Beer Battered Fish Tacos (the best crispy fish tacos around!)
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If you are looking for the crispiest fried fish tacos, then this is the recipe you want to make. The beer batter fries up light and crispy, and the added seasonings make these battered fish tacos my family’s favorite.
I tested several versions of this recipe before landing on my favorite – it’s one I’ve been making for years now. I love them because the recipe is uncomplicated and straightforward to make. My family loves them because they are flavorful and crispy.
What sets them apart is a unique method of seasoning them with flour and spices before battering and frying. With this recipe, you can easily enjoy restaurant-style fried fish tacos from the comfort of your own home.
Key ingredients
- Oil for frying: You’ll want to use a high-temperature cooking oil such as avocado, canola, or corn.
- Baking soda: This not so secret ingredient makes the batter light and crispy.
- Beer: Opt for a light flavored beer, such as a lager. Mexican beers like Corona, Dos Equis, or Modelo work really well. Save the hoppy IPAs for drinking.
- Fish: White fish is traditional, but I’ve also made this recipe with salmon and it is delicious.
Safety tips for frying fish
- Choose a large, high-sided skillet or a medium-sized pot. Most people feel less intimidated by shallow frying in a skillet as it’s a little like sauteeing only with a lot more oil.
- Fill the pot NO MORE than half full as the oil will bubble up when you add the fish.
- Always keep pot handles turned towards the back of the stove – a handle facing out can get bumped which can cause the pot to spill dangerously hot oil. This is a good habit anytime you cook, but essential if you’re deep frying.
- Note the smoke point of the oil you are using. If it starts to smoke, carefully move the pot off the heat.
- Don’t walk away from the stove and definitely don’t leave the kitchen while you’re frying these beer battered fish tacos. Give all your attention to frying the fish. (Don’t worry, the frying process won’t take longer than 20 minutes.)
What to serve with beer batter fish tacos
It would be (almost) wrong to eat one of these delicious fish tacos without sipping on a fizzy lime margarita; the two go so well together. And while you can easily serve these tacos as a meal all by themselves, if you want to add some sides, here are a few we love:
Store and reheat
Store: While fried fish tacos are best fresh, you can absolutely save the leftovers and enjoy them tomorrow. Make sure to store everything in separate containers. The fish will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat: The best way to reheat fried fish (or anything fried) is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place the leftover fried fish on a baking sheet, and bake it until it is hot and crispy, usually about 10-15 minutes.
Freeze: Leftover fish can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze it on a parchment paper-lined plate, then transfer the pieces to a freezer-safe container.
Beer Battered Fish Tacos (the best crispy fish tacos around!)
Ingredients
The Chipotle Sauce
- ¼ cup EACH: mayo and plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- A pinch of salt and pepper
The Slaw
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons EACH: oil and lime juice
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
The Beer Battered Fish Tacos
- Oil (for frying – see notes)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (divided)
- 2 teaspoons EACH: garlic powder and onion powder
- 1 teaspoon EACH: baking soda, salt, and pepper
- 1 ½ lb white fish
- 1 ½ cups light beer (ice-cold – see notes)
- 18 corn tortillas
Instructions
- Mix the chipotle sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.¼ cup EACH: mayo and plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 clove garlic, A pinch of salt and pepper
- Mix the slaw ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.2 cups shredded cabbage, ½ cup chopped cilantro, ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion, 2 tablespoons EACH: oil and lime juice, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Pour 2-inches of oil into a large, high-sided skillet or medium-sized pot and begin heating it over medium heat. If you have an oil thermometer, attach it to the pot.Oil
- Mix ½ cup of the flour, garlic powder, and onion powder in a shallow bowl.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons EACH: garlic powder and onion powder
- In a large bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup of flour, baking soda, salt, and pepper.1 teaspoon EACH: baking soda, salt, and pepper
- Cut the fish into small pieces no more than 1″ wide. Dry them well with paper towels then add them to the shallow bowl and toss them with the flour.1 ½ lb white fish
- When the oil reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit (see note #4) it’s time to fry the fish. Pour the beer into the large bowl of flour and briefly mix it for 4-5 seconds. Dip a piece of fish into the batter and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Carefully put it into the hot oil. Repeat with 5-6 more pieces, making sure not to crowd the pan. Let the fish cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the batter is golden all around and the fish is cooked through.1 ½ cups light beer
- Using tongs, remove the fish from the oil and place it on a cooling rack set up over a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fish until all the pieces are cooked.
- Warm the tortillas (see note #5) then serve them piled with slaw, chipotle sauce, and crispy fish.18 corn tortillas
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
I’m so glad to hear that! 😊 Thanks so much for giving it a try and for taking the time to leave a note — it means a lot! 💛
The best fish ever! Now I can’t buy fish at the fish place anymore! No comparison!
Wow, what a compliment! 🎉 I’m so happy you enjoyed it that much—homemade really does make all the difference.
These fish tacos were delicious! My daughter said they tasted like they were made in a restaurant! The batter came out light and crispy! Just perfect! We all overate! 😆
That’s awesome to hear—restaurant-quality from your own kitchen! Love that light, crispy batter was a hit, and hey, overeating is the best kind of compliment! 😆🌮🎉
I just made your fish tacos and I forgot the Chipotle in Adobe sauce at the Market. I used Tabasco sauce along with the Mexicana crema sour cream and Cole slaw mixture. They came out really good I think I ate four of them and my mom loved them. I made two more she could take to her boyfriend as well. I cooked it in a flash fryer and I forgot to put the basket in first then drop the pieces into the oil and nto the basket. The first batch stuck to the basket so I had to clean the basket and then it came out perfect after. That Cole slaw mixture I could eat just by itself. 👍
Listen, my adorable German husband is a picky eater. Not so picky like my brothers-in-law, but picky enough. We fuss more about what we should eat than we do just about anything else, so when I give a recipe rave reviews, ya gotta understand that it’s so much more than a good meal. It’s pure, utter, deep-down-in-your-soul happiness. And that’s just what this recipe is.
I’m no slouch in the kitchen but I don’t fry foods often, and I had no clue I could get restaurant-quality fried fish right from my very own stovetop.
I tested the first piece – ya know, to be sure I wasn’t serving anything bad. 😁 I think my eyes rolled to the back of my head. But gracious, adding the sauce and the slaw to it could practically make one’s knees buckle. 🤤
I’ve been a long-time fan of your recipes, but this one might be my absolute favorite. And best of all, my picky German gobbled it up, so thank you for the happiness! 🥰
We LOVE fish tacos and make them regularly but this was the first time we had them with beer battered fish and I now I MUST always! This recipe is amazing!!
loved it – i have a bunch of lingcod – so tasty in this – i swapped the chipotle in adobo with chipotle seasoning – worked great!
I loved trying these beer-battered fish tacos with the husband! He had a blast helping and loved your beer-battered fish tacos. I will be keeping this recipe handy! Have a great day!
The batter on these is perfect! Great flavour balance
OMG this was so delicious! I have never fried anything before, but it sounded so yummy so I had to try! It turned out amazing!! So light and crispy! My husband and I LOVED it. It tasted exactly like the ones we had in restaurants! Thanks Kristen! Another fantastic recipe!
I’m so happy you liked them! We rarely fry anything either, but these tacos are our favs when we want a special treat. 🙂