Jamaican ackee and saltfish is the quintessential Jamaican dish that will broaden your breakfast horizons and give you a delightfully unique tastebud sensation. It’s made with a few ingredients you may not be familiar with, but believe me when I say that this breakfast is fit for a queen (or king 😉).
Ackee is not very popular here in the States, but it is a legendary fruit in Jamaica – that’s right, it’s a fruit.
Ackee is related to the lychee family, and it is creamy and buttery and has a really delicate texture. At first glance, it almost looks like soft scrambled eggs, right?
What is Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish?
Ackee and saltfish is one of Jamaica’s National Dishes. Ackee is grown throughout the country, even though this West African fruit is not indigenous to Jamaica.
Depending on your neighborhood, it can be found in many Caribbean and international markets. If you can’t find it, it’s just a click away on Amazon. 📦
Ackee and Saltfish Ingredients
- Salted Codfish – Codfish dried and salted will need rehydrating before you cook it up.
- Bacon – Salt-cured pork adds flavor and salt to a dish. Yum!
- Vegetable Oil – This kitchen staple is perfect for frying and sauteing. And it can take high heat, so it won’t distract from your dish’s other flavors.
- Onion – Sharp and tangy, onion adds a special layer of flavor to recipes and pairs great with garlic.
- Garlic – An aromatic, flavorful plant that adds a ton of flavor to any recipe and is one of my pantry staples.
- Thyme – You can incorporate this aromatic herb in your cooking whether it’s fresh or dried; it has an earthy, almost minty flavor.
- Scallions or Green Onions – A variety of young onions, sometimes called spring onions or green onions.
- Tomato – Tomatoes are actually a fruit, but I wouldn’t put them in a fruit salad. But they go great in savory dishes and salads.
- Scotch Bonnet – A very hot pepper that can be extremely intense. You can add it whole or remove the seeds before cooking to turn down the heat from the seeds and pith.
- White Pepper – A household staple that adds a little more heat than black pepper but not as much flavor.
- Bell Pepper – A non-spicy pepper with a touch of sweetness that adds character and depth to a dish.
- Paprika – Pungent and with a subtle sweetness, paprika is another ingredient with pepper origins.
- Ackee – This incredible fruit is related to the more well-known lychee and longan. It’s so good in this fabulicious Jamaican ackee and saltfish, and, of course, it’s from my native West Africa.
Alternative Ingredients
- Salted Codfish – If you can’t find salted codfish for this recipe, you can use cooked tilapia or cod instead. Just make sure you add salt to the dish if you are substituting.
- Vegetable Oil – If regular old vegetable oil isn’t on your list of healthy foods, you can use your cooking oil of choice. I think avocado oil or grapeseed oil would work great with this dish.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper – This spicy chili pepper is HOT, 🥵 so if you aren’t a fan of spicy dishes, replace it with a milder chili pepper or leave it out altogether.
Tips and Tricks
- Be careful when cooking ackee since it’s delicate. Try not to overcook it because it melts easily. Add the ackee towards the end when you only have about 3-5 minutes left, and avoid continuous stirring.
- Salted codfish is, well, salty. You’ll want to soak it in water overnight before preparing this dish, and if you find the level of saltiness excessive, you can boil it to get rid of excess salt. And definitely don’t add any extra salt to this recipe.
- Take advantage of those bacon drippings 🥓 left in the pan after cooking it. Remove some but leave about 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan to sauté the other ingredients for an extra flavor boost.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Ackee and saltfish are best served immediately, but you can make it the day before if you’d like. Follow recipe instructions and then store the dish in an airtight container in the fridge. Heat it up over medium heat on your stovetop when you are ready to eat it.
A better way to whip up this dish in no time is to chop your veggies and prepare your saltfish the day before.
Store your ackee and saltfish ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge. Then you can throw this exquisite dish together in just a few minutes.
Serving and Storage Instructions
I prefer to serve Jamaican ackee and saltfish piping hot. Plate it up straight out of the pan as soon as it finishes cooking and serve it alongside other traditional Jamaican dishes, like fried plantains.
You can store leftover ackee and saltfish in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-3 days.
PRO TIP: I don’t recommend freezing ackee and saltfish since it affects the original textures of the ingredients.
