This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. That means if you click on my link and buy something, I will earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you. For more information on this, please click here.
Italian Salt Cod Fritters are (deceptively) deliciously addictive! These crispy fritters may just be the best way to enjoy beloved baccala all year-round. Tender salt cod is combined with potato, black olives, green onion, parsley, lemon and a touch of garlic in a light batter that makes beautifully-browned, crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside fritters that are paired with a piccante dipping sauce. Read on for more!
Although I really love both baccala salad and classic, stewed baccala Livornese in tomato sauce, this recipe is actually my favorite way to eat salt cod. I mean, who doesn’t love something savory, crispy and fried?
While not exactly a traditional dish for Christmas Eve’s Feast of the Seven Fishes, this recipe was definitely inspired by that holiday along with croquetas de bacalao (baccala croquettes), a traditional tapas that I enjoyed while traveling in Spain that’s made with a thick bechamel instead of a potato base.
These potato-based, Italian cod fritters are great as an antipasto, side dish, snack or even a light entrée when paired with a mixed green salad or panzanella in the summer. Like my zucchini fritters recipe, they’re a bit like a chunky, savory and crispy pancake with the perfect balance of flavor and texture with some serious protein thrown in.
What exactly is Baccala?
Baccala is cod fish that’s been preserved in salt and dried. Customarily, its skin and bones have been removed before curing and it retains a nice white color. Baccala is different from stoccafisso (a.k.a., stockfish), which is whole cod that’s been air-dried without any salt.
Salt cod tends to have a stronger and more savory taste and is denser and more solid than fresh cod. (Salting enhances fresh cod’s flavor and also firms up its texture quite a bit.)
Cooking with baccala, though easy, requires some planning since it needs to be rehydrated and desalted via several water changes for about 48 hours or so before it can be used in any recipe. (All details below!)
Italian Salt Cod Fritters
Once the baccala has been soaked and is ready to use, it’s cooked together with potatoes, cutting out a step or two usually found in other similar fritters recipes.
The rest of the ingredients are very simple: Russet potatoes, a healthy dose of black, oil-cured olives, chopped Italian parsley and green onions, a touch of garlic and lots of lemon (both fresh juice and zest). Eggs, flour and a bit of baking powder are then added to hold it all together and make the fritters light and fluffy.
And, even though these baccala fritters don’t need it, there’s an optional, spicy and garlicky dipping sauce included that just brings the whole bite over the top. They’d also be amazing with a homemade saffron aioli!
Based on experience, you may want to double or even triple this recipe because these fritters are a definite crowd-pleaser! Mangia bene!
Main Ingredient Notes
To make this baccala fritters recipe, we’ll need:
- Baccala (salted cod): Be sure to buy boneless and skinless salt cod and allow yourself a few days to soak it for rehydrating and desalting. Look for salted cod that’s clean and white with a firm texture and avoid any pieces that appear overly dry or are a bit yellow, which generally indicates rancidity.
- Green Onion, Fresh Parsley and Lemon: All of these add great flavor and complement the cod and potatoes. Fresh herbs are preferred to dry in this recipe. Also, I don’t recommend yellow or red onions in this recipe, but chives are a great replacement for the green onions. Use both fresh lemon juice and zest and be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them!
- Oil-Cured Black Olives: Add brininess, salt and lots of flavor. I’ve found that this particular variety of olive (black, oil-cured) works best in this recipe, with the perfect amount of umami needed to elevate the flavor of the fritters.
- Garlic: A small amount of raw garlic is used here. But, as it gets mixed with the hot potatoes and baccala and is gently heated while the residual moisture is being cooked off, the sharp, raw garlic flavor is tempered a bit. If you happen to have any roasted garlic or garlic confit cloves on hand, you can use them instead of or in addition to the raw garlic.
- Flour: Helps to bind the fritters and create the batter. I use all-purpose flour, but you can choose a gluten-free option if desired.
- Eggs: Along with the flour, eggs work as a binder for the fritters. Use large eggs.
- Baking Powder: Lightens the batter, adds volume and makes the fritters fluffy while cooking. A little goes a long way.
- Oil: While the choice of a frying oil is completely up to you, it’s important to use a high heat-friendly oil. I have just started using this heat-friendly extra-virgin olive oil and I love it, but avocado oil is also a great option. Use a great oil and the end product will taste even better!
