Crab croquettes are a masterpiece made with thick béchamel sauce mixed with shredded crab meat wrapped in crispy crumbs. They are a perfect contrast of crunchy-creamy textures!
Crab croquettes are perfect warm, crispy, and creamy balls if you are craving seafood but with a fancy touch. “Croquette” is a French word that comes from “Croquer” which means “Crisp and crunch”. It is loved worldwide and adopted according to their taste and preferences. My mom prepared cream croquette on weekends, and all the siblings compete on who would eat the most at meals.
Table of Contents
Why Crab Croquettes are Everyone’s Favorite
- Contrast of Flavors: The creamy inner filling of crab with outer crispy crumbs is what I crave the most.
- Kids Friendly: Kids adore a few seafood recipes (mostly they found boring)). Crab Croquette are one of them! I am sure that kids will love and admire every bite.
- Adaptability: You can substitute the crab meat with other meat, like shrimp, chicken, or ground beef, to your liking (the best part!).
- Special Occasions: I usually make these creamy croquette at special events like Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. I make them a day before the event and fry them the next day. Everyone asks for the recipe and gives adorable compliments.
Ingredients for Crab Cream Croquette
- Crab Sticks: The star ingredient of this recipe is the crab stick, which I shred (Thinly) with a fork or hand. Please do not use real lump crab, as it will not give the recipe the desired texture.
- Butter: Solid or melted butter will work fine. Unsalted or salted both work the same, but I prefer the unsalted.
- All-purpose Flour: The thickening agent of the sauce is plain flour.
- Yellow Onion: Chop the half-yellow onion. Red or other onions are not preferable as they ruin the sauce.
- Whole Milk: Whole milk is necessary to make the creamy white sauce.
- Seasonings: Take garlic powder and basic seasoning (salt and black pepper) as per taste.
- Oil: Any neutral oil is suitable for frying. I am using sunflower oil, but you can use any oil you choose.
Instructions
1.Make Béchamel (white sauce)
Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the yellow onion and sauté until fragrant and translucent.
Add all-purpose flour and stir on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour the milk in and stir continuously until the white liquid turns into a thick sauce with no lumps and a smooth texture.
2.Season and Cook with Crab Meat
Tear the crab sticks into thin shreds.
Toss the shredded crab meat in the white sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with garlic dust, black pepper, and salt. Turn the heat off when the mixture thickens.
3.Chill the Mixture
Shift the mixture to a rectangular tray and spread it evenly with a spatula. Chill it in the fridge for 2 hours, so it should be cold enough to handle.
4.Shape and Coat
Divide the mixture into eight equal rectangular parts. Moist your hands with oil to prevent the batter from sticking to them, and shape each part into round balls.
In this sequence, coat each ball in all-purpose flour, eggs(beaten), and panko breadcrumbs.
5.Fry and Fry!
Prepare the oil for frying by adding it to a pan and heating it to 175C. Fry the Croquettes until they are crispy and golden brown.
Freeze the rest for the future and fry when craving. Dish it out and enjoy cream crab croquette!
Variations
- Experiment with cooked shrimp, ground meat, and shredded chicken.
- Add chopped parsley and green onion in preparation for the white mixture.
- Introduce paprika powder for a spicy and smoky flavor.
- Want a cheesy consistency? Add mozzarella and shredded cheddar while cooking the Béchamel.
Recipe Notes
- Chilling: Place the mixture in the fridge for 2 hours to make it thick enough to handle. If you are in a hurry, refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. The best practice is to shape the mixture a day before cooking and refrigerate it overnight to make it thick and easy to work with.
- Hot Oil: Heat the oil at 175C, or when you sprinkle some crumbs, they start bubbling.
- Don’t Overcook: Cook the croquettes till you notice them light brown and crispy.
Make it Ahead of Time
Fried crab croquettes are served immediately, but you can shape the mixture and store it in a container. You can place the white mixture in a container and put it in the fridge for a week. When ready to cook, pull the mixture from the refrigerator, make the balls, coat them, and fry.
Print
Creamy Crab Croquettes That Are Great Appetizer Of All Time
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 croquettes 1x
Description
Crab croquettes are a masterpiece made with thick béchamel sauce mixed with shredded crab meat wrapped in crispy crumbs. They are a perfect contrast of crunchy-creamy textures!
Crab meat croquettes are perfect warm, crispy, and creamy balls if you are craving seafood but with a fancy touch. “Croquette” is a French word that comes from “Croquer” which means “Crisp and crunch”. It is loved worldwide and adopted according to their taste and preferences. My mom prepared cream croquette on weekends, and all the siblings compete on who would eat the most at meals.
Ingredients
- 150 g Crab Sticks, Tear in thin shreds
- 2 tbsp Butter (45g)
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour (All-purpose)
- Half an Onion (Yellow chopped)
- 400ml Whole Milk
- Garlic Powder (To taste)
- Black Pepper, Salt (To taste)
- 1 cup Neutral Oil (I use sunflower oil)
Instructions
- Make Béchamel (white sauce): Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the yellow onion and sauté until fragrant and translucent. Add all-purpose flour and stir on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour the milk in and stir continuously until the white liquid turns into a thick sauce with no lumps and a smooth texture.
- Season and Cook with Crab Meat: Tear the crab sticks into thin shreds. Toss the shredded crab meat in the white sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with garlic dust, black pepper, and salt. Turn the heat off when the mixture thickens.
- Chill the Mixture: Shift the mixture to a rectangular tray and spread it evenly with a spatula. Chill it in the fridge for 2 hours, so it should be cold enough to handle.
- Shape and Coat: Divide the mixture into eight equal rectangular parts. Moist your hands with oil to prevent the batter from sticking to them, and shape each part into round balls. In this sequence, coat each ball in all-purpose flour, eggs(beaten), and panko breadcrumbs.
- Fry and Fry! Prepare the oil for frying by adding it to a pan and heating it to 175C. Fry the Croquettes until they are crispy and golden brown. Freeze the rest for the future and fry when craving. Dish it out and enjoy!
Notes
- Chilling: Place the mixture in the fridge for 2 hours to make it thick enough to handle. If you are in a hurry, refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. The best practice is to shape the mixture a day before cooking and refrigerate it overnight to make it thick and easy to work with.
- Hot Oil: Heat the oil at 175C, or when you sprinkle some crumbs, they start bubbling.
- Don’t Overcook: Cook the croquettes till you notice them light brown and crispy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: French
FAQ’s for This Crab Croquettes
What is a crab croquette made of?
Croquettes is a general term that usually refers to fried rolls. Common ingredients are vegetables, meat, and cheese shaped into balls, coated with breadcrumbs, and fried. Mashed potatoes and meat are the binders, and crumbs are the coating agents.
What’s the difference between crab cakes and croquettes?
Crab cakes and croquettes are slightly different in size and coating technique. Croquettes are smaller than crab cakes. Croquettes are coated with flour and crumbs and then fried, while crab cakes are lightly dusted with flour and shallow-fried.
What do you eat with crab croquettes?
There are various dishes that you can eat, including creamy croquettes. You can also serve grilled vegetables (like asparagus and broccoli), Corn salsa, Pickled red onions, Tofu pita salad, and red sauces.