To reheat Jamaican ackee and saltfish, heat it in a skillet on your stovetop over medium heat. Stir the dish occasionally but not too much; otherwise, the ackee will lose its delicate texture.
FAQs
Most definitely. Ackee is super rich in nutrients, including vitamin A and zinc. It’s also a great source of protein. 💪
Ackee has a unique texture and flavor you have to experience to understand. The best way to describe it is soft and creamy, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The taste is actually very mild and not at all sweet as you might expect from a fruit.
Unripe ackee has high levels of a toxin called hypoglycin A, which can be poisonous to humans. The FDA banned importing raw ackee in 1973 because of that–a ban still in place today. However, when ackee is ripe, it doesn’t pose a threat to humans and is a real delicacy. Rest assured, the ackee you can find in the U.S. is usually canned, and the FDA has investigated it thoroughly and considered cooked ripe ackee totally safe. 😅
What Goes with Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish?
Ackee and saltfish are delicious with Caribbean Dumplings, boiled green bananas, Callaloo, and fried plantains. You could also opt for baked plantains if you prefer. All of these Jamaican delicacies are customarily served with ackee and saltfish and make for a scrumptious breakfast. 😋
More Jamaican Recipes to Try
How to Make Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
Prepare the Saltfish
- The Night Before – Soak salt codfish in water overnight in a covered container.
- Sauté the Fresh Ingredients
- Fry the Bacon – In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon until brown and crisp. This may take about 3-5 minutes. Remove your bacon from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
- Drain the Fat – Remove most of the bacon drippings from your skillet but leave about 1-2 tablespoons in the pan.
- Add the Oil – Add about 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. (Or you could use the bacon drippings😉)
- The Herbs – Next, add the onions, garlic, thyme, and green onions, and sauté for about a minute, occasionally stirring to prevent burning.
- Throw in the Tomatoes – Now add the tomatoes and continue cooking for about 3 minutes.
- Spice it Up – Add the Scotch bonnet pepper and freshly ground pepper and mix until ingredients have been thoroughly combined. Cook another 5 more minutes or so, adding water if the pan gets too dry.
The Saltfish and Ackee
- Finally the Saltfish – Throw in the saltfish and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now the Ackee – Add ackee and cook for another 3 minutes or so.
- Season – Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Serve – Remove from the heat, serve, and enjoy your Jamaican ackee and saltfish!
Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
Ingredients
- ½ pound (226 g) boneless salted codfish
- 4-6 slices bacon, chopped
- ¼ cup (62 ml) vegetable oil, or more
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) garlic, minced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 small bell pepper, sliced
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) paprika, optional
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, sub about ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 18-ounce ackee, drained
Instructions
- Soak salt cod in water overnight. Boil it if you don't want excess salt. Then set it aside.
- Sauté your bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp; this may take about 3-5 minutes.
- Then transfer the bacon from the skillet to a plate.
- You will have some bacon drippings left in the pan; remove them and leave 1-2 tablespoons of bacon.
- Then add a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil to the pan, and add the onions, garlic, thyme, and green onions.
- Sauté for about a minute, occasionally stirring to prevent it from burning.
- Add the tomatoes, continue cooking for about 3 minutes, then add the hot pepper and white pepper. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cook for about 5 minutes or more, adding water as needed.
- Finally, throw in the saltfish, cook for a few minutes, add the ackee and cook for 3 more minutes or more – adjust the seasoning to taste. Remove your ackee and saltfish from the heat and let it cool. You may prepare this a day in advance.
Kristina says
Perfect recipe, tastes just like when I get it from a restaurant! Thank you so much, simply love your recipes!
imma africanbites says
Thank you for the compliment. I truly appreciate it!
Michelle says
Delicious recipe! Thx for the bacon info.
It’s funny I never realized that for Ackee & Saltfish, but as a habit, I cook down a few pieces of bacon to get some of that flavorful grease in my cabbage & a few other recipes. So, I am very familiar with the value of this chef technique or step!.
The only thing your recipe is missing is the dumpling! I don’t like the fried one on the side. I love the wet dumpling cooked in with this dish. Any suggestions for that or maybe you’ll add an alternative recipe?
