Jamaican Saltfish Fritters
Jamaican Saltfish Fritters are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Take a trip to the islands with this tastebud sensation from the Caribbean.
These saltfish fritters are your ticket to a culinary Caribbean vacation without the high price of a plane ticket. Can Jamaican fritters with saltfish truly deliver the taste of the Caribbean? Absolutely!
Whether you’re from the Caribbean and crave tropical comfort food or enjoy trying new foods, this recipe is for you. Jamaican saltfish fritters fresh from the fryer and paired with pepper sauce make me a happy camper.
What Is Saltfish?
Cod preserved by salting and drying is also known as bacalao. Unsalted dried fish is popular in African cooking, but fish lasts a lot longer if you salt it before drying. Italians call saltfish baccala and the Portuguese bacalhau.
No matter what you call it, it’s delicious when properly prepared. Even better, you don’t have to keep it refrigerated. Just soak it in water for 1-3 days to remove as much salt as possible, or you’ll have wasted an expensive fish. These are not spur-of-the-moment fritters unless you get your cod from a store that sells it frozen and has desalted it for you.
If you’re wondering why go through all this trouble to cook with salted codfish for fritters, let me explain. It’s like comparing pork to ham. The salt curing changes the flavor into something even more delicious! Talk about the flavor; nothing compares to this saltfish fritter recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
- Saltfish gives the fritters their one-of-a-kind taste and texture. I opt for boneless, skinless salted cod to save time in the kitchen. 😉
- Baking Powder – The leavening agent, baking powder, creates a light and fluffy fritter batter.
- Flour – All-purpose flour creates the batter base and provides structure. For gluten-free fritters, use a 1:1 ratio of your favorite gluten-free flour.
- Seasonings – These guys are jam-packed with flavors from garlic, smoked paprika, sugar, parsley, and thyme.
- Vegetables – Onion, scotch bonnet pepper, and bell pepper (all finely chopped) provide texture and color.
- Egg binds the batter and keeps it moist.
- Milk – Essential for creating just the right batter consistency. But you can replace the milk with water.
How to Make Jamaican Saltfish Fritters
- Prepare Fish – Soak saltfish in water overnight or for several days (change the water several times). Drain and shred fish with a food processor for a fine shred. If you prefer, you can finely shred it by hand.
- Dry Ingredients – Combine the flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, and sugar. Stir for about a minute, then add onions, shredded fish, thyme, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet, parsley, and egg.
- Add Milk – Whisk until ingredients are well blended. Add milk gradually, starting with about a ⅓ cup, until it reaches the desired thickness.
- Adjust Seasonings – You may want to do a test taste and adjust the seasonings according to your palate.
- Heat oil to 350℉ (180℃) in a skillet or saucepan. You can also use the oil test by dropping a 1-inch square of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil is around 350℉ (180℃).
- Fry – Carefully place the batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes. The fritters will turn a beautiful golden brown (you may need to do this in batches). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel to drain.
Recipe Variations
- Fresh Cod – You can use fresh fish instead of saltfish for fritters. The flavor and texture of the fritters will be slightly different, but they will still be incredibly delicious. And you may want to add a little extra salt to the recipe.
- Adjust the Heat – Replace the scotch bonnet pepper with red habanero pepper if you prefer a slightly smokey flavor. Or feel free to omit the hot peppers if you don’t care for the heat.
- Seasoning Add-Ins – Add some fresh cilantro or scallions for freshness. A dash of curry powder will provide a warm earthiness.
- Go Vegetarian – Replace the codfish with hearts of palm, canned green jackfruit, or tempeh for out-of-this-world plant-based fritters!
- Veggie Additions – Experiment with yellow or orange bell peppers or add a diced Roma tomato to the batter for sweetness and freshness.
- Air-Fried Fritters – For air frying, lightly oil a solid baking tray that fits in the air fryer (the batter will fall through the basket’s holes). Drop the batter onto the tray and cook in a preheated 400℉ (205℃) air fryer; lightly spray the fritters with cooking oil and air fry them for about 10 minutes. Flip and cook them for 5-10 minutes on the other side.
Tips and Notes
- When preparing the saltfish, use cold water to rinse and soak the fish to remove excess salt.
- To achieve the perfect batter consistency, add the milk gradually while stirring. Add less milk if you prefer thicker fritters. Adding more milk will give you thinner, crispier fritters.
- Saltfish fritters need space to cook evenly since they increase in volume in the skillet. Avoid overcrowding the pan since the results will be less crispy.
