Crispy on the outside, soft and savory in the middle. These Jamaican saltfish fritters, also called stamp and go, come straight from my mom's kitchen.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
We never called them "stamp-and-go" growing up. They were just frittas, and we usually had them for breakfast. I got my mom to actually write down her steps so I could share the recipe with you here.
Like my banana fritters, it comes together with a loose batter that fries up fast on the stovetop.
If you like cooking with saltfish, try my ackee and saltfish and callaloo and saltfish too.
Happy Cooking,
Tanya
Jamaican Saltfish Fritters at a Glance
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Best For: Breakfast, snacks, appetizers, Caribbean spreads
Ingredients Needed for Saltfish Fritters
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Salted Fish (Cod) - Saltfish, also known as salted cod or salt cod, is a type of preserved fish that has been dried and cured. If you can't find salted cod, you can use fresh cod fish that has been cooked and flaked.
- Flour - all-purpose flour is the base of the fritter.
- Cold water - helps create the loose batter.
- Fresh seasoning - green onions, tomato, and fresh thyme.
- Scotch bonnet pepper - A popular ingredient found in many Jamaican recipes. It's optional if you want a little spice.
- Seasoning - all-purpose seasoning and black pepper.
- Oil - for frying. Use a high-heat oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil.
How to make Saltfish Fritters
Full recipe instructions with exact measurements are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Prepare the Salted Codfish
Salted cod needs to be prepped before it goes into the batter. Rinse the saltfish, then place it in a large pot, cover with about 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10-12 minutes, then drain to remove excess salt. Foam will rise to the top while it boils, so watch the pot so it doesn't boil over. Once the salt is out, flake the fish, and you're ready to go.
You can also soak the salt cod in water for 24 hours, changing the water a few times. Once it's tender, boil for 4-5 minutes, drain, and flake.
Fresh cod works too. Just season and bake the codfish, let it cool, then flake it into the batter.
Prepare the fritter batter
Chop your green onions, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper, and thyme, and place them in a large bowl along with the prepared codfish. Add the all-purpose seasoning and black pepper and stir until combined. Add all-purpose flour and stir.
Slowly pour in the cold water and mix. The batter should easily slide off a spoon.
Fry the fritters
Heat 1 ½ cups of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, to about 350°F. To test it, drop in a little batter. If it sizzles and rises right away, the oil's ready. Add the batter by spoonfuls, about ¼ of a cup per fritter. Once bubbles start to appear on the top and the bottom is golden brown, flip the fritter. This should take about 3-4 minutes per side.
Remove the fritters from the skillet with tongs or a slotted spoon. Drain them on a wire rack. Serve them as is or serve them with a dipping sauce. I like to eat them as is.
Frequently Asked Questions
This popular Jamaican appetizer is usually served as part of breakfast or a snack. You could serve them as part of a larger feast for friends and family. Serve them along with jerk chicken, jerk pork, cornmeal porridge, and more.
To make these in an air fryer, reduce the liquid to thicken the batter a bit. It won't have the exact taste or texture of the fritters fried in oil.
Salted codfish, or salt fish, is a type of preserved seafood made by salting and then drying fish. The salt draws moisture from the fish, creating a firm texture that lasts for months or even years when stored properly.
Saltfish can be found in International markets or online.
Tanya's Notes on Saltfish Fritters
- I use half a Scotch bonnet pepper in this recipe, which adds a little spice. Habanero pepper can be substituted for Scotch bonnet pepper, or simply left out. You can also use a hot pepper sauce.
- The amount of water used will depend on the fritters' final results. Less water will yield a thicker, denser fritter, while more water will yield a thinner, crisper fritter.
- The amount of salt added to this recipe will depend on how much salt was removed from the salted cod. Do not add additional salt until after you have fried and tasted one fritter.
- I use a large 12-inch skillet for frying these fritters. If using a smaller skillet, like a 10-inch, you can use less oil, about 1 cup.
A Likkle History of Saltfish Fritters
Saltfish fritters, also known in Jamaica as stamp and go, are rooted in the long history of salted cod in the Caribbean. Many food writers connect them to older Spanish and Portuguese bacalao fritters that traveled across the Atlantic with the cod trade. The name “stamp and go” is widely believed to echo a British naval order to act fast, which suits a quick, hot snack you can eat on the move.
I hope you enjoy these fritters as much as we do 🙂
Other Jamaican Snacks
Jamaican Saltfish Fritters Recipes
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the saltfish. Place the salt fish in a large pot and cover with about 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil. Allow the saltfish to boil in the water for 10-12 minutes and then drain the water to remove excess salt.
- You can also soak the salt cod in water for 24 hours, changing the water several times. Once it is fully soaked and tender, boil the codfish for 4-5 minutes, drain the cod, flake it into small pieces, and use it in your fritter batter.
- Add prepared saltfish, green onions, roma tomato, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, black pepper, and all-purpose seasoning to a bowl and mix until combined. Add all-purpose flour and stir until combined.
- Slowly add water and stir until combined. The batter should easily slide off a spoon.
- Heat 1 ½ cups of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, to about 350°F. To test it, drop in a little batter. If it sizzles and rises right away, the oil's ready. Add batter by the spoonful, about ¼ cup each. Once bubbles start to appear on the top and the bottom is golden brown, flip the fritter. This should take about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- The amount of water used will depend on the fritters' final results. Less water will give a thicker, denser fritter while more water will give a thin, crispy fritter.
- While boiling the saltfish, foam will form on the surface of the water. Watch closely to make sure the foam does not boil over the top of the pot.
- To sub fresh fish in this recipe, season and bake the fresh codfish before using it in the fritter batter. If using fresh cod, you may need to add a little salt to the batter, about ½ teaspoon.
- I use half a Scotch bonnet pepper in this recipe, which adds a little spice. Habanero pepper can be subbed for scotch bonnet pepper or simply leave it out. You can also use a hot pepper sauce.
- The amount of salt added to this recipe will depend on how much salt was removed from the salted cod. Do not add additional salt until after you have fried and tasted one fritter.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This post was originally published on May 1, 2022. It has been updated with new information and photos.
Lorraine says
Hello
I am diabetic and I cannot use white flour is there another flour that you can suggest that I can use.
Tanya Harris says
Hi Lorraine, you can try a lower-carb option like almond flour or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of white flour. The texture may be a little different, but it should still be tasty. If you try a substitute, I’d love to hear how it turns out for you.
Elsa says
Tanya, I also added some finely chopped red, green and yellow bell peppers for added colour.