- Dipping Sauce Ingredients: I’ve included an optional dipping sauce for these Italian salt cod fritters. While not necessary, it’s so darn delicious and also great with fried shrimp, crispy calamari, fried smelts or as a spread for your favorite sandwich or burger! It’s simply made with mayonnaise, garlic confit cloves, Calabrian chili paste, Dijon mustard and black pepper.
How to Make Italian Salt Cod Fritters
- Rehydrate and Desalt the Baccala: First, rinse the baccala well under running water to remove any surface salt. Then, soak it for 2 to 3 days to rehydrate it and pull most of the salt out of it. Immerse the baccala in cold water and refrigerate it, changing the water at least twice daily.
- Once the baccala has finished soaking, rinse it under cold running water and cut it down into 2-3” chunks. Then prep and gather the remaining salad ingredients.
- Cook the Baccala and Potatoes: Place peeled and cubed potatoes and the rehydrated baccala chunks in a pot with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to a hard simmer and cook until the potatoes are mashable and the cod flakes easily, about 12-15 minutes or so.
- Once cooked, strain potatoes and baccala with a colander, then return them to the empty pot with the minced garlic over low heat to cook off any residual moisture. This should only take a few minutes.
- While on the stove, use a potato masher or large fork to mash the potatoes and baccala while mixing it with the garlic.
- PRO-TIP: You can do this step one day in advance and hold the potato/cod/garlic mixture covered in the refrigerator.
- Make the optional dipping sauce, if including. Combine the mayonnaise with garlic confit, Calabrian chili paste, Dijon mustard and black pepper and mix well. Let this mixture sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
- PRO-TIP: You can make this sauce up to three days in advance and hold it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Next, place the cooled potato/cod/garlic mixture in a mixing bowl and fold in the olives, green onions, parsley, eggs, lemon juice and zest and black pepper. DO NOT ADD ANY SALT YET! Mix well. Then, add the flour and baking powder mixture and stir again.
- At this point, it’s important to taste test a small amount of the fritter mixture (as if you were making a meatball) to see if it needs any salt. Heat a bit of oil in a small pan and fry a small amount of batter. Then, taste it and add salt as needed.
- PRO-TIP: You may need to repeat this step to get the seasoning just right. The reason that we want to wait until now to add any salt is because the amount of residual salt in the baccala is unpredictable and can vary from batch to batch. You may find that you don’t actually need any salt.
- Once you’ve taste tested the batter and are happy with the level of seasoning, set up a landing spot for the fritters. I like to use a sheet pan lined with paper towels or topped with a cooling rack to absorb/drain some of the excess oil.
- Then, add enough oil to a large nonstick, stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet to cover the bottom of the pan by about ¼” or so. Heat the oil over medium heat until bubbles form around a wooden spoon inserted in the oil.
- PRO-TIP: If the fritter batter is placed in the pan before the oil is hot enough, it will absorb too much oil, become soggy and be a mess.
- Using a ¼ measuring cup (or whatever portion size/tool you like), portion the batter into the pan. Use two forks or spoons to gently smash down/flatten the small mound of fritter batter and round off the edges.
- PRO-TIP: Work in batches and do not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the fritters 2 to 3 minutes per side and turn them over once the edges start to turn golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel or cooling rack to drain. Then, the salt cod fritters are ready to eat!
- PRO-TIP: You may need to add additional oil to the pan if you are making a large batch. Do so in an empty pan in between batches and let it heat up before adding more fritter batter.
More Italian Seafood Recipes
If you like these Italian salt cod fritters, check out these other seafood recipes:
- Baccala Mantecato (Whipped Salt Cod Spread)
- Fried Smelts
- Scungilli Salad (Italian Conch Salad)
- Stuffed Calamari in Tomato Sauce
- Scungilli Fra Diavolo with Linguine
- Crispy Baked Calamari (No Frying Required!)
