Beer Battered Fish Tacos (Authentic Baja-Style)
After our recent trip to Mexico for a festive Christmas vacation, I can now say we are obsessed with fried fish tacos. What’s even better is I was surprised at how easy they are to make. In less than 30 minutes you can have authentic Baja-style fish tacos at home.
Fried fish tacos aren’t as common in American restaurants, but luckily there were plenty of options across the border. It seems like every block had a taco truck or stand. And we tried plenty of them. We ate Beer Battered Fish Tacos so much it even became a breakfast favorite.
Thanks to all this reconnaissance, I’ve discovered how to make the best beer battered fish tacos at home. The beer batter is surprisingly simple and the fish fries up into crispy, perfectly golden brown morsels of flavor bliss. The fish tacos are topped with a fresh coleslaw mix and a simple homemade avocado cream sauce.
This post will cover everything you need to know to make beer battered fish tacos at home. Including what type of fish to use, tips for the batter, how to fry the fish (with less mess), and serving suggestions. Let’s start with the ingredients you’ll need.
Beer Batter Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- All seasoning salt
- Celery salt
- Baking powder
- Mexican beer
The combination of flour and baking powder is the secret to crispy fish tacos. It creates a chemical reaction, similar to baked goods, and puffs up during frying.
What Type of Beer to Use in Beer Batter
Any Mexican beer or lager will do. Some options are Negra Modelo, Corona, Tecate, or Dos Equis.
What Type of Fish to Use for Fried Fish Tacos
A firm white fish is best for fried fish tacos, such as Mahi Mahi, cod, or halibut. Sometimes tilapia is used, but I’ve found it can break apart easily. My favorite fish to use is Mahi Mahi. It’s the ideal thickness, has a mild flavor that’s enhanced by other ingredients, and has a perfectly flaky and firm yet tender texture that holds up well when fried.
You can also make this exact same recipe with shrimp. All ingredients and instructions are the same, just sub the fish with peeled shrimps (tails removed).
How to Make Beer Battered Fish Tacos
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and seasonings. Stir in beer and let sit for 15 minutes.
Cut skin from the fish and slice into roughly 1 x 1 ½ inch strips. Add fish pieces to the beer batter and stir to coat well. Heat oil in a large frying pan to medium-high heat.
Add fish to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate the fish and fry about 2-3 minutes more until the other side is browned and the fish reaches an internal temp of at least 145 degrees F.
Remove fish and place on a wire rack over paper towels to drain. Serve over warm tortillas with prepared cabbage slaw, avocado sauce, and other desired toppings.
How Long to Fry Fish?
Over medium-high heat, fry fish 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the batter is golden brown.
How Much Oil Should I Use?
About 1 inch of oil in a pan is ideal for frying fish. Any more is unnecessary as it bubbles plenty while frying.
Oil Temp for Frying Fish
Oil should be 350 to 375 degrees F for frying fish. If higher it will burn the outside before the center is cooked. If too cool, the fish will soak up too much oil and be soggy.
It’s best to test the oil with a digital thermometer. If you don’t have one, another way to test it is to drop a small piece of batter into the heated oil. It should instantly start to bubble if the correct temp. If the oil starts smoking, the oil is way too hot.
How to Tell if Fried Fish is Cooked
Besides having a golden brown batter coating, the fish should reach an internal temp of at least 145° F. It should flake apart and still be tender and moist.
What to Do With the Leftover Oil
If you don’t plan on using the oil again, let it chill completely to room temp in the pan. Carefully pour into a Ziploc bag, seal, and discard in the garbage. Do not pour oil down the drain.
Tips for Fried Fish Tacos
- Add baking powder to the flour and liquid to create a puffy, crispy batter.
- Let the batter sit for about 15 minutes for the flour to properly soak up the liquid.
- Mix the fish into the batter until well covered. You want a thick coating.
- Use high heat cooking oil such as corn oil or grapeseed oil to prevent smoking.
