Gefilte Fish substitute

Best substitute

Homemade fish quenelles from ground whitefish, pike or carp

1 pound ground fish makes about 8 pieces

Best for Passover seder

Close match

This is the actual dish rather than a substitute. Ask the fish counter to grind whitefish, pike and carp together, or pulse skinned fillets in a food processor. Mix with egg, grated onion, matzo meal, salt, sugar and white pepper, form wet ovals, poach at a bare simmer 45 to 60 minutes in stock made from the heads and bones with sliced carrot and onion, then chill in the broth so it sets to a light jelly.

Other gefilte fish substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Cold poached salmon, whole or in patties
Different taste
Use the same amount by piece
Poach salmon fillets gently in court bouillon, or make salmon quenelles by exactly the recipe above using ground salmon in place of white fish.
What changes
Chill and serve cold with horseradish.
Best for
Passover seder, Rosh Hashanah, cold fish course, buffet platters
Salmon gefilte is a real and common variation, pink instead of pale grey and noticeably richer and more assertive. It tastes less delicate and more like fish, which some people much prefer. It also holds its shape better because salmon is fattier, so the patties are easier to handle.
3Cold poached white fish fillet with horseradish
Different texture
Use 1 fillet for every 2 pieces of gefilte fish
Skip the grinding entirely.
What changes
Poach cod, haddock, halibut or tilapia in salted water with a bay leaf and a slice of onion, cool, and serve chilled with beet horseradish and a wedge of lemon.
Best for
cold fish course, seder plate accompaniment, quick appetizer, when you are short on time
This gets the whole point of the course right, cold mild fish against fierce horseradish, in 15 minutes of work. What you lose is the specific texture: gefilte fish is smooth and springy and a poached fillet is flaky and loose. Nobody will mistake it for gefilte fish and most guests will be perfectly happy.
4Fish mousse or fish terrine
Different taste
Use the same amount by slice
Blend raw white fish with egg white and a little cream or non-dairy cream, season, bake in a loaf pan in a water bath until just set, then chill and slice.
What changes
Best for
formal seder, dinner party, sliced cold course
The texture is closer to gefilte fish than anything else on this list, smooth and set and sliceable, and it looks far more elegant. The flavor is richer and more delicate, without the sweet-onion character that defines gefilte fish. If cream is used it is dairy, so use cashew or coconut cream for a meat meal.
5Canned salmon or tuna patties, chilled
Taste and texture differ
Use 1 can for every 3 pieces
Mix drained canned fish with egg, matzo meal, grated onion and pepper, form patties, and either poach them gently or bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
What changes
Serve cold.
Best for
last-minute appetizer, weeknight version, when no fresh fish is available
This is the pantry answer and it is honestly a different dish: canned fish is cooked, salty and assertive, so the patties taste like fish cakes rather than like gefilte fish. They are good fish cakes. Do not put them on a seder table as gefilte fish and expect nobody to comment.
6Vegetarian mock gefilte fish from white beans and carrot
Different taste
1 can white beans plus 1 grated carrot makes about 6 pieces
Mash cannellini beans with grated carrot, grated onion, an egg, 3 tablespoons matzo meal, salt, sugar and white pepper, form ovals and bake at 375F for 25 minutes.
What changes
Serve cold with horseradish.
Best for
vegetarian and vegan guests, seder, guests who dislike fish, children
This is the practical answer for the guest who will not eat gefilte fish, and it works because the horseradish, the sweet-savory seasoning and the cold-oval-on-a-lettuce-leaf presentation are what most people actually recognize. It tastes of beans and carrot rather than fish, which is the point. Use a flax egg for a vegan version.
7Chopped herring or pickled herring in cream
Taste and texture differ
Use ½ cup for every person
The other traditional cold fish course from the same tradition, already made and sold in jars everywhere.
What changes
Best for
Shabbat kiddush, appetizing platters, cold first course, when you want zero cooking
Completely different in flavor: sour, sharp, vinegary and oily where gefilte fish is mild and faintly sweet. It fills the same slot on the table and requires no work at all. Serve it with rye rather than with horseradish, since the vinegar already does that job.

What is Gefilte Fish?

Gefilte Fish is Gefilte fish, also spelled gefilte or gefullte fish and known in English as fish balls or fish loaf, is mild freshwater fish ground with egg, onion and matzo meal, then poached in fish stock and served cold with horseradish.

Cooking tips

Grated onion, not chopped, is what makes gefilte fish taste like gefilte fish. Grate it on the coarse side of a box grater so it disappears into the mixture and releases its juice. Diced onion leaves crunchy specks and a raw bite.
Poach and chill in the same liquid. The broth made from heads and bones sets to a light jelly around the fish as it cools, and that jelly is a large part of the traditional flavor and the reason the fish stays moist. Never drain the fish and refrigerate it dry.
Wet your hands with cold water before shaping each piece. The mixture is deliberately loose and sticky, and dry hands will tear it apart. A wet ice cream scoop works well for even sizing.
Sweet or peppery is the great regional divide and it is worth knowing which one your family expects. Polish-style is noticeably sugared, Lithuanian-style is peppery and barely sweet. If you are making it for the first time, start with a teaspoon of sugar per pound and a lot of white pepper, then taste a poached teaspoon of the mixture before shaping the rest.
Beet horseradish, chrain, is not optional here in the way garnishes usually are. Gefilte fish is deliberately mild, and the horseradish supplies all the sharpness the course has. Whatever substitute you serve, serve horseradish with it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave gefilte fish off the table?

Yes. It is a first course, not a structural part of the meal, and plenty of seders skip it. If it is a tradition your family cares about, serve something cold, mild and fishy with horseradish in its place, since that combination is what people actually remember. Nobody misses gefilte fish because of the fish; they miss it because of the ritual.

What is the closest substitute for jarred gefilte fish?

Homemade quenelles from ground whitefish, pike or carp, which is the same dish made properly and tastes considerably better. If you need something bought, cold poached salmon or a chilled fish terrine gets closest to the cold, mild, sliceable role. There is no jar of anything else that tastes like gefilte fish.

What can I serve someone who refuses to eat gefilte fish?

A vegetarian version made from mashed white beans, grated carrot and onion, baked and served cold with beet horseradish, works surprisingly well because the horseradish and the presentation carry most of the recognition. A mushroom-walnut pate is another good option. Both let the person participate in the course rather than sitting it out.

Is gefilte fish an ingredient or a dish?

It is a finished dish, which is why substituting it is a question about what to serve rather than what to measure. Occasionally a recipe treats a jarred loaf as an ingredient to slice or bake, and in that case a poached fish patty of the same size does the job.

What fish should I use if I cannot get pike or carp?

Whitefish alone is the most common single-fish version and works well. Cod, haddock, halibut or tilapia all make a decent, slightly softer gefilte fish, and salmon makes a rich pink version that is popular in its own right. Avoid strongly flavored oily fish like mackerel, which overwhelms the mild character the dish depends on.

Related substitutes

More seafood substitutes

Gefilte Fish substitute

Other gefilte fish substitutes

2Cold poached salmon, whole or in patties

3Cold poached white fish fillet with horseradish

4Fish mousse or fish terrine

5Canned salmon or tuna patties, chilled

6Vegetarian mock gefilte fish from white beans and carrot

7Chopped herring or pickled herring in cream