Salt cod stuffed piquillo peppers are comfort food in tapas form - the potato and salt cod filling is smooth and packed with flavor and pairs so well with the roasted peppers. They make a great appetizer or serve as part of a tapas meal.

dish of salt cod stuffed piquillo peppers with orange avocado salad and cheese with membrillo in background.

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Salt cod is one of those ingredients that is popular in certain parts of the world, but seems to be almost unknown elsewhere. Maybe it's one of those things that unless you were brought up eating it, it might seem intimidating or easy to get wrong. It takes a bit of advance planning and does require getting that preparation right. But following just a few simple steps, it can be a great ingredient to work with.

It can be tasty in things like this salt cod and orange salad (remojón) though it's maybe better known in more comforting stews and bakes like Portuguese bacalhau à Gomes de Sá. Here it's mixed with potato to form what's sometimes called a brandade to make a deliciously flavorful filling for piquillo peppers.

close view of dish of salt cod stuffed piquillo peppers.

I remember having a version of this dish is Madrid when I lived there and it was always a favorite. Piquillo peppers are sometimes filled with a tuna mixture or other fillings, and this version is a little less common. But it's well worth giving a try.

This dish is not only tasty in it's own right, but a great introduction to salt cod. The potato makes it more mellow and the texture is smoother, but you still get the benefit of it's tasty flavor. Plus the mixture works so well with the peppers, too. It's kind of Spanish comfort food in tapas-sized portions. (New to tapas? Learn more in what are tapas).

plates with salt cod, piquillo peppers, potatoes, milk and sprig of parsley to side.

What is salt cod?

Salt cod (bacalao in Spanish, bacalhau in Portuguese) is cod that has been dried and preserved in salt. It's a very old method of preserving and is generally dated back to the late 1400s/early 1500s with European exploration of the Americas.

The Portuguese navy, in exploring the Americas, found vast quantities of cod off the coast of Newfoundland and needed a way to preserve it. Given the climate didn't suit drying, they salted it instead. Since then, salt cod has become a national favorite in Portugal and you will also find it in Spain, parts of the Caribbean and elsewhere.

In the past, salt cod had the huge benefit of being able to store it without refrigeration and it was also relatively economical. Unfortunately, salt cod is no longer a cheap option as it was, but here at least you don't need that much.

The other ingredients are all either shelf-stable or pantry staples, too. You can find piquillo peppers in jars, ready roasted, alongside olives in the supermarket or online (affiliate link above) - just drain before using.

pieces of salt cod in pot with milk and bay leaf to side.

Buying and preparing salt cod

You can buy salt cod in blocks, either whole fillets or smaller offcuts. Since in this dish you mix it in with potatoes, the offcuts work just fine. Due to the salt, you don't typically need to refrigerate it when you buy it.

To use it, you need to soak it for at least for a day if not a couple days, with a few changes of water to get most of the salt off. Exactly how long depends in part on how thick the piece of fish is, as well as the end flavor you want to have.

If you soak it longer, you can get pretty much all the salt out. However, it will be a bit more plain in flavor. Sometimes that's fine, while in other dishes you want a little more salty depth. It's a balance, and some depends on your taste as well.

You can test a little of the fish as it's soaking to see how salty it tastes. This will give you a sense if it has the right level of saltiness. For these, I'd say tasting a bit salty is best as it will become milder after mixing into the potato.

salt cod stuffed piquillo peppers in baking dish before going in the oven.

How to make these stuffed peppers

After you've soaked the fish, you poach it to gently cook it and make it easy to flake. Meanwhile cook and mash potatoes. Mix the two together along with some olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper then stuff the peppers. Bake until gently warm and the potato mixture is just starting to brown.

Some versions poach the fish in milk, while others use water. Milk gives a slightly sweeter, milder flavor and so for me I feel works better for this. It also pairs well with the potato, helping to make it creamy.

These salt cod stuffed piquillo peppers might be a less known tapas, but it's one well worth enjoying. While it needs little planning, it's easy to make and has delicious flavors. Simple ingredients, lots of flavor - it's what comfort foods should be.

dish of salt cod stuffed piquillo peppers with salad, cheese and olives blurred in background.

Try these other tapas recipes alongside:

Spanish tortilla (tortilla Española)
Blistered Padron peppers (pimientos de Padrón)
Spanish garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo)
Plus get more Spanish recipes in the archives.

terracotta dish of salt cod stuffed piquillo peppers.

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5 from 4 votes