- The saltfish adds lots of flavor and saltiness to the fritters. However, you’ll still want to do a taste test after you have cooked one and adjust the salt to taste.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Jamaican saltfish fritters are best served immediately after frying when they’re warm and crispy. However, it’s easy to prepare the saltfish ahead of time and have it on hand. And you can make the fritters ahead and reheat them in an air fryer to crisp them back up.
Soak, drain, and shred the cod, then place it in a plastic zipper bag or airtight container and freeze it. Shredded saltfish keeps well for up to 2 months in the freezer. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Serving and Storage Instructions
These golden treats are great on their own as a hearty breakfast or with your favorite vegetable side dishes for lunch. They’re also tasty as an appetizer with your favorite dip.
Refrigerate leftover fritters in an airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. You might want to layer them with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking.
To reheat fritters, arrange them on a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated or toaster oven until heated through.
What to Serve With Jamaican Saltfish Fritters
Saltfish fritters are incredibly versatile and are wonderful for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon snack. For a hearty meal, serve these delicacies with callaloo, Caribbean rice and beans, and a refreshing Caribbean coleslaw.
More Caribbean Delicacies to Try
- Caribbean Curried Shrimp
- Crispy Caribbean Chicken Strips
- Caribbean Jerk Barbecue Ribs
- Saltfish Bake
- Vegan Coquito
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”VDuqzIC9″ upload-date=”2019-04-25T13:57:11.000Z” name=”Salt Fish Fritters” description=”Spiced Jamaican Saltfish fritters – Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. A tastebud sensation!”]
This blog post was originally published in September 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Saltfish Fritters
Ingredients
- ½ pound (250g) boneless salted cod or any firm-fleshed white fish
- 2 teaspoons (9.5g) baking powder
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (2g) granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon (1g) smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon (2g) sugar
- ½ medium onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon (1g) scotch bonnet pepper, minced (or replace with 2g hot sauce)
- 3 tablespoons (8g) parsley, minced
- 1 teaspoon (1g) fresh thyme, minced
- 2 tablespoons (19g) bell pepper, minced
- 1 large egg
- ⅓-½ cup (80-120ml) milk or water
- freshly grated pepper to taste
- vegetable oil for frying (about 3 cups)
Instructions
- Soak the saltfish in water overnight or for a few days (changing the water several times). Drain and shred fish using a food processor to achieve a really fine shred, or finely shred it by hand.
- Combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, and sugar. Stir for about a minute, then add onions, shredded saltfish, thyme, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet, parsley, and egg.
- Whisk until ingredients are well combined. Then, gradually add milk, starting from about ⅓ cup, until reaching the desired thickness.
- Adjust seasonings, frying up a small piece to do a taste test if necessary.
- Heat the oil to 350℉ (180℃) in a skillet or saucepan. You could also use the oil test by dropping a 1-inch square of bread into it. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil is around 50℉ (180℃).
- Carefully lower spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry for 3-4- minutes or until the fritters are crisp and golden brown. You may need to do this in batches.
- Remove the cooked fritters from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
Tips & Notes:
- When preparing the saltfish, use cold water to rinse and soak the fish to remove excess salt.
- To achieve the perfect batter consistency, add the milk gradually while stirring. Add less milk if you prefer thicker fritters. Adding more milk will give you thinner, crispier fritters.
- Saltfish fritters need space to cook evenly since they increase in volume in the skillet. Avoid overcrowding the pan since the results will be less crispy.
- The saltfish adds lots of flavor and saltiness to the fritters. However, you’ll still want to do a taste test after you have cooked one and adjust the salt to taste.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Air Fried & Loved! I followed your recipe exactly and then air fried in the bucket part of air fryer with cooking spray. Double the recipe and keeping half the batter in freezer to fry per your directions when guests come over. Memories of Jamaica!
PS- I air fried at 350 degrees for 16 min total, flipping half way through and they were just right imo.
Thanks for sharing ,Jenny!
I really like your recipes. Salt fish is one of my favourite fish in pastry so I am going to try nd make these. Can I bake or air fry them?
And I wanted to know how you, do the calculation of the nutritional value? As I am so conscious of fried foods.
Hi, Edith. I haven’t tried air frying them so I can’t say for now. As with the nutritional value information, I’m using an online calculator embedded in my site. Please be informed that what you see is a rough estimate rather than a guarantee since nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on several factors such as ingredient brands and measurements. We encourage our readers tho to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Thank you.
I Loved this recipe so much
Any ideas on how far ahead I can make these for a food truck
Hi imma! Great recipe. Starting a food truck and would love to put these on menu
Any suggestions for best method to make ahead?
