Potato Croquettes
Crispy cheese potato croquettes made with tofu and coated in panko breadcrumbs. Egg-free and easy to make vegan, served with a smoky homemade BBQ sauce.
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
FOR THE CROQUETTES:
- 400 g extra-firm tofu
- 400 g floury potatoes e.g. Maris Piper or King Edward
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 175 g grated cheese of choice cheddar or similar
- salt and black pepper to taste
FOR THE COATING:
- 75 g plain flour
- 240 ml milk of choice dairy or non-dairy
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 90 g panko breadcrumbs
TO FRY:
- 240 ml vegetable oil for frying
FOR THE BBQ SAUCE:
- 120 ml ketchup
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp Chinese five spice
- brown sugar to taste
TO SERVE:
- fresh thyme leaves
- yoghurt or tzatziki
Instructions
- Press the tofu for around 20 minutes to extract as much water as possible. Use a tofu press, or wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and press it between 2 plates with something heavy on top.400 g extra-firm tofu
- Meanwhile, make the mash: peel and dice the potatoes, then cook in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash.400 g floury potatoes
- Crumble the tofu into the mash. Mix in the garlic powder, onion powder and cheese until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 175 g grated cheese of choice, salt and black pepper
- Take a tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a small cylinder. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You should have around 30 croquettes.
- Pour the milk into a shallow plate and stir in the lemon juice. Leave for a few minutes to thicken.240 ml milk of choice, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Put the flour in a second shallow plate and the panko in a third.75 g plain flour, 90 g panko breadcrumbs
- Roll each croquette in flour, dip it in the buttermilk, then coat it in panko. Place the croquettes side by side on a large plate or tray.
- Refrigerate the croquettes for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce: whisk together the ketchup, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin and Chinese five spice. Add brown sugar to taste.120 ml ketchup, 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp Chinese five spice, brown sugar
- Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan. Fry the croquettes in batches of 6 for about 3 minutes per batch, turning, until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper.240 ml vegetable oil
- Serve hot, sprinkled with salt and fresh thyme leaves, with the BBQ sauce and yoghurt or tzatziki on the side.fresh thyme leaves, yoghurt or tzatziki
Notes
Servings: this recipe makes around 30 croquettes, yielding 10 servings of 3 potato croquettes each.
Vegan: use vegan cheese and an unsweetened plant milk, and serve with vegan tzatziki.
Vegetarian cheese: check the label, as some hard cheeses are made with animal rennet.
Air fryer / oven: for crispiness, I prefer to fry these potato croquettes. To bake them in the oven or air-fryer, spray them generously with oil all over then bake until golden in the oven (220°C for around 25mins) or in a pre-heated air-fryer (200°C for around 15mins).
Make ahead: keep coated, uncooked croquettes covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Freeze: freeze uncooked croquettes on a tray, then bag up for up to 3 months. Fry from frozen, adding a minute or two.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 11gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 397mgPotassium: 356mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 330IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 194mgIron: 2mg