These cheesy potato croquettes are bite-sized, so every one is a crispy golden shell with just enough fluffy, seasoned potato and a little pocket of melty fresh mozzarella in the center. Riced golden potatoes keep the inside light instead of gummy, and a few tablespoons of cornstarch hold everything together without any breading. A quick fry in hot oil turns them deep golden before the cheese has a chance to escape. Serve them with a smoky paprika garlic aioli for dipping, and you have a platter of crispy, creamy, cheesy, garlicky bites. They are perfect for game day, holiday parties, or any time you want a few potatoes to feel special.
Why Smaller Croquettes Are Better Croquettes
I love potatoes. Mashed, fried, crispy, creamy, I am a potato person through and through, so a potato croquette with melty cheese inside is right up my alley. The problem with most croquettes is the size. They tend to be massive, baseball-sized croquettes with a lot more smooth potato filling than crispy outside, so every bite is mostly soft mash and the crunch gets lost.
My whole idea behind this recipe was fixing that. I shrunk them down to bite size, flipping the ratio, so every croquette a golden, crispy shell with just enough creamy potato and a pocket of cheese inside. You get a crispy outside and creamy inside in the same bite, instead of a huge croquette that’s mostly filling.
Most croquette recipes also call for a three-step breading of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. These skip it entirely. The potato dough does all the work, which means fewer bowls, less mess, and a thinner, crispier shell.
The smoky paprika garlic aioli takes everything up a notch with its creamy, slightly tangy finish. They look impressive on a platter, but they’re made with simple ingredients and just a quick fry!
Do Potato Croquettes Need Breadcrumbs?
Not these! Most croquettes rely on a coating of breadcrumbs to stay together and get crispy. This recipe moves that job into the potato dough itself.
Riced golden potatoes give you a smooth, dry mash that doesn’t turn gluey, and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch bind it so the balls hold together in the oil. The starchy surface fries up into a thin, crisp shell on its own, so there is no need for an egg wash or a crumb station. All of the seasoning goes right into the mash, too, which means the croquettes are flavorful all the way through rather than only on the outside.
There is a nice bonus here. With no flour, breadcrumbs, or eggs in the croquettes, they are naturally gluten-free as long as your spices and mayonnaise are labeled gluten-free.
Tips for Crispy Croquettes That Hold Together
- Dry the potatoes, then rice them. Drain the potatoes well and let them steam dry for a minute before ricing. Extra water makes a wet dough that’s harder to shape and more likely to crack in the fryer. Use a potato ricer, not a mixer. Ricing keeps the potatoes light and fluffy, while overworking them makes the croquettes gummy.
- Seal the cheese completely. Any gap in the potato is where the mozzarella will leak out in the oil. After you roll each ball, give it a quick look and pinch closed any spot where the cheese peeks through.
- Keep the oil at 350°F and salt them right away. Fry in batches, because overcrowding drops the oil temperature and the croquettes absorb oil instead of crisping. Salt them the second they come out of the fryer. The salt sticks to the hot oil on the surface and seasons the crust.
Cheesy Potato Croquettes
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Equipment
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1 Deep Pot for frying
Ingredients
For the Croquettes
- 4 medium golden potatoes about 1⅓ lbs / 600g, peeled
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt plus more for sprinkling
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls or a 4-oz ball cut into small cubes
- neutral oil for frying
For the Aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
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Place the peeled whole potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender. Drain well and let them steam dry for a minute.4 medium golden potatoes
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While the potatoes are still warm, pass them through a potato ricer into a large bowl.
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Add the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and paprika. Mix until a soft dough comes together. Taste and adjust the seasoning.3 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp paprika
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Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten it in your palm. Press a mozzarella pearl into the center and roll it into a ball about 1¼” across, making sure the cheese is fully sealed inside. Repeat with the remaining dough.4 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls
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Make the aioli by stirring together the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and salt in a small bowl. Keep chilled until serving.½ cup mayonnaise, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp salt
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Heat a couple of inches of neutral oil in a deep pot or fryer to 350°F. Fry the croquettes in batches for about 2 minutes, or just until golden brown.neutral oil
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Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt immediately.
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Serve warm with the paprika garlic aioli.
Notes
- Let the drained potatoes steam dry for a minute before ricing. A wet dough is sticky to shape and more likely to crack in the oil.
- Use a potato ricer, not a mixer, since overworking the potatoes makes them gluey. If you don’t have a ricer, mash by hand just until the lumps are gone.
