Beer Battered Fish Tacos

BEER BATTERED