know it's ready when it starts to smell like biscuits and takes on a slightly golden hue.

A common mistake is to turn up the heat to go faster. Don't do it. A burnt roux will make the entire béchamel bitter, and there's no way to fix it. Patience, medium-low heat, and a wooden or silicone spatula that scrapes the bottom well.

Add the milk: hot and gradually

The milk should be hot, not cold. Heat it in a separate saucepan or in the microwave until it steams lightly (about 70-80 degrees). If you add cold milk to hot roux, lumps will form instantly because the thermal shock prevents the flour from integrating uniformly.

Add the milk in three or four batches. Pour in one-third, stir vigorously with a whisk until fully integrated and the mixture is smooth. Repeat with the second third, and then with the rest. Each addition will dilute the mixture, which will thicken again when cooked. This process of adding and thickening is what builds the structure of the béchamel.

After incorporating all the milk, cook the béchamel over medium heat for 8-10 more minutes, stirring constantly with the spatula. Béchamel for croquettes should be noticeably thicker than for lasagna or cannelloni. You'll know it has the correct consistency when, upon passing the spatula through the bottom of the saucepan, a furrow opens up that takes 2-3 seconds to close. If it closes immediately, it needs more cooking. If it doesn't close, it's too thick and needs a little more milk.

The plate test

There's a foolproof trick to know if the béchamel will set well once cold: put a tablespoon of the mixture (with the cod already incorporated) on a plate and put it in the fridge for 10 minutes. If, when you take it out, the dough is firm and you can form a small ball without it sticking to your fingers, the consistency is correct. If it's soft or sticky, cook the dough for a few more minutes to evaporate water. This 10-minute test will save you the frustration of discovering, four hours later, that the dough has no body.

Related Bacalalo Products

Universal Dried Flaked Cod - 500g

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Step-by-Step Recipe

This is the step-by-step cod croquette recipe that we have perfected with over thirty years of experience at the Mercat del Ninot. Follow each step in order and don't skip the timings: they are there for a reason.

1. Sauté the onion with the cod (10-12 minutes)

In a large frying pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the very finely chopped onion and cook slowly for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is completely transparent and sweet. Do not brown it: a browned onion will give a toasted flavor that competes with the cod.

Add the flaked cod and cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring so that it integrates with the onion. The goal is for the cod to release some of its moisture and absorb the sweetness of the onion. If you use already prepared flakes, you just need to sauté them briefly. Add the chopped parsley, stir, and set aside.

2. Prepare the roux (3-4 minutes)

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (preferably stainless steel or cast iron), melt the butter over medium-low heat. When it's melted and starts to foam, add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with the spatula. Cook the roux for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells like biscuits and has a slightly golden hue. Do not increase the heat.

3. Add the hot milk (8-10 minutes)

With the hot milk prepared in another saucepan, gradually add it to the roux in three batches. After each addition, stir with a whisk until fully integrated before adding the next. When all the milk is incorporated, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 8-10 minutes, until the béchamel has the thick consistency described in the previous section.

4. Incorporate the cod and aromatics

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the sautéed onion and cod mixture, freshly grated nutmeg, and white pepper. Stir well to integrate everything uniformly. Taste the mixture and decide if it needs salt. In most cases, desalted cod provides enough salt. If it's bland, add half a teaspoon and taste again.

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat for 2-3 more minutes, stirring. This final step allows the flavors to meld and the mixture to reach its final consistency.

5. Chill the mixture (minimum 4 hours, ideally 8 hours)

Pour the mixture into a wide, shallow dish (a baking sheet with edges works very well). The more spread out the mixture, the faster it will cool evenly. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap, pressing it against the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate.

Minimum fridge time: 4 hours. Ideally, leave the mixture overnight (8-12 hours). The mixture needs to gelatinize completely so you can shape it without it sticking. If you're in a hurry, you can put it in the freezer for 1-2 hours, but the result is not as good as slow resting in the fridge.

6. Shape the croquettes

Take the dough out of the fridge. It should be firm, like modeling clay. With slightly damp hands (or lightly oiled with sunflower oil), take portions of about 30g and form cylinders about 6-7 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter. The classic shape is oval, like a thumb. If the dough sticks, re-moisten your hands.

Place the shaped croquettes on a tray lined with baking paper, ensuring they don't touch. If you have time, put them back in the fridge for 30 minutes before breading. A cold croquette breads better and maintains its shape during frying.

