Smoked dried fish substitutes
Smoked dried fish substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Hot-smoked mackerel fillets
One fillet, about 4 ounces for every 4 ounces smoked dried fish
The best supermarket match because it is genuinely smoked oily fish. Flake it off the skin and add it in the last 10 minutes; it is already moist and fully cooked, so a long simmer just dissolves it.
Supermarket hot-smoked mackerel is the closest easy swap, using roughly one 4 ounce fillet per 4 ounces of dried smoked fish and adding it in the last 10 minutes. Smoked herring or smoked trout works the same way. If you have dried unsmoked fish, use it with a quarter teaspoon of liquid smoke to buy back the smoke, and if you have neither, 2 tablespoons of ground crayfish plus a teaspoon of smoked paprika will keep the soup from tasting flat.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- similar taste, different texture
- Best for —
- egusi soup
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked · per 4 ounces smoked dried fish| # | Substitute | Instead of 4 ounces smoked dried fish | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hot-smoked mackerel filletsegusi soup | One fillet, about 4 ouncesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Smoked herring (kippers) or smoked troutegusi soup | Same amount by weightYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Dried unsmoked fish plus liquid smokeegusi soup | Same weight of dried fish, plus ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke per potWorks | Works |
| 4 | Ground crayfish or dried shrimpall West African soups | 2 tablespoons ground per litre of soupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Smoked paprika plus fish sauceemergency substitution | 1 teaspoon smoked paprika plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce per litre of soupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Smoked turkey or smoked ham hockegusi soup | Same amount by weightYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Hot-smoked mackerel fillets
similar taste, different texture
The best supermarket match because it is genuinely smoked oily fish. Flake it off the skin and add it in the last 10 minutes; it is already moist and fully cooked, so a long simmer just dissolves it.
- Best for
- egusi soup, okra soup, afang soup, vegetable soups, jollof and stews
Softer, oilier and much less concentrated than the dried kind, so the smoke and savour are right but you get a soft flake instead of a firm chunk to chew. Peppered smoked mackerel works fine; just account for the extra pepper.
Smoked herring (kippers) or smoked trout
different taste and texture
Both are widely stocked and both carry a strong, unmistakable smoke. Smoked herring in particular is already a staple in Caribbean and West African cooking, so it sits naturally in these dishes.
- Best for
- egusi soup, stews, rice dishes, pepper sauces, shito
More assertive and oilier than most West African smoked fish, and kippers can be very salty, so rinse them briefly and use a little less than the recipe calls for. Taste the pot before adding salt.
Dried unsmoked fish plus liquid smoke
similar taste and texture
This is the most faithful reconstruction, because it keeps the two things that matter most, the concentrated savour and the firm chew, and adds back the only thing missing. Use stockfish, panla or any plain dried fish.
- Best for
- egusi soup, ogbono soup, okra soup, bitterleaf soup, any soup where the chunk matters
Add the liquid smoke in drops and taste as you go. It is blunter than real wood smoke and turns acrid and ashtray-like very fast if you overshoot, and there is no way to take it back out.
Ground crayfish or dried shrimp
different taste and texture
Already in most of these recipes and the fastest way to carry the savoury weight of the pot. It dissolves completely and seasons everything evenly.
- Best for
- all West African soups, stews, pepper sauces, vegetable dishes
Tastes sweeter and distinctly shellfish-like rather than smoky, and contributes nothing to chew. Good soup, but a version made this way smells of shrimp where the original smelled of a wood fire.
Smoked paprika plus fish sauce
different taste and texture
For when there is no fish in the house at all. The paprika supplies smoke and the fish sauce supplies salty marine savour, which between them point the dish in the right direction.
- Best for
- emergency substitution, quick weeknight stews, seasoning a flat pot
Tastes noticeably simpler and slightly sweet from the paprika, and it reddens the soup, which matters if you wanted a green vegetable soup. Reduce the salt, because fish sauce is salty. No texture at all.
Smoked turkey or smoked ham hock
different taste and texture
Common in Nigerian home cooking and in African American greens alike, and genuinely excellent for smoky depth. Add it early with the meat so it has time to soften and flavour the stock.
- Best for
- egusi soup, greens and vegetable soups, stews, beans and porridges
This makes a meaty soup rather than a marine one, so the whole character shifts from sea-savoury to bacony. It also needs 30 to 45 minutes to become tender, unlike smoked fish which is ready when it hits the pot.
Questions
5 questionsCan I use canned tuna or sardines instead of smoked fish?
It is a weak swap and worth knowing why. Canned tuna and sardines bring oil, salt and mild fish flavour, but no smoke and none of the concentrated depth that comes from drying. Canned smoked oysters or smoked sardines are better, since at least the smoke is there. Drain them, add them at the very end, and lift the pot with ground crayfish or a little fish sauce as well.
Can I just leave smoked fish out?
Yes, and vegetarian versions of these soups exist and are good. But do not simply omit it and change nothing, because smoked fish is often the main source of savoury depth in the pot. Replace it with ground crayfish, dried shiitake and its soaking liquid, or a combination of smoked paprika and a savoury seasoning, or the soup will taste like vegetables in oil.
Is smoked fish the same as stockfish?
No. Stockfish, or okporoko, is air-dried without salt or smoke and is prized for a dense springy chew and a clean aged savour. Smoked dried fish is hot-smoked over wood, so it carries an obvious smoke aroma and flakes apart more readily. Many West African soups use both, precisely because they contribute different things.
Which supermarket fish is closest to Nigerian smoked fish?
Hot-smoked mackerel is the closest in flavour, and if you can find hard-smoked or dried smoked herring at a Caribbean shop it is closer still in texture. Avoid cold-smoked salmon, which is soft, delicate, expensive and disappears in a soup. The traditional fish are mackerel, catfish, herring and tilapia, so look for smoked oily fish rather than smoked white fish.
How much smoked fish goes into one pot of soup?
For a large family pot, roughly 4 to 8 ounces before deboning, which is not much once the skin and bones are gone. It is a seasoning as much as a protein. If you are also using stockfish and ground crayfish, stay at the lower end, because all three push in the same savoury direction and can crowd out the vegetables and palm oil.
Tips for substituting smoked dried fish
5 tips- Debone it before it goes in. Smoked fish is sold with skin, bones and often the head, so break it into chunks in your hands under warm running water and pull the spine and rib bones out, or you will be picking bones out of every spoonful.
- A quick rinse in warm water removes dust and any bitterness clinging to the skin without washing out the smoke. Do not soak it, though, or you will rinse away the savour you paid for.
- Match the timing to the form. Hard dried pieces go in early, 15 to 20 minutes, so they soften and season the broth. Soft supermarket smoked fillets go in during the last 10 minutes, or they melt away entirely.
- Taste before you salt. Traditional dried smoked fish is often only lightly salted, but kippers, hot-smoked mackerel and smoked turkey all carry a lot of salt with them.
- Store the packet in the freezer rather than the cupboard. Smoked dried fish is oily, and that oil goes rancid, plus the smoke aroma leaches into everything else on the shelf.