Catalina now has two options for croquette lovers everywhere: Catalina Classics and our new Catalina Air-Fryer Ready Croquettes, which are available in the same ham, chicken, and cheese recipes as our classics, pre-fried and frozen for quick and easy croquettes with no frying at home!
But, while our Air-Fryer Ready Croquettes are a snap to cook in the oven or air-fryer, you don’t want to do that with classic croquettes. Classic croquettes really need to be fried for best results. (The same is true of any breaded foods – papas rellenas, mozzarella sticks, breaded wings – you get the picture. Breading needs to be fried to get that delicious crispy crunch.)
General Guidelines
- Do not defrost the croquettes! If you defrost them, they will burst or crack when cooking. Keep them in the freezer until you have your oil set up and heating.
- Always use enough oil to completely submerge the croquettes. A medium sauce pan filled to about halfway with oil is perfect for cooking 4 croquettes at a time. Do not fill past halfway.
- Always preheat your oil to cooking temperature – 350°F. If your oil starts smoking, it’s too hot. Turn off the stove or fryer and let it cool to 350°F.
- Do not add more than 4 croquettes at a time. This is important for both quality and safety reasons. If you add too many, you will cool the oil and they won’t crisp up as beautifully. And if you add too much of anything, you can cause the oil to overflow and cause a mess or – much worse – a fire.
- You can use any frying oil you’d like. We’ve had best result with corn oil or peanut oil, but that is a preference.
Those are your basic rules for quality and safety. Instructions for cooking are as follows.
- To cook 4 croquettes at a time, use a medium sauce pan filled to just about halfway with oil, just enough to cover the croquettes completely in the oil.
- Preheat the oil in the pan to 350°F.
- Cook croquettes from frozen. Do not defrost.
- Add 4 croquettes at a time to the pre-heated oil. Turn them frequently and let cook for 5 minutes or until a rich golden brown.
- Carefully remove from oil and place on a plate with paper towels. Let croquettes sit for 3-5 minutes for best temperature and consistency.