7. Breading: the triple pass

Prepare three shallow dishes in a line: flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs. The process is as follows:

1. Pass each croquette through flour, shaking off the excess. The flour creates a dry layer that helps the egg adhere.
2. Pass through beaten egg, making sure the entire surface is covered. Let excess drain off.
3. Pass through breadcrumbs, pressing gently so it adheres well. Cover the entire surface without leaving gaps.

If you want extra crispy croquettes, do a double breading: after the first pass of breadcrumbs, re-pass through egg and breadcrumbs. The double breading creates a thicker shell that withstands frying better and maintains the creamy interior longer.

8. Fry the croquettes (2-3 minutes)

Heat plenty of oil in a deep frying pan or a deep fryer to 180 degrees Celsius. Fry the croquettes in small batches (4-5 at a time) for 2-3 minutes, until they are uniformly golden. Do not move them during the first minute: they need that time to seal the outer layer. Then, gently turn them with a slotted spoon to brown all sides.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack (better than on kitchen paper, because the rack allows air to circulate and the croquette to maintain crispiness). Serve hot.

Frying Tips: Crispy Outside, Creamy Inside

Frying is the decisive moment. You can have the perfect dough and ruin everything in the last two minutes. These are the tricks that make the difference between crispy cod croquettes and ones that break open, soak up oil, or end up soft.

Temperature: 180 degrees, no more, no less

The ideal temperature for frying croquettes is 180 degrees Celsius. Use a kitchen thermometer: it's the most important tool for proper frying. At 180 degrees, the exterior seals quickly, creating a crispy crust, while the interior heats up without the béchamel liquefying and breaking the croquette.

If the oil is below 170 degrees, the croquette absorbs fat before sealing: resulting in oily and soft croquettes. If it's above 190, the exterior burns before the interior heats up: resulting in raw inside and bitter outside. 180 degrees is the perfect balance.

Don't move them

The most common mistake when frying croquettes is to constantly move them. When you immerse the croquette in hot oil, the breading begins to seal immediately. If you move or turn it before that initial seal is complete (about 45-60 seconds), the breadcrumb layer peels off, the egg cracks, and the béchamel starts to leak out. Leave them untouched for the first minute. Then, gently turn them once and leave them for another minute.

Small batches

Don't fry more than 4-5 croquettes at a time, even if more fit in the pan. Each croquette you add to the oil drops the temperature by several degrees. If you throw in ten at once, the temperature can drop from 180 to 150 degrees in seconds, and those croquettes will absorb oil like sponges. Small batches, patience between batches (wait 30-60 seconds for the oil to regain temperature), and consistent results.

Clean and abundant oil

The oil should completely cover the croquettes. If the oil only reaches halfway, you will have to turn the croquette several times and the cooking will be uneven. Use at least one liter of oil in a deep pan or, better yet, a deep fryer. If the oil starts to darken or smell, change it. Degraded oil transfers rancid flavors that ruin even the best croquette. For more details on frying, consult our guide to perfect fried cod.

The air fryer trick

Homemade croquettes also work in an air fryer, though the result is different. Spray the breaded croquettes with a little oil, place them in the basket without touching, and set to 190 degrees for 10-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. They will be less crispy than traditional frying, but they are a lighter alternative. This method works especially well if you first freeze the croquettes and fry them directly from frozen.

With Ready-Made Croquettes: From Bag to Table in 5 Minutes

Making homemade cod croquettes is a time-consuming process: preparing the béchamel, chilling the dough for at least four hours, shaping, breading, and frying. If you enjoy cooking, it's a perfect plan for a Sunday morning. But if what you want are artisanal quality cod croquettes on a Tuesday night after work, there's a much more practical alternative.

Our Raw Desalted Cod Croquettes are made with the same traditional béchamel recipe described in this guide: butter, flour, whole milk, sautéed onion, and premium flaked desalted cod. They are sold raw and frozen, ready to fry directly without thawing.

How to prepare them

1. Heat plenty of oil to 180 degrees.
2. Take the croquettes out of the freezer and place them directly into the hot oil, without thawing.
3. Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden on all sides.
4. Drain on a rack and serve.

The result is indistinguishable from homemade, because in reality they are homemade: they are made with the same ingredients and the same artisanal method, only the preparation work is already done. Freezing raw also has a technical advantage: the contrast between the frozen exterior and the hot oil produces a faster seal and a crispier crust than you get with room temperature croquettes.

At Bacalalo del Mercat del Ninot, we sell them because we know that not everyone has four hours to chill a béchamel, but they still want to eat well. For an impromptu dinner, an appetizer with friends, or a quick tapa, they are the perfect solution.

