Check out my much-loved recipe for Polish Krokiety, featuring a delectable combination of mushrooms and sauerkraut. This dish is a much-loved winter favourite, traditionally prepared for Christmas and perfectly complemented by Polish Beetroot Soup, known as Barszcz Czerwony. To make it even easier, my recipe includes step-by-step photos showing how to roll the Krokiety, so you can master this classic dish at home. Enjoy the rich flavours and hearty warmth it brings. Smacznego!
A Wigilia (Christmas Eve) staple - see more in my Must-Try Polish Christmas Dishes roundup. My guide to Polish food maps the whole Polish year, occasion by occasion.
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Pin itKrokiety Preparation Steps
In our home, the preparation of Krokiety is often a two-day process. On the first evening, we prepare the pancakes and simmer the sauerkraut to soften it. My wife sometimes completes the filling (farsz) on this day as well. On the second day, we assemble everything, wrapping the filling in the pancakes and coating them in breadcrumbs. At this stage, the Krokiety are ready to be stored in the refrigerator for few days. They can then be pan-fried fresh as needed over the following days.
Krokiety, Croquettes or Polish Egg Rolls?
One krokiet, two or more krokiety, and the stress falls on the middle syllable, so it sounds roughly like kro-KYEH-tih. If you have only ever seen them written down, that is usually the part people get wrong.
- Polish croquettes is the usual English name, and the one you will see on menus and in Polish delis in Britain and America. It is a fair translation, though it does invite comparison with the French sort, which is a very different thing.
- Polish egg rolls is what a lot of Polish-American families call them, and if you grew up hearing that at a church supper in Chicago or Buffalo, you were not being sold a spring roll. The shape is the reason: a thin pancake wrapped around a filling and fried until crisp.
- Krokiet on its own is the singular, so a recipe asking for six krokiety is asking for six of them, not six batches.
Worth being clear about what they are not, because the word croquette does a lot of work in English. A French croquette is a thick bechamel or mashed potato mixture, shaped, crumbed and deep fried, with no wrapper at all. A Polish krokiet is a crepe first: you make thin pancakes, roll them around a savoury filling, then egg and breadcrumb the parcel and shallow fry it. The crisp shell is the coating on the outside of a soft pancake, not a crust around a paste, and that is what gives you the crunch-then-give texture people remember.
What to Serve With Krokiety
The fried Krokiety are traditionally served with a cup of Polish Beetroot Soup, known as Barszcz Czerwony. This pairing creates a lovely harmony of flavours, with the soup’s sweet and sour notes beautifully complementing the crunchy, savoury Krokiety. It’s an utterly delicious combination! On many occasions we also eat them on their own because they are so good!
Mushroom and Sauerkraut Filling
For Christmas, we prepare Krokiety using a combination of wild mushrooms - dried during a successful autumn foraging or purchased from the shop if the hunt wasn’t fruitful - and fresh white mushrooms, which make up a significant part of the filling. The white mushrooms add a hearty, earthy flavour that complements the more intense notes of the wild variety. The sauerkraut, a product of the summer harvest, is simmered with bay leaves and allspice berries, infusing it with a rich, aromatic depth.
To season the farsz (filling), we rely on sautéed onions, salt, and black pepper, along with a sprinkle of Vegeta - a versatile seasoning much-loved in many Polish households. Taste the farsz before it goes near a pancake, because once it is rolled and crumbed there is nothing you can do about it. It should taste slightly too strong on its own, since the pancake and the breadcrumbs mute it.
You can prepare the farsz filling entirely with fresh white mushrooms from the shop if wild mushrooms are unavailable - it will still be absolutely delicious!
Meat Filling Alternatives for Krokiety
Another popular variation is made with slow-cooked, pulled meat, omitting the sauerkraut and mushrooms. Choose pork, turkey, or beef, and place the meat in a slow cooker along with carrots and onions. Cover with stock and cook on a low setting until the meat is tender and falls apart easily. After cooking, remove the meat and vegetables from the liquid. Once cooled, shred them and mix with breadcrumbs, sautéed onions, and an egg to bind the mixture together. Alternatively, minced meat can be used instead of pulled meat to save time - simply sauté it with onions, season well, and combine with breadcrumbs and an egg for a quick and delicious filling.
For more traditional Polish winter cooking, try my Barszcz Czerwony - Polish Beetroot Soup, Bigos Hultajski in Slow Cooker, Bigos Królewski , Placki Ziemniaczane - Polish Potato Pancakes, Łazanki - Polish Pasta and Racuchy - Polish Apple Pancakes.
Chef’s tip: taste the filling before you roll, and if it is good and balanced, season it just a little more. The pancake wrapper and breadcrumb coating mute the flavour, so a filling that tastes perfect on its own can end up bland inside. Use good mushrooms browned well for depth, and squeeze the sauerkraut really dry - no watery cabbage, or the filling turns soggy.
How to Make Krokiety, Step by Step
Full quantities are in the recipe card below. Krokiety are a project rather than a quick supper: filling, pancakes, rolling, crumbing and frying. Everything except the frying can be done a day ahead.
