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    Home » Tasty Recipes

    December 2, 2018 Appetizers

    Bacalaitos

    Bacalaitos is known as one of the best Spanish appetizers. Seafood meets pancake in this savory appetizer that is the perfect appetizer recipe for a crowd in the warmer months.

    Bacalaitos | Codfish Fritters

    What is bacalaitos?

    According to Wikipedia:

    "Bacalaitos are salt cod pancake like codfish fritters from Puerto Rico"

    If you're Puerto Rican or had the pleasure of visiting the Island or even a community with a deep Puerto Rican heritage, you've most likely have been served bacalaitos Goya at some point. They're flavorful and convenient to make. But homemade bacalaitos will always win. Am I right, or am I right?

    The flavor profile of bacalaitos is fresh and bold. The key to ensuring you have the best bacalaitos recipe is to soak the codfish overnight in water. This ensures you do not have a "too salty" bacalaitos batch. Once you've drained the codfish resoak it for another hour or two. You do want some natural salt, but the salted pollock is highly concentrated in salt. Two separate soaks does the trick.

    When making fresh bacalaitos, fresh ingredients is key. Add finely chopped onions, red pepper, cilantro, and some oregano (this can be dried). Bacalaitos has the convenience of being a hand holding appetizer just like empanadas, but it's like a savory pancake. Light and fluffy, and the flavor is seriously out of this world with boldness! You can easily make a ketchup mayo sauce or even a garlic aioli to take it up another notch.

    How To Make Bacalaitos Recipe | Codfish Fritters Recipe

    First, it starts with choosing your fish. I'm choosing these boneless and skinless salted Pollock Chunks. The main thing is making sure it is salted (and in my case, boneless and skinless). This fish is the go to for an authentic Puerto Rican bacalaitos recipe.

    Bacalaitos | Codfish Fritters

    I highly suggest you let the fish take a water bath for a few hours. Which looks like first rinsing the fish, then putting it into a bowl with fresh water, and changing the water every three hours. Have the fish refrigerated for this water bath. Do this for a total of 6 hours.

    codish boiling

    Next, you're going to put your fish into a pan with 3 cups of water and a teaspoon of white vinegar. Over medium high, let it come to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Then remove pan from heat and let it cool enough to touch. While the fish is cooling, you'll work on your batter.

    Bacalaitos batter in metal mixing bowl

    Take two cups of white all purpose flour, and add in fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped cilantro, fresh chopped onions, fresh chopped red bell pepper, some oregano, ¼ packet of sazon or Bijol for coloring, black pepper, and 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda. I also add a little homemade sofrito, but that's optional. Mix it and wait.

    Baking soda helps it fluff up while cooking. 🙂

    Now that the fish has cooled, you're going to break it up as finely as desired. But reserve the water! So this looks like pouring the fish into a separate bowl using a colander and saving 1 cup of the salt water. This helps preserve the taste of the fish for the bacalaitos.

    Add in 1 cup of the bacalaitos water into the flour mixture and mix. Next add in 1 to 1 ½ cups of fresh water into the mix. The thinner the batter, the crispier the bacalaitos. Mix it all to form a pancake like batter and fold in the fish.

    I suggest letting it sit for about 5-10 minutes before frying it. When you fry it, add in about a ¼ cup and don't just dump it in like a pancake, try to make it into a line. Fry it until the edges are golden colored before flipping it over. About 2 minutes per side. Now that's how you make codfish fritters!

    RELATED RECIPE: Tilapia Spanish Rice (Arroz con Tilapia)

    Bacalaitos | Codfish Fritters with a blue background

    I'm apart of some amazing Puerto Rican recipes groups on Facebook and I posed the question of "should I add eggs to my bacalaitos" and the overwhelming response was no. So I ask you mi gente, do you add eggs to your bacalaitos? If so, or not, I want to hear from you in the comments below. As always, buen provecho!

