Beer-Battered Baja Fish Tacos
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on Mar 25, 2021, Updated Mar 14, 2025
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Crispy, golden beer-battered fish is nestled in lightly charred corn tortillas, drizzled with smoky chipotle crema, and topped with colorful, fresh garnishes. These Baja Fish Tacos come together in just 15 minutes, making them a quick and satisfying meal to end your workweek!
It’s the Lenten season, which means I’m craving fish tacos. While I love making salmon tacos or easy cod fish tacos, I’m currently obsessed with these Baja-style fish tacos made with fried cod. They’re creamy, crunchy, spicy, and oh-so-satisfying!
What Are Baja Fish Tacos?
Baja Fish Tacos originated in Baja California, Mexico, and are known for their crispy beer-battered fish, fresh toppings, and zesty sauces. They offer a perfect balance of texture and flavor—light, crispy fish, creamy chipotle sauce, and vibrant garnishes wrapped in warm homemade corn tortillas.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect balance of textures: Light and crispy beer-battered fish pairs beautifully with creamy sauce and crunchy toppings.
- Quick & easy: Ready in just 15 minutes!
- Bursting with flavor: Smoky, spicy, tangy, and fresh.
- Lenten-friendly: A delicious seafood option for Lent Fridays.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This easy Baja Fish Tacos recipe comes together with simple ingredients. Find notes on substitutions and swaps below:
- Cod: Use any mild, firm white fish like halibut, tilapia, or mahi-mahi.
- Mexican Beer: Adds lightness and flavor to the batter. Swap with any lager or sparkling water.
- Egg: Creates a light and airy batter.
- Corn Tortillas: Lightly charred for the best flavor. Flour tortillas work too.
- Chipotle Cream Sauce: Substitute with sour cream mixed with a splash of hot sauce or lime juice.
- Fresh Toppings: Red cabbage, jalapeños, radishes, homemade pico de gallo, avocado. Swap or add your favorites!
How to Make Baja Fish Tacos
Step 1: Prep the Fish. Season fish strips generously with salt, then toss with flour to coat. (For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.)
Step 2: Make the Batter. In a bowl, whisk together flour, chili powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. In a separate bowl, mix beer and egg, then combine with the dry ingredients until smooth like pancake batter.
Step 3: Heat the Oil. Preheat oil in a large skillet to 350°F. (Tip: Use a wooden spoon to test if the oil is hot enough—if bubbles form around it, it’s ready!)
Step 4: Fry the Fish. Dip fish in the batter, let excess drip off, and carefully fry for 4-5 minutes, flipping to brown evenly. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. (Tip: Taste a piece from the first batch and adjust salt immediately while hot.)
Step 5: Make Chipotle Crema. This “Baja-style chipotle sauce” is mayo-free and perfect for fish or shrimp tacos. Blend crema Mexicana (or sour cream), chipotle in adobo, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, and salt until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or squeeze bottle.
Step 6: Assemble the Tacos. Heat tortillas until lightly charred. Top each with 2-3 pieces of fish, sliced cabbage, radishes, jalapeños, avocado, and chipotle crema. Add a squeeze of lime and a spoonful of pico de gallo. Serve and enjoy!
Please watch this Beer-Battered Baja Fish Tacos video to see how quickly tacos come together.
Serving & Topping Suggestions
These Mexican fish tacos pair beautifully with sides that enhance their crispy, fresh flavors:
- Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Elote (Mexican street corn)
- Homemade corn tortilla chips & homemade chunky guacamole
- Mango salsa for a sweet contrast
- Spicy coleslaw for added crunch
Drink Pairings:
- A Chelada offers a crisp, citrusy refreshment.
- A Skinny Margarita or Highland Margarita pairs beautifully with the bold taco flavors.
Extra Toppings:
- Fresh cilantro, radish slices, or shredded red cabbage
- Pickled red onions
- Salsa verde
- Escabeche (pickled jalapeños & carrots)
- Avocado salsa or avocado crema for a milder, creamy twist
Baja Fish Tacos Expert Tips & Tricks
- No kitchen thermometer? Test the oil with a wooden spoon—if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.
