Conch Fritters are a crispy, golden appetizer packed with tender conch, fresh veggies, and vibrant peppers in every bite. This easy recipe pairs perfectly with your favorite dipping sauce and brings a taste of the islands to your table.
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For more Caribbean-inspired seafood recipes, try my Pepper Shrimp, Jerk Fish Tacos, and Jamaican Lobster Patties next.
This Yardie-style conch fritter recipe brings that unmistakable Jamaican flavor—bold, herby, and well-seasoned from the very first step. I simmer the conch in a broth full of scallion, thyme, pimento, and a whole Scotch bonnet, because that’s how we do it. I also like to leave chunks of conch meat in the batter so you get that perfect bite every time.
The fritters fry up with a soft, tender center and a light, airy texture that’s hard to beat. They’re also easy to freeze and reheat, which makes them great for prepping ahead. Whether I’m cooking for a crowd or just craving something fried and flavorful, these always hit the spot.
What is conch?
Conch is a type of large sea snail found in warm waters throughout the Caribbean. It’s known for its firm, slightly chewy texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor. While the shells are often collected for decoration, the meat is the real prize and is used in dishes like curries, soups, stews and of course fritters
What are conch fritters?
Conch fritters are a savory appetizer made with chopped conch meat, veggies, and spices. The batter is scooped and fried until golden and crisp. They're popular in the Bahamas and Florida Keys, where conch is a staple in local cooking.
Ingredients
For the Flavor Bath
- Bay leaves: These add a subtle herbal depth to the cooking liquid, helping infuse the conch with flavor as it simmers.
- Garlic cloves: Garlic brings a warm, savory base that balances well with the bold seasonings in the fritters.
- Pimento: Also known as allspice, this gives the conch a slightly sweet, peppery note that adds complexity.
- Scallions and thyme: These fresh herbs work together to create a fragrant broth that really penetrates the conch meat.
- Hot pepper (whole): Simmering the pepper whole adds gentle heat without overpowering the broth.
- Salt: Essential for seasoning the conch while it cooks, helping the meat soak up all the flavors.
- Water: Forms the base of the bath and helps soften the conch while allowing the aromatics to infuse the meat.
For the Fritters
- Conch meat (tenderized): The star of the dish. Leaving the pieces slightly chunky adds texture and bite to each fritter.
- Veggies (shallot, scallion, bell peppers, scotch bonnet): These bring sweetness, crunch, and heat, making the fritters colorful and full of flavor.
- Maggi Fish Season-Up, salt, and black pepper: This combo layers in savory, salty, and lightly spicy notes that complement the seafood.
- Egg: Helps bind the ingredients together, making the batter cohesive.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the batter and gives structure to the fritters once fried.
- Baking powder: Adds lift to the batter so the fritters are light and airy inside.
- Cold milk: Helps create a smooth batter and keeps the texture tender when combined with the dry ingredients.
- Oil (for frying): Used to cook the fritters until they’re golden and crispy on the outside with a soft center.
How to Make Conch Fritters
Prepare and Tenderize the Conch
I start by rinsing the conch meat thoroughly under cold, running water to remove any residual sand. Since conch can be quite tough, it’s important to tenderize it before adding it to the batter. I simmer it in a flavorful bath made with bay leaves, garlic, scallions, pimento, thyme, hot pepper, salt, and water for about an hour until it’s fork-tender.
Chop and Combine the Ingredients
Once the conch is cooked and tender, I remove it from the pot. Then I chop it into small pieces, keeping the chunks a bit larger so you get a good bite of meat in each fritter.
Finely dice the shallot, scallion, bell peppers, and scotch bonnet. Everything goes into a mixing bowl along with the conch.
Season and Mix the Batter
To that bowl, I add Maggi Fish Season-Up, salt, and black pepper, then give it all a good mix. I beat one egg and stir it into the conch and veggie mixture until fully combined. Separately, I mix the flour with baking powder and slowly alternate that with cold milk until I get a smooth, scoopable batter—not too runny, just enough to hold together.
