Spam fritters are an easy recipe of deep fried spam dipped in beer batter and fried to a crispy golden brown. Learn how to make batter for fritters, what is a spam fritter made of, what to eat with spam fritters and more. Though you can buy spam fritters at Tesco in the UK, this recipe is a fast and simple way to make this absolute British classic!

➕ Spam Fritters

This recipe for spam fritters offers a bit of wartime dinner nostalgia straight from the UK. When fish became unavailable during World War II (source), succulent spam fritters became a new staple at fish and chip shops. With this easy spam fritters recipe, you can enjoy this classic comfort food at home anytime.

What is spam fritter made of?

Here are the ingredients you need to make spam fritters:

• 12 ounces SPAM luncheon meat (340 grams)
• 1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Black pepper (to taste)
• ¾ cup cold beer (any cheap beer will do fine)
• 6 cups vegetable oil (or enough to fill the pot 1-inch deep; could also use canola / rapeseed, sunflower oil, or another oil with a high smoking point)

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You’ll also need a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the oil, a whisk, knife, slotted spoon, and a cast iron Dutch oven for deep frying. You should not need salt because SPAM is already quite salty.

Some folks like to add a slice of cheese to their spam fritters, and add other seasonings like garlic powder. It’s up to you!

What meat is spam fritters?

Spam fritters are made of SPAM, which is a pork product.

🔥 How to Make Batter for Fritters

Here’s how to make crispy fritter batter:

1. Whisk the AP flour, baking powder, black pepper, and cold beer together. Good batter for fritters should be thin with no lumps but thick enough to coat a spoon.

2. Make sure the oil is heated for frying, then dip the fritter in the batter and drop directly into the hot oil. Don’t try to batter the Spam pieces ahead of time.

I only ended up using about half the batter to coat all the spam slices. However, I’d rather that you had extra batter instead of running out mid-recipe.

😋 How to Make Spam Fritters

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making spam fritters:

1. Fill a cast iron Dutch oven about 1-inch deep (2.54 cm) with oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C).

2. While the oil heats, slice the block of spam into 8 thick slices. Whisk the flour, baking powder, black pepper, and cold beer together in a bowl to make the batter. As mentioned above, good batter for fritters should be thin but thick enough to coat a spoon.

3. When the oil reaches 375F (190C), quickly coat each spam slice with the batter, then lower it with a fork directly into the oil. Fry the spam fritters in two batches, and don’t batter them until ready to fry.

4. Deep fry spam fritters for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. They float! Lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon when they are done frying, and let them drain on paper towels or a wire rack.

5. To fry the second batch of spam fritters, bring the oil back up to 375F (190C). Then repeat steps 3 and 4.

FAQs

Can you air fry spam fritters?

You can cook frozen spam fritters from the store in an air fryer (you can find these in the UK, Iceland, and elsewhere). Air fryer spam fritters take 12-15 minutes at 400F (200C), turning them halfway through cooking time.

How to make spam fritters without beer?

Some recipes for spam fritter batter successfully use milk or water as a substitute for beer. Keep in mind that the flavor of the batter will change if you make it without beer.

What can you eat with spam fritters?

Some popular side dishes for spam fritters include mushy peas or crushed peas and chips (AKA fries, fried potatoes, or hot chips, depending on where you’re from). I also like to serve a dipping sauce with spam fritters such as ketchup or mustard.

Which supermarket sells spam fritters?

You can purchase frozen SPAM fritters in the UK at stores like Tesco. I haven’t seen this product in the US. (If you have, drop me a comment and tell me where you found them!)

How to reheat spam fritters?

Reheat spam fritter leftovers in an air fryer at 400F (200C) for 3-4 minutes. (Use the top rack if you have an air fryer oven.) The air fryer does a better job getting leftover fried foods crispy again compared to the microwave.

👩🏻‍🍳 More Spam Recipes

If you love Spam, make sure to check out my easy fried Spam recipe while you’re here. You may also enjoy these directions on how to cook corned beef hash and canned whole chicken if you like canned meats.

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