Cameroonian Fish Rolls Recipe — Crispy Spiced Fish Rolls

Watch how to make Cameroonian fish rolls:

Fish Roll Ingredients

For the dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour (about 375 g)
4 tablespoons margarine or butter (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust if butter/margarine is unsalted)
1 cup water (room temperature)

For the filling:
1 can sardines in oil (about 125 g)
1 small red bell pepper and 1 small yellow bell pepper (or half of each)
1/2 medium onion
1 medium carrot
2 sprigs parsley (or half a stem celery)
2 garlic cloves

You will also need 1–2 liters of oil for frying.

How to make the fish roll filling

Grate the carrot, finely chop the onion and garlic, and dice the bell peppers and parsley.

Open the sardine can and reserve two tablespoons of the oil. Heat that oil in a skillet for about a minute, then sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant. Add the chopped vegetables and stir to combine. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan, add the sardines to the cleared space and gently mash them—don’t overdo it. Fold the fish into the vegetables and mix well. The filling is ready.

For the fish roll dough

Combine the flour and margarine, then add the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use your fingertips to rub everything together until the mixture is evenly combined. Gradually add the water a little at a time and mix until a dough forms.

Flour a board and knead the dough for about two minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.

How to roll fish rolls perfectly

Pinch off a piece of dough roughly the size of a golf ball. Roll it out into an oval on a floured surface and place about a tablespoon of filling at one end.

Fold the dough over the filling, tuck the edges in, then continue rolling toward the other end to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Place the prepared rolls on a tray ready for frying.

Frying

Heat oil on high until very hot, then reduce to medium and carefully add the rolls. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry each batch for about 5–8 minutes, flipping as needed, until evenly golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.

Let the rolls rest on paper towels to absorb oil. Serve warm—these make a satisfying snack, breakfast treat, or party finger food.

Yes—you really should make some. Everyone deserves to try a homemade Cameroonian fish roll at least once.

Cameroonian Fish Rolls: The Best Recipe

This is a reliable Cameroonian fish roll recipe — crisp on the outside with a flavorful fish filling. Enjoy!

Prep: 1 hr

Cook: 40 mins

Total: 1 hr 40 mins

Servings: 20 Fish Rolls

Ingredients

For the dough (flour measurement updated)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
• 4 tablespoons margarine or butter (room temp)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (increase if butter/margarine is unsalted)
• 1 cup water (room temperature)

For the filling

• 1 can sardines in oil (125 grams)
• 2 small bell peppers (red and yellow) or half of 1 large sweet pepper
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 sprigs parsley or half stem celery
• 2 garlic cloves
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. Shred the carrot, finely chop the onion and garlic, and chop the bell peppers and parsley.
2. Reserve two tablespoons of oil from the sardine can and heat in a skillet for about 1 minute. Sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and mix, then push them to one side of the pan. Drain the remaining sardines and place them on the cleared side. Mash gently—avoid making the fish too mushy.
4. Mix the fish and vegetables together. The filling is ready.
5. For the dough, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter. Use your fingertips to incorporate evenly.
6. Add water gradually and mix until a dough forms. Flour a board and knead the dough for about two minutes until smooth and elastic.
7. Pinch off pieces slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll each piece into an oval on a floured surface.
8. Place a tablespoon of filling at one end, fold the dough over the filling, tuck in the edges, and roll to seal.
9. Heat oil until hot (about 5–10 minutes on high), reduce to medium, and fry the rolls in batches without overcrowding. Fry 5–8 minutes until golden brown, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels.
10. Serve warm. Fish rolls make great snacks, breakfast items, or party finger food.

Notes

Substitutions: You can use canned mackerel in tomato sauce (use extra oil to fry onion and garlic), or a cooked, deboned frozen mackerel mashed with seasoning.

You may omit vegetables for a purely fishy filling or reduce them to suit your taste—this version includes more veggies for added texture and flavor.

Canned sardines can be salty, so taste the filling before adding extra salt. A pinch of white pepper can be a nice addition.

Use only a small amount of baking powder; too much can create large holes in the rolls, causing them to absorb excess oil.

For a richer dough you can substitute skim milk or add an egg; this produces a slightly different, richer texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 110 kcal
| Carbohydrates: 16 g
| Protein: 4 g
| Fat: 3 g

Additional Info

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Cameroonian

Calories: 110

Pin it for later:

Hope you enjoy this recipe. Try making these rolls and let me know how they turn out in the comments.

Ehugs!

*This post has been updated.