Beer Battered Fish Tacos

Written By Lisa Hahn
Beer Battered Fish Tacos

324 weeks ago, I shared this recipe for Beer Battered Perch Tacos - and still stand by the fact that no other fried fish recipe will even come close to being as lovely.

See, we had this tiny little hidden lake near us when we lived in the Flathead. After driving down a dirt road, we had to launch our boat by hand - but once we got on the water, I swear the perch basically jumped in. 

And this is how we celebrated after those fabulous fishing dates. 

But now we’re in walleye country. 

So when Mikey came home with a beautiful catch the other night, I just knew we had to bust out our beer batter for this equally mild and flaky fish. 

Not that into fish? 
No problem-o. This batter is beautiful on green beans, too. 

here’s what you’ll need

  • fish fillets

  • red cabbage, thinly sliced

  • jalapeno, thinly sliced

  • cherry tomatoes, halved

  • cilantro

  • limes

  • cotija cheese, crumbled

  • flour tortillas, street taco-sized

  • 1/2 can light beer, we like the Athletic Lite

  • Sriracha

  • mayo 

  • 3/4 cup flour

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp cayenne

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • canola oil 

  • salt

here’s what you’ll need to do

Cut fish filets into pieces that are about 1 inch wide by 3 inches long.
Pat dry and set aside. 

In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cayenne, cumin, garlic powder and a pinch of salt.
Add beer and whisk until it has a nice glue-like consistency.

Over medium heat, CAREFULLY heat a couple inches of oil in a heavy, deep-sided pot (like a Dutch Oven) until it reaches about 350 degrees.

Dip your fish filets in the beautiful batter and CAREFULLY place fish in the hot oil. 
Fry until golden, brown and delicious, which should only take a couple-few minutes.

Pro Tip: Put fish fillets in the pot one at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot so you don’t get one giant blob of fish when you’re done.

CAREFULLY remove your battered fish from the HOT oil using tongs and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Salt generously.

While fish cools, squeeze about a tablespoon of lime juice into about 1/3 cup of mayo. Stir to incorporate. 

Serve battered fish on warm tortillas smeared with citrusy mayo, a drizzle of Sriracha, jalapeños, crumbled cotija, cabbage, and tomatoes, and enjoy! 

Lisa Hahn
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