- Stoccafisso ~ Baked (Air Dried) Cod, a.k.a., Stockfish
- Linguine with Clams in a Red Sauce
- Mussels Marinara in Red Sauce (Zuppa di Mussels)
- Baked Stuffed Clams Oreganata
- Shrimp Oreganata in White Wine Lemon Butter
- Clams Posillipo in Red Sauce (Zuppa di Clams)
- Spaghetti and Crabs
- Calamari, Potato and Peas
- Calamari Ragu Fra Diavolo with Bucatini
- Spicy Garlic Shrimp
- Spicy Sautéed Calamari (Not Fried)
Frequently Asked Questions
Dried, salted cod is actually not too hard to come by. I found some in the refrigerated case of the seafood department at my local grocery store, but many fishmongers and markets will sell it shelf-stable at room temperature. As it gets closer to Christmas Eve (when demand for it is high), I sometimes see it being sold pre-soaked! Most Italian or Portuguese specialty markets will carry it year-round. I even found it available on Amazon!
Just be sure that it is boneless and skinless when you purchase it.
Look for salted cod that’s clean and white with a firm texture and avoid any pieces that appear excessively dry or thin or are a bit yellow, which generally is a sign of progressing rancidity. Ideally, the fish should have some flexibility. And, while thick baccala filets are best for recipes where they’re braised or served in whole pieces, like Baccala Livornese, that’s not as important for this recipe since the fish meat will be flaked into small pieces for the salad.
Once the baccala has soaked for 2 days or so, check if it is sufficiently desalted by taste-testing a bit of the soaking water. If it seems really salty, change the water again and let it soak a bit more. Keep in mind that you can always add salt to the recipe later, but you cannot fix salty cod once it has been mixed with other ingredients. Be patient and allow yourself enough time for this soaking process.
They may fall apart if they still have a lot of liquid in them, i.e., if you did not put the cooked baccala and potatoes back in the pot to remove residual moisture during the first few recipe steps. Or, this may happen if they stick to the pan. Be sure to use enough oil when frying and make sure it is hot before adding the fritter batter. Also, use a nonstick pan for best results.
Yes, you can bake salt cod fritters instead of frying them. To do this, rub or spray two large parchment-lined sheet pans thoroughly with olive oil. Then, place ¼ cup batter on the prepared sheet pan and flatten with the back of the measuring cup or spoons/forks, one at a time. Repeat with remaining batter. Spray the tops of the flattened fritter batter thoroughly with oil as well, then place in a 425°F oven on a lower rack. Bake about 12 minutes, flip and bake another 12 minutes or until they are browned and cooked through. If you feel that the fritters need a bit more crispiness, place under the broiler for 1 minute or so at the end of the baking process. You can also replace up a few tablespoons of the flour with cornstarch for a crispier baked fritter.
This Italian salt cod fritter recipe is too loose to be cooked in an air fryer.
Yes. You can make this recipe in steps. You can prepare the fritters base (cooked potatoes, salt cod and garlic) one day in advance and hold it covered in the refrigerator. Likewise, you can prep all the remining ingredients and hold them separate from the base in the fridge. I do not suggest mixing the full mixture with the flour and baking powder until right before you’re planning to cook the fritters. You can make the dipping sauce up to three days before serving.
Also, while there is nothing like a just fried baccala fritter, you can also freeze them to be enjoyed later. I suggest letting them cool, then place them on a sheet pan in a single layer in the freezer for a few hours first to freeze them individually. Then, carefully transfer the frozen fritters to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw them in the refrigerator and heat them in a 350°F oven until heated through.
You can also fry the fritters one day in advance and refrigerate them overnight. Heat them up in the oven or in a non-stick pan until heated through.
TOP TIPS FOR ITALIAN SALT COD FRITTERS
- Baccala: Be sure to buy boneless and skinless salt cod and allow yourself a few days to soak it for rehydrating and desalting. Look for salted cod that’s clean and white with a firm texture and avoid any pieces that appear overly dry or are a bit yellow, which generally indicates rancidity.
- Be sure to return the cooked and drained potatoes and cod to the pot over low heat with the raw garlic to cook off any residual moisture.
- Use a large skillet! Don’t use a small pan as it will make you miserable. Give yourself enough space to fry. Nonstick will make you happier as well.
- Work in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Drain excess oil from the fritters on paper towels or a baking rack.
- Recipe Variations:
- Herbs: I used fresh parsley, but dill would also be a nice option.
- More Heat: If you’re a hot head, add some chopped, pickled hot cherry peppers to the recipe or just give it a healthy sprinkling of some red pepper flakes.
- Substitute half the black olives with capers.
- Gluten–Free Option: Substitute cornstarch for flour and use half the amount of flour since cornstarch has twice the thickening power of all-purpose flour.
