Swai substitute

Best substitute

Tilapia

Use the same amount by weight as the swai you are replacing

Best for pan-frying

Different texture

Tilapia is the best everyday substitute for swai and goes in at 1:1 with no changes. Basa is the same fish under a different name, so it is a perfect swap wherever you can find it. Catfish is the right choice if you are frying, and cod or pollock give you a cleaner, flakier and slightly more expensive upgrade.

Other swai substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Basa or river cobbler
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
A perfect substitute, because it is the same fish.
What changes
Basa, pangasius and river cobbler are all names for the Mekong catfish sold in the US as swai, so the flavor, thickness, texture and cooking time are indistinguishable. If your recipe says swai and the package in front of you says basa or river cobbler, buy it and change nothing.
Best for
any recipe calling for swai, pan-frying, baking, curries, fish and chips
British, Irish and Australian shops usually stock it under basa or river cobbler rather than swai.
3Catfish
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by weight
The best choice if the recipe involves cornmeal and hot oil.
What changes
American channel catfish is a close cousin of swai but sturdier, with a firmer flake that survives frying and a distinctly earthier, sweeter, more assertive flavor. Fried catfish tastes more like something than fried swai does, which is a plus in a Southern-style fry and a minus in a delicate lemon-butter dish where you wanted the fish to disappear.
Best for
deep frying, blackened fish, fish fry, gumbo, stews, grilling
Catfish fillets are thicker and can take a longer fry. Farmed catfish is milder than wild.
4Cod or pollock
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
The upgrade.
What changes
Cod and pollock are lean saltwater whitefish with a clean, faintly briny flavor and proper large flakes, so a baked fillet or a plate of fish and chips comes out tasting fresher and lighter and looking much better on the plate. Two adjustments: they cost more, and cod fillets are considerably thicker than swai, so a recipe timed for a thin swai fillet will underdo a cod loin by several minutes.
Best for
fish and chips, baked fish, chowder, fish tacos, fish pie
Buy center-cut cod loin for even thickness. Pollock is the cheaper of the two and nearly as good.
5Haddock
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
Similar to cod but softer and slightly sweeter, and closer to swai in tenderness than cod is.
What changes
It breads and fries very well and flakes cleanly in a fish pie. The flavor is more marine and more interesting than swai's near-neutral mildness, so sauces you built to compensate for bland fish may need dialing back slightly.
Best for
breaded fish, fish and chips, fish pie, baked fish, chowder
Make sure you buy plain haddock, not smoked, which will make a completely different dish.
6Flounder or sole
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
A good match for swai's thinness and a step up in delicacy.
What changes
These flatfish fillets are similarly thin and quick-cooking but finer-textured and genuinely sweet, so a quick pan-fry with lemon and butter is much better than the same dish made with swai. They are more fragile, however, so they cannot take a long braise or a heavy batter without breaking up, and they cook in three to four minutes.
Best for
pan-frying, meuniere, rolled and baked fillets, quick weeknight fish
Use a fish spatula and turn them only once. Plaice behaves the same way.

What is Swai?

Swai is Swai, also labeled swai fish, pangasius or iridescent shark catfish, is an inexpensive farmed freshwater fish from Southeast Asia sold as thin boneless white fillets with soft, slightly sweet, very mild flesh and a high water content.

Cooking tips

Swai is the fish most likely to go mushy on you, and the cause is almost always water. It is sold frozen with a protective ice glaze, so thaw it in the fridge, then press it between paper towels until the surface is genuinely dry before it goes anywhere near a pan.
Give swai high, dry heat rather than gentle wet heat. A hot skillet, a 425F oven or a fryer sets the surface before the interior collapses. Poaching it in a thin broth or simmering it in a watery sauce is how you end up with fish paste.
Because swai tastes of almost nothing, it is a vehicle rather than an ingredient, and it needs more seasoning than a recipe written for cod. Salt it ahead, and be generous with acid, garlic, spice, blackening rub or a bold sauce. If you swap up to cod or haddock, pull that seasoning back a little so you can still taste the fish.
Swai fillets are thin and unevenly tapered. Fold the thin tail end under itself before baking so the whole piece finishes at the same moment, or cut the tail off and cook it separately for a couple of minutes less.
Most swai is frozen at sea or shortly after harvest, so frozen fillets are not a compromise here. Cook them from a proper overnight fridge thaw, never from a countertop thaw, which leaves the outside warm and waterlogged while the middle is still icy.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of fish is swai?

It is a farmed freshwater catfish from the Mekong region, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, marketed as swai in the United States and as basa, pangasius or river cobbler elsewhere. The name iridescent shark refers to the young fish sold for aquariums and has nothing to do with sharks. The fillets are boneless, thin, pale and very mild.

Can I just leave the swai out?

Only if it is a minor component. Swai is the protein in almost every recipe that calls for it, so leaving it out empties the dish. If you have no fish at all, chicken breast cut thin works in most swai recipes, since both are mild lean proteins that live on their seasoning, though it will need longer cooking and a check that it is fully done.

Is tilapia or swai better?

For cooking purposes tilapia is easier to handle. Both are cheap, farmed, boneless and very mild, but tilapia is firmer and drier, so it browns better, holds together in curries and on a grill, and is much less likely to go mushy. Swai is softer and more tender, which some people prefer in a breaded fillet. They are interchangeable at 1:1.

Why does my swai fall apart when I cook it?

Almost always excess moisture combined with not enough heat. Thaw it fully in the fridge, blot both sides dry, salt it, blot again, and cook it in a properly preheated pan or oven. Turn it once and only once, with a thin fish spatula. If it still breaks up, switch to tilapia or catfish, which are structurally sturdier.

Can I use swai for fish and chips or fish tacos?

Yes to both, with a caveat. It batters and fries acceptably as long as it is dry going in, but it is softer than the cod or haddock a chip shop uses, so the fillet is more likely to break when you lift it. For tacos it is fine and the seasoning does the work. Cod, pollock or catfish all give you a sturdier fillet.

Related substitutes

More seafood substitutes

Swai substitute

Other swai substitutes

2Basa or river cobbler

3Catfish

4Cod or pollock

5Haddock

6Flounder or sole