Cameroon Fish Rolls Recipe | Crispy Outside, Soft Inside

To make Cameroonian fish rolls at home, wrap a baking powder dough around a cooled filling of flaked fish sautéed with onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot, curry powder and thyme, then fry the rolls in small batches at 350°F (175°C) until golden and crisp. One batch makes 12-14 rolls and they keep in the fridge for 3 days, so you can make them ahead.

This snack is a staple of African cuisine, especially at parties and on the street. What sets a good fish roll apart is the balance, a dough that stays soft in the center and a filling that is moist, flavorful and never greasy. This recipe uses cod, tilapia or mackerel, so you can pick whichever fish is easiest to find.

What Are Cameroonian Fish Rolls?

Cameroonian fish rolls are a fried snack made of a soft baking powder dough wrapped around a seasoned fish filling. Each roll is sealed, fried until golden and served warm, with a crisp outside and a tender, chewy inside.

A popular Cameroonian street and party snack

Fish rolls are a familiar sight at Cameroonian celebrations, gatherings and snack stalls, where they are sold and shared as a handheld treat. They are easy to eat without a plate, they hold up well when made in batches and the filling gives them more substance than a plain fried dough. This version makes 12-14 rolls, which suits a family gathering or a small party. The filling uses cod, tilapia or mackerel, so the recipe works with whichever white or oily fish you can find locally.

Why the dough is soft and chewy inside and crisp outside

The texture comes from how the dough is built and shaped. Butter is rubbed into the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, an egg and warm water are added and the dough is kneaded for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic, then rested for 20-30 minutes. The rest makes the dough easier to roll and shape. The dough is then rolled to about 5 × 7 inches, thick enough to keep a soft, chewy center rather than turning thin and brittle. Frying at 350°F (175°C) turns the outside golden and crisp in 4-5 minutes, while the inner layer of dough stays soft around the filling.

Making Delicious Cameroonian Fish Rolls

Recipe Yield:

Makes: 12–14 rolls | Prep Time: 35 mins + 20–30 mins resting | Cook Time: 15–20 mins, in batches

Ingredients

For Fish (If cooking the fish from scratch)

4–5 fillets (cod, tilapia or mackerel)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp bell pepper flakes (optional)

¾ tsp salt, or to taste

Juice of ½ lemon

Mix the oil and spices in a bowl, brush over the fish, and bake at 400°F / 200°C for 12–15 mins, until it flakes easily, or pan-fry it instead. Remove any skin and bones, then flake finely. You need about 2 cups flaked fish.

Fish filling

2 cups cooked fish, flaked

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small carrot grated

½ bell pepper, finely diced

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp salt (or to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper

1 small chili, finely chopped (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice,

1 tbsp oil

1–2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley

1–2 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)

Dough

3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour

1½ tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened

1 large egg

¾–1 cup warm water added gradually

Sealing paste: 3 tbsp flour + ¼ cup water

Neutral oil, for frying

Step By Step Instructions

1. Heat the oil for the filling and sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and carrot for 2–3 minutes. Add curry powder, paprika, thyme, black pepper, salt and chili if using.

2. Stir in the fish and lemon juice, cook 2–3 minutes.

3. Remove from the stove. Stir in the cilantro/parsley and the mayonnaise, if using.

4. Let the filling cool completely.

5. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Rub in the butter to fine crumbs. Crack the egg directly on top, not beaten first, then gradually add the warm water until a soft dough forms.

6. Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic, soft, not sticky. Cover and rest 20–30 minutes.

7. Divide into 12–14 pieces. Roll each into a rectangle, about 5 × 7 inches, not paper-thin, you want enough dough to give the fish roll its characteristic soft chewy center.