- Serving: Though they were inspired by Christmas Eve and the Feast of the Seven Fishes, these baccala fritters are a great appetizer year-round! They can be a star component of a hot antipasto or even a light entrée with a mixed green salad. And, while these Italian fritters are absolutely delicious on their own, I do really love the spicy dipping sauce that I’ve paired with them.
- Make a double batch! You’ll be happy you did. Hold leftover Italian salt cod fritters in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator and heat them in a 350°F oven until heated through.
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Italian Salt Cod Fritters recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more delicious food and what might be going on behind the scenes!
Italian Salt Cod Fritters (Baccala Fritters)
Equipment
- Potato Masher (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless and boneless baccala/dried salt cod fish (1 pound dried weight)
- 1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes (about 2 potatoes; can use Yukon gold potatoes)
- 1 heaping tsp minced or grated garlic
- Heaping ½ cup chopped, pitted black, oil-cured olives
- ½ cup chopped green onion (green parts only) or chives
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- Juice from 1 lemon (about 4 Tbsp; be sure to zest it first!)
- Zest from 2 lemons
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Salt, as needed (See Notes.)
- Oil as needed for frying (See Notes.)
- Dipping Sauce (optional; see below)
For the Dipping Sauce (optional):
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup garlic confit cloves or roasted garlic, mashed with a fork
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp Calabrian chili paste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- REHYDRATE & DESALT THE BACCALA: First, rinse the baccala well under running water to remove any surface salt. Then, soak it for 2 to 3 days to rehydrate it and pull most of the salt out of it. Immerse the baccala (can be cut down into smaller pieces) in a large bowlful of cold water to cover by a couple inches, cover and place it in the refrigerator. Ideally, prop it up on something, like a small, upside-down bowl, in the soaking container so the salt, as it dissolves off the fish, sinks to the bottom, and doesn’t remain in contact with the fish.Change the water at least twice daily.1 pound skinless and boneless baccala/dried salt cod fish
- Once the baccala has soaked for 2 days or so, check if it is sufficiently desalted by taste-testing a bit of the soaking water. If it seems really salty, change the water again and let it soak a bit more. Keep in mind that you can always add salt to the recipe later, but you cannot fix salty cod once it has been mixed with other ingredients. Be patient and allow yourself enough time for this soaking process.
- Once the baccala has finished soaking, rinse it under cold running water and cut it down into 2-3” chunks. (Please see the section above in the blog post forStep-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- COOK BACCALA & POTATOES: Place the peeled and cubed potatoes and the rehydrated baccala chunks in a pot and cover with cold water by about 2”. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to a hard simmer/light boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender/mashable and the cod flakes easily, about 12-15 minutes or so. (Actual time will vary and depends on the size of the fish pieces.)1 pound Russet potatoes,
- Once they’re cooked, pour potatoes and baccala into a colander to strain. Return them to the empty pot over low heat and add the minced garlic. This step should only take a few minutes and is done so that any residual moisture can be cooked off. While on the stove, use a potato masher or large fork to mash the potatoes and baccala while mixing it with the garlic.(You can do this step one day in advance and hold the potato/cod/garlic mixture covered in the refrigerator.) Let this mixture cool before adding any other ingredients to it.1 heaping tsp minced or grated garlic
- While this mixture is cooking and cooling, prep and gather the remaining ingredients and make the optional dipping sauce, if including. Combine the mayonnaise with the other sauce ingredients and mix well. Let this mixture sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the flavors to combine. This sauce can be made up to three days in advance and held in an airtight container in the refrigerator.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup garlic confit cloves, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp Calabrian chili paste, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Next, place the cooled potato/cod/garlic mixture in a mixing bowl and fold in the olives, green onions, parsley, eggs, lemon juice and zest and black pepper. DO NOT ADD ANY SALT YET! Mix well. Then, add the flour and baking powder mixture and stir again.Heaping ½ cup chopped, pitted black, oil-cured olives, ½ cup chopped green onion, ⅓ cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley, 3 large eggs,, Juice from 1 lemon, Zest from 2 lemons, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder
- At this point, it’s important to taste test a small amount of the fritter mixture (as if you were making a meatball) to see if it needs any salt. Heat a bit of oil in a small pan and fry a small amount of batter. Then, taste it and add salt as needed. You may need to repeat this step to get the seasoning just right. The reason that we want to wait until now to add any salt is because all salt cods are salted differently and there is likely some salt left in the cod even after soaking it. You may find that the mixture does not actually need any additional salt. (I added about ½ tsp to my mix, fyi.)Also, if you feel that the mixture is excessively loose, stir in a bit more flour, 1 to 2 Tbsp at a time. The fritter batter is supposed to be rather loose, but it should not be soupy.