- Cook the sauerkraut. Into a pot with its juice and enough water to cover, along with the bay leaves and allspice, then simmer on low. This is what takes the raw edge off and softens it enough to chop. Give it about an hour. Long and slow is deliberate here and it is what makes this filling taste the way it does, rather than the twenty-five minutes most recipes ask for.
- Soak the dried mushrooms. Boiling water over them and fifteen minutes to swell. Keep the soaking liquid rather than tipping it away, it is too good to lose.
- Fry the onions, then the mushrooms. Onions over a medium heat for about five minutes until soft but not browned, then the sliced white mushrooms in with them.
- Make the pancakes. Blend the batter smooth and cook thin pancakes in a medium non-stick pan. Thin is the aim: a thick pancake makes a heavy krokiet that splits when you roll it. Let the batter stand for a few minutes before you cook the first one, because unrested batter makes fragile pancakes that tear when you roll them. Season it too: a plain crepe tastes flat against a sour filling, and a pinch of salt and pepper in the batter is the fix. Thin, but not so thin it tears, since a pancake with holes in it will burst in the pan.
- Combine the filling. Strain the cooked cabbage, pick out the spices, let it cool enough to handle and chop it finely before mixing it with the mushrooms and onions. Chopping matters, because long strands of sauerkraut tear the pancake as you roll. If the filling looks dry, grate a carrot and cook it for a couple of minutes with a knob of butter and a splash of water before stirring it through. It puts back the moisture without watering down the flavour.
- Fill and roll. About two tablespoons of filling per pancake, fold the left and right sides inwards, then roll it up like a parcel so nothing can escape in the pan. Err on the side of less. Two tablespoons is the figure, and overfilling is the single most common reason krokiety split open in the pan.
- Egg and breadcrumb them. Whisk the eggs, dip each krokiet, then coat in breadcrumbs. This is your make-ahead point: crumbed krokiety keep in the fridge for up to three days, so you can do all the work in advance and fry them fresh. They are best breaded just before they fry, if you have the choice. I am firm about this, and the coating genuinely tastes fresher, so if you are working ahead, keep them in the fridge unbreaded and do the egg and crumbs on the day.
- Shallow fry. Medium heat, about three minutes a side, with enough oil to cook the sides as well as the flat faces. You are after an even golden crust all the way round. Take them out of the fridge a few minutes before they go in, because cold parcels dropped into hot oil is another way they split. Keep the oil at a steady medium rather than letting it get fierce: too hot and the coating sets before the parcel has settled.
- Serve. Traditionally alongside barszcz, or on their own.
Making Krokiety Ahead, and Freezing Them
Freezing comes up more than any other question with krokiety, and it is the whole reason Polish families make them in big batches before Christmas. They freeze genuinely well, but when you freeze them changes the result.
- Best: freeze them rolled but not yet breaded. Lay the finished rolls on a tray so they are not touching, freeze until firm, then bag them. Thaw in the fridge, then egg and breadcrumb them and fry. The coating goes on fresh, which is the version that tastes closest to newly made.
- Also fine: freeze them fried. Cook them through, cool completely, then freeze. Reheat from frozen in a hot oven, about 15 to 20 minutes at 190°C, or in a dry pan over a low heat with a lid on. This is the one to choose if you want them ready to eat with no frying on the day.
- Either way they keep about three months in the freezer. Label the bag, because a frozen krokiet looks much like a frozen anything else.
- Do not reheat them in the microwave. The coating goes soft and slightly leathery, and the whole point of a krokiet is the contrast between the crisp shell and the soft pancake inside.
- The filling can be made two or three days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. It is arguably better for it, since the flavours settle, and it saves you doing everything in one afternoon.
One thing worth knowing on timing: the recipe card breads the krokiety and then lets them sit in the fridge for up to three days, which is convenient and works. If you want the crispest possible coating, keep them in the fridge unbreaded instead and do the egg and breadcrumbs just before they go in the pan. I am fairly firm about this, and having tried both, it makes a real difference.
Recipe Card for Polish Krokiety
Polish Krokiety (Mushroom and Sauerkraut Croquettes)
Polish krokiety: thin pancakes rolled around a filling of mushrooms and sauerkraut, then crumbed and shallow fried until the shell is crisp and the pancake inside stays soft. Some families call them Polish croquettes, others Polish egg rolls. Makes about twelve, and they freeze well.
Equipment I Use
Ingredients
Instructions
Cooking Sauerkraut: Place sauerkraut with the juice in a pot and add enough water to cover it. Include bay leaves and allspice berries. Simmer on low heat until softened, approximately 1 hour. Add more liquid as necessary to keep the sauerkraut submerged.
Preparing Mushrooms: Place dried wild mushrooms in a glass jug or a small pot. Pour boiling water over them to cover. After 15 minutes, when they are soft, remove and chop them. Reserve the mushroom water for later use, being careful to avoid any sand at the bottom.
Frying Onions and Mushrooms: In a frying pan over medium heat, fry onions until they soften but do not brown, about 5 minutes. Then add sliced white mushrooms, increase the heat, and cook until the mushrooms start to brown. Season with Vegeta and black pepper to taste, then remove from the stove.
