The fish most similar to cod are haddock, pollock, and hake. All three belong to the same biological order as cod, share its mild flavor and white, flaky flesh, and work as direct swaps in nearly any recipe. Beyond those top three, several other whitefish can fill the role depending on what you’re cooking and what’s available at your store.
Haddock: The Closest Match
Haddock is the most common substitute for cod, and for good reason. It has a milder, slightly sweeter flavor than cod with a finer, more delicate flake. The texture is lean and clean, making it almost indistinguishable from cod in dishes like fish and chips, chowders, or fish pies. Haddock fillets tend to be a bit thinner than thick-cut cod loins, so you may need to reduce cooking time slightly to avoid drying them out.
Nutritionally, haddock edges out cod with about 20 grams of protein per serving compared to cod’s 17 grams. It also carries lower mercury levels, averaging 0.055 parts per million versus cod’s 0.111, making it a solid choice for people who eat whitefish frequently or are pregnant.
Pollock: Best Budget Option
Alaska pollock is one of the most widely available and affordable whitefish in supermarkets, and it’s already the fish inside many frozen fish sticks and fast-food fish sandwiches. It has a slightly stronger flavor than cod and a larger, firmer flake that holds up well to battering and frying. The fisheries are well managed, making it one of the more sustainable choices on the market.
Pollock has the lowest mercury concentration of any common cod substitute at just 0.031 parts per million, roughly a third of cod’s level. Like haddock, it delivers about 20 grams of protein per serving. If you’re buying it frozen (which is how most pollock is sold), let it thaw completely in the refrigerator before cooking. Residual moisture from a quick thaw will prevent you from getting a good sear or crispy batter.
Hake: Softer but Versatile
Hake belongs to the same order as cod but has a noticeably softer, more delicate flesh. White hake is the variety you’ll most commonly find in North American and European markets. Its texture makes it better suited to gentle cooking methods like poaching, steaming, or baking in a sauce rather than deep frying, where it can fall apart.
Silver hake, also called whiting, is a smaller fish (typically half a pound to one pound each) with even softer, less flaky flesh. It’s often sold whole and works best cleaned and fried in one piece. Both varieties have a clean, mild taste that’s very close to cod. European hake specifically has rebounded from overfishing and now carries good sustainability ratings in many markets.
Whiting: Overlooked and Affordable
Whiting is one of the most underrated cod alternatives. It has a delicate, mild flavor that makes it a near-perfect like-for-like swap in fish pies, casseroles, and even fish and chips. It’s typically one of the cheaper whitefish options at the counter, which makes it worth seeking out if you cook fish regularly. The fillets are thin and cook quickly, so watch them carefully to avoid overcooking.
Basa and Pangasius: The Imported Option
Basa (also sold as pangasius, swai, or tra) is a farmed freshwater fish from Southeast Asia that shows up in most supermarkets at a very low price point. It has white flesh and a mild, clean taste, though the texture is noticeably different from cod. Where cod is firm and flaky, basa is softer and almost silky. It stays very moist under quick cooking, while cod fillets, which are usually thicker, can cook up drier.
Basa works well in curries, tacos, and any dish with a sauce that does some of the flavor heavy lifting. It’s not the best choice for fish and chips or recipes that need the fish to hold its shape under pressure. Don’t confuse it with American catfish, which has a stronger, muddier taste. High-grade basa is white and clean-tasting due to controlled pond farming.
Tilapia: Mild but Different in Texture
Tilapia is easy to find and inexpensive, with a very mild flavor that won’t overpower any recipe. It provides the most protein of the common substitutes at about 22 grams per serving. The catch is that tilapia fillets are flat, thin, and cut from a smaller fish, so they don’t match the thick, steak-like cross sections you get from a cod loin. This means they cook much faster and aren’t interchangeable in recipes that call for roasting or poaching a thick piece of fish. If your recipe uses thin fillets for pan-frying or breading, tilapia works fine.
Coley, Ling, and Rockfish: For Specific Dishes
A few less common species deserve mention because they excel in particular cooking situations.
Coley has pinkish-grey raw flesh that turns paler when cooked. It works especially well deep-fried in batter or breadcrumbs and is a staple in British fish stews. Ling is a firmer fish that holds its shape during cooking, making it ideal for fish pies, chowders, and pan-frying in butter. Rockfish has big white flakes with a touch more oil than cod, making it versatile enough for tacos, plancha grilling, or battering and frying with chips. All three typically cost less than cod or haddock.
How to Pick the Right Substitute
The best swap depends on what you’re making. Here’s a quick guide:
- Fish and chips or deep frying: Haddock, pollock, or coley. You need a fish that holds together in hot oil.
- Fish pies and chowders: Haddock, whiting, or ling. These break into pleasant flakes without disintegrating.
- Pan-searing a thick fillet: Haddock or ling. Both can handle high heat and maintain structure.
- Curries, tacos, or sauced dishes: Basa, tilapia, or hake. The sauce carries the flavor, so a milder, softer fish works.
- Poaching or steaming: Hake or whiting. Their softer flesh absorbs seasoning well with gentle cooking.
Regardless of which fish you choose, all whitefish varieties reach a safe internal temperature at 145°F. The real variable is thickness. A thick pollock or haddock fillet will need the same time as a similar-sized piece of cod. A thin tilapia or basa fillet will cook in roughly half the time. Match the cut of your substitute to the cut in your recipe, and the results will be nearly identical to using cod.