Air Fryer Croquettes

Air fryer croquettes - 2 ways, i.e, frozen croquettes and homemade croquettes. Make these tiny snacks and appetizers quickly and effortlessly in the air fryer.

This is a healthier alternative to deep-fried croquettes without compromising the taste and texture. It turns the same crispy, too, when air-fried. It's too promising as an appetizer to serve at parties, quick get-togethers, etc. These are kid-friendly as well.

You can make frozen croquettes or create them from scratch at home only. Both ways are easy if you follow these instructions. No doubt, if you are making frozen croquettes, you don't have to do anything other than setting your temperature and timing.

Check out my other air fryer appetizers here on the blog.

Frozen Croquettes In The Air Fryer

You don't have to do much if you make the croquettes in the air fryer. Place the croquettes in the air fryer, which will do the magic.

Preheat the air fryer. Place the perforated parchment paper and then croquettes on them. Start the air fryer at 400 F for 8 - 10 minutes. Check it every 4 minutes and shake or flip lightly for even cooking.

Here, I strongly recommend using parchment paper for cheese stuffing. The frozen ones may stick to the basket since the cheese may ooze out of tiny cracks and stick to the base or with each other. If you are not adding any cheese to it, you can place it directly in the greased basket. But when it's without the cheese, then parchment paper is not necessary. This is from my tried and tested experiments.

Homemade Croquettes in Air Fryer

Cook the Potatoes

Cook potatoes and cool them before adding other ingredients to them. When cooled, it will bind better and the mixture won't turn sticky n soggy. Cook the potatoes on the stovetop or in the instant pot.

Instant pot potatoes - Place the potatoes on the trivet. Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot. Close the lid. Start manual PRESSURE COOK mode on HIGH pressure for 7 - 10 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. (No need to dice the potatoes first. ) SEAL the venting knob. The cooking timer will start once it reaches the pressure level in 7 - 8 minutes. Once it beeps, let it be on natural pressure release for 5 minutes. Then, quickly release the rest of the pressure.

Prepare mashed potato mixture:-

Once done, remove the potatoes and allow them to cool down to room temperature. Mash the potatoes once they are cold enough. Add corn, peas, bell peppers, breadcrumbs, and spices to the potatoes. Mix them well.

Now, divide the potato mixture into small roundels. Take one roundel and flatten, making a disc. Place the grated mozzarella cheese or any meltable cheese or cheese stick. Close the sides, covering the cheese stuffing. Roll gently, making small logs or sticks. Repeat for all the logs. You can also shape them into balls.

Coating with breadcrumbs

Take two bowls. In 1, make a slurry by mixing cornstarch and plant-based milk. In the 2nd bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Add Italian seasoning to the bread crumbs. Repeat for all.

Air Fry the Croquettes

Now, Preheat the air fryer at 400 F for 4 minutes. Place perforated butter paper and brush it lightly with oil. Place the croquettes on the parchment paper. Spraya little oil on the croquettes. Place the basket inside and start the air fryer at 375F (190 C) for 10 - 12 minutes. Flip them at around the 8-minute mark with the help of a tong. Then change the temperature to 400 F for 3 - 5 minutes. This will help in making the croquettes crispier.

Oven-baked Croquettes

No air fryer? No problem. You can bake them, too.

Place the croquettes on a baking tray lined with parchment and grease. Spray oil on the croquettes. Bake them at 400 F for 15 - 20 minutes or till they get brown to golden and crispy. Flip them halfway.

Tips for best air fryer croquettes

• Cool down the potatoes before mixing other ingredients. Add corn, peppers, peas, etc to the potatoes mix.

• To make the croquettes crispy, take a mix of brown bread crumbs and panko crumbs. To make them gluten-free, use rice crumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs.

• Use perforated parchment papers to line the basket. Use the parchment paper only after preheating the air fryer.

• Don't overcrowd the basket. Place the croquettes in a single layer.

• Use any meltable cheese or processed cheese for the stuffing. Some of them are mozzarella, gouda, and cheddar cheese. You can also use mozzarella sticks as stuffing. I use mozzarella cheese for my croquettes.

• To make this vegan, use vegan cheese.

• Shape it into small balls or logs as you like. Make them even size every batch.

• For vegetarians, use eggwash in place of cornstarch slurry.

Storing Leftover & Reheating

To store the leftovers, let it cool down to room temperature. Store in an air-tight box. Stays suitable for 2 - 3 days.

To reheat, place them into the air fryer basket. Heat at 400 F for 2 minutes.

Freezing the croquettes (Make Ahead Croquettes)

To freeze the croquettes, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place it inside the freezer for up to 2 - 3 hours. Then, transfer the frozen croquettes into a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for future use. It stays in good condition for up to 2 months. To make the frozen croquettes, place them in the air fryer and heat at 400 F for 5 - 7 minutes till it's done.

Air Fryer Croquettes Recipe

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