Making Pancakes: Blend all pancake ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Cook pancakes on a medium-sized non-stick frying pan. Pour a small amount of batter into the hot, oiled pan and spread it around by swirling. Once the pancake is set, remove it and place it on a plate. Repeat until all pancakes are made.
Combining Filling Ingredients: Once the cabbage is cooked, strain it from the liquid and remove the spices. Let it cool enough to handle, then chop finely. Mix with both the rehydrated and fried mushrooms and onions. Season with sugar, black pepper, and salt to taste.
Assembling Krokiety: Spread about 2 tablespoons of filling inside each pancake. Fold the left and right sides inward, then roll up the pancake.
Coating Krokiety: Whisk 2 eggs in a bowl. Dip each krokiet in the egg, then coat with breadcrumbs. Prepared krokiety can be refrigerated for up to three days before frying if needed.
Frying Krokiety: Shallow fry the krokiety in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, using enough oil to cook the sides of the krokiet.
Serve the krokiety with Polish beetroot soup "Barszcz" or enjoy them on their own.
Chef’s notes
Two tablespoons of filling per pancake, no more. Overfilling is the commonest reason they split in the pan, and a krokiet that has burst leaks its filling into the oil.
Let them stand a few minutes before frying. Going straight from a cold fridge into hot oil is the other main cause of splitting. Keep the pan at a medium heat rather than a fierce one.
Freezing. Best frozen rolled but not yet breaded: freeze them on a tray so they are not touching, bag them once firm, then thaw in the fridge and bread and fry. They also freeze fried, and reheat from frozen in a hot oven at about 190°C for 15 to 20 minutes. Either way they keep around three months. Do not use the microwave, which softens the coating.
The filling can be made two or three days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
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FAQ for Polish Krokiety
What are krokiety?
Polish croquettes: thin pancakes wrapped around a filling, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crisp. Often served with barszcz.
What fillings are traditional?
Sauerkraut and mushroom, or minced meat. Season the filling well - the pancake and crumb mute it a little.
How do I stop them splitting when frying?
Roll them tightly, seal the edges, chill before coating, and fry in hot oil so the crumb sets quickly.
Can I make them ahead?
Yes. Prepare and crumb them, then chill or freeze before frying. Fry from chilled for the crispest result.
Can I freeze krokiety, and should I freeze them before or after frying?
Both work, and the choice changes the result. Freezing them rolled but not breaded gives the best final texture, because the egg and breadcrumb coating goes on fresh: freeze them on a tray so they are not touching, bag them once firm, thaw in the fridge and then bread and fry. Freezing them already fried is the convenient option, and they reheat from frozen in a hot oven at about 190°C for 15 to 20 minutes. Either way they keep around three months. Avoid the microwave, which softens the coating.
How many krokiety does this recipe make?
Around twelve, using roughly two tablespoons of filling per pancake. That is three or four generous servings as a main with soup, or plenty as a starter for six. If you want more, the batter and filling both scale cleanly, and since you are already committing an afternoon to it a double batch costs very little extra effort. That is exactly why they are a freezer dish in Poland.
What are krokiety called in English?
Most often Polish croquettes. You will also see Polish egg rolls, especially in Polish-American communities, which describes the shape rather than anything to do with Chinese cooking. Neither name is wrong. Just be aware that a French croquette is a crumbed paste with no wrapper, while a krokiet is a thin pancake rolled around a filling and then crumbed, so the two are quite different things sharing a name.
Can I add cheese to the filling?
Yes, and plenty of Polish recipes treat it as standard. A hundred grams or so of grated yellow cheese stirred through the warm filling melts as it fries and helps everything hold together, which makes rolling easier if your filling is on the loose side. It does move the dish away from the lean, sour mushroom-and-sauerkraut version this recipe is built on, and it stops it being suitable for a meat-free Christmas Eve table if that is why you are making them.
Can I use only dried mushrooms instead of fresh?
You can. Use about 50 to 60 g of dried wild mushrooms in place of both the dried and fresh mushrooms here, and soak them for far longer than the recipe asks of the smaller quantity, ideally several hours or overnight in cold water. Keep the soaking liquid, pour it off carefully so the grit stays behind, and use it in the filling. The result is deeper and more forest-scented, and noticeably less of the mild bulk that the fresh white mushrooms bring.
Why do my krokiety split open when I fry them?
Usually one of five things, and they are all easy to fix. The pancake was rolled too thin and tore as it filled; there was too much filling, so anything past about two tablespoons is asking for trouble; they went from a cold fridge straight into hot oil, so let them stand a few minutes first; the oil was too hot and the coating set before the parcel settled; or the batter was not rested before you cooked the pancakes, which makes them fragile. Take the heat down a notch and turn them once, gently.
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A Few Words from the Chef
Krokiety are one of my favourites at Christmas, and the way I love them best is with a cup of barszcz czerwony alongside. My version cooks the sauerkraut for longer than most recipes ask for, and that is what makes the filling taste as good as it does. Properly delicious, and I still love them today.
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