Krokiety recipe (Polish croquettes)

Krokiety is a traditional Polish side dish consisting of crepes filled with different kinds of fillings, then breaded, and fried. This is delicious comfort food that will make you come back for more. These Polish croquettes are filled with sauerkraut, mushroom, and onion filling (the same that is used for sauerkraut pierogi) and served with clear Borscht that is traditionally served for Christmas Eve Supper. We also often drink this soup as pictured, in a cup, with a side of krokiety.

Ingredients:

Krokiety (this is plural, singular is one krokiet) consist of:

• Crepes – you may wonder what French crepes are doing here, but this kind of thin pancakes is very popular in many European countries. Some pancakes are very thin, some are a little bit thicker, but they are all very similar. They are called naleśniki in Poland, Palatschinken in Austria, and Pfannkuchen in Germany.
• Filling – there are 3 most popular fillings for krokiety: sauerkraut and mushroom, meat filling (leftover from Polish chicken noodle soup), and mushroom and cheese. My favorite is sauerkraut and mushroom – I absolutely adore this filling and could eat it by the spoonful.
• Breading – you just need beaten eggs and breadcrumbs (we use regular/tiny breadcrumbs, but you could also use Panko for extra crispiness).

How to make krokiety step by step:

STEP 1: Make the crepes (naleśniki). It’s very simple – blend all the crepe ingredients, let the batter stand for 30 minutes. Pour a thin layer of batter on the pan and cook briefly on both sides until set. This is very simple, but if you need a detailed post with step by step photos, click here: crepes. It’s important to choose the right crepe recipe which makes elastic crepes that won’t break while you roll up your krokiety.

STEP 2: Make the sauerkraut and mushroom filling: cook the sauerkraut and dried porcini mushrooms until soft. Sautee fresh cremini mushrooms and onion with caraway seeds and marjoram. Chop finely and season with salt and pepper. This is the same kind of filling that is used for sauerkraut pierogi. Click on this post if you’d like to see detailed step by step photos.

STEP 3: Assemble: Place about 2 heaped tablespoons of filling on each crepe. Fold it like you would fold a burrito: fold sides into the middle and then roll up the bottom tightly to the top. Some people spread the filling all over the crepe, leaving some border, and then fold them up. It’s important to fold them tightly – they will be easier to fry.

STEP 4: Bread the krokiety – dip them in beaten eggs then roll them in breadcrumbs until coated on all sides.

If you have some leftover egg and breadcrumbs you can double-coat the croquettes (dip them again in beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs). The breading will be thicker and even more crispy!

STEP 5: Heat clarified butter or vegetable frying oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the croquettes until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat.

Serve with barszcz (Borscht) and enjoy!

Storage and freezing:

These croquettes taste best freshly made. If you want to make them ahead you can prepare the filling, make the crepes, roll them up and store in the fridge, in an air-tight container, or tightly wrapped in plastic foil, for up to 3 days. Then dip them in egg, coat in breadcrumbs, and fry.

You can also bread them and store in the fridge for up to 3 days then reheat them on a non-stick pan, but the breading won’t be as crispy as freshly made. Another option is to store breaded but not fried croquettes in the fridge, then coat them again just in breadcrumbs (the coating will soften), and fry. These are quite good.

Croquettes can also be frozen. Freeze them, thaw in the fridge and reheat on the pan. The breading won’t be very tasty and crispy though. A better option would be to freeze the croquettes without the breading. Next, thaw them in the fridge, dip in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry.

Other Polish recipes served on Christmas Eve Supper:

• Herring salad with potatoes, eggs, cucumbers in brine and apples
• Fish with savory gingerbread sauce (Carp in old Polish gray sauce)
• Polish Christmas Eve Beet Soup Recipe (Borscht / Barszcz Wigilijny)
• Nut roll with chocolate
• Uszka ‘little ears’ – porcini filled Polish dumplings for Christmas Eve Borscht
• Sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi recipe

See all our Polish Christmas recipes.

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Krokiety recipe (Polish croquettes)

Krokiety is a traditional Polish side dish consisting of crepes filled with different kinds of fillings, then breaded, and fried. These croquettes are filled with sauerkraut, mushroom, and onion filling.