8. Place 2–3 tbsp filling along one end, fold the sides in, roll tightly, and seal the edge with the flour-water paste.

9. Fry in plenty of oil at 350°F / 175°C, in small batches, sealed side down first, turning occasionally, 4–5 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

10. Drain on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Cameroonian Fish Rolls

Golden, crispy fried rolls with a soft, chewy dough and a flavorful spiced fish filling. A favorite African snack you can make at home with cod, tilapia or mackerel.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Resting Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine African

Servings 12 -14 rolls

Calories 485 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For Fish (If cooking the fish from scratch)

• 4 –5 fillets cod, tilapia or mackerel
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp bell pepper flakes optional
• ¾ tsp salt or to taste
• Juice of ½ lemon

Fish filling

• 2 cups cooked fish flaked
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small carrot grated
• ½ bell pepper finely diced
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 small chili finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 –2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
• 1 –2 tbsp mayonnaise optional

Dough

• 3 cups 375 g all-purpose flour
• 1½ tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine softened
• 1 large egg
• ¾ –1 cup warm water added gradually
• Sealing paste: 3 tbsp flour + ¼ cup water
• Neutral oil for frying

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil for the filling and sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and carrot for 2–3 minutes. Add curry powder, paprika, thyme, black pepper, salt and chili if using.
• Stir in the fish and lemon juice, cook 2–3 minutes.
• Remove from the stove. Stir in the cilantro/parsley and the mayonnaise, if using.
• Let the filling cool completely.
• Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Rub in the butter to fine crumbs. Crack the egg directly on top, not beaten first, then gradually add the warm water until a soft dough forms.
• Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic, soft, not sticky. Cover and rest 20–30 minutes.
• Divide into 12–14 pieces. Roll each into a rectangle, about 5 × 7 inches, not paper-thin, you want enough dough to give the fish roll its characteristic soft chewy center.
• Place 2–3 tbsp filling along one end, fold the sides in, roll tightly, and seal the edge with the flour-water paste.
• Fry in plenty of oil at 350°F / 175°C, in small batches, sealed side down first, turning occasionally, 4–5 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
• Drain on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Please note that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 65gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 681mgPotassium: 1512mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1398IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Cameroonian Fish Rolls, fish rolls

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tips for Perfect Cameroon Fish Rolls

The best Cameroon fish rolls come down to five habits: choose a fish that flakes easily, cool the filling completely, keep the dough thick enough to stay chewy, seal each edge well and fry it in small batches at about 350°F (175°C). Each one is a small step in the recipe above and each protects either the texture or the shape of the finished roll.

Best fish to use cod, tilapia or mackerel

This recipe works with cod, tilapia or mackerel, so you can use whichever is easiest to find. You will need 4-5 fillets, which gives about 2 cups of flaked fish once the skin and bones are removed. Flake the cooked fish finely so it mixes evenly with the vegetables and spices and fills the dough without large chunks tearing it.

Letting the filling cool completely before rolling

Let the filling cool completely before it goes near the dough. Warm filling softens the dough as you shape it, which makes it harder to fold and seal. Once the pan is off the heat and the cilantro or parsley (and the mayonnaise, if you use it) is stirred in, set the filling aside until it is no longer warm. You can use the resting time for the dough to let it cool.

Not rolling the dough paper thin

Roll each piece of the dough into a rectangle of about 5 × 7 inches and stop there. Thin dough fries up crisp but loses the soft, chewy center that defines a fish roll. A slightly thicker dough gives you that contrast: a crisp outside with tender dough around the filling.

Sealing the edge well so the rolls do not burst

Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling along one end, fold the sides in, roll tightly and seal the edge with flour and water paste (3 tbs of flour mixed with ¼ cup of water). A tight roll and a well sealed edge keep the filling inside during frying. Do not overfill and press the seam closed along its full length.

Frying in small batches for crisp, golden rolls

Fry the rolls in plenty of oil at 350°F (175°C), a few at a time, sealed side down first. Overcrowding the pan lowers the oil temperature and leaves the rolls pale and greasy. In small batches, each roll turns golden brown and crisp in 4-5 minutes. Drain them on a wire rack so air can circulate and the crust stays crisp.

