Recipe

Cuban-style wheat flour fritters with garlic and chives

Name: Cuban-style wheat flour fritters with garlic and chives
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 250 g all-purpose wheat flour (about 2 cups); 1 level teaspoon baking powder (4 g); 1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g); 1 large egg; 180 ml cold water (¾ cup), plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed; 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped (about 10 g); 3 tablespoons chopped chives (about 15 g, 4-5 stalks); 1 liter neutral vegetable oil (about 4 cups), for frying; 1 pinch of fine salt to sprinkle after frying (optional)

Salty wheat flour fritters with garlic and chives: thick batter, oil at 175 °C, and golden bites that are tender inside.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

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Preparation15 min
Cooking25 min
Total time55 min
Servings4 appetizer servings (about 30 fritters of 4-5 cm)
DifficultyEasy

Few things are resolved as quickly as wheat flour fritters: wheat flour, an egg, water, and whatever adds flavor. This version is savory and includes very finely chopped garlic and chives, which perfume the batter without overpowering it. Here, wheat flour is the star; it contains no breadcrumbs, malanga, corn, or codfish, and has nothing to do with béchamel croquettes.

The secret lies in two things: a thick batter that falls slowly from the spoon and oil at a stable temperature. With these, you get golden, puffed bites with a tender center, perfect as an appetizer or for snacking in the afternoon.

Ingredients

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For the batter

250 g all-purpose wheat flour (about 2 cups)
1 level teaspoon baking powder (4 g)
1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g)
1 large egg
180 ml cold water (¾ cup), plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped (about 10 g)
3 tablespoons chopped chives (about 15 g, 4-5 stalks)

For frying

1 liter neutral vegetable oil (about 4 cups), for frying
1 pinch of fine salt to sprinkle after frying (optional)

Method

The batter

Chop the garlic very finely, almost into a paste, and cut the chives into fine rings. Reserve both separately.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk to ensure the baking powder is well distributed.
In another container, beat the egg with the 180 ml cold water until uniform.
Pour the liquid over the flour and mix with a spoon or spatula, without overbeating, only until no dry flour remains. Add the garlic and chives and incorporate them with two or three turns.
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Check the consistency: when lifting the spoon, the batter must fall slowly in a thick ribbon and mound up in the bowl, not spread out like a liquid. If it is too loose, add flour one tablespoon at a time; if it is hard and ball-like, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the batter rest for 15 minutes at room temperature so the flour hydrates.

The frying

While resting, place the oil in a deep, heavy pot (about 4 cm deep) and heat over medium heat to 175 °C (350 °F). Without a thermometer: drop in a tiny bit of batter; it should rise immediately with constant bubbling, without the oil smoking.
Using two small spoons, take portions of one heaping teaspoon of batter (about 15 g) and carefully push them into the oil. Fry 7-8 at a time, without crowding, so the temperature does not drop.
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Turn them with a slotted spoon halfway through cooking and fry for a total of 3-4 minutes per batch, until they are puffed, golden on all sides, and the bubbling around them calms down a bit.
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Remove the first batch and open one fritter to check doneness: the center should be tender and fluffy, with no wet raw batter. If the exterior browns before the interior sets, lower the heat to 165-170 °C (330-340 °F) or make smaller portions; if they come out pale and greasy, increase the heat slightly.
Drain the fritters on a rack or paper towel and, if desired, sprinkle with a pinch of salt while still hot.
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Fry the rest of the batter in batches, watching that the oil recovers its temperature between batches. Serve the fritters fresh, piping hot.

Tips and variations

Consistency is key. The batter must fall from the spoon in a thick, slow ribbon and hold a rounded shape when it drops into the bowl. If it runs like a smoothie, add flour one tablespoon at a time; if it sticks like a hard ball, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.

Do not overbeat. Mix only until no dry flour remains. If you beat too much, the gluten develops and the fritters come out hard and chewy.

Oil temperature. Ideally 175 °C (350 °F). If you don't have a thermometer, drop in a tiny bit of batter: it should rise immediately surrounded by constant bubbles, without the oil smoking. If they brown in less than 2 minutes but are still raw inside, lower the heat or make them smaller; if they come out pale and greasy, increase the heat slightly.

Uniform size. Always use the same small spoon so they all cook at the same time.

Storage. They are best fresh. If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 2 days and reheat in the oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for 5-6 minutes to restore crispiness; they soften in the microwave. Do not keep raw batter for more than 1 hour, as the baking powder loses its power.

Other fritters. Those made with codfish, malanga, or corn are distinct preparations with their own batters; this is the basic wheat flour version.

Cuban-style wheat flour fritters with garlic and chives