FLAVOURFUL FISH ROLLS – CAMEROONIAN FISH ROLL RECIPE

4.67 from 6 votes
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These fish rolls! They are super tasty and slightly addictive. The crust on the outside is crispy and the fish filling is so full of flavour. It is the ultimate Cameroonian fish roll recipe. I never get tired of them. Just like with chin chin, I have have to stop myself from eating too much in order to save my waistline from iniquity.

 

I first published this recipe in May 2015. Since then, I have tweaked and retested it multiple times. The result is what I can confidently call a no-fail recipe. The dough is elastic and perfect with the right proportion of ingredients. The filling is… well perfect too!

 

african fish rolls recipe

 

I have re-shot the recipe including step-by-step photos to show you how to make fish rolls with confidence. If you love videos, then here is a video of me making them!

 

Watch how to make Cameroonian fish rolls:

 

“Buy ya fish roll!” is a familiar phrase used by hawkers in Cameroon to attract buyers to purchase the popular snack, fish roll. It is cherished among school-aged kids, workers, the young and the old. People just love it! For some reason, I had never been a fan of Cameroonian fish roll until one day when I stumbled on the fish rolls of the year. Seriously, they were THE FISH ROLLS OF THE YEAR! That’s my way of saying they were insanely delicious.

 

I was at a traditional meeting where folks brought in either food or drink to share with others. There was this particular family that came in with a bowl of fish rolls sent in by their mother who was absent. I reached for one of the rolls and since then, I haven’t stopped loving the snack.

I started experimenting in the kitchen, trying to make some. Sometimes the rolls would unwrap as I fried them. Brrrrrrrrrr! At other times, they would grow so big in the oil. Sometimes, they were just too oily. I used only yeast in the dough, only baking powder then both yeast and baking powder. I finally chose to use only a little baking powder as a raising agent because it worked best for me. The struggle to learn how to make “fishy” has been real. Finally, I have my own recipe which many have used over the years and given me awesome feedback. I have tweaked, retested and perfected it because fish roll is serious business.

If you have never made fish rolls before, or you have tried to make them unsuccessfully before, prepare to be swoon. This is simply the best Cameroonian fish roll recipe. Well rolled, tasty and perfect! Get your flour, margarine, sardines in oil and all other ingredients (see below) ready. Let’s make THE FISH ROLLS OF THE YEAR!

 

Fish Roll Ingredients

cameroon fish roll ingredients
Cameroonian Fish roll ingredients – margarine, sugar and salt are not pictured because well, mommy brain!

For the dough:
3 cups of all purpose flour (375 grams)
4 tablespoons of margarine (or butter at room temp)
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
A quarter teaspoon of salt (increase if margarine/butter is unsalted)

 

For the filling:
I tin of sardine (125 grams)
Half of each or one small each: red and yellow bell peppers
Half of a medium onion
1 medium sized carrot
Two sprigs of parsley or half a stem of celery
Two garlic cloves

You also need 1-2 litres of oil for frying.

How to make Cameroonian fish roll filling:

First shred the carrots with a grater then finely chop the onions and garlic. Chop the bell peppers and parsley too.

ingredients for filling cameroon fish rolls

Open the tin of sardine and pour two tablespoons of the oil into a pot or skillet. Let it heat up for one minute then you put in the onions and garlic and fry until fragrant. Add in all other vegetables and mix well. Shift them to side of the pot then out in sardines and mash – don’t make them too mushy. Mix the fish together with the veggies. Viola, the filling is ready!

cameroon fish rolls filling

 

 

For the fish roll dough:

Add four tablespoons of margarine to your flour.

add butter cameroon fish rolls

Add in two table spoons of sugar.

add sugar cameroon fish rolls dough

Add in salt and baking powder (see full recipe below for quantities) then mix with fingertips until everything is well-incorporated. Add in a cup of water a little at a time and mix until you form a dough.

cameroon fish rolls dough

Now flour a board then place the dough on top and knead for two minutes. This greatly improves the texture of the dough. It gets smoother and more elastic as you knead.

How to Roll Fish Rolls Perfectly

First, cut a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll out to form an oval. Place a tablespoon of the filling on top.

how to roll cameroon fish rolls

Now fold in the dough from the end here the filling is. Fold in the edges too.

how to roll cameroon fish rolls 2

Then roll away, baby!

roll cameroon fish rolls

These are my rolls all ready for action, AKA frying. To see more of how I roll them, watch the video.

cameroon fish rolls ready for frying

Now it’s time to fry! Heat up oil on high heat then turn it down to medium heat and put in the rolls. Be careful not to over crowd your pan.

cameroon fish rolls frying

Let each batch cook for about 5-8 minutes. Flip the sides half-way through cooking and as needed. They are ready when they are a beautiful golden brown colour.

cameroon fish rolls ready

Place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

cameroon fish rolls recipe

Happiness is made of fish rolls. No, I’m not joking!

best fish rolls recipe

Let’s take a look at that tasty fish filling. Oh mama!

cameroonian fish rolls best recipe

Would I be bossy if I said you must make some? Everyone deserves a homemade fish roll experience at least once in their lifetime!

Here is the printable recipe:

 

Plate and basket of Cameroonian fish rolls.