- Fry on medium-high heat and fully heat the oil before adding the fish. It should start to bubble vigorously the second it’s added to the oil. Use at least an inch of oil.
- Fry in a deep pan such as a soup pot to reduce splatter and make less mess.
- Don’t overcrowd the fish to cook evenly and keep it crispy. Fry in at least a couple of batches if needed.
- Drain the fried fried fish on a wire rack over paper towels, instead of directly on paper towels to keep them crispy. Serve immediately.
- Have everything prepped ahead of time, such as the sauce and toppings. It only takes about 5 minutes to fry fish, so be sure everything is ready to go. Otherwise, it will be cold by the time you serve.
How to Serve the Tacos
Heat the corn tortillas ahead of time, either in the microwave, or in the oven wrapped in foil.
Serve the fish tacos with a homemade cabbage slaw and some sort of cream-based sauce, such as an avocado crema.
Top with extra items such as fresh cilantro leaves, freshly squeezed lime juice, or avocado slices.
More Taco Recipes You Might Like
- Shrimp Ceviche Tacos
- Blackened Fish Tacos with Blackberry Salsa
- Baked Fish Tacos
- Mediterranean Shrimp Tacos
- Carnitas Breakfast Tacos
- Pork Fajita Tacos
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos
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Beer Battered Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Beer Battered Fish Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon all seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup Mexican beer
- 2 pounds Mahi Mahi, or firm white fish
- Frying oil, such as corn or grapeseed oil
Cabbage Slaw
- 8 ounces packed cabbage coleslaw mix, without dressing
- 2 medium roma tomatoes, diced
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Avocado Sauce
- 2 medium avocados, ripe
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- ⅓ cup Mexican beer, substitute with water for non-alcoholic
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon all seasoning salt
Assembly
- 8 small corn tortillas, warmed
- Toppings such as cilantro leaves, sliced radish, and fresh-squeezed lime juice
Instructions
Preparation
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, seasoning salt, and celery salt. Gently stir in the beer and let sit for 15 minutes to thicken.
- Meanwhile, prepare the coleslaw: In a medium bowl stir together all cabbage slaw ingredients and set aside.
- Prepare the avocado sauce: Add all sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick add more water to reach desired consistency. Set aside.
- Cut skin from the fish and discard. Slice fish into roughly 1 x 1 ½ inch strips.
Cooking and Assembly
- Heat oil in a large frying pan to medium-high heat, or 350 to 375 degrees F when tested with a thermometer. About an inch of oil in the pan is ideal for frying.
- Add some of the fish pieces to the beer batter and stir to coat well.
- Add the battered fish peices to the pan. It should sizzle vigorously the moment it’s added. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Note: Don’t overcrowd the fish and fry in at least a couple of batches if needed.
- Rotate the peices and fry about 2-3 minutes more until the other side is browned and the fish reaches an internal temp of at least 145 degrees F.
- Remove fried fish and place on a wire rack over paper towels to drain.
- Serve over warm tortillas with prepared cabbage slaw, avocado sauce, and other desired toppings.
Notes
- Use any firm white fish such as Mahi Mahi, cod, or halibut. You can also sub the fish with shrimp (peeled and tails removed).
- Mix the fish into the batter until well covered. You want a thick coating.
- Use high heat cooking oil such as corn oil or grapeseed oil to prevent smoking.
- Fry in a deep pan such as a soup pot to reduce splatter and make less mess.
- Don’t overcrowd the fish to cook evenly and keep them crispy. Fry in at least a couple of batches if needed.
- Drain the fried fried fish on a wire rack over paper towels, instead of directly on paper towels to keep them crispy.
- Have everything prepped ahead of time, such as the sauce and toppings. It only takes about 5 minutes to fry fish, so be sure everything is ready to go.
Recipe adapted from Tasty
WOW! This went out really good! Gonna make it again for a party – it such a quick and easy recipe.
Thanks for the great feedback Natalie and glad you liked the recipe!