Our crispy Beer Battered Fish Tacos are perfect for your next taco night! They are made with deep-fried beer battered fish, a light and refreshing slaw, fresh pico de gallo, and the best cilantro lime sauce on top. A great way to change up your Taco Tuesday during those warm, summer months!
The Best Beer Battered Fish Tacos
Our whole family loves to gather for a fun fish fry night and our easy beer battered fish is crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. After making this tried-and-true recipe so many times, we knew it was time to turn it into fish tacos. Therefore, we took the beer battered cod and added all the best fresh ingredients to create the best fish taco recipe! Perfect for dinner on a hot summer day, can’t wait for you to try them!
Looking for More Recipes Like This?
If you love fish tacos as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Tilapia Fish Tacos!
What You Will Need
- plain yogurt & mayo – these combine to make the creamy base of the cilantro lime sauce that is so good on top!
- olive oil – just a little bit added to the sauce helps to thin it out.
- lime juice & lime zest – love adding some acidity to the mix to help amplify all the best flavor.
- fresh cilantro – always a great fresh herb to bring light & refreshing flavor.
- salt and pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must!
- lemon juice – just a splash in the creamy slaw to compliment the crispy fish fillets.
- white wine vinegar – every slaw recipe needs a little vinegar in the mix.
- shredded cabbage – we used angel hair cabbage, but feel free to thinly cut some green cabbage, red cabbage, or a combination.
- oil for frying – highly recommend using avocado oil or peanut oil for your deep fry.
- flaky cod fillets – love this classic white fish that can be found at your local grocery stores, but you could also use walleye, halibut, or mahi mahi.
- all-purpose flour & rice flour (or cornstarch) – the base of the dry ingredients used to make our traditional beer batter.
- baking powder – just a little bit to help add structure to the batter.
- Old Bay seasoning & onion powder – classic seasoning that goes so well with the natural flavors of the fish.
- beer – any variety of light beer or pale ales should work just fine!
- tortillas – just pick-up your favorite – flour tortillas, corn tortillas, gluten-free tortillas, etc.
- lime wedges – a great addition on the plate to give the finished tacos a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- pico de gallo – one of our favorite toppings for it’s fresh flavors!
How To Make Beer Battered Fish Tacos
The first steps to making this fish taco recipe are to place all of the sauce ingredients in a small food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside in a small bowl.
Now put the mayo, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix to combine and then add the cabbage. Toss to coat.
Next, whisk together the dry ingredients of the fish batter and then gently pour in the ice cold beer. Whisk again to combine. Then dip fish pieces in the batter and allow a little bit of batter to drip off.
Bring oil in a large skillet or dutch oven to a temperature of 375-400 degrees F. Carefully place 2-3 pieces of battered fish into the hot oil at a time. They will be in the oil for a total of 2.5-3 minutes of cook time or until golden brown. Once they are fully cooked, remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet with wire rack to cool.
Pro Tip
For best results, we highly recommend that you fry the fish in batches. You will want to use a fish spatula or slotted spoon to ensure that the pieces of fish stay separate and don’t stick together. Don’t crowd the pan, just take your time!
Finally, it is time to build the beer-battered fish tacos. Grab your favorite tortilla, add some crunchy slaw, fried fish, a spoonful of pico de gallo, and a drizzle of cilantro lime sauce.
Recipe FAQs & Tips
- Fish Taco Toppings: we absolutely love these fish tacos as written in the recipe card, but if you are looking for some other taco toppings we also love sour cream, red onion, cotija cheese, or a little bit of hot sauce for an added kick of heat.
- Storage: highly recommend enjoying this beer batted fish right away! You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days but the crispy outside will get a little soggy in the reheating process.
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Beer Battered Fish Tacos
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Fish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious Beer Battered Fish Taco recipe that is packed with flavor! Perfectly cooked fish with a cilantro sauce and pico de gallo!
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Sauce:
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2–4 tablespoons lime juice
- zest of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Light Lemon Slaw:
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- pinch of kosher salt
- 2 cups angel hair cabbage/slaw
Beer Battered Fish
- oil for pan (avocado oil or peanut oil)
- 1.5 pounds cod fillets
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rice flour OR cornstarch (+ more for sprinkling)*
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (+ more for seasoning)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 12oz bottle *very cold* beer
Other Ingredients:
- tortillas of your choice
- lime wedges
- pico de gallo
Instructions
- Make Sauce: Add Cilantro Lime Sauce ingredients to a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, cilantro and/or lime as desired. Set aside.
- Make Slaw: In a medium bowl combine the mayo, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Add cabbage and toss to coat. Taste and add additional salt, as desired. Set aside.
- Heat Oil: Use a very deep cast iron skillet (we used a 5qt. cast iron skillet – 5.5 inches deep) and fill approx. 1/2 full with the oil of your choice. Bring oil between 375-400 degrees F.
- Prep Fish: Meanwhile, cut cod fillets into smaller chunks (approx. 3 inches long and an inch or two wide). Pat fish dry with clean paper towels. Season fish generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Sprinkle with a little rice flour or cornstarch (whichever you plan on using in the recipe). Set aside.
- Combine Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour (or cornstarch), baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, Old Bay Seasoning and onion powder. Whisk in the cold beer – the consistency should be a bit thinner than pancake batter.
- Coat + Cook Fish: Dredge fish into the batter, let excess batter fall off. Carefully place in the oil and let cook 2 – 2 1/2 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove with slotted fish spatula and transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Build Tacos: On your tortilla of choice, add some of the slaw, a piece of crispy fish, some pico de gallo, and then a drizzle of the cilantro lime sauce on top. Continue this process until all tacos are built and ready to eat!
Notes
- Rice Flour vs. Cornstarch: We tested this recipe using rice flour and using cornstarch. We really could not see or taste a difference between the two!
- Beer: We used an ice cold Michelob Golden Light, but feel free to use your favorite beer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 347
- Sugar: 2.6 g
- Sodium: 682.6 mg
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.9 g
- Protein: 19.6 g
- Cholesterol: 47.8 mg
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