Jamaican · Breakfast & brunch

Ackee and saltfish

Name: Ackee and saltfish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 8 h 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 8 ounces boneless salt cod; 2 tablespoons neutral oil; 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced; 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced; 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 2 scallions, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 plum tomato, diced; 2 fresh thyme sprigs; 1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced, or to taste; 1 can (19 ounces) ackee, drained carefully; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; Fried dumplings or boiled green banana, for serving

Jamaica’s savory breakfast of gently folded canned ackee, desalted cod, sweet peppers, scallion, thyme, and Scotch bonnet.

About 8 hr 45 minTotal

About 45 minActive

$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 4 servings

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
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How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

8 ounces boneless salt cod
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 plum tomato, diced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced, or to taste
1 can (19 ounces) ackee, drained carefully
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Fried dumplings or boiled green banana, for serving

Instructions

Cover salt cod with cold water and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, changing water twice. Drain, cover with fresh water, simmer until it flakes, 12 to 15 minutes, then drain, cool, remove any skin or bones, and flake.
Heat oil in a over medium. Cook onion and sweet peppers until just tender, 4 minutes. Add scallion, garlic, tomato, thyme, and Scotch bonnet and cook until tomato loses its raw edge, 2 to 3 minutes.
Fold in flaked cod and cook until hot, about 2 minutes. Taste before adding any salt; the fish commonly supplies enough.
Add drained canned ackee and black pepper. Fold with a broad spatula only two or three times and heat gently until the ackee is hot and the fish reaches 145°F, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove thyme stems and serve immediately with fried dumplings or boiled green banana.

JamaicaCaribbean

From the table

About this recipe

Ackee and saltfish carries several parts of Jamaican history in one pan. Ackee came from West Africa; its Jamaican name traces to the Twi word ankye. The fruit became so closely identified with the island that it is now Jamaica's national fruit, while ackee cooked with salted cod is widely recognized as the national dish.

The pairing also reflects colonial trade and plantation life. Salted fish was durable imported food, while African cooks and their descendants shaped ingredients and techniques into a distinctly Jamaican cuisine. This version treats both ingredients with care: soak and gently flake the cod, use commercially canned ackee that has already been safely processed, and fold the tender fruit only a few times so it stays intact among the peppers, thyme, tomato, scallion, and Scotch bonnet.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe