Beer-Battered Fish Tacos
Mexican beer-battered cod, fried to perfection topped with chipotle cream sauce and garnished with red cabbage, thinly sliced jalapeños and radishes, pico de gallo, and avocado. Wrapped in a warm corn tortilla, this taco has the perfect level of heat and combination of textures.
Servings: 4
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
Calories: 571.91kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.6g | Protein: 49.57g | Fat: 15.8g | Saturated Fat: 7.56g | Cholesterol: 168.34mg | Sodium: 1138.79mg | Potassium: 1188.76mg | Fiber: 4.73g | Sugar: 2.74g | Vitamin A: 844.09IU | Vitamin C: 6.33mg | Calcium: 152.5mg | Iron: 3.46mg