Cuban recipe

Cuban-Style Black-Eyed Pea Fritters (Bollitos de Frijoles Carita)

Name: Cuban-Style Black-Eyed Pea Fritters (Bollitos de Frijoles Carita)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 550 min
Ingredients: 250 g dried black-eyed peas (frijoles carita); 1.5 liters of water for soaking, plus the water needed for rinsing and removing the skins (discarded); 10 g peeled garlic (about 3 medium cloves); 4 g fine salt; 0.5 g ground black pepper; 15-30 ml cold water, only if the food processor needs it to grind; About 1 liter neutral vegetable oil for frying (not all of it is consumed); 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

Cuban black-eyed pea fritters with garlic, golden outside and tender inside. No flour or egg: soaking, peeling and frying explained step by step.

CiberCubaNovember 11, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation45 min
Cooking25 min
Total time9 h 10 min
Servings6 servings (about 24 small fritters, 4 per serving)
DifficultyMedium

Bollitos de frijoles carita (black-eyed pea fritters) are one of those Cuban fried snacks eaten hot, straight out of the oil, as an appetizer or something to nibble on. Black-eyed peas, known in Cuba as frijol carita, are soaked, peeled and ground with garlic until they form a fine paste.

This version uses no flour or egg: the peas themselves provide all the binding, and beating the batter works air into it so the fritters turn out tender inside and crisp outside.

Ingredients

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250 g dried black-eyed peas (frijoles carita)
1.5 liters of water for soaking, plus the water needed for rinsing and removing the skins (discarded)
10 g peeled garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
4 g fine salt
0.5 g ground black pepper
15-30 ml cold water, only if the food processor needs it to grind
About 1 liter neutral vegetable oil for frying (not all of it is consumed)
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

Method

Pick over and rinse the peas. Soak them in 1.5 liters of water for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator, until well hydrated. Drain and discard the water.
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Cover them with clean water and rub them by the handful between your hands to loosen the skins. Remove the skins that float to the surface and repeat until the peas are practically peeled. Drain very well.
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Grind the peeled peas with the garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Scrape down the sides and keep grinding until you get a fine, thick paste. Add cold water a teaspoon at a time, only if the blades cannot work, starting with 15 ml and checking the texture before adding more. The paste should hold on a spoon; it should not be runny.
Transfer the paste to a bowl and beat vigorously with a spoon for 2-3 minutes to incorporate air. Do not add flour or egg.
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Heat about 4 cm of oil to 170-175 °C. First shape a test fritter with one tablespoon of paste (about 20-25 g), making sure it doesn't turn out as a very thick ball.
Fry it for about 4-5 minutes, turning it, until evenly golden. Open it to check that the center is cooked and there is no raw, wet paste left. Taste this cooked fritter and adjust the salt in the mixture if needed. If it browns too quickly, lower the temperature slightly.
Fry the rest in small batches at 170-175 °C, turning them to cook on both sides. Remove them to a rack or paper towels.
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Serve right away, with lime on the side if using.
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