Recipe
🥙 LUNCH
Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras
Crispy Saint Lucian salt cod fritters: flaked saltfish folded into a herby, peppery batter and fried golden, eaten as a snack or with bakes.
Saint Lucian · easy · serves 4
prep 20 min · cook 15 min
~369 cal · 16g protein · 46g carbs · 13g fat · 4g fiber · 4g sugars · 2g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Saltfish accras are a favourite Saint Lucian treat, crispy golden fritters of flaked salt cod bound in a herby, spiced batter and fried until light. Accra is a fritter tradition that travelled with West Africans across the Atlantic, and in the Caribbean the saltfish version became the beloved one, salt cod having arrived on the island with sailors who carried the salted, long-keeping fish on their voyages.
The salt cod is soaked and boiled to tame its saltiness, then flaked and stirred through a batter of flour seasoned with green onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, seasoning peppers, and hot pepper sauce. Spoonfuls are dropped into hot oil and fried until they float up golden and crisp on the outside, fluffy within.
Saint Lucians eat accras as a snack, a starter, or a breakfast, and they are especially good with bakes (fried dough) and a tangy pepper or Creole dipping sauce.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally dairy-, egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
8 oz boneless salt cod (saltfish)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 , chopped
3 seasoning peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
about 1 cup water
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
to taste black pepper
Instructions
1
Soak the salt cod a few hours (or overnight), then boil in fresh water about 15 minutes, drain, cool, and flake, removing any bones.
✎ Chef’s note
Boil the saltfish twice, changing the water, if it still tastes very salty; the fritter batter is otherwise unseasoned so the fish should be pleasant on its own.
2
In a bowl, mix the onion, scallions, seasoning peppers, garlic, parsley, thyme, and hot pepper sauce, then stir in the flaked saltfish.
3
Add the flour and baking powder, then gradually stir in the water to a thick, smooth batter.
4
Heat the oil to a medium-high frying temperature.
5
Drop the batter in by heaping spoonfuls and fry, turning once, until golden and crisp on both sides. Drain and serve hot with pepper sauce or bakes.
Castries home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Castries. Castries sits under the Pitons and starts the day with green fig and saltfish, boiled green banana tossed with rehydrated salt cod, onion, and pepper. Saint Lucian cooking is Creole, with bouyon stews, cocoa tea, and plenty of thyme and scallion.
🗺️
Saint Lucia. Saint Lucian food is Creole and green-fig-loving, with the national dish of saltfish and green banana. French and African roots meet in bouyon stew, callaloo, and fiery local seasoning.
🌍
North America. Almost every regional cooking here records who arrived and on what terms. Enslaved West Africans brought rice, okra, black-eyed peas and the techniques behind Lowcountry and Creole food; Chinese railway labour and later Italian, Jewish, Mexican and Vietnamese arrivals built the way the cities eat; and Indigenous foodways sit underneath all of it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Saint Lucia
Green Fig and SaltfishSaint Lucia's national breakfast: boiled green bananas tossed with sautéed salted cod, peppers, and herbs.
Saint Lucian BouyonA one-pot soup-stew of salted pig tail, beans, ground provisions, dumplings, and greens in a coconut broth.
Saint Lucian Pumpkin RiceRice simmered with sweet pumpkin, coconut, and island herbs into a soft, golden one-pot, an everyday Lucian lunch.
Browse all Saint Lucia recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Fried food is best eaten fresh while crisp. Re-crisp leftovers in a hot oven or air fryer; the microwave makes them soft.
Make it a Saint Lucia meal
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Coconut TurnoverDessert
Saint Lucian Chicken CurryDinner
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras?
Crispy Saint Lucian salt cod fritters: flaked saltfish folded into a herby, peppery batter and fried golden, eaten as a snack or with bakes.
Where does Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras come from?
Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras is a Saint Lucian dish from Castries, Saint Lucia.
Can Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Saint Lucian Saltfish Accras take to make?
About 35 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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