Beer Battered Crispy Fish Tacos (2024)

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These delicious beer batteredcrispy fish tacos are a new twist on a Baja classic! Dipped in a spicy beer batter and topped with a crunch and fresh slaw, these fish tacos will bethe new standard to any summer party!

I tasted crispy fish tacos for the very first time 4 years ago. I waited for the perfect moment to taste these unique tacos that can sometimes go so horribly wrong. I can happily say I did it the right way…in Venice Beach, California, at 12am in the famous Baja Fish Tacos restaurant that been featured in so many Hollywood movies throughout the years.

Complete with a bottle of Corona Extra beer in one hand and surrounded by gorgeous California scenery and local Venice Beach musicians. The tiki torches that were lit all around us only added to the special night that this had become. After walking around Rodeo Drive, standing in typical California traffic on the 1 and battling other tourists through LALA land…I was happy to say that this relaxing atmosphere and these ridiculously delicious tacos were exactly what the day needed to end with.

Entranced in the magic of the evening I was completely unaware as the hubby popped open another bottle of Corona beer and plopped in a lime wedge into the bottle. It fizzed all over the place and got all over my last remaining crispy fish taco. Naturally I was slightly annoyed since I knew that his unintentional beer spill would ruin the massive crisp factor that these crispy fish tacos had. So I did what any taco aficionado would do…I shoved them in my mouth as quickly as I could to really retain the crispiness.

Instead of disappointment I was met with deliciousness. The CoronaExtra beer actually added a super delicious malty flavor to the tacos and actually inspired me. I forced the hubs to sprinkle some of the Corona beeron his fish tacos and encouraged him to eat them immediately. We both agreed that there was something to this trick…and so I vowed to include this flavor in my homemade batch of my very own crispy fish tacos.

Naturally, the trick to the recipe was not to douse my fish tacos in beer CoronaExtra because of course that would eliminate the whole “crispy” part of this recipe. Instead, I decided to create a super flavorful beer batter filled with spices to coat the fish prior to frying it. And while typical beer batters include dark heavy ales, I knew that the lightness of the CoronaExtra beer would provide just the right amount of flavor without taking over the dish. And like all fish taco recipes, there needed to be a crunchy slaw on top to cut through the deep fried aspect of the dish.

THE TECHNIQUE

1. The Fish: In this recipe we need a mild flavored white fish with a firm flesh to hold up to the deep frying. I have read a TON of recipes that ask for Halibut, Mahi Mahi or even Chilean Sea Bass as the fish to use in this recipe. Considering how pricy all of these fish tend to be I find it completely unnecessary to buy such pricy fish when we are dipping it in a beer batter and adding a tasty slaw to it. The idea is that we want the flesh to hold up to the deep frying but yet still be tender and flaky. So while many use tilapia as their fish of choice due to the affordability factor, I always choose to go the wild cod route because it too is extremely affordable and is very easy to find wild availability,plus it has a mild flavor and firm flesh the holds up really well to frying.
2. The Beer Batter: Traditional beer batters are made with lagers or ales. But I really felt that was too much for this recipe. The mellow flavor of theCorona Extrabeer coupled really beautifully with the garlicand limeflavors in the batter. The batter was super simple. I followed a very classic beer batter recipe mostly made up of flour, eggs and duh… beer CoronaExtra. I added in some fresh lime zest into the batter to brighten up the flavors and also cut through the heaviness that most deep fried dishes tend to have. Plus there is nothing better than lime paired with beer CoronaExtra
3. Deep Frying: Deep frying at home tends to be intimidating to many people. However I can honestly say if you do it in a sautee pan instead of a deep pot it is a great deal more approachable and safe. I used one of my many sautee pans to deep fry and it was a breeze. I happen to love using a trusty meat thermometer to measure the temperature of the oil. However, you can also drop a drips of batter into the oil, if it bubbles then the oil is all set to go. I used a vegetable oil, however you can use canola, peanut or corn oil all of those will be perfect. Make sure you check out my tutorial on my Cheesy Arancini to see how to properly and safely dispose of used oil!
4. The Slaw: All fish tacos should be accompanied by a delicious slaw. The ultimate slaw for me is full of flavors, packs a major crunch and has something to bind all this together. This is why I chose to combine the classic red cabbage with some bright cilantro, jicama and a super easy but delicious chipotle lime crema. Jicama, is a traditional Mexican turnip with an extremely mild flavor but superb crunch! I use already pre-chopped cabbage so that most of the work is done for me and then just use a mandolin for the jicama to get it perfectly sliced. The crema comes together in my handy dandy and blender in minutes!

Shortly after our trip to California, I decided to throw a totally chill al fresco dinner at our house, reminiscent of our California nights. I had the hubs hang up twinkle lights in our backyard, we lit up all 9 of our tiki torches (mostly to keep the blood sucking mosquitos at bay) and we laid out cute little silver buckets of CoronaExtra and water all over the backyard so every area had a cool refreshing beverage station. For dinner I made all sort of Mexican treats including my Grilled Mexican Elotesas one of the star side dishes.

But of course these gorgeous beer battered crispy fish tacos took the center stage. Typically we all sit around one large table and dine, but this time, I set up little stations all over the back yard. Some stood, some sat on my bench swing, others gathered in the kitchen by me, watching me compile the tacos in a very uncoordinated fashion. Everyone ate with sheer enjoyment while they sipped on their beer CoronaExtra’sand sparkling waters.

I set my phone to stream some chill music while we gabbed, munched and ate and was instantly transported to that warm night in Venice Beach. This time it was just a bit more perfect because I had the summer vibes and my friends to go along with it.

BTW are you as obsessed with CoronaExtra beer as I am? Because this summer they came out with new boxes featuring summer vibes!!!

Right now there is even a great Checkout 51 coupon offer for you too when you purchase Corona. Just check out the “Beer, Wine & Spirits” section to save $3.00 on Chips/Pretzels when you purchase one 12-pack or larger of Corona Extra or Corona Light beer!

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