Fry the Fritters
I heat about 3 cups of oil in a skillet and use a thermometer to make sure it’s right at 350°F. Once the oil is hot, I use two soup spoons to drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it. Each fritter fries for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown.
Drain and Serve
After frying, I transfer the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. These are best served hot, with your favorite dipping sauce or something spicy on the side. They’re crispy, savory, and full of flavor in every bite.
Recipe Tips
- Tenderize the conch with flavor. Conch meat is naturally tough, so simmering it until fork-tender is key. Using a flavor bath while boiling ensures that the meat soaks up seasoning from the very start.
- Don’t skip the thermometer. The oil should be right at 350°F before you start frying. This helps the fritters cook evenly and prevents them from getting too greasy.
- Avoid crowding the pan. Frying too many fritters at once drops the oil temperature quickly. That leads to soggy, oily fritters instead of crispy ones.
- Chop your veggies finely. You want the peppers and shallots to mix evenly into the batter. This helps each fritter cook uniformly and adds texture without overpowering the conch.
- Use cold milk in the batter. Cold liquid helps keep the batter light and gives the fritters a better texture. It also slows down gluten development so the fritters stay tender.
- Swap out the conch if needed. You can use other seafood like shrimp, calamari, or crab meat. Just make sure it's cooked and chopped before mixing it into the batter.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. These fritters pair well with aioli, ketchup, or even a spicy hot sauce. The dipping sauce really brings the whole bite together.
Storage
Store leftover conch fritters in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Let the cooked fritters cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen. Once solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and keep for up to 2 months.
To reheat: Reheat refrigerated fritters in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or bake frozen, fully cooked fritters at the same temperature for 15 to 20 minutes until hot and crispy.
FAQs
Fried conch usually refers to conch meat that’s been breaded and deep-fried on its own, often in strips or chunks. Conch fritters, on the other hand, mix chopped conch with a seasoned batter that includes flour, egg, and vegetables before being fried. The result is a soft, fluffy center with a crisp outer layer, more like a savory doughnut or hushpuppy.
You'll want to simmer the conch until it's fork-tender, which usually takes about an hour. If a fork slides in easily and the meat feels soft but still holds its shape, it's ready.
Yes, you can mix the batter a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to fry. Just give it a gentle stir before scooping to make sure everything is well combined.
The batter should be thick enough to scoop with a spoon but not stiff. If it's too runny, the fritters will spread too much in the oil and won’t hold their shape.
Thanks for trying this Conch Fritters recipe! Got questions or feedback? Drop them in the comments. Craving more Jamaican-inspired recipes? Follow me on Instagram @JamDownFoodie!
Conch Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Rinse conch meat under fresh running water to remove any sand that might be on the meat. Conch meat usually comes already cleaned with the inedible parts removed.
- In a large pot, add water and all of the flavor bath ingredients. Add conch to the bath, cover and let conch cook until fork tender, about 1 hour on high heat.
- Once the conch is cooked, remove it from the water and cut it into small pieces. Discard water and other ingredients. I like to keep the conch pieces a bit larger so that I can get good bites of meat in each fritter.
- Dice shallot, green onion, bell peppers and scotch bonnet finely. Add the veggies to a medium bowl with diced conch pieces.
- Season with Maggi, salt and pepper. Use a spoon or fork to mix well.
- To the conch mixture, add 1 beaten egg. Use a spoon to mix egg into the mixture well.
- Once the egg is fully combined, add baking powder to the flour. Alternate flour and milk to create a wet batter. The wetter the batter, the flatter the fritter will be. Pay attention to the consistency of the batter and try to ensure it is smooth but not runny. (see video)
- Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a medium skillet. Use your thermometer to make sure the oil is at the correct temperature.
- To drop the batter you will need two soup spoons. Use one spoon to pick up a heaping amount of the batter. Use the other spoon to push the batter off into the hot oil. Fry each fritter on both sides until golden brown, about 2 mins on each side.
- Remove cooked fritters from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve fritter hot with aioli dipping sauce or hot sauce.
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