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Belizean · Central American

Fry jacks

Vegetarian

Puffy, golden triangles of fried dough — Belize's favourite breakfast, served with refried beans, eggs and cheese, or with honey or jam.

Fry jacks is a Belizean bread, ready in about 50 minutes and made with all-purpose flour, baking powder and butter. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Rest
20 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
400

Ingredients

4 servings (16 fry jacks)

For frying

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt and rub in the butter (opens in a new tab). Add the evaporated milk (opens in a new tab) and water and knead to a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.

    • 8 min
    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Divide into 8 balls, roll each into a thin round and cut in half (or into quarters).

    Dough being rolled out with a rolling pin
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Fry in oil at 180 °C a few at a time, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 1 minute per side. Drain.

    Food safety: Keep children away from the hot oil and never leave it unattended.

  4. Step 4

    Serve hot with refried beans, eggs and cheese, or drizzled with honey (opens in a new tab).

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Belize · Well documentedMore food from Belize
    Dish
    Breakfast · Breads & flatbreads
    Cooking method
    Deep-fried
    Taste
    mild, buttery, savoury
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    Without the optional extras: No added sugarWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
    Cook more with
    All-purpose flour · Baking powder · Butter · Evaporated milk
    Techniques
    Deep-frying · Kneading

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter, evaporated milk
    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    400 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 124 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 8%
    • Carbohydrate 51%
    • Fat 41%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy400 kcal321 kcal
    Protein8 g6.4 g
    Carbohydrate50.5 g40.6 g
    Net carbohydrate48.8 g39.2 g
    Sugars2.3 g1.9 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre1.7 g1.4 g
    Fat18.3 g14.7 g
    Saturated fat5.7 g4.6 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol22 mg18 mg
    Sodium599 mg482 mg
    Salt equivalent1.5 g1.2 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    134 mg
    Calcium
    200 mg
    Iron
    3.2 mg
    Magnesium
    20 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    65 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.4 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    184 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: honey.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Storage

    • Best eaten fresh and hot.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in step 1

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 15 min

      Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

    2. Rest · about 20 min

      Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

    3. Bake · about 15 min

      Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

    4. Start to finish: about 50 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    The dough

    The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
    IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
    All-purpose flourFlour250 g100%
    Evaporated milkOther86 g34.2%
    WaterWater80 g32%
    ButterFat30 g12%
    Baking powderRaising agent9 g3.6%
    SaltSalt3 g1.2%
    Total flour
    250 g
    Hydration
    32%
    With milk, eggs…
    32%
    Wholegrain
    0%

    Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

    • Stiff dough (under 55% hydration) — firm, easy to roll; typical of bagels, pretzels and many flatbreads.
    • Salt 1.2% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
    • Fat 12% — a rich, tender dough.

    If something goes wrong

    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Tough or chewy flatbread

      Likely causes

      • Dough too stiff
      • Not rested
      • Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan

      What to do

      • Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
      • Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
      • Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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