    SPANISH APPETIZER RECIPES YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

    • Cuban Ham Croquettes
    • Cuban Sliders
    • Cuban Ropa Vieja Empanada
    Bacalaitos | Codfish Fritters

    Bacalaitos | Codfish Fritters

    A Latin codfish fritter, this flavorful finger food is perfect for gatherings and is completely flavorful and seafood lover approved.
    4.52 from 25 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Latin, Puerto Rican
    Keyword: bacalaitos, codfish, fritters
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 18 fritters
    Calories:
    Author: Neyssa

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound of salted pollock no skin or bones
    • 5 cups of water
    • 1 teaspoon of white vinegar
    • 2 cups of all purpose flour
    • ¼ cup of chopped onions
    • 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
    • 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
    • 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon of Bijol or sazon
    • 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon of homemade sofrito optional
    • 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda

    Instructions

    • Rinse fish thoroughly before placing into a bowl of water. Refrigerate for 3 hours, then drain water and add fresh water. Repeat 1 more time.
    • Drain water after the second 3 hour round. Place fish into a pot with 3 cups of water and vinegar. Bring water to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let water cool.
    • Meanwhile, in a large bowl add in remaining ingredients, except for the water.
    • Next, using a colander, drain fish into a new bowl, and reserve 1 cup of the salted fish water.
    • Using your hands, shred fish as finely as desired.
    • Add the 1 cup of salted water to the flour mixture, and mix together. Next, slowly add an additional cup of fresh water to the mixture. For a thinner and crispier bacalaito, add in up to another cup of fresh water. Mix together to form a pancake like batter.
    • Next, fold in your fish and let batter sit for ten minutes.
    • After 10 minutes, to a frying pan add in 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil for frying. Once oil is hot, ladle in ¼ cup of batter, in a long stride to create a long bacalaito.
    • Fry until edges are lightly brown, and flip over. Cooking for 2-3 minutes per side, or longer for a crispier bacalaito.

     

    More Tasty Recipes

    • Frituras de Malanga | Malanga Fritters
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    • Camarones Enchilados | Shrimp Stew
    • Spaghetti with Pork Chops

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eddie says

      June 05, 2019 at 9:00 am

      Nowadays everything is added something new for creating something new. It’s like kicking up a notch , just don’t tell unless you’re asked what’s in it that it taste different but good. I had one made with chopped maduro (sweet plantain) & it was delicious .

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        June 06, 2019 at 9:53 am

        Oh man, that sounds so yummy!

        Reply
    2. Irma says

      June 29, 2019 at 8:21 am

      I have read many recipes online, but have used 1. However, your recipes are legible, easy to follow and very straight forward.
      I look forward to making many PR foods from this website.
      Thanks,
      Irma Leon Black

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        July 10, 2019 at 6:05 pm

        Thank you Irma! So happy to hear this.

        Reply
    3. Leslie says

      August 20, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      Saludos... Chica
      Hoy estaba con Antojos de un gustito de Perto Rico...Y pense bacalaitos 'busque Por internet y vi Esta Receta la cual me refresco a Como yo Los hacia. Me quedaron igual q. Tus fotos. No tenia Baking powder, Pero quedaron supier ricossss. Voy a tomar en cuenta con Madura suena buenisimo?Gracias Por tal bien detallada Receta.

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        August 22, 2019 at 7:12 am

        Mmmmm que rico y que bueno que te lo encantante. Gracias!

        Reply
    4. Dulce says

      September 07, 2019 at 7:27 pm

      Pretty perfect.. Only seems to be missing green olives. ☑

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        September 12, 2019 at 4:50 pm

        Hehe, thanks! That would be a yummy add in option for olive lovers!

        Reply
    5. Lillian says

      December 18, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for this recipe they came out delicioso for my first time. Couldn't be happier😁

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        January 04, 2020 at 3:21 am

        I am so happy you enjoyed this!!!

        Reply
    6. John Ocean says

      December 24, 2019 at 12:28 pm

      This recipe looks wonderful, cod is a very good fish. Thanks for the post.

      Reply
    7. Boneta says

      May 30, 2020 at 11:30 pm

      Can excess batter be saved ?

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        June 10, 2020 at 2:59 pm

        I would not save it.

        Reply
    8. Omar Muniz says

      June 20, 2020 at 5:49 pm

      Made the recipe and LOVED it! Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Nery says

      August 14, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      There is no salted cod where I live.
      Can these be made with fresh cod?
      If yes , do I have to do any adjustments to recipe?
      Thank you for posting this amazing recipe.

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        August 14, 2020 at 12:51 pm

        Yes, you should have the same results.

        Reply

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    Guided by taste, not measurements, I strive to recreate classic Puerto Rican and Cuban recipes treasured by those that have come before us. Read more about me!

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