African Fish Rolls (Fish Pies)
African fish rolls (fish pies) are a popular West African street food, specifically in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Ghana. The flaky shortcrust pastry envelopes sardines and spices for a crunchy, slightly sweet, spicy, and oh so good treat!!!
Over the years, I have tried several times to make my comfort food, African fish pies or fish rolls, as they’re commonly called in Cameroon. However, I was highly disappointed in the results. Then, one of my aunts said casually, “Well, it’s just puff-puff dough with butter and sardines.” It hit me, “Duh! That’s it!” I decided to try my hand again at this recipe, and after several disastrous results, I came up with one I’m proud to share.
In Cameroon, we roll them up, while in other countries, they make them like meat pies or empanadas. Even though I deep-fried these tasty snacks, you sure can bake them for a healthier version. The baked ones will taste slightly different from the deep-fried version. Why are fried foods so much tastier?
Why Fish Rolls Are Popular in Africa
It is really all the rage for adults and kids, who rush out of school in an attempt to get a fish pie from the ladies selling them at the school entrance. Honestly, buying them from the street vendors is a whole lot easier than making them at home.
While some look down on them because it’s a “poor man’s” snack (meat pies are the “rich man’s version), Africans living abroad classify it as a “MUST-EAT” at parties. It literally flies off the table at every gathering I’ve made them for.
This version of fish pie takes advantage of the convenience of canned sardines in tomato chilli sauce. Slowly simmered with onions and a little bit of curry until all the liquid has evaporated. Then the mixture is folded into the pastry and deep-fried until golden brown.
It can be somewhat tedious, but it’s so worth it at the end. Do make it!!!
How to Make African Fish Rolls
- Simmer the sardines in about half of the tomato sauce. Then add the onions and curry powder, and simmer it for 10-15 minutes. (Photo 1)
- Add the parsley, stir, and simmer for about 2 more minutes. Set aside and let it cool. (Photo 2)
- Activate the yeast, mix the flour, sugar, and salt, then add the butter, and mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated. (Photos 3-4)
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and knead until smooth. Cover and let it rise. (Photos 5-7)
- Divide the dough into pieces of 1-2 ounces each. You should have 25-35 pieces, depending on the weight.
- Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface until 1-2″ wide and 3-4″ long. (Photo 8)
- Fill – Place a teaspoon of the fish mixture at one end and roll it up. Repeat the process until all the filling and dough have been used up. (Photos 9-11)
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet with ½ inch oil over medium-high heat until hot (375℉/190℃) but not smoking.
- Fry the fish rolls in batches, turning once, until golden brown. (Photo 12)
- Serve – Remove the fish pies from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Some people don’t like sweet dough with a savory filling, so feel free to leave the sugar out of the dough.
- You can totally cook these in an air fryer. Just spritz them with a little oil and fry them at 350-400°F (175-200°C) for 10- 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
These snacks are best fresh from the stove, but you can make them ahead and keep them in the fridge for a day or freezer for 2-3 months until ready to fry.
Reheat leftovers in an air fryer to get the crisp back.
More Soul-Satisfying Street Food Recipes
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”57eLyNuh” upload-date=”Tue Aug 07 2018 11:48:32 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”African Fish Roll (Fish pie)” description=”African Fish Roll (Fish pie) — a popular West African street food – specifically in Cameroon,Nigeria and Ghana that is made with some sort of shortcut pastry filled with sardines and spices. These fried fish pies are crunchy, slightly sweet, spicy and oh so good!!”] >
This blog post was originally published in June 2013 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
African Fish Rolls (Fish Pies)
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 15-ounce can sardines in chili tomato sauce (mackerel works, too)
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon (1g) parsley
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) curry powder
Dough
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (266ml) water
- 1¼ teaspoon (4-5g) yeast
- 2½ tablespoons (30g) sugar
- ½ tablespoon (9g) salt
- 4 cups (480-500g) all-purpose flour
- 5 ounces (142g) unsalted butter or margarine
Instructions
- Drain half of the tomato sauce from the sardines and place the other half with the sardines in a medium saucepan. Then add the onions and curry powder and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the parsley, stir, and simmer for about 2 more minutes. Set aside and let it cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the warm water and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes while the yeast activates.
- Using a stand mixer (or by hand), mix the flour, sugar, and salt, then add the butter, and mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and mix for about a minute. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth.
- Cover and let it sit for 30-45 minutes or until it rises.
- Divide the dough into pieces of 1-2 ounces each. You should have 25-35 pieces, depending on the weight.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough with a rolling pin until 1-2" wide and 3-4" long.
- Then place a teaspoon of the fish mixture at one end and roll it up. Repeat the process until all the filling and dough have been used up. Set the fish pies aside.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet with ½ inch oil over medium-high heat until hot (375℉/190℃) but not smoking.
- Gently add the fish rolls to the hot oil and fry in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Avoid overcrowding the pan so it doesn't absorb excess oil and make greasy fish pies.
- Remove the fish pies from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips & Notes:
- Canned tuna, salmon, herring, etc., can substitute for the sardines. You could even use cooked oyster mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Imma, your recipe was so easy to follow. I used baking powder instead of yeast but this came out so good! Munching now:)
Aunty Mams
I am so glad you enjoyed it Aunty Mams .Maybe, I might try them with baking powder. -always looking for any excuse to make these. However, my waistline tells me not too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Hello Miss Immaculate i tried dis now but my own no follow at all, y d body of my fishrol no smoth at al wetin causam abi i no put bakn powder or wat infact i dey ves wel wel bcos d one i dey buy 4my nebo dey sweet wel wel n d body dey smoth so corect me cos i dey ves 4u n d fish pie bye bye
Hi Immaculate,
As most of the other ladies have commented, this is a God sent. I have always love fish roll as we know it in Cameroon from my primary and secondary school days. Making it is something I have never tried. After revisiting memory at a Cameroonian occasion yesterday, I decided I needed to be able to do it for my own purposes. I am definitely going to try this shortly. I just know this will definitely be worthwhile
Pascaline, fish roll is a labor of love and so worth it! It definitely would send back memory lane. Let me know how you like it and thank you for taking the time to comment- so greatly appreciate it!
