Bacalaitos - Puerto Rican Cod Fritters

An overhead photo of bacalaitos in a black bowl with a red placemat underneath.

Bacalaitos - Puerto Rican Cod Fritters

A crispy and salty codfish fritter with Latin flavors. This is a classic Puerto Rican dish and is easy to make at home.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Appetizer or Main Dish

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Keyword: boricua food, fish fritter, street food

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 6

Servings: servings

Calories: 188kcal

Author: Analida Braeger

Equipment

1 Glass baking dish I like to use this type of dish to soak the salted fish for 24 hours during the desalinization time.
1 Large Skillet This can be used for simmering the fish once the salt has been removed and also for frying in the oil.
1 Tongs Get long pair to keep your hands away from the oil while flipping the fritters.
1 Silicone ladle This really helps portioning the amount of batter into the hot oil while keeping you safe from spatter burns.
1 Cooling rack I place a cooling rack on a baking tray lined with paper towel to allow the bacalaitos to drain off as much oil as possible.
1 digital thermometer

Ingredients

1 lb salted cod or salted pollock
2 cups flour
2 cups water 1 cup reserved from simmering the fish
1 tsp baking powder optional
1.5 tsp sazón con culantro y achiote version
¼ tsp black pepper fresh ground
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp cilantro chopped fine
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup onion minced
1 tsp vinegar white
oil for frying, you need about 1.5 inches of oil in your pan.

Instructions

Desalinating the fish

Soak the salted fish in about 5 cups of water or enough to cover. Leave it soaking for 24 hours and change the water three times.

Cooking the fish

Place the fish in a large skillet with 3 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Reserve one cup of water from simmering the fish to use in the batter. Remove the fish from the water and flake apart into small pieces.

Prepare the batter

While the fish is cooking add the flour, pepper, sazón and oregano to a bowl and stir to combine. Add 1 tsp baking powder if you like a fluffy fritter.
In a separate bowl combine the cooled fish, cilantro, onion, garlic and vinegar.
Add 1 cup of the reserved water and another cup of water to the flour mixture. Whisk to combine thoroughly. I like a thicker batter that will form a ribbon on the surface when drizzled back from the whisk. Add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until you get the consistency you like.
Add the fish mixture to the batter and stir to combine.

Frying the bacalaitos

Heat about 3 cups of oil to 350°F and add ⅓ cup of batter to the hot oil. Use a silicone ladle that holds ⅓ cup for best results. Fry for 3 minutes and then flip over.
Once you flip over the bacalaito, fry another 3 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath and allow the oil to drain.

Notes

Substitutions and Sauces:

There are a few variations you can use the make bacalaitos depending on the flavor you want.

Bell pepper - Add ⅓ cup of finely chopped red bell pepper for some added flavor and color.
Non-Salted fish - If you are using fresh fish you can cook as shown in the recipe. Add 1 tsp of salt to the batter.
Gluten free - You can swap out the all-purpose flour with a gluten free types sold at most stores. Cup for Cup is one brand or 1 for 1 from Bob's Red Mill is another.
Mayo-Ketchup Sauce - This is a really popular dipping sauce from Puerto Rico aka pink sauce. This a simple mixture of 3 Tbsp Mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp ketchup and ½ tsp garlic powder. Feel free to add a dash of Worcestershire. So good!
Cocktail Sauce - This is not just for cold shrimp but goes great with bacalaitos! Combine ½ cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of horseradish, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, a dash of Worcestershire, and optionally Tabasco to taste.

Storage tips:

Cooked bacalaitos - You can keep the bacalaitos in the oven on the warm setting (170°F) until you are ready to serve. These are best served fresh, the fresher the better for a nice crispy fritter. You can allow them to cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheated bacalaitos will not be as good as fresh. They will loose some of their crispness. You can reheat in the oven at 375°F for 10-15 minutes until hot in the center. You can also reheat in an air-fryer at 375°F for about 6 minutes. Avoid reheating in a microwave oven as they will be really soggy when reheated.
Batter - The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Note that if you are going to store the batter don't add the baking powder until you are ready to fry them. You cna freeze the batter for up to two months. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator and it may separate a bit so stir it thoroughly before frying and add in the baking powder.

Frying tip:

The batter will sink to the bottom of the oil when you drop it into the pan. Be patient and don't move it around or flip it until you wait the 3 minutes. It needs time to get crispy on the bottom before you flip. Carefully get the tongs under the fritter and flip it over but don't lift it out of the oil. The top side will be very soft before flipping.

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