Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

Crispy fried Bacalaitos are a classic Puerto Rican street food made with a flour-based batter loaded with codfish, peppers, cilantro, and spices. These codfish fritters are known for their circular shape and the epic crunch you’ll hear when you bite into one. This recipe has instructions for making bacalaitos using fresh cod or salted codfish.

a plate of bacalaitos

If you love Puerto Rican cuisine, you must try bacalaitos. These codfish fritters are commonly enjoyed as street food across the island. They’re surprisingly easy to make and so satisfyingly crispy.

Once the cod is boiled & fully cooked, the batter comes together in a matter of minutes. From there, it’s poured into hot oil and fried until golden brown and crunchy all around.

You will love the light fish flavor paired with the classic flavors of Puerto Rico thanks to sofrito and sazon seasoning.

Ingredients

bowls o spices, herbs, flour, salt cod and more
See recipe card for quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Using fresh cod? No need to soak the cod before boiling. Keep reading for detailed instructions.

salted cod in a pot of water
Rinse off your saltcod before adding to a stockpot and covering with water. Soak for 30 minutes, drain and cover with fresh water.
salted cod in a pot of boiling water
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Drain again, reserving a few cups of the water for your batter if desired.
salted cod being flaked with forks
Let the fish cool before flaking and removing any bones. 
bacalaito batter in a bowl
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, & water until a runny, pancake-like batter is formed.
bacalaito batter in a bowl
Add the sofrito, sazon, garlic, cilantro, bell pepper, onion, pepper, oregano, and flaked codfish.
bacalaito batter in a bowl
Mix in until evenly distributed. 

Bacalaitos too thick? Add a splash of water to your batter to thin it out. This will help produce those deliciously crispy edges.

bacalaito batter being added to oil
Heat oil over medium high heat (to 350° F / 176.7° C). Ladel pancake sized spoonfuls of the batter into the oil.
a bacalaito being fried in oil
Fry for a few minutes on each side, flipping to get golden brown all around.
a plate of bacalaitos
Transfer the bacalaitos onto a paper towel lined plate and cool before enjoying with mayoketchup!
a plate of bacalaitos

Using Fresh Cod

While using fresh cod isn’t traditional, I have tested this recipe using it and enjoyed the flavor just as much. Plus, the recipe comes together quicker as the fish doesn’t need to soak before cooking.

If you don’t have salted cod accessible to you and plan to use fresh cod, here are my directions:

  •  Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil in a stockpot.
  • Add the cod to the water and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until fully cooked through (the fish should no longer be opaque and should reach an internal temperature of 145° F / 62.8° C).
  • Note that you might want to add a half teaspoon or two of salt to the batter if using fresh cod, as it isn’t as salty as saltcod.
a box of salted cod

Picking The Right Fish

If you’re anything like me, chances are this is the first time you’ve heard of salt cod. I’ve eaten cod plenty of times, but salt cod is a newer ingredient for me. I was able to find a box at my local fish market.

Salt cod is essentially just salted, preserved cod. This process makes it saltier and a bit tougher than the fresh fish.

While many traditional Puerto Rican recipes use salt cod for this recipe, you can use either to make these. Just know that you might need to use salt free sazon if you use salt cod, to prevent things from getting too salty.

I’ve also had bacalaitos made with shrimp, salmon, and other kinds of fish! I’ve found that this batter is the perfect vehicle for most kinds of white fish.

a plate of bacalaitos

More Fried Favorites

5 Ingredient Arepas de Coco (Fried Coconut Bread)

Crispy Chicharrones de Pollo (Puerto Rican Fried Chicken)

30 Minute Sorullos (Sorullitos de Maiz)

Homemade Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Fritters)
a plate of bacalaitos

Buen provecho,

Salima written in cursive
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
a plate of bacalaitos

Crispy Fried Bacalaitos (Puerto Rican Codfish Fritters)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Snack, Main Dish, Appetizer, Side Dish
  • Method: Fried
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin, Spanish
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

Description

Crispy fried Bacalaitos are a classic Puerto Rican street food made with a flour-based batter loaded with codfish, peppers, cilantro, and spices. These codfish fritters are known for their circular shape and the epic crunch you’ll hear when you bite into one. This recipe has instructions for making bacalaitos using fresh cod or salted codfish.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb salted codfish (see note for using fresh codfish)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 – 2 1/2 cups warm water or the broth the cod was boiled in
  • 1 tbsp sofrito (can also be store bought sofrito)
  • 2 tsp sazon (can also be store bought sazon seasoning)
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1/2 bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 yellow or white onion, diced
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 2 cups canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Prep your cod. Rinse off the saltcod before adding to a stockpot and covering with water. Soak for 30 minutes, drain and cover with fresh water. (See note for directions on how to make this using fresh cod).
  2. Cook the cod. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Drain again, reserving a few cups of the water for your batter if desired.
  3. Flake the fish. Let the fish cool before flaking and removing any bones. 
  4. Make the batter base. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, & water until a runny, pancake-like batter is formed.
  5. Add remaining ingredients. Add the sofrito, sazon, garlic, cilantro, bell pepper, onion, pepper, oregano, and flaked codfish. Mix in until everything is evenly distributed. 
  6. Fry. Heat oil over medium high heat (to 350° F / 176.7° C). Ladel pancake sized spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, making sure to not crowd the pan. Fry for a few minutes on each side, flipping to get golden brown all around. Cook until the fritters are crispy all over. 
  7. Drain & enjoy. Transfer the bacalaitos onto a paper towel lined plate and cool before enjoying with mayoketchup!

Equipment

Notes

If your bacalaitos are too thick: Add a splash of water to your batter to thin it out. This will help produce those deliciously crispy edges.

If using fresh cod: Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil in a stockpot. Add the cod to the water and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until fully cooked through (the fish should no longer be opaque and should reach an internal temperature of 145° F / 62.8° C). Note that you might want to add a half teaspoon or two of salt to the batter if using fresh cod, as it isn’t as salty as saltcod.

Enjoy this recipe?

If you tried this recipe, please consider leaving a review in the comment section. I love hearing feedback and your review helps to keep Salima’s Kitchen going!