Crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside, these sweet potato croquettes with ham are the ultimate snack or side dish. Simple, delicious, and perfect for any occasion! PS. These potato and ham croquettes are dairy-free, paleo and Whole30-friendly.

Ahhh, croquettes! Crispy on the outside and cloud-soft on the inside, they make the perfect finger food or a snack and feature in so many cuisines around the world. Traditional Spanish croquetas with cod or jamon, Japanese korokke with vegetables, Dutch kroketten with beef or veal – seriously, every country has its own version.
Essentially, croquettes are breadcrumbed oval-shaped fried rolls made with mashed potato and other ingredients such as meat, fish, vegetables and cheese. I wanted to make healthier sweet potato croquettes, and instead of deep-frying, I am shallow frying them, and these are made without cheese.
What You’ll Need
Sweet potatoes: Many traditional croquettes are made with white potatoes but I wanted to try a sweet potato version. The sweetness of yams goes well with salty ham and is full of vitamins and fibre.
Ham: My second filling ingredient is ham and I am using shredded, cooked ham hock specifically. It’s also known as the pork knuckle and its meat requires slow cooking. You can often find pre-cooked, smoked ham hock meat (where you’d normally find regular ham), and the texture and flavour are quite similar. That’s what I used in this recipe. To me, ham hock meat is more flavourful and resembles pulled pork texture. It goes well with mustard, so I’ve decided to add some Dijon to my filling mixture.
If you buy pre-cooked ham hock, simply shred it with a fork or dice it finely. You can use regular ham or any other meat you like: chopped up chicken, turkey, cooked beef mince, leftover pulled pork or roasted beef; cooked cod, tuna or salmon are also lovely. These are great for using up leftover turkey or ham after Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Other ingredients include egg, grain-free starches such as coconut flour, almond meal and tapioca flour (you can sub with regular flour if not trying to make these grain-free), mustard, some seasonings and either olive oil or coconut oil for shallow frying.
How To Make Sweet Potato & Ham Croquettes
These croquettes are pretty easy to make but they do require some patience as you have to pre-cook the sweet potatoes and then chill the mixture before moulding the rolls.
- Prepare the mixture: Cook and mash sweet potatoes; mix with ham, eggs, almond meal, and seasonings.
- Shape croquettes: Roll the mixture into small balls or oval shapes.
- Coat for crispiness: Roll each croquette in almond meal for a light coating.
- Cook: Pan-fry in hot oil until golden and crispy on all sides.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these with some homemade ketchup or salsa, aioli or just as they are with some sea salt sprinkled over the top. I love these sweet potato and ham croquettes with a little Dijon mustard on the side.
These keep well in an airtight container, so you can easily take them on a road trip or hiking. Sweet potato is a great, nutritious source of carbohydrates, so it’s also a perfect post- or pre-workout food.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooked & Loved
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes 550 g / 1.1 lb, peeled and diced into large cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 100-150 g ham hock 4-5 oz. meat, shredded or diced
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard yellow is also okay, or 1 teaspoon Hot English
- 1 egg
- Generous pinch of pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour leveled, or 2 heaped tablespoons of almond meal
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/3 cup almond meal can be omitted, juts add more tapioca or cassava flour, or other grain-free flour of choice
- Coconut oil for frying
- To serve: Dijon mustard or other condiment of choice
Instructions
- Place sweet potato in a medium pot, add a teaspoon of salt and cover with water (just a little above the potato). Bring to a boil and cook for 7-8 minutes, until soft when inserted with a knife.
- Strain and return back to the pot with 1 tablespoon of ghee. Mash together using a potato masher until smooth. Let it cool off for 5 minutes, then add to a bowl with shredded ham hock (or ham, if using), egg, and mustard. Season with another half teaspoon salt, some pepper and onion powder. Mix together until well incorporated. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of coconut flour or almond meal, and mix together. Place the bowl in the fridge, uncovered, for 1 hour minimum. This will stiffen the filling mixture slightly, making it easier to mould into rolls.
- Remove the bowl from the fridge. Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat cookie tray or a platter. Mix tapioca flour and almond meal in a bowl. Sprinkle a thin layer on the parchment paper.
- Scooping about a tablespoon of the mixture in your hand at a time, mould the filling into oval-shaped rolls and place on top of the flour on the tray. Continue until all mixture is used up. Sprinkle the remaining flour over the top of the croquettes (you can also sift it), then use your hands to roll them in the flour and give them a pat between your hands to make sure they are well coated.
- Heat about 1/4 of a cup or 4 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the croquettes one at a time, leaving some space in between. Cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side, then 2-3 minutes on other sides after that, until crispy and golden brown. The oval shape usually requires you to cook them on top and bottom and then also on the sides, or at least to turn them three times. Add more coconut oil as it starts to dry up in the pan so there is always a thin layer.
- Remove the cooked croquettes to a platter. Serve with your favourite dip or condiment. I love these with more Dijon mustard on the side.
I‘m doing it right now! I have tasted the mixture ? before I put in the fridge.. DELICIOUS ? !!!!!
I can barely wait for it to finally finish and I can eat it!
I have never tried croquettes, but these look irresistible! Such a fun idea!!
This is a great idea – any meat substitutes I can use instead of ham?
Oh em gee!!! I’m so extied about these. I’m Cuban and croquetas de jamon are a staple… BUT GLUTENFUL! This paleo alternative is sooo yummy looking! Can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
These croquettes look so delicious. Love that crispy crust on them.
I love sweet potatoes! This sounds so good!
These look so delicious and I love the addition of the ham right in them! Yum!
Oh my goodness !! How good do these croquettes look ? I love how golden and delicious they are !!
I don’t think I’ve ever had croquettes before, but now I need these! Sweet potatoes and pork are just the perfect combo.
Ohh I’ve never made croquettes before but this is super easy! And SO perfect for all the little people hands in my house! My toddler specifically would love this!
Yuuum! I love a good sweet potato recipe, and this is definitely a delicious one!
There is a pork hock in the freezer, and I had no idea what to do with it. These look amazing!
These looks so yummy and I love that they travel well – this is a great snack idea to have on hand for baseball games and family hikes! Thanks!
OMG, these look so freakin amazing! Like comfort food at its finest, yet healthy! I can’t wait to make them!
Wow. Those look amazing!!! So yummy with that dipping sauce too! I can’t have sweet potatoes anymore, and I miss them, but my family would LOVE these!