Calories in ham croquettes: one, a tapa and a portion
How many calories in one ham croquette, a tapa and a full portion, using Kalo's standard recipe, and why the frying oil changes the figure.
Ham croquettes are deceptive: they are small, but the béchamel, the breadcrumb coating and the frying make them a calorie-dense dish. This is the estimate Kalo uses.
The standard recipe
Kalo works out croquettes from a reference recipe: 500 g milk, 60 g flour, 40 g butter, 20 g olive oil, 80 g Serrano ham, 50 g onion, 50 g egg, 60 g breadcrumbs and 80 g sunflower oil for frying. Once fried they weigh about 750 g and come to around 295 kcal per 100 g.
Calories by portion
Taking one croquette as about 30 g:
| Portion | Weight | Approx. calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 croquette | 30 g | 90 kcal |
| Tapa (3 croquettes) | 90 g | 270 kcal |
| Half portion (5) | 150 g | 440 kcal |
| Portion (8) | 240 g | 710 kcal |
For comparison, using the same method Kalo gets about 274 kcal per 100 g for chicken croquettes and 269 for salt cod: the filling hardly matters, the béchamel and the frying do.
Why it’s a range and not a single number
Two croquettes of the same size can differ quite a bit. It depends on the oil they soak up in the fryer, how much béchamel and ham each kitchen uses, and whether they are from a bar, homemade or frozen.
That’s why Kalo doesn’t give you one fixed figure but a range, and lets you adjust the portion before you save it. For this recipe, the variability it uses is around 20%.
So it pays to check the weight or the number of croquettes you are served, not just the dish.
How to log them
- By text: type “six ham croquettes” and Kalo works it out. It is free, unlimited and works offline.
- By photo: Kalo suggests the dish and you adjust how many there are.
The figures are estimates based on a standard recipe, not measurements of your plate. They don’t replace advice from a health professional; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have questions about your diet, ask one.