Conch salad
Raw conch diced fine with onion, pepper, tomato and chilli, cured for ten minutes in lime and orange juice. The Bahamian national snack.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- —
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Medium heat
- Cost
- A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Conch salad is raw conch, chopped small, mixed with an equal volume of diced onion, green pepper, tomato and cucumber, then drowned in fresh lime and orange juice with salt and scotch bonnet. The citrus firms the conch slightly in the few minutes it sits, but this is not ceviche: it is eaten almost at once, cold, crunchy and sharp, usually out of a plastic cup. At home the only work is knife work. Dice everything the same size, use more lime than you think, and taste for salt before it goes out. If you have never handled conch, start with frozen cleaned meat and skip the raw-prep anxiety.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Conch, cleaned, skinned, diced to 5 mm400 g
- Onion, finely diced1 medium
- Bell pepper, green bell pepper, finely diced1 medium
- Tomato, seeded and diced2 medium
- Cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced (optional)½
- Scotch bonnet, seeded and minced, or less1
- Lime, juiced4
- Orange, juiced1
- Salt4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
If the conch still has its dark skin, trim it off with a small knife and rinse the meat well. Pat dry and dice to about 5 mm; smaller is better than larger because raw conch is chewy.
10 min
Tip: Frozen cleaned conch, half-thawed, dices more neatly than fully thawed.
Step 2
Dice the onion, pepper, tomato and cucumber to the same size as the conch. Mince the scotch bonnet finely and keep some back.
10 min
Step 3
Mix conch and vegetables in a bowl. Pour over the lime and orange juice and add the salt. Stir and taste. It should be sharp enough to make you blink, then salty, then hot.
2 min
Step 4
Let it sit 10 minutes, no longer, so the conch firms a little in the acid. Taste again, add more chilli or salt, and serve cold in cups with a spoon.
10 min
Watch: Raw shellfish. Buy conch from a source you trust and keep it cold throughout.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 199 kcal
- Protein
- 26.1 g
- Carbs
- 19.4 g
- Fat
- 1.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 0.4 g
- Fibre
- 4.1 g
- Sugar
- 8.8 g
- Sodium
- 646 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Shellfish
- Pescatarian
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.
Substitutions
Conch → Very fresh squid or firm white fish, diced
Squid gives the closest chew raw. White fish turns it into a ceviche; give it 20 minutes in the lime instead of 10.
Scotch bonnet → Habanero or a milder red chilli
Habanero is the same heat and fruit. A milder chilli just means more of it.
Tips
- The ratio is roughly one part conch to one part vegetables by volume. Stands that skimp on conch are the ones to walk past.
- A 'tropical' conch salad adds diced mango or pineapple. It is a tourist thing, but it works with the heat.
- Keep the chopping board for the conch separate from the one for the vegetables, or wash it between.
History & culture
This is stand-at-the-counter food. Potter's Cay under the bridge in Nassau, Arawak Cay Fish Fry, and any dock with a conch boat tied up will have someone chopping on a board while you wait. People argue about tomato, about scotch bonnet, and about whether to add a little conch slime for luck. It is lunch, it is a hangover cure, it is a Sunday afternoon.
Queen conch has fed the islands since the Lucayan Taíno, whose middens are mostly shell. The salad as it stands, with onion, pepper and citrus, is a 20th-century dockside dish that grew with Nassau's tourist trade. Conch stocks are now under pressure and the Bahamas has moved to tighten catch limits.
Traditional — Bahamian stands use sour orange where they can get it. Lime plus a little sweet orange juice is the usual stand-in and is written here. Cucumber is a Nassau habit, not universal.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Conch salad take?
35 min all in — 25 min prep, 10 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 cups. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Medium heat.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Shellfish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Pescatarian, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Chef's knife, Cutting board, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Conch → Very fresh squid or firm white fish, diced. Squid gives the closest chew raw. White fish turns it into a ceviche; give it 20 minutes in the lime instead of 10. Scotch bonnet → Habanero or a milder red chilli. Habanero is the same heat and fruit. A milder chilli just means more of it.
What should I watch for?
Raw shellfish. Buy conch from a source you trust and keep it cold throughout.
Any tips from this recipe?
The ratio is roughly one part conch to one part vegetables by volume. Stands that skimp on conch are the ones to walk past. A 'tropical' conch salad adds diced mango or pineapple. It is a tourist thing, but it works with the heat. Keep the chopping board for the conch separate from the one for the vegetables, or wash it between.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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