Homemade San Jacobos

The homemade San Jacobos of York ham and cheese are a classic and delicious dish enjoyed by generations. Originating from Spain, it has become a popular dish worldwide due to its simplicity and unmatched flavor.

You can easily find San Jacobos in the frozen sections of supermarkets but I assure you they are never as good as when you make them yourself at home. They are super easy and absolutely delicious. If you are from Spain, they probably take you back to your childhood as, although they are not so popular now, they used to be a very common dish in Spanish homes.

When preparing San Jacobos, it is important to take into account some details that we leave at the end of this post. Don't miss them!

Go ahead and try this delicious recipe and surprise your loved ones with a classic but always irresistible dish!

How to make the recipe Homemade San Jacobos

1. First, we cut the cheese into two equal portions and place them on top of each of the slices of York ham.
2. We cover the cheese with another slice of York ham, thus forming a kind of "sandwich".
3. In a deep plate, we beat the eggs until they are well mixed.
4. In another deep plate, we put the breadcrumbs. And in another plate, we put the flour.
5. We pass each "sandwich" first through the flour which will help the egg adhere better to the ham. Then we pass it through the beaten egg and finally through the breadcrumbs, making sure it is well covered.
6. We heat enough oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
7. We fry the San Jacobos in the hot oil, turning them so that they cook evenly.
8. When they are golden on both sides, we remove them from the pan and let them rest on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

Notes and Tips

If you have time, you can freeze the San Jacobos for about 15-20 minutes before frying them. This will help the breaded stick better and not come off during frying.

The key to this recipe is choosing slices of ham and cheese of good quality to get a better flavor.

To prevent the cheese from coming out of the breading during frying, you can seal the edges of the San Jacobos with a fork before frying them.

If you prefer a healthier version, you can bake the San Jacobos instead of frying them. Preheat the oven to 200°C and place the San Jacobos on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.

If you want to give it an extra touch of flavor, you can add herbs like oregano or basil to the breadcrumbs before breading.