Seafood

Serving

Pan-Fried Gefilte Fish

Name: Pan-Fried Gefilte Fish
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 1.5 lb ground whitefish (or a mix of whitefish and pike); 1 large onion, grated; 1 carrot, grated; 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup matzo meal; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 4 cups fish or vegetable stock; 1 carrot, sliced (for poaching liquid); prepared horseradish, for serving

Traditional Ashkenazi poached fish patties made from ground whitefish, served chilled with horseradish — a seder-table classic.

60 minutes

Serves 6

Appetizer

21 min prep

33 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Fish Seafood Wheat

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
In a large bowl, combine the ground fish, grated onion, grated carrot, eggs, matzo meal, salt, and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2
Bring the fish stock and sliced carrot to a gentle simmer in a wide, shallow pot.
3
Wet your hands and shape the fish mixture into 12 oval patties.
4
Gently lower the patties into the simmering stock, cover, and poach for 25-30 minutes until firm and cooked through.
5
Carefully remove the patties and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 2 hours.
6
Serve cold, topped with a slice of the poached carrot and a spoonful of prepared horseradish.

Pan-Fried Gefilte Fish — plated and served — Serving moment. How Pan-Fried Gefilte Fish looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

63/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 60

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 41

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

Calories

5 g

Protein

5 g

Carbs

2 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Gefilte fish is an Ashkenazi Jewish dish, traditionally served at Passover seders and Shabbat tables, born from a practical need to stretch fish across a family and remove the bones for safer eating on the Sabbath, when picking bones is traditionally avoided. This poached, chilled version is the classic preparation passed down through generations.

Listahan note

This version keeps the traditional poaching method rather than steaming or baking, since the gentle simmer in seasoned stock is what gives gefilte fish its familiar mild, delicate texture.

Technique cues

Wet your hands before shaping the patties; the mixture is sticky and dry hands make it stick and fall apart.
Keep the poaching liquid at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, or the delicate patties can break apart in the pot.
Chill thoroughly, at least a couple of hours and ideally overnight, since gefilte fish is traditionally served cold, and the texture firms up significantly as it chills.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix the fish mixture and let it rest in the fridge while you bring the poaching stock to a simmer.
Make-ahead: This dish is traditionally made a day or two ahead, since it needs to chill fully before serving and the flavor improves with time.
Leftover move: Serve leftover patties cold with extra horseradish and a slice of the poached carrot, exactly as intended the first time.
Cleanup rhythm: One wide pot handles the poaching; the mixing bowl and hands are the only other real cleanup.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Ground whitefish

Main protein

Purpose: A traditional mix of mild whitefish and pike gives the classic gefilte fish flavor and texture.

Handling: Have your fishmonger grind it fresh if possible, or pulse whole fillets in a food processor.

Adaptation: Ground cod or haddock can substitute if whitefish and pike are not available.

Grated onion and carrot

Aromatic and sweetness

Purpose: The onion adds savory depth while the carrot brings a subtle sweetness that balances the fish.

Handling: Grate both finely so they blend seamlessly into the mixture rather than leaving large chunks.

Adaptation: A finely diced shallot can replace some of the onion for a milder flavor.

Matzo meal

Binder

Purpose: Holds the fish mixture together while poaching without adding much flavor of its own.

Handling: Mix in evenly and let the mixture rest so the matzo meal can absorb some moisture.

Adaptation: Plain breadcrumbs work outside of Passover, when matzo meal is not required.

Prepared horseradish

Condiment

Purpose: Its sharp heat is the traditional counterpoint to the mild, slightly sweet fish.

Handling: Serve on the side so each person can adjust the amount to taste.

Adaptation: Red horseradish (beet-colored) is a milder, sweeter alternative to white horseradish.

Technique notes

Season the raw mixture more assertively than seems necessary — the flavor mutes once chilled, which is part of why gefilte fish tastes best made ahead.
Poach in a wide, shallow pot so the patties have room and are not stacked or crowded.
Save the poaching liquid — strained and chilled, it sets into a light jelly that is traditionally served alongside the fish.

Ingredient swaps

Fish-free direction: This dish is defined by its use of ground whitefish and cannot reasonably be made fish-free while remaining gefilte fish.
Egg-free direction: This is not easily made egg-free, since the eggs bind the mixture; a flax-egg substitute can be tested but changes the texture.
Gluten-free direction: Use certified gluten-free matzo meal or a gluten-free breadcrumb substitute outside of Passover.

Serve alongside

Prepared horseradish
Matzo ball soup
Simple green salad
Sweet Manischewitz or kosher wine
Sparkling water with lemon
Iced tea

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in a sealed container, ideally in a little of the poaching liquid, for up to 4 days.
This dish is served cold and is not meant to be reheated.
Freezing works well for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Equipment

Wide, shallow pot
Mixing bowl
Food processor if grinding fish at home

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