TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- What it is: Authentic Portuguese salt cod fritters, or pastéis de bacalhau, made with shredded salt cod, mashed potatoes, onion, and fresh parsley, then fried until golden.
- Why you’ll love it: These are the ultimate Portuguese comfort snack—gently crisp on the outside and incredibly fluffy inside. They are foolproof and traditional.
- How to make it: Simmer and flake the cod, mix with mashed potatoes, eggs, and herbs. Shape into ovals and deep-fry in oil until beautifully browned and crisp.
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Featured Review
This pastéis de bacalhau recipe was wonderful and easy to follow. My family was in the kitchen as I was frying up the pastéis and they ate one after another, barely waiting for them to cool down. Compliments from all those that ate them.
Annie
Pastéis de bacalhau are a great Portuguese favorite. Although their real origin is the north, cod cakes became so popular that they were adopted as a true “national specialty.” Salt cod fritters are ideal fare for snacks (hot or cold) and are featured at every Portuguese function, from the most sophisticated to the humblest. If there is anything really ingrained in the Portuguese palate, loved by everyone, this is it.
Snobs may be somewhat derogatory about cod cakes, afraid of admitting that they too love this “poor man’s dish,” but do not believe them. They probably eat them all the same, when nobody is looking. Pastéis de bacalhau are sold at delicatessens, patisseries, roadside cafés, tavernas—everywhere in Portugal.
What can I substitute for salt cod?
If you’re just not down with salted cod, or for some reason can’t find it, Edite Vieira notes that these cod cakes are also quite nice made with fresh cod. Make sure to test the mixture before frying—you might have to add a little more salt to make up for the additional salt in the salt cod. Makes sense, right?
More savory salt cod recipes
Portuguese Salt Cod and Chickpea Salad
2 hrs 30 mins
Bacalhau a Bras ~ Salt Cod, Potatoes & Eggs
1 hr 15 mins
Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa
2 hrs 10 mins
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If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Featured Review
I have had a 120g can of bacalao sitting in my pantry since my husband and I went to Portugal in 2019. We used it to make a 1/3 portion of this recipe. I am generally hesitant about deep frying, but these were totally worth it! Light, crisp and easy. The bacalao was canned with oil and I let it drip drain but wasn’t overly careful. I will definitely try it one day with dried salt cod. Served it with a mixture of Kewpie mayo, grated garlic, and smoked paprika. Thank you!!
Cathy
Pastéis de Bacalhau ~ Salt Cod Fritters
Equipment
- Deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 14 ounces russet potatoes, unpeeled
- 10 ounces salted cod, preferably thick pieces, soaked overnight [click for soaking directions]
- 3 large eggs
- 1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Instructions
- Boil the 14 ounces russet potatoes (preferably in their skins, so the potatoes don't absorb water). Peel the potatoes and mash or sieve them. Set aside.
- Meantime, simmer the previous soaked 10 ounces salted cod in enough boiling water to cover until tender, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cod.
- Drain the cod, discard the skin and bones, and flake the fish as much as you can with your fingers or a fork to reduce it to threads.
☞ TESTER TIP: The proper way of doing this is to place the flaked cod inside a clean cloth, fold it and squeeze and pound the contents of the cloth with your fists. In this way you will have mashed cod.
- Mix the cod with the mashed potatoes and add the 3 large eggs, 1 at a time, and then the 1 small yellow onion and 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley. Taste and, if desired, season with salt. You may not need to add any, as the cod itself retains quite a lot of saltiness, in spite of being soaked and boiled. The mixture should be quite stiff, enabling a spoon to stand up in it. If you find it excessively dry, add one or two tablespoons of milk.
☞ TESTER TIP: Allow this to cool completely before frying.
- With two tablespoons, shape the mixture into quenelles—egg-shaped ovals. Don't feel like spoon shaping? You can roll the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.
- Heat 4 or 5 inches of vegetable or canola oil in a medium saucepan to (370°F/190°C). Carefully lower each pasteis into the oil with a spoon. Turn them three or four times to get nicely browned all over.
- When cooked, lift them with a slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper to absorb excess fat. Continue molding and frying until you use up the mixture.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
These pastéis de bacalhau fritters are delicious. I’ve never cooked salt cod but when I last visited San Juan, I went to a wonderful restaurant called Santaella. When we got there, our table was not ready. The owner was embarrassed (can you believe it!) and offered us two seats next to the bar area where we could wait until our table was ready. He then brought us complimentary cocktails and bacalatos (codfish fritters made from salt cod). They were heavenly as was the rest of the food in that beautiful little restaurant.
So when I saw this recipe to test, I thought it would give me the opportunity to work with salted cod. And I’m so glad I did. Although these fritters were filling, they were also light and very tasty. You do have to start 24 hours in advance if you have a thick piece of salt cod, but most of that time, the cod is simply soaking and there’s not much to do.
Since this was my first time cooking salt cod, I would have appreciated it if the recipe told me whether to refrigerate the fish while it was soaking. However, the recipe was silent on that. I did research on my own and some recipes said specifically to put the fish in the refrigerator while soaking. I compromised and left the cod to soak in a bowl on the counter during the day, but refrigerated it overnight when I was not changing the water as frequently.
I used the technique that the recipe suggests for flaking the cod. It worked very well to put it in a clean dishcloth and pound the cloth with my fist. A word of caution: when forming the fritters, it is not enough to just shape them with the two spoons, they need to be compressed just a bit so they will hold their shape when put in the hot oil. Using my wok to deep fry them worked very well.
The recipe says it makes 24 to 30 hors d’oeuvres. I made mine the size of large eggs, as was called for in the recipe, and got 15. I then served these as a main with salad. They made a great Sunday night dinner. If I were to use them as hors d’oeuvres, I’d make them much smaller.
Easy recipe with clear instructions. The pastéis de bacalhau were also a hit in the house, especially with my 6-year-old. To soften the cod I used 6 cups of water. I didn’t use extra salt after cooking the cod. I got a total of 19 spoonfuls, so I’d say 6 servings.
These are amazing, thank you for sharing. I used fresh kingklip and they work out very well.
James, you are more than welcome!
First gen Portuguese here from a family originally from Porto area. Our little trick is to boil the cod (just 10 minutes tops, 20 seems excessive to me) remove it using tongs, then use the same water to boil the potatoes. That way we believe the potatoes will get a little bit of the codfish’s taste.
Also in the north they are called bolinhos so we shape them in little balls. As extra insurance against opening up during the drying process we roll them in some flour (very light coating) and also put them in the fridge for a bit before frying. I have easy access to potato starch where I live so I use that instead of regular wheat flour. The outside gets extra crispy.
Claudia, it’s always wonderful to hear from a fellow first-gen Portuguese! You’re absolutely right about the regional differences—my family calls them pastéis, but I know up north bolinhos is the word. I had some gorgeous while in and around Porto, Matosinhos, and the Douro Valley.
That’s a brilliant trick boiling the potatoes in the cod water. It’s such a smart way to layer in even more flavor. And I’m with you on the potato starch; it gives such a fantastic crunch that flour just can’t match. I’ll definitely have to try your method of chilling them before frying to help them hold their shape. Thanks so much for sharing your family’s secrets!