Last thing! I’m in NYC & usually have a frozen bag of salted fish. It doesn’t taste as good as the one my friends brings back from Jamaica. What’s the best salted fish I can use for this recipe aside from the frozen supermarket type? Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Michelle,
Would definitely need to try it out before offering any suggestions .As for the salted fish , I think it all depends on the quality of your salted fish . The one from the Caribbeans deftly taste much better, no comparison to the frozen ones here.
William says
Love the ackee and saltfish I’ve been looking for jamaican /African dishes glad I’ve found your site
Love the ackee(where has it been all my life).
Thanks
Effie says
Shout out from Canada! This recipe does this Jamaican national dish (one of many delicacies) great justice. I also like to add some fried okra to pan for a taste and texture…an addition a Kingstonian chef shared with me. I love your tip that it can be prepared in advance!
Julia Bucy says
I’m so happy I found your website and this recipe! It’s one of my favorites and I no longer live in NYC where I could get it whenever I wanted. Thank you so much for posting. Looking forward to trying all of your caribbean recipes 😀
ImmaculateBites says
Glad to have you on board . So happy to hear the recipes are working out well. Thanks for the feedback.
Stephen Hughes says
Only reason I give four not five stars is cause my Jamaican mother-in-law gets the five, akee and saltfish with journey cakes ( Johnny Cakes ) for breakfast / brunch es mejor!
ImmaculateBites says
Hahaha. Okay, now I want to eat your mother-in-law’s own :). Thank you for stopping by, Stephen!
steve bailey says
Have never tried this recipe with bacon but just the mention of bacon makes my mouth water!
Do we add the bacon back in at some point?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you do, right before removing from the stove. You can also garnish with bacon right before serving .
Jack Bensinger says
Is Saltfish dried or fresh?
ImmaculateBites says
It’s dried fish. Soaked overnight
HTD says
Where can I buy saltfish?
ImmaculateBites says
They are available at most international, Hispanic or Caribbean Markets .
Urban @ Urbanskitchen.com says
Cold very Purewater can work well for desalting Saltfish as an option without having to do much boiling and having it shrink a bit. You will have to change the water a few times of course every couple hours after initially just washing the salt of the fish under the tap. The fish also shrink less due to no or less intense boiling. I often do this since I have a purewater system at my kitchen sink.
Do enjoy the dish very much though, looks so pretty.
LisaS. says
This is the first time I’ve ever seen this recipe with bacon and tomatoes added to the dish which is the only way my mother prepared it. I always search the Internet to see if anyone has reinvented anything usually cook and I came across your dish because it looked so pretty and I know it tastes a delightful as it looks.
Thanks,
Lisa
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you! It sure does. And bacon makes everything taste so much better!!!
Andrew says
Great recipe and it looks delicious, however, i could do without the bacon.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks . Leave it out , if it is not your thing.
Abigail says
I’m slightly confused. Is the ackee supposed to be boiled because my parents do that.
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you have to boil the fresh ones which are not available here in the U.S. This is the canned version. It’s been boiled already.
Abigail says
Ooooohh! Really helpful. Thanks so much!
Carol says
I live in Florida and many people, myself included have ackee trees. Fresh ackee is the best, but canned can work too. Just an FYI. : )
Lord Gort says
Yes and you can find fresh ackee in some Caribbean/specialty stores, like oxtails and foodtown as well
Ej says
You do need to boil the canned ackee also for 10 minutes . Find even tin ackee not quite tender. . Love bacon addition.
Charlene @ That Girl Cooks Healthy says
**Drools** You did my national dish some justice girl, so proud of you. You have the thumbs up from me, I haven’t eaten ackee and saltfish since Easter, can you believe it?
ImmaculateBites says
Thumbs up from Charlene ? Yay!!! Now you have got to make some, how can you resist it for so long. Thanks Girl!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for pinning Bintu! You are so going to love it
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
You know I did not realise that Ackee was a fruit. i have pinned this as I want to make both this and the dumplings.
Nagi@RecipeTinEats says
Oh Imma, I hear your pain! I love your new-look site though, the colour palette especially!! Stay patient, it will work out. Always does 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Nagi! It’s working out already!!! And am excited for what’s to come.
Wendi says
Got your email concerning this recipe and your website update. Hang in there – website updates are rough! I updated mine this past summer and wow – about went crazy! Thanks for the terrific recipes and I LOVE your photos!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Wendi! Thanks for taking the time to share your own experience. It’s just September blues… Am fired up for October