Variations and Accompaniment Sauces

The cod croquette is a perfect canvas for variations. Once you master the basic recipe, you can play with ingredients and accompaniments that elevate the tapa to another level.

Cod Croquettes with Alioli

The most classic pairing on the Mediterranean coast. A well-made alioli, with garlic crushed in a mortar and olive oil emulsified drop by drop, provides a powerful and creamy counterpoint that perfectly combines with the smoothness of the croquette. If you prefer a milder version, make an alioli with an egg in a blender and reduce the amount of garlic to one clove. Serve the alioli in a bowl in the center of the table and let each diner dip as they please.

Cod croquettes with piquillo peppers

You can add piquillo peppers in two ways. The first: incorporate 100g of finely chopped piquillo peppers directly into the béchamel along with the cod. This tints the mixture an attractive orange color and adds a subtle sweetness. The second: serve the croquettes with a separate piquillo pepper sauce, made by blending a jar of canned piquillo peppers with a clove of garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. The cold sauce contrasts with the hot croquette.

Cod croquettes with squid ink

A spectacular variation for more daring presentations. Add a sachet of squid ink (4g) to the béchamel when incorporating the milk. The dough will turn black, with an intense marine flavor that enhances that of the cod. When breading with panko, the visual contrast between the golden exterior and the black interior is striking. It is the version that is most successful in author's tapas and dinners with guests.

Romesco sauce as an accompaniment

Romesco is the quintessential Catalan sauce and pairs with cod like few others. For a quick romesco: blend rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, toasted almonds, a clove of garlic, rehydrated choricero pepper, a dash of sherry vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. The result is a red sauce, with a granular texture and a complex flavor between sweet, smoky, and acidic that elevates any cod croquette.

Other dough variations

• With shrimp: Add 100 g of peeled and chopped shrimp along with the cod. Sea and sea: a combination that works especially well.
• With spinach: Incorporate 100 g of sautéed and well-drained spinach. They provide green color, freshness, and an extra boost of iron.
• With paprika from La Vera: A teaspoon of smoked paprika in the béchamel transforms the flavor. Be careful with the amount: paprika is potent and can overpower the cod.

Storage: Raw vs. Fried

Knowing how to store croquettes correctly is almost as important as knowing how to make them. The difference between freezing raw or freezing fried is enormous in the final result.

Freezing raw croquettes (recommended)

This is the best method and the one we use at Bacalalo. Raw croquettes, once shaped and breaded, freeze perfectly and give the best result when fried.

1. Place the breaded croquettes on a tray without touching each other. Line the tray with baking paper to prevent sticking.
2. Put the tray in the freezer and freeze for 2-3 hours until the croquettes are completely hard.
3. Once frozen, transfer them to airtight freezer bags. Being already hard, they will not stick together.
4. Duration: up to 3 months in the freezer at -18 degrees without appreciable loss of quality.

To consume, fry directly from the freezer without thawing. Add one more minute to the frying time (3-4 minutes in total). The result is even better than with fresh croquettes: the cold interior creates a thermal contrast with the oil that produces a more aggressive seal and a crispier crust.

Freezing fried croquettes (acceptable, not ideal)

If you have leftover fried croquettes, you can freeze them using the same tray method. However, when reheating them (in an oven at 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes or in an air fryer at 180 degrees for 6-8 minutes), the texture of the breading will not be as crispy as the original. The interior will maintain its creaminess, but the crust will lose some of its crunch.

Store in the fridge

Important: never reheat croquettes in the microwave. The steam it generates completely softens the breading and turns the croquette into a soft, rubbery mass. An oven at 180 degrees for 8-10 minutes or an air fryer are the only methods that restore the crispy texture.

Conclusion

Making homemade cod croquettes that are truly creamy and crispy requires attention to the details we've explained: a thicker béchamel than usual to absorb the cod's moisture, a well-cooked roux that doesn't taste like flour, hot milk added gradually, chilling for at least four hours, firm breading, and frying at 180 degrees in small batches. There are many steps, but none are difficult if you understand the why.

The quality of the raw material is, as in any simple recipe, what makes the biggest difference. Good desalted cod with a clean flavor and texture that flakes into defined layers yields a result that cannot be achieved with second-rate cod. At Bacalalo del Mercat del Ninot, we have been selecting the best cod from the North Atlantic since 1990 so that our customers can cook with the best possible raw material. Cod is also a food with excellent nutritional properties: high in protein, low in fat, and rich in omega-3.

And if you prefer the result without the work, our Raw Desalted Cod Croquettes give you exactly that: artisanal croquettes ready to fry in five minutes. From freezer to table, without compromising either flavor or texture.

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