Cheese Croquettes (Tirokeftedes)

  • 14 pieces
  • 1 hr 10 mins
  • 115 kcal
  • NF VE

These cheesy, crispy, amazing croquettes are a very common meze, found in most Greek tavernas, and they’re extremely easy to make at home too!

Cheese croquettes, or ‘tirokeftedes’ in Greek, are a meze staple in the island tavernas. Just imagine, a bowl of fresh, hot cheese croquettes, someone to chat to, a chilled glass of wine in hand, on a terrace by the turquoise sea!

Well, that’s not quite the usual scene for my homemade croquettes in Cambridge…but when it’s sunny in the UK, we don’t half appreciate it do we! Come rain or shine, whether you’re gathered around the dining table inside with friends or all taking in some rays in the garden, these crunchy, gooey balls of deliciousness are WELL worth a place at the table!

Comments

Jen
Jen19 May, 22 @ 5:30pm

These are such an amazing meze! I had them in Santorini last year and always wanted to try and make them myself. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Lindsey
Lindsey28 Nov, 23 @ 2:46pm

Amazing Meze!!! My Greek husband lost his mind over these!!!! Definitely will be making these again!!!!

WayneG
WayneG17 Oct, 24 @ 10:34am

How does this get crispy on the outside and not burst into a gooey mess in the oil? Is it the inclusion of the flower? Also do cheeses differ for this? We go to a Greek restaurant and they make these with Emmental, grana padano and feta and they are absolutely incredible! Melt in your mouth delicious. I want to try make my own and use this recipe, seems easy. Thank you!

Sevi's avatar
Sevi19 Oct, 24 @ 11:53am

@WayneG17 thank you for your comment! There are two key steps to ensuring the croquettes turn out crispy on the outside without bursting into a gooey mess. First, we refrigerate the cheese balls before frying, which helps keep all the ingredients together. The second and most important step is to make sure the oil is very hot before you start frying. That instant exposure to hot oil creates a crispy crust almost immediately. What you see in the video is exactly what happens—trust me, it works! 😊

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