- Once you’ve taste tested the batter and are happy with the level of seasoning, set up a landing spot for the fritters. I like to use a sheet pan lined with paper towels or topped with a cooling rack to absorb/drain some of the excess oil.
- Then, add enough oil to a large nonstick, stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet to cover the bottom of the pan by about ¼”. Heat the oil over medium heat until bubbles form around a wooden spoon inserted in the oil. If the fritter batter is placed in the pan before the oil is hot enough, it will absorb too much oil, become soggy and be a mess.
- Using a ¼ measuring cup (or whatever portion size or scoop you like), portion the batter into the pan, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. (You will definitely need to work in batches.) Use two forks or spoons to gently smash down/flatten the small mound of fritter batter and round off the edges. Fry the fritter 2 to 3 minutes per side and turn it over once the edges start to turn brown. Transfer to a paper towel or cooling rack to drain.
- Then, the salt cod fritters are ready to eat! Transfer them to a serving platter and serve as is or with the delicious optional dipping sauce. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- This recipe makes about 18 baccala fritters (about 1/4 cup batter each). I figured about 3 fritters per person. Adjust accordingly.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for a larger batch. Also, make the fritters as small or large as you want. Mine are on the flatter side, but you can also form them into balls. The cook time will need to be adjusted based on the size.
- Total recipe time does not include soaking time, fyi.
- The weight of the salt cod in the ingredient list is the dried weight before rehydrating, fyi.
- Be sure to buy boneless and skinless salt cod and allow yourself a few days to soak it for rehydrating and desalting. Look for salted cod that’s clean and white with a firm texture and avoid any pieces that appear overly dry or are a bit yellow, which generally indicates rancidity.
- As indicated in the procedures above, don’t mix any salt into the mixture until you have done a taste test. The amount of residual salt in the baccala is unpredictable and can vary from batch to batch. You may find that you don’t actually need any salt.
- If you feel that the mixture is excessively loose, stir in a bit more flour, 1 to 2 Tbsp at a time. The fritter batter is supposed to be rather loose, but it should not be soupy.
- You can prepare the fritters base (cooked potatoes, salt cod and garlic) one day in advance and hold it covered in the refrigerator. I do not suggest mixing the full mixture with the flour and baking powder until right before you’re planning to cook the fritters. The dipping sauce can be made up to three days in advance of serving.
- While the choice of a frying oil is completely up to you, it’s important to use a high heat-friendly oil. I’ve just started using a heat-friendly extra-virgin olive oil and I love it, but avocado oil and pure/virgin olive oil are also great options. Use a great oil and the end product will taste even better!
- You may need to add additional oil to the pan if you are making a large batch. Do so in an empty pan in between batches and let it heat up before adding more fritter batter.
- These fritters are best cooked and eaten right away. Having said this, they make great leftovers stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven by placing on a lined baking sheet for a couple minutes until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet with a drop of oil until warmed through. Freeze fritters for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as directed before. The fritters will lose crispiness once refrigerated or frozen, but will still be delicious.
- You can bake salt cod fritters instead of frying them. To do this, rub or spray two large parchment-lined sheet pans thoroughly with olive oil. Then, place ¼ cup batter on the prepared sheet pan and flatten with the back of the measuring cup or spoons/forks, one at a time. Repeat with remaining batter. Spray the tops of the flattened fritter batter thoroughly with oil as well, then place in a 425°F oven on a lower rack. Bake about 12 minutes, flip and bake another 12 minutes or until they are browned and cooked through. If you feel that the fritters need a bit more crispiness, place under the broiler for 1 minute or so at the end of the baking process. You can also replace up a few tablespoons of the flour with cornstarch for a crispier baked fritter.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute cornstarch for flour and use half the amount of flour since cornstarch has twice the thickening power of all-purpose flour.
- The optional dipping sauce recipe makes almost 1 cup sauce. And, by the way, this sauce is so delicious and great for fried shrimp and crispy calamari as well as a delicious spread for your favorite burger!