Thanks for this recipe, delicious but had the problem of it falling apart and absorbing extra oil. But it maybe because I did not follow exact measurements. God bless and good job
I had the same problem (falling apart). When you roll the fish roll, brush a little water on the tip of the top flap so that it sticks to the dough. That worked for me.
Absorbing oil is an issue with temperature of the oil you used to fry the fish roll. Increase temperature will give you less absorbance. But be careful because if you increase it too much, it will burn the fish roll without fully cooking the dough inside.
Thanks Gisele. It worked! Made some today and they were great! God bless
God bless you! I’m Cameroonian, and my mom taught me how to cook. There are very few Cameroonian cookbooks, so I can only rely on what my mom knows. But since you have this website, I can learn how to cook more things.
You are awesome 🙂
I agree with you about too few Cameroonian cookbooks ,if any at all. Hope you let me know how you like these recipes. Thanks for stopping by!
This is such a good thought. Imma, have you thought about doing this? An African cookbook even if not Cameroonian. That would be quite a thing. I’d definitely buy!
Am entertaining the idea, been putting a few recipes together. Hopefully by fall. Thanks for taking the time to share this with me.
Jenise , I hope you had a great thanksgiving. I am happy you and your family enjoy the recipes . Thanks for taking the time to comment , this is the only way to know if anyone is actually making these African bites . Thank you
Hello Imma,
The puff-puff recipe was just on the ball. My father is from Africa and he asked me to make him some puff-puff following the recipe in this site. I did it and it came out so beautifully and since the first day I have not stopped making puff-puff. Today, we are trying the fish-roll for thanksgiving. I have made some puff-puff to be part of our thanksgiving meal as well. I am just waiting to fry the fish-roll.
Imma, thank you so much for having these recipes on this website. It’s helping so many of us make our own African bites instead of buying. My brothers like all the African bites and I like them the most. Again, Thank you.
Jenise Atemafac
Hi African bites. I followed your recipe but my fish rolls keep falling apart when I fry them. Should I use yeast or baking powder? Most people I have asked use baking powder. Tastes great but disappointed with it falling apart. What am I doing wrong?
Omerine,here are a couple of tips to keep in mind; roll your fish roll tightly, make sure they are moist enough to hold together. Try reducing the yeast by 1/2 teaspoon and replace with baking powder . You can also try them with baking powder only. It will yield a slightly different taste. Hope this helps
Blessed, 5 oz equals approximate 142grams of butter . The sardine you use for this recipe is the one that comes in tomato sauce, they sell sardines in tomato sauce (I like geisha brand). No need for extra tomato sauce . I do not think titus brand sell sardines in tomato sauce.Hopes this answer your question.
Pls i want to ask what is another measurement you can use to replace (5 oz unsalted butter) maybe you can tell me in grams pls.
Then I don’t understand the word: “1 can sardine in chilli tomato sauce” is it that am going to buy 1 can sardine? Or is it caned titus? &and am i going to buy tomatoe sauce, or am i going to make it? if yes how? Pls I need ur help
Would love to link back to this and other recipes.
Crystal, would greatly appreciate the link back. Thanks for stopping by!
Fab recipe,didn’t have sardines so used tinned mackerel and it turned out great.i thought that the rolls would open during frying but to my surprise they stayed in tact and came out perfectly.i fried half the rolls and baked the other, I preferred the bake version less oil and my 3yr old who doesn’t like fish couldn’t get enough of these deliciousness.i also made mini dumplings with the left over dough..delicious xx
Minkmama, thank you for the the feedback and glad it worked out for you.
thanks a million i have been trying forever to make fish rolls as we call it and never succeeded and just seening ur receipe has given new hope and though i have not yet tried it. the receipe it so down to earth and am sure this time it will be alright especially as you saved us the trouble of measuring in grams which an average African girl like me doesn’t understand or use. thanks so much
Yes Imma, is just amazing! Great job!
Thanks Yvonne
God bless you beyond your widest expectations! You don’t even know what you just did releasing this recipe, because am just from making some fish roll now but it didn’t come out the way I wanted, but just reading from you now I think I got itf
Hey ! u are a life saver, I have been looking for this recipe trust me for ages and this morning I stumbled on it, am so excited I immediately tried it, it’s simply heaven. It takes me back home to my primary school days. Thanks a lot
I am glad you liked it!!!!!
Thanks a lot. Will be waiting eagerly for the African doughnut recipe. Will appreciate. You have made me to become a better cook. I am very proud when I serve some of your dishes. Thank you!!
Kelsey ,thanks for trying out the recipe and for the feedback. Next time when making the fish pie, firmly roll it to prevent the edges from falling apart. I do have a good African doughnut recipe will post it in a few weeks.
I did try the fish roll recipe and it came out very good. One of the best so far. I did use beaten egg to seal the edges of the fish roll because I realized the edges were loosing while frying. Thank you so much. I have always been searching for a good donuts recipe, the one usually made at Cameroonian parties. Will be glad to know that.
You are the best!! I have been searching for this recipe for ever; I have tried other recipes but not to my satisfaction. I trust your cooking and know this is it. Will try it and let you know the results. Thank you!!!