- Fresh mozzarella pearls are the perfect size. If you use a 4-ounce ball instead, cut it into pearl-size cubes and pat them dry so the dough seals tightly.
- Use a thermometer to keep the oil at 350°F and fry in small batches. A deep pot with a couple of inches of oil works just as well as a fryer.
- To make ahead, boil, rice, and season the potatoes up to a day early and refrigerate them covered. The aioli keeps for up to 2 days. Fry right before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven or air fryer for 5-7 minutes, not the microwave. Uncooked balls can be frozen for up to 2 months and fried straight from frozen.
Nutrition
How to Make Cheesy Potato Croquettes Step by Step
Gather all the ingredients together.
Boil the potatoes. Place 4 medium peeled golden potatoes (about 1⅓ lbs) in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender. A fork should slide into the center with no resistance. Drain well and let them sit in the colander for a minute so the steam carries away extra moisture.
Rice and season the potatoes: While the potatoes are still warm, pass them through a potato ricer into a large bowl. The riced potato should look light and fluffy, with no lumps. Add 3 tbsp of cornstarch, 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of onion powder, 1 tsp of dried oregano, and 1 tsp of paprika.
Make the dough: Mix until a soft dough comes together. It should feel smooth and soft and hold its shape when you press it. Taste it now and adjust the salt or garlic, since everything is mixed in before frying.
Stuff and shape the croquettes: Scoop about 1 tbsp of dough and flatten it in your palm. Press a mozzarella pearl from your 4 oz of fresh mozzarella pearls (or a small cube of a 4-ounce ball) into the center. Roll it into a bite-size ball about 1¼ inches across, making sure the cheese is fully sealed inside. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should end up with about 24 croquettes.
Make the aioli: In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup of mayonnaise, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp of smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp of salt. It should be smooth and creamy with a warm, rosy color. Keep it chilled until serving.
Fry the croquettes: Heat a couple of inches of neutral oil in a deep pot or fryer to 350°F. Fry the croquettes in batches for about 2 minutes, or just until golden brown. They should sizzle steadily as soon as they hit the oil. Pull them out as soon as they turn deep golden so the cheese stays inside.
Salt and serve: Transfer the croquettes to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle them with salt immediately, directly out of the fryer. Serve warm with the paprika garlic aioli.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Potato Croquettes
Store leftover croquettes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the aioli in a separate container so it doesn’t soften the crust.
Freezer
Freeze the formed, uncooked balls on a sheet pan until solid, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Fry them straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the fry time. There’s no need to thaw them first. The aioli doesn’t freeze well because mayonnaise separates as it thaws, so make it fresh.
Reheating
Reheat cooked croquettes in a 400°F oven or an air fryer for 5-7 minutes to re-crisp the outside. The microwave works in a pinch, but the shell will go soft.
Make Ahead
The potatoes can be boiled, riced, and seasoned a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. The croquettes can also be formed and stuffed earlier in the day and refrigerated on a sheet pan until you’re ready to fry. The aioli can be made up to 2 days ahead. For the best crispy texture, fry right before serving.
What to Serve with Potato Croquettes
My favorite way to serve these is the simplest one. I pile the croquettes on a platter with the aioli in the middle and let everyone grab them with their fingers. One batch makes about 24, which is enough for 6 people as an appetizer. Most of the recipe’s 40 minutes is spent boiling potatoes, so I start them before guests arrive and keep the first batch warm in a low oven while the rest fry.
When I serve them as a side, I add this Olive Garden Salad. Its zesty dressing cuts right through the fried potato and creamy aioli, and together they make an easy meatless dinner.
For a holiday or game day spread, I pair them with Herb Marinated Mozzarella. It waits in the fridge with no cooking, so the croquettes are the only thing I’m frying.
More Crispy Fried Party Bites
- Fried Mashed Potato Balls: Fried Mashed Potato Balls turn leftover mashed potatoes into breaded, deep-fried bites loaded with cheddar, bacon, and onions. They are a great way to use up extra mash after Thanksgiving, when a crowd is still hungry for snacks.
- Fried Mac and Cheese Balls: Fried Mac and Cheese Balls coat chilled, creamy mac and cheese in crunchy panko and fry it golden. One batch makes about 35 bites, which makes them a smart pick for feeding a big game day crowd.
- Fried Goat Cheese Balls: Fried Goat Cheese Balls are stuffed with dried cherries and pecans and fried into crispy, poppable bites. Their sweet and tangy flavor makes them an easy holiday or New Year’s Eve partner for a savory platter of potato croquettes.
More Holiday Finger Foods
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