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Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 croquettes

Calories 248kcal

Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

for the filling:

• ▢ 1 lb (450g) drained sauerkraut
• ▢ 0.7- oz (20g) dried porcini mushrooms
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 allspice berries
• ▢ 3 tablespoons frying oil
• ▢ 2 large onions 8.5-oz(240g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon marjoram
• ▢ 14 oz (400g) fresh cremini mushrooms
• ▢ salt and black pepper to taste I added about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 5 prunes optional! can be omitted, 1.5-oz (45g)

for the crepes:

• ▢ 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/4 cup (300g) milk
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• ▢ salt and pepper

for the breading:

• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup (110g) breadcrumbs

additionally:

• ▢ clarified butter or frying oil

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Instructions

Make the filling:

• Drain the sauerkraut (drained sauerkraut should weight 1 lb (450g)), combine in a medium pot with dried mushrooms, bay leaves, and allspice berries. Add water, enough to cover the sauerkraut and mushrooms. Cook, partially covered, over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the sauerkraut is soft.
• Dice the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a big frying pan. Cook the chopped onion with caraway for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until soft and translucent. Add marjoram, cook for another minute, transfer to a plate.
• Wash the cremini mushrooms and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/4-inch (½ cm) slices. Increase the heat to high, add another tablespoon of oil and chopped mushrooms. Don’t stir for the first 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned at the bottom, then stir and cook until the mushrooms release water. Cook until it evaporates, stirring from time to time, then cook until nicely browned, transfer to a plate.
• Drain the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms. You can reserve the liquid, it can be used to enhance the flavor of many soups, including Polish Christmas Eve Beet Soup. Discard bay leaves and allspice.
• To chop the filling, you can use a food processor or just chop it with a big knife on a chopping board.
• Add the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms, pan-fried cremini mushrooms, and sauteed onions to the food processor bowl. Pulse several times to chop finely (but not to a paste consistency). Season the filling with salt and pepper, to taste.
• You can also add finely chopped prunes to the filling. It’s important to chop them with a knife by hand and not process in the food processor with the rest of the filling (or it will come out too sweet).

Cook the crepes:

• Prepare the crepe batter: Simply mix all the ingredients, season the batter with salt and pepper. You can do that with a blender, hand mixer, an immersion blender, food processor, or even by hand (with a whisk). I prefer to mix the batter with a blender – it’s the quickest way to mix the ingredients and the batter is more smooth. If you’ll whisk the batter by hand it will have small lumps, but this is also ok and your crepes will be fine.
• Leave the batter to rest: Cover the bowl with plastic foil or a kitchen cloth and leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes.
• Cook the crepes: Brush the pan with a small amount of butter (I’m only adding the butter before the first crepe, but you can brush the pan with butter between each crepe if you wish) over high heat. The pan should be well heated. Holding the pan in one hand (it shouldn’t be on the burner) and the bowl or blender jar in the other, pour in a small amount of batter, tilting and swirling the pan simultaneously until the batter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Place the pan on the burner and cook for about 15-30 seconds.
• When the edges of the crepe look dry and lacy and its bottom is golden brown, it’s ready to be turned over.
• Slide the spatula under the crepe (make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan), loosen its edges, and flip it over.
• Cook on the other side just briefly, for about 10 seconds, until set. Transfer on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Assemble:

• Place about 2 heaped tablespoons of filling on each crepe. Fold it like you would fold a burrito: fold sides into the middle and then roll up the bottom tightly to the top. Some people spread the filling all over the crepe, leaving some border, and then fold them up. It’s important to fold them tightly – they will be easier to fry.

Bread and fry the croquettes:

• Dip each croquette in beaten eggs then roll them in breadcrumbs until coated on all sides.
• If you have some leftover egg and breadcrumbs you can double-coat the croquettes (dip them again in beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs). The breading will be thicker and even more crispy!
• Heat clarified butter or vegetable frying oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the croquettes until golden brown on all sides (in batches). Change the oil if it gets too brown from the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat.
• Serve with barszcz (Borscht) and enjoy!

Notes

• 0.7-oz (20g) dried porcini mushrooms – this is about 1/2 cup small pieces of mushrooms
• Storage and freezing:
  • These croquettes taste best freshly made. If you want to make them ahead you can prepare the filling, make the crepes, roll them up and store in the fridge, in an air-tight container, or tightly wrapped in plastic foil, for up to 3 days. Then dip them in egg, coat in breadcrumbs, and fry.
  • You can also bread them and store in the fridge for up to 3 days then reheat them on a non-stick pan, but the breading won’t be as crispy as freshly made. Another option is to store breaded but not fried croquettes in the fridge, then coat them again just in breadcrumbs (the coating will soften), and fry. These are quite good.
  • Croquettes can also be frozen. Freeze them, thaw in the fridge and reheat on the pan. The breading won’t be very tasty and crispy though. A better option would be to freeze the croquettes without the breading. Next, thaw them in the fridge, dip in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry.
• Calories = 1 croquette (1/10 of the recipe). This is only an estimate (frying oil for cooking croquettes is not included)!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine polish

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