Vegan Ackee & Saltfish
This plant-based take on Ackee & Saltfish is a flavorful, savory breakfast that'll transport you right to the Caribbean with every single bite! If you've never tried Ackee before, you're in for a treat! Its soft, buttery texture makes it a staple in Jamaican cuisine.
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This vegan twist on the iconic Jamaican breakfast dish Ackee and Saltfish is the perfect savory recipe to add to your plant-based breakfast rotation! It’s excerpted from chef Lloyd Rose’s new cookbook Island Vegan.

Ackee and Saltfish – How to Veganize this Classic Jamaican Breakfast Dish

Jamaicaโ€™s most iconic breakfast dish, Ackee and Saltfish is now accessible from your home through this recipe, if it was not already! I have eaten this pleasantry my entire life. I donโ€™t know how I could ever go without it, hence why I made a vegan version that is equally as good, I kid you not!

Using fleshy green jackfruit that is white in color and can look just like shredded fish can have anyone fooled at first glance. But it doesnโ€™t stop there: The pieces of jackfruit are loaded with fishy flavor from a star ingredient: seaweed!

The ackee fruit is one of the most utilized fruits in Jamaican cuisine; it is loved across the island for its mild, buttery flavor and its vibrant yellow color. Locals and visitors canโ€™t seem to get enough of it. Although ackee is part of the family of fruits, it’s treated and prepared like a vegetable. I have yet to meet someone who has had ackee and saltfish and did not enjoy it, and this version is the perfect replica.

Vegan Ackee & Saltfish
ยฉ Photo credit: Shanika Graham-White

Vegan Ackee and Saltfish – Ingredients You’ll Need

This is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this Jamaican breakfast dish. You’ll find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.

  • For the vegan saltfish: young green jackfruit, snack-sized seaweed sheets
  • Dried herbs & spices: salt, dried thyme, black pepper
  • Condiments: white vinegar, high-heat cooking oil, tomato paste 
  • Vegetables: garlic, onion, scallions, scotch bonnet pepper, tomato,
  • Other ingredients: canned ackee

Recommended Equipment

lodge skillet

About the Cookbook

Island Vegan by Lloyd Rose Book Cover

Authentic Caribbean Cuisine With A Vegan Twist: These plant-powered meals celebrate the rich cuisine and culture of the Caribbean without compromising on authenticity or flavor. Nourish your body and soul with a variety of classic and creative dishes such as: 

  • Pulled Jerk BBQ Sliders 
  • Loaded Dal Puri Roti 
  • Steamed Cabbage 
  • Salt Phish 
  • Barbi Fried Chick’N 
  • Haitian Lรฉgume 
  • Island Flair Sweet Plantains 
  • Piรฑa Colada Ice Cream 
  • Staple sauces such as Green Seasoning, Jerk Marinade, Pikliz, Mango Chutney & more! 

Anyone following a plant-based lifestyleโ€”or just looking for creative new ways to cook veggiesโ€”will fall in love with Lloydโ€™s delicious, wholesome island cooking.

About the Author

lloyd rose

Lloyd Rose is the founder of Plant Crazii, an online resource and Instagram account where he shares recipes and tips for vegan living. He is also the author of Crazy Good Vegan. He is a regular contributor to Best of Vegan, and has been featured in Ebony Magazine and Chatelaine. He lives in Montreal, Canada. Follow Lloyd on Instagram and find more recipes on his blog.

Vegan Ackee and Saltfish – Recipe Card

Use this card to save & print this vegan ackee and saltfish recipe and be sure to read the full article above for additional information on the recipe, the author, and the cookbook.

Vegan Ackee & Saltfish

Vegan Ackee & Saltfish (Iconic Jamaican Breakfast Dish)

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This plant-based take on Ackee & Saltfish is a flavorful, savory breakfast that’ll transport you right to the Caribbean with every single bite! If you’ve never tried Ackee before, you’re in for a treat! Its soft, buttery texture makes it a staple in Jamaican cuisine.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 3 servings

Ingredients

  • 20 ounces canned young green jackfruit - drained and rinsed
  • โ…“ oz seaweed sheets - snack-sized, divided
  • ยฝ tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 ยฝ teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
  • 3 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 small onion - chopped
  • 3 scallions - chopped
  • ยฝ Scotch bonnet pepper - minced
  • ยฝ tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 small tomato - diced
  • ยผ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ยผ teaspoon black pepper
  • 19 ounces canned ackee - drained and gently rinsed

Instructions

  • Add 6 cups (1.4 L) of water to a medium-sized pot, add in the jackfruit, 1/5 oz (5 g) of the seaweed, white vinegar and 2 teaspoons (12 g) of the salt and bring it to a rolling boil. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes. (Do not mix, as the seaweed sheet may come apart, making it hard to separate from the jackfruit.)
  • After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully discard the seaweed. Reserve ยฝ cup (120 ml) of the fishy broth, then drain the water and allow the jackfruit to cool for 5 minutes before roughly chopping the pieces to mimic pieces of saltfish. Set the chopped jackfruit aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautรฉ the remaining seaweed for 30 seconds to flavor the oil, then remove the seaweed. In the same oil, sautรฉ the garlic, onion, scallions and Scotch bonnet pepper for 1 minute, then add in the tomato paste and sautรฉ for 1 more minute.
  • Mix in the chopped tomato and sautรฉ for 30 seconds. Add in the salt phish (jackfruit), along with the dried thyme, black pepper and the remaining ยฝ teaspoon of salt and sautรฉ for 5 minutes.
  • Gently mix in the ackee and pour in the reserved broth. Cover the pot and let it slow simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your preference if more is needed.
  • Enjoy hot with fried or boiled dumplings, boiled yam or white sweet potato, hard dough bread or white rice.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Reprinted with permission from Island Vegan by Lloyd Rose. Page Street Publishing Co. 2024. Photo credit: Shanika Graham-White. 

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Vegan Ackee and Saltfish Jamaican breakfast dish

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If you enjoyed this vegan ackee and saltfish recipe from Lloyd Rose’s cookbook, you might also enjoy the following recipes by the same author.

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