Thx
Hi there, I stumbled on your recipe for these and they look great! I am opening a Caribbean food truck in a couple months and wanted to put these on the menu.
Just wondering in the interest of speed how these would retain the crispy ness if made ahead? What’s the best method
Thx
Hello! I would make freeze and reheat before serving .You might have to play with it a little to make it work for you.
Hi can you bake these fritters instead of frying them
Yes you can- however the texture wouldn’t be as crisp.
I cannot believe how light and airy these are. This is by far my favorite fritter. My only wish is that they had a sauce to go with it.
Glad you enjoyed it .I think this Caribbean Pepper Sauce sauce would pair well with these fritters
Your website has been amazing. I was really missing home(St. Maarten) while staying in Scotland so decided I wanted to make a Caribbean feast. My go to dishes I wanted was salt fish fritters(accra), jerk chicken, and rice and peas. I have never made any of these dishes before and they were not only easy to make but they tasted just like home. These fritters were amazing, better than I ever could have imagined. Thank you so much!
AMAZING! High-five on nailing the recipes 🙂 ! I am so glad your Caribbean feast was a success. Thanks for sharing, Tara!
I too am from St.maarten, living in the uk and oh so missing home as well and really missing how its done by my mom, so very glad that I stumbled upon this recipe. Will definitely be trying it out! Thank you.
Fantastic! Looking forward to you trying out this recipe, Jos!
I have made several of your recipes and all have been delicious. Just made these but used canned wild salmon and added some salt since not using saltfish. Perfect recipe, came out beautifully and tight amou t of flavor.
Terrific!!! I am so glad to hear it turned out great, Sonja!
Excellent, came out perfectly! One of the best recipes out there
Hi really looking forward to making this and can’t wait to try it. Just wanted to ask, can I make the mixture from the night before?
I make them, place in a single layer, freeze, until hard . Remove and throw in a ziplock or freezer bag. Fry as needed. So you can make them way in advance.
Happy cooking!!
Do you fry them directly from frozen or defrost them first?
Hi, Mike. You can fry them frozen. No need to thaw.
I must be doing something wrong because my fritters always seem to come out soggy in the middle. How can I present this from happening am I using too much “batter” and not enough fish or vice versa. Thank you for any help you can provide
There might be a variety of reasons why this is happening. It might be the temperature of the oil, use a thermometer, if possible . Also if you over crowd the pan it might bring down the temperature of the oil resulting in soggy fritters.
Also, it might simply be the temperature is too high so it only gives the impression that your fritters are cooked but only cooks the outside. Temperature should be on medium to high.
This has become my go to base recipe for salted fish fritters. Everyone who I ate them love them and I’ll always getting requests for more. I find myself whenever I’m looking for a recipe, first looking to see if you have it before I look else’s. Kudos to your amazing talent
Hi Ayanna,
Thank you so much for your kind words. Am so glad you took time out to share this- really appreciate it.
I’m Jamaican and we usually free hand our mixtures. Needless to say I was having an apartment warming and did not want to chance a free hand. Based on the comments I knew this was it. I didn’t even make before hand as a tester. I quadrupled the recipe made and served on the day with sweet chilli sauce among other tid bits. It was a big hit. Thank you so much. Only my grandmother could’ve made these better. Or maybe not! They are just that good.
Awesome! So happy to hear it was a hit with the family. Thanks for taking time out to share your thoughts with us .
Very easy and straight forward never knew how to make it and I tried for the first time and they came out perfect
There isn’t enough ⭐’s here. Can I tell you I LOVE this recipe? Kudos
Awww.. Thank you. 🙂
By far the best recipe for Jamaican Fish Cakes. I like that there is fish in every bite, it is not doughy like most in my area. And so long as your oil is hot enough but not too hot. They are not greasy at all. Nice crust and deliciousness inside. I live in NYC and there are many many West Indian restaurants in my area. These fish cakes outdo them all. I have made these several times when hosting parties, and they go fast. I usually make a spiced Tamarind Sauce to accompany these. Thanks for a great recipe. Fish cakes was a childhood Fav. 4 for $1 back then. So glad I can make them at home whenever so inclined. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
Chef Dee
I just made these and I can say these are amazing!! Such an easy recipe and delicious. Reminds me of ordering from the neighborhood Jamaican restaurant in Brooklyn.
I used this recipe yesterday it was simple and straight to the point and taste just like the expensive ones i get from the Caribbean restaurants here in NYC
Awesome, so happy to hear it worked out well for you.
this looks absolutely delicious