How to Make 50 or 100 Fish Rolls

To make 50 fish rolls, multiply this recipe by 4. To make 100, multiply it by 8. One batch makes 12-14 rolls, so four batches give 48-56 rolls and eight give 96-112, which covers both targets with a few spare.

Scaling table based on your 12-14 roll yield

The table scales the main quantities. Multiply anything not listed (the remaining spices and optional ingredients) by the same factor.

The method itself does not change when you scale up. The rest time is still 20-30 minutes and the rolls are still fried in small batches at 350°F (175°C), so the extra time goes into frying, not into prep.

Storing and Reheating Fish Rolls

Store leftover fish rolls in the fridge for up to 3 days, then re crisp them in the oven or an air fryer before serving. Reheating this way brings back the crunch that frying gave them, which the microwave can not do.

Fridge for 3 days

Cameroonian fish rolls keep in the refrigerator for 3 days, so a batch of 12-14 can be fried ahead and eaten over several days. That makes them a practical make ahead snack for a gathering or a busy week, since the dough and the fish filling are both fully cooked before storing.

Re crisping in the oven or air fryer

To bring chilled fish rolls back to their crisp, golden finish, reheat them in oven or an air fryer instead of microwave. Dry heat crisps the outside again while the dough inside turns soft and warm and the filling heats through. Fridge cold rolls come out noticeably crisper this way than they would from steaming in a microwave.

What to Serve with Cameroon Fish Rolls

Cameroon fish rolls are best served warm and straight from the fryer and they work well on their own or with a few simple sides. A fresh salad, a dash of lemon juice or a chili dip all balance the richness of the fried dough without taking attention from the filling.

The rolls are already seasoned with curry powder, paprika, thyme and herbs, so they need very little help. With 12-14 rolls per batch, a small spread is usually enough for a gathering.

On their own: Serve them as a snack or appetizer, drained on a wire rack so the crust remains crisp. A fresh squeeze of lemon over a hot roll lifts the fish and cuts through the oil, echoing the lemon juice already in the filling.

With a fresh side: A crisp salad of cucumber, tomato or lettuce pairs well with the soft, fried texture. If you’d like a drink, anything light and refreshing suits this snack.

With a dip: A chili sauce or a simple mayonnaise based dip adds moisture and heat. These are optional extras and not part of the recipe above, so use whatever you already like.

Also try our other delicious fish recipes:

Whole Tilapia

Deep Fried Tilapia

Honey Baked Soy Sauce Tilapia

Fish Curry Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you make Cameroonian fish rolls?

Make a baking powder dough, wrap it around a cooled filling of flaked fish sautéed with onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot and spices, then fry the sealed rolls at 350°F (175°C) until golden. The full ingredients and method are in the recipe card above.

What fish is best for fish rolls?

Cod, tilapia and mackerel all work in this recipe. Choose whichever is easiest to find, cook it until it flakes easily, then remove any skin and bones and flake it finely. You will need about 2 cups of flaked fish.

How do I make fish roll dough?

Mix ingredients like flour, baking powder, sugar and salt then rub in softened butter or margarine until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Crack an egg on top, add warm water gradually and knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and soft but not sticky. Rest it for 20-30 minutes before rolling.

How do I keep fish rolls from bursting open when frying?

Seal them well. Roll each one tightly and close the edge with the flour and water paste, pressing the seam shut along its full length. Cool the filling completely first, do not overfill and fry in small batches with the sealed side down first.

How many fish rolls does this recipe make?

One batch makes 12-14 rolls. To make about 50, multiply the recipe by 4 and for about 100, multiply it by 8.

How long do fish rolls keep and how do I reheat them?

Fish rolls keep in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat them in the oven or an air fryer to bring back the crisp outside, because a microwave will leave them soft.