Octopus Croquettes Recipe: Creamy Spanish Tapas Classic 2026

These Galician-style octopus croquettes are irresistibly creamy on the inside and crisp and golden on the outside. The filling is a silky béchamel made with the octopus cooking water and milk, then seasoned with sweet smoked paprika and packed with finely chopped cooked octopus. They look and taste like a special-occasion tapa, yet they come together with just a handful of everyday ingredients.

If you already have cooked octopus on hand, this recipe is quick and simple to put together. You can also poach the octopus at home and use the flavorful cooking water in the béchamel, or simply swap in extra milk or fish stock. Either way, the result is a batch of about 20 croquettes that vanish from the table in minutes.

Ingredients for Octopus Croquettes

This makes about 20 croquettes, enough to serve 4 people as an appetizer.

• 150 g cooked octopus
• 50 g butter
• 100 g wheat flour (50 g for the béchamel and 50 g for coating)
• 225 ml octopus cooking water (or milk or fish stock)
• 225 ml whole milk
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
• 1 large egg
• 75 g breadcrumbs
• 300 ml frying oil
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional, for decorating)

How to Make Octopus Croquettes Step by Step

1. Chop the Cooked Octopus

Start by finely chopping 150 g of cooked octopus. You can use octopus sold ready to eat, or poach your own at home so you can save the cooking water for the béchamel. If you cook the octopus yourself, reserve the tentacles for a classic pulpo á feira and use the head and the area where the legs meet for these croquettes.

2. Cook the Flour for the Béchamel

Place a saucepan over medium heat with 50 g of butter. Once the butter has melted, add 50 g of wheat flour and mix well with a whisk, cooking and stirring constantly for 1 minute.

3. Add the Octopus Water and Milk

Next, pour in 225 ml of octopus cooking water and 225 ml of whole milk, stirring continuously with the whisk until a smooth béchamel forms with no lumps, which takes about 4 to 5 minutes. If you didn't cook the octopus at home, use the same amount of milk or fish stock instead of the cooking water.

4. Season and Add the Octopus

Add salt and 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika, mix, and stir the chopped octopus into the béchamel.

5. Work the Dough

Mix well and keep working the dough, stirring continuously with the whisk, for about 5 minutes. At this point the croquette dough is ready.

6. Chill the Dough

Pour the croquette dough into a container and cover it with plastic wrap to let it cool. Once it has lost most of its heat, place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

7. Shape and Bread the Croquettes

When the dough is well chilled, shape the croquettes and coat them. Here they are given the classic elongated shape, but you can also make them round. Set up 3 bowls, one with 50 g of wheat flour, one with 1 large beaten egg, and one with 75 g of breadcrumbs. Pass each croquette first through the flour, then the beaten egg, and finally the breadcrumbs.

8. Fry the Croquettes

Once all the croquettes are breaded, heat 300 ml of frying oil in a small pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot, fry the croquettes in small batches so the oil doesn't drop too much in temperature. Fry them for about a minute until golden, then transfer them to a platter lined with paper towels to drain the excess fat.

9. Serve the Croquettes

To plate these octopus croquettes, you can optionally mix 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika and dot a little of this mixture on top of each croquette. You can also sprinkle a little sweet smoked paprika over them for an irresistible touch of aroma and flavor.

Tips for the Best Octopus Croquettes

Make the Most of Your Octopus

Poaching the octopus at home lets you use its cooking water in the béchamel, mixed in equal parts with milk, which adds even more flavor to the croquettes. Use the tentacles for a classic pulpo á feira and save the head and the area where the legs meet, which usually goes unused, for these croquettes.

No Cooking Water? No Problem

If you prefer to use cooked octopus tentacles for a quick and easy version, simply replace the octopus cooking water with milk or fish stock. Fish stock works especially well if you enjoy that rich, briny note.

Presentation Makes All the Difference

These croquettes are ideal as an appetizer for a special occasion. Served with a paprika decoration inspired by the famous Galician dish, they look striking and original, and not one will be left on the plate.

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Maybe you're a lot like me and like having a stash of cozy comfort dishes, tried-and-true international favorites, and desserts that please a crowd.

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After years of testing and tweaking recipes in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes are built on simplicity, dependable methods, and serious flavor.

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