- Season while warm: Salt sticks best to hot batter, so adjust seasoning right after frying.
- Gluten-free option: Swap in gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Batter not sticking? Lightly coat fish in flour before dipping in beer batter to help it adhere.
Storage & Reheating
For the best texture and flavor, fry the fish just before serving. However, you can prep ahead:
- Chipotle crema: Make up to a week ahead.
- Beer batter: Prepare up to 3 days in advance; let it come to room temp and whisk before using.
Leftovers:
- Store fried fish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Avoid microwaving—it makes the fish soggy!
- Reheat: Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to restore crispiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best fish for beer-battered tacos is a mild, firm white fish like cod, halibut, tilapia, or mahi-mahi. These varieties hold up well to frying and create a light, crispy texture.
A dark beer, such as a Mexican amber, adds a deeper, richer flavor to the batter, creating a slightly malty and complex crust. If you prefer a lighter batter with a more neutral taste, opt for a light, crisp Mexican lager like Modelo or Pacifico. Both options work beautifully, depending on your flavor preference! A light, crisp Mexican lager, such as Modelo or Pacifico, works best for beer-battered fish. These beers add great flavor without overpowering the fish and help create a light, airy batter.
Traditional Baja fish tacos are typically made with white fish like cod, halibut, or mahi-mahi. These fish have a mild flavor and firm texture, making them ideal for frying.
Del Taco’s beer-battered fish tacos include crispy battered fish, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and secret sauce, all wrapped in a soft corn or flour tortilla. They’re a fast-food take on the classic Baja-style fish taco.
more seafood dinner inspiration
If you tried these Beer-Battered Baja Fish Tacos or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Beer-Battered Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Fish Tacos:
- 2 pounds skinned cod cut into 1-inch strips, Use any mild, firm white fish like halibut, tilapia, or mahi-mahi.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup dark Mexican beer, substitute with any lager or sparkling water.
- 1 large egg
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Corn tortillas
Chipotle Cream Sauce:
- 1 cup Crema Mexicana or sour cream
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings:
- Shredded cabbage
- Radish slices
- Avocado slices
- Pico de gallo
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Generously salt cod and sprinkle flour over the strips and toss to coat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, chili powder, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- In a medium bowl whisk beer and egg.
- Pour wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir together until well mixed and set aside at room temperature.
- In a large skillet, preheat oil to 350 degrees F.
- Dip fish into batter and allow excess batter to drip off before adding to oil. Fry fish, flipping to ensure it's evenly browned, 4 to 5 minutes, then place on a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a food processor or blender, combine crema, chipotle in adobo and sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice, water, and salt until smooth; transfer to a small bowl.
- Serve tacos with chipotle cream sauce and garnish with toppings of your choice.
Video
Notes
- 1 servings = 2 tacos including tortilla, excluding optional toppings.
- No kitchen thermometer? Test the oil with a wooden spoon—if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.
- Season while warm: Salt sticks best to hot batter, so adjust seasoning right after frying.
- Gluten-free option: Swap in gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Batter not sticking? Lightly coat fish in flour before dipping in beer batter to help it adhere.
- Store fried fish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Avoid microwaving—it makes the fish soggy!
- Reheat: Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to restore crispiness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography: Jenna Sparks
My husband made the fish last night, it was very good! We will definitely make it again.
I love this recipe…it’s easy and delicious!
Thank you Yvette
I’m dying to make these but, my father in law can’t have beer in the recipe??
So good! Only made a few at a time, do you know how long the batter lasts in the fridge? Planning on making again Sunday!
So happy to hear that! Thank you! I haven’t saved the batter, but it should be fine in fridge for up to 3-days. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature and whip up so that its light and airy.
Loved the recipe and the tacos thanks for sharing
Loved the recipe and the tacos!