Beer Battered Fish Tacos
These beer battered fish tacos are the best crispy fish tacos around! The easy-to-make batter creates a crunchy coating around tasty, tender white fish which is served on warm corn tortillas with a simple slaw and a smoky chipotle sauce. They're irresistible!
If you love fish tacos (and who doesn't?), then make sure to also check out our Baja fish tacos with southern slaw and aji guacamole.

This recipe was originally published back in 2014. We've updated the post with some new photos and more information. We've also tweaked the recipe so that it's a little easier to make ā but it's still every bit as delicious!
Beer battered fish tacos
These beer battered fish tacos are everything that crispy, deep-fried dreams are made of:
- Tender fish wrapped up in a deliciously crisp blanket.
- Sitting on top of a warm corn tortilla.
- Topped with crunchy lime coleslaw.
- And the whole deal drizzled generously in smoky chipotle sauce.
Read more: if you love seafood tacos, also try our shrimp tacos recipe!
How to make crispy fish tacos
There are four parts to making beer battered fish tacos, and most are very easy. After you put the coleslaw ingredients into a bowl, mix the chipotle sauce ingredients in another bowl, and warm the tortillas, you'll be ready to make crispy fish.
- Begin heating the oil over medium heat. Then, mix some flour, onion powder, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and toss the fish in this flour mix.
- In a large bowl, whisk some more flour with baking soda, salt, and pepper. Pour the cold beer into the bowl and whisk it for 4-5 seconds. Dip a piece of fish into the batter.
- Carefully drop the battered fish into the oil then repeat with 5-6 more pieces and cook them for 3-4 minutes.
- When the first batch is finished, put them on a baking sheet and continue to cook the rest of the fish.
Full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.

Tips for frying fish at home safely
- 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.
- NEVER put liquid (such as wet, unbattered fish) into hot oil as it will splatter dangerously.
- 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.)

Beer battered fish tacos FAQs
For frying, you want to use a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point. Avocado, sunflower, peanut, and canola oil are all good options.
We like to use inexpensive white fish such as lingcod (pictured), cod, rockfish, or tilapia. We've also made this recipe with salmon, and it's delicious.
A light beer, such as a lager, works best in this recipe. Avoid porters, stouts, IPAs, and wheat beers as the flavor won't work in this recipe.
Yes! A bag of coleslaw makes this recipe even easier.
The key to crispy fish is making sure that it is completely dry before you dip it in the batter. The light coating of flour ensures that it is dry. Plus, we add some spices to this layer to make the fish extra tasty.
Yes! You can reheat the crispy fish in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.
What to serve with beer-battered 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:
- Easy Guacamole with tortilla chips
- Spicy Buffalo Corn on the Cob
- Corn Salsa
- Loaded Food Truck Mexican Nacho Fries
- Creamy Cucumber Salad

Favorite fish taco recipes
- Blackened Rockfish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Baja Fish Tacos with Avocado Sauce
- Fish Taco Sauce

Beer Battered Fish Tacos
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
The Chipotle Sauce
- ¼ cup EACH: mayo and plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, see note #1
- 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 note #2)
- 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 note #3)
- 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.ĀOil
- 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.Ā1 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.Ā1 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.Ā1 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.Ā
- Warm the tortillas (see note #5) then serve them piled with slaw, chipotle sauce, and crispy fish.Ā18 corn tortillas
Notes
- Cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be found in the Latin section of most grocery stores. Check out our other chipotle recipes to use the rest of the jar.
- You'll need at least 3-4 cups of oil to properly shallow fry the fish. Opt for canola, avocado, or sunflower oil. After cooking, let the oil cool completely then strain it into a jar to use the next time you fry something.Ā
- Light beer, such as a lager or pale ale, works best in this recipe. Avoid IPAs, stouts, porters, or wheat beers.Ā
- If you don't have an oil thermometer, you can drop a tiny bit of the batter into the oil to test the temperature. If it sizzles and turns golden in 3-4 seconds, it's ready. And if you notice the oil smoking, carefully remove the pot from the heat as it is too hot.Ā
- The easiest way to warm tortillas is to wrap them in a paper towel and microwave them for 10-20 seconds. You can also warm them in a pan, although they can dry out easily that way.Ā
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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. š
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 itās so much more than a good meal. Itās pure, utter, deep-down-in-your-soul happiness. And thatās just what this recipe is.Ā
Iām no slouch in the kitchen but I donāt fry foods often, and I had no clue I could get restaurant-quality fried fish right from my very own stovetop.Ā
I tested the first piece – ya know, to be sure I wasnāt serving anything bad. š I think my eyes rolled to the back of my head.Ā But gracious, adding the sauce and the slaw to it could practically make oneās knees buckle. š¤¤
Iāve 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! š„°
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!
Our tacos turned out amazing and so crispy, so glad I found this recipe! Such a great lunch or dinner recipe and we loved how tasty this was! I’ll definitely make this again soon! Thanks for this recipe!
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. š
The fish tacos in Sayulita are the best. I could spend many weeks there eating only fish tacos. Great memories. š
These look incredibly crispy! Will definitely be giving them a shot.
These look absolutely delicious, Kristen! Putting these on the menu soon.