Cameroonian Fish Rolls : The Best Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes
This is the ultimate Camerooniuan fish roll recipe. It is crispy on the outside and fish filling is so flavourful. Enjoy the recipe!
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 20 Fish Rolls

Ingredients  

For the dough (flour measurement has been updated)

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

For the filling:

  • 1 can sardines in oil 125 grams
  • 2 small red and yellow bell peppers or half of 1 large green bell pepper also called sweet pepper
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 1 medium-sized carrot
  • 2 sprigs of parsley or half stem of celery
  • 2 garlic cloves ground fresh spices will work too
  • Oil for frying

Instructions 

  • Shred the carrots with a grater then finely chop the onion and garlic. Also chop the bell pepper and parsley.
  • Remove two tablespoons of oil from the can of sardines then place in a pot or skillet. Let it heat for 1 minute then saute the onion and garlic until fragrant.
  • Add in the other vegetables and mix then push them to one side of the pan. Drain the remaining sardines from the oil then add to the cleared side of the pan and mash - don't make them too mushy.
  • Mix the fish and veggies together. That's it, your filling is ready.
  • For the dough, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter with finger tips until well incorporated.
  • Add water a little at a time and mix until it forms a dough. Sprinkle flour on a board then place dough ontop and knead for about two minutes until elastic and smooth.
  • Cut a little piece of dough. It should be a little smaller than the size of a golf ball.
  • Roll it out on a floured board to form an oval.
  • Put a tablespoon of the filling at one end of the rolled-out dough then fold the dough over the filling. Fold in the edges too. Roll till the other end. Repeat process with the rest of the dough.
  • To fry, heat oil on high heat till hot for about 5 - 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and put in the rolls to fry. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan! Fry for about 5-8 minutes until nice and golden brown. Remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
  • Enjoy! Fish rolls are great as a snack, for breakfast or as finger food for parties. So delicious!

Notes

Instead of a tin of sardine you could use canned mackerel in tomato sauce. In this case, you would need extra oil for frying the onion and garlic.
You could also use a medium size frozen mackerel fish. Boil it with some seasoning garlic, ginger, salt and Maggi (seasoning cube). When cold, remove all the bones and mash the fish.
Note that you could omit adding the vegetables if you want the filling to be all fishy. Or you could use far less veggies than I did. I love incorporating veggies into my snacks so I used more.
Also note that I didn't mention the use of salt in the filling. That's because canned sardines (especially the brand I use) are quite tasty and salty. No need for more salt. But do well to taste your filling to ensure that it is well seasoned. You could also add in some white pepper to the filling if you like. I do this sometimes and it is so good!
If you put in too much baking powder, your rolls may turn out with big holes. They'll absorb a lot of oil and look rough. So do well to put in only a little baking powder as said in the recipe.
If you wish, replace water with skim milk for a richer dough but this is not recommended. You could also add an egg for a richer dough. I recently tried this and I was very happy with the results!
There's a video of me making fish rolls on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch.

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 713IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: Cameroonian
Calories: 110
Tried this recipe?Mention @preciouscore or tag #PreciousCore!

Pin it for later:

best Cameroonian fish rolls recipe and video
Hope you enjoy this recipe. Try making these rolls of goodness and let me know how that goes for you in the comments section.

I’ll love to have you follow me on : @preciouscore. If you make this recipe please share on Instagram and tag me or share on my Facebook page.

Ehugs!

*This post has been updated.


About Precious

Welcome to my core! I am Precious Nkeih, the recipe developer and writer right here on my blog, Precious Core. My goal is to show you insanely delicious recipes you can replicate in your kitchen. And I love to tell stories too. Hope you find recipes here that will make cooking easier for you! Check me out on YouTube at YouTube.com/PreciousKitchen.


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66 Comments

  1. I made the Camaroonian fish rolls. So easy to make and tastes fabulous. Everyone loved it. So I made it few more times.Thank you so much for this perfect recipe.

  2. Thanks very much dear. I just googled how to make fish rolls and i found this esp. from my own country of origin. Will try it. Keep-up dear.

  3. Hi precious, thanks for this recipie, I have tried it and I love the results. Could you please share some easy but healthy lunches kids can take to school? I really run out of ideas with this. Thanks

  4. Thanks for the recipe tried was good when I was frying I discovered it was opening what could be the cause of that

    1. Hi Marlene, your rolls were opening because they were not properly sealed. I always pinch the dough together at the end of rolling so it sticks together. Also, watch the video in the post to see how I do it. Hope this helps.

  5. Hi Precious, I am from Democratic Republic of Congo married to a Cameroonian. I started following you since last year. I really really appreciate your work. So far, I have learned and cooked ndole, pepper soup, Eru, okongobong, jollof rice, chin chin, Egusi pudding, Kati Kati and njama njama and this morning I made fish rolls. So proud of myself and thank you so much for being there for some of us and keep up the great work . God bless you and your family.

    1. So glad the recipes are helpful, dear. Thanks for the feedback. So nice of you to learn how to make Cameroonian dishes for your spouse.

  6. madam Precious, you are just too much. even a dullard will not find it difficult to try out your recipe. keep on moving higher and be blessed.

  7. I made these and yes they’re sooooo delicious just next time I will roll the dough a bit thinner but these were heavenly everyone wants more thank you for sharing your recipe you’ve been my life saver in learning to cook Cameroonian food here in the USA as some things are hard to find 🤗