Japanese Spring Onion & Corn Potato Croquettes
If you’re one of those people who has an unhealthy obsession with potatoes, I’m sure croquettes are at the top of your list of favourite potato dishes and these ones are no exception. They are super crispy on the outside and pillowy soft in the middle. There really isn’t anything not to like about this Potato Croquette recipe.
What are Potato Croquettes Made Of?
Fundamentally, croquettes are potatoes that are cooked, mashed and rolled into balls, coated in flour, egg and bread crumbs, then fried until crispy and golden. Obviously there is a little bit more to it than just that, but that is the crux of it.
Because of how simple the ingredients are, they are extremely versatile. You can fill them with different meats, cheese, veggies, spices, herbs or anything your heart desires. As long as they are coated and fried balls of silky smooth potato, you’ve got yourself a croquette.
Ingredients in My Corn and Spring Onion Potato Croquettes.
- Potatoes: Ultimately you want to use a fluffy/floury potato over a waxy variety. Floury potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture, so they make a perfect mash texture as they break up easily when cooked. Go for a Desiree, King Edward, Sebago, Nadine or Yukon Gold.
- Flour: Any old flour will do. We’re just using it to dust our potato balls in. Just don’t use self raising flour if you can help it.
- Eggs: Eggs are used in this recipe to help the breadcrumbs stick to the croquette. It’s important that they’re thoroughly coated in egg otherwise they wont be sealed and will leak out when fried.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use regular breadcrumbs for these, but I prefer panko breadcrumbs. They are a Japanese product made of shaved, crustless white bread that have a drier flakier texture than regular breadcrumbs.
- Oil: You’ll want to use an oil with a neutral flavour and high smoke point as we will be heating it to 170-180˚C. Opt for either vegetable oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil or rice bran oil as they have virtually no flavour of their own and can withstand high heats. You’ll want to avoid coconut oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil and sesame oil for frying croquettes as either their smoke point is too low, or they have too much flavour and will overpower the croquettes.
- Extras: Like I said, croquettes are insanely versatile and can be filled with anything you can think of. For these ones though, I have used corn and spring onions to give them a Japanese feel.
How Do You Make Potato Croquettes?
Step 1 – Cook potatoes
Steam floury potatoes for around 15 minutes until completely tender. I prefer to steam them with their skins still on and peel them when they’re hot, so it’s up to you if you want to do it before or after.
Step 2 – Mash potatoes
While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a ricer or just mash them by hand. If you want your filling extra smooth, pass your potatoes through a fine sieve.
Step 3 – Add fillings
Season generously with salt and white pepper, then add your corn and spring onions and mix thoroughly.
Step 4 – Chill mixture
Pop your mixture in the fridge and leave it to cool for about and hour. If you’re pushed for time, spread it out onto a flat tray to increase the surface area so it cools faster.
Step 5 – Roll filling into balls
Once it’s cool and has firmed up a bit, roll them into even sized balls. Pop them on a lined tray and put them back in the fridge while you work on the next step.
Step 6 – Prepare crumbing station
Prepare your crumbing station by adding your flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs to separate bowls. Season them each with a pinch of salt.
Step 7 – Crumb croquettes
Begin crumbing your croquettes by rolling them in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb, making sure your get a thorough coating of each before moving on to the next layer. A good tip is to use one hand for your wet ingredients and one for dry to keep your fingers as clean as possible. Return them to the fridge when you’re done.
Step 8 – Fry croquettes
Heat up a pot of oil or deep fryer to 170˚C. Add a few croquettes one by one, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry the croquettes for 4-5 minutes until they are nicely golden and crisp.
Step 9 – Season with salt
Remove from the hot oil onto paper towel to drain any excess oil and season with a pinch of salt.
Step 10 – Serve
Top with Furikake and spring onions and serve them straight away with a dollop of Kewpie mayo.
What Do You Eat Potato Croquettes With?
Potato croquettes are perfect as a stand alone starter or appetizer. Because these Corn and Spring Onion Croquettes are Japanese inspired, I topped mine with more spring onion and Furikake (a Japanese seasoning made of nori, bonito, sesame, sugar and salt) and served them with a dollop of Japanese Kewpie Mayo. You can also try them with Tonkatsu sauce and a shredded cabbage salad or slaw.
Can I Make Potato Croquettes Without Panko Breadcrumbs?
Yes and no. Personally, I don’t really think anything compares to panko breadcrumbs when frying potato croquettes, but if you’d like to try something else, or don’t have any on hand, give one of the following a try by pounding them into a fine crumb:
- Cornflakes
- Oats
- 2 minute noodles
- Pretzels
- Crackers
- DIY Breadcrumbs made with stale bread
Whichever of these you try, make sure they are very fine with only a few larger chunks in it. You want a tight seal around the filling to prevent anything leaking out when they’re in the fryer and if your crumb is too course, you won’t get that.
What Potatoes Should I Use To Make Croquettes?
Ultimately, you want to use a floury potato (also called a starchy or fluffy potato) to make croquettes. This is because they have a high starch and low water content, meaning they break up easily when cooked and don’t hold too much water. Varieties of floury potatoes include Russet, Desiree, King Edward, Sebago or Yukon Gold. Don’t freak out if none of these are familiar to you, regular, white, washed potatoes are typically one of these varieties, so just go for those.
Avoid Red, New, Dutch, Pink Fir or Kipfler Potatoes as these have a firmer, more waxy texture and don’t become as smooth when mashed as floury varieties.
Can I Make These With Leftover Mashed Potatoes?
You absolutely can! Just remember though, that the mixture can’t have too much liquid in it or be too runny. Otherwise, they wont form a defined shape and can fall apart or burst when they’re in the hot oil.
Typically, if you’re making mashed potato, you’re going to put butter, milk and/or cream in it, which can be a problem for croquettes. If you make your mashed potato quite loose and runny like I do, it might be best just to just eat it as leftover mash and start your croquettes from scratch with fresh potatoes.
Can I Make Mashed Potato Croquettes in the Air Fryer or Oven?
I haven’t personally tried them in an air fryer as I don’t have one, but in theory, it should work just fine.
You don’t get quite the same result in the oven as frying, but if you would prefer to, follow the steps as usual but with the following exceptions:
- Add a few tablespoons of oil to your breadcrumb mix before rolling your croquettes in them.
- Add your croquettes to a lined baking tray and put them in a hot, preheated oven (around 220˚C) and bake for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they can burn all of a sudden.
Why Are My Croquettes Bursting and Falling Apart When I Fry Them?
Frying Them For Too Long
If you fry your croquettes for too long, you run the risk of the filling heating up too much. When this happens, the liquid in the mixture turns to steam which bursts through the coating in an attempt to escape.
You want to fry them for just long enough to warm the filling and get the coating golden brown. It can be tricky striking the right balance, but 4-5 minutes should be plenty. If you’re worried, just start with one as a tester, set a timer and see how long it takes before committing to multiple and running the risk of ruining them.
Your Mixture is Too Wet
When your mixture is too wet and only just holds its shape when cold, by the time it warms up in the fryer, it’ll be a runny mess. You’ll probably find that the coating won’t be strong enough to contain the runny filling, meaning it’ll leak out of the casing and into the hot oil.
Your Mixture is Too Warm
This follows the same principle as frying it for too long. If the mixture isn’t cold when it goes into the oil, it will heat up and start producing steam before the crumb coating has a chance to crisp up. If this happens, the steam bursts through and the croquette falls apart. So make sure the mixture is properly chilled before you begin to fry.
The Croquettes Aren’t Fully Submerged in Oil
Make sure your oil is deep enough so that the croquettes are completely submerged when you fry. Otherwise, again, your filling will heat up too much and escape through the uncooked side before you even have a chance to flip them.
You’re Frying Too Many At Once
These things are delicate so you want enough space between them in the oil to be able to get a slotted spoon under one of them without puncturing the rest of them. Make sure they are in a single layer in the oil so they aren’t bumping into each other either.
You’re Moving Them Around Too Much
Again, these potato croquettes are delicate little things with a thin coating and a soft interior, so any minor punctures can cause them to burst and fall apart. Only fry a few at a time and once they’re in the oil, resist the temptation to poke and prod them and just leave them until they’re done.
What Other Fillings Can I Use in My Croquettes?
Because of how simple the ingredients are, you can pretty much fill them with any ingredients you want! Here are some suggestions:
Meats – Shredded chicken, minced pork, smoked salmon, ham, crab meat, bacon.
Spices – Paprika, curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, pepper.
Veggies – Peas, corn, shredded carrot, spinach, shaved broccoli, mushrooms.
Herbs – Parsley, basil, coriander, dill, rosemary, thyme, chives.
Cheeses – Cheddar, parmesan, fetta, goats cheese, brie, gorgonzola, camembert.
Whatever fillings you add, make sure they don’t contain too much liquid, aren’t too chunky and are fully cooked before adding them to the mixture.
Video
Recipe
Japanese Corn and Spring Onion Potato Croquettes
If you're one of those people who has an unhealthy obsession with potatoes, I'm sure croquettes are at the top of your list of favourite potato dishes and these ones are no exception. They are super crispy on the outside and pillowy soft in the middle.. There really isn't anything not to like about this potato croquette recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 Steamed potatoes
- 1 cup Frozen corn defrosted
- 3 Spring onions
- ½ tsp White pepper
- Salt
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Steam floury potatoes for around 15 minutes until completely tender. I prefer to steam them with their skins still on and peel them when they're hot, so it's up to you if you want to do it before or after.
- While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a ricer or just mash them by hand. If you want your filling extra smooth, pass your potatoes through a fine sieve.
- Season generously with salt and white pepper, then add your corn and spring onions and mix thoroughly.
- Pop your mixture in the fridge and leave it to cool for about and hour. If you're pushed for time, spread it out onto a flat tray to increase the surface area so it cools faster.
- Once it's cool and has firmed up a bit, roll them into even sized balls. Pop them on a lined tray and put them back in the fridge while you work on the next step.
- Prepare your crumbing station by adding your flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs to separate bowls. Season them each with a pinch of salt.
- Begin crumbing your croquettes by rolling them in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb, making sure your get a thorough coating of each before moving on to the next layer. A good tip is to use one hand for your wet ingredients and one for dry to keep your fingers as clean as possible. Return them to the fridge when you're done.
- Heat up a pot of oil or a deep fryer to 170˚C. Add a few croquettes one by one, making sure you don't overcrowd the pan. Fry the croquettes for 4-5 minutes until they are nicely golden and crisp.
- Remove from the hot oil onto paper towel to drain any excess oil and season with a pinch of salt.
- Top with Furikake and spring onions and serve them straight away with a dollop of Kewpie mayo.
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Hey! I’m Montana...
Mon Mack Food is my little space to share my passion for food. It is also a place to document the recipes I’ve created while cooking for friends and family! While it is now just a hobby, my absolute dream is to build this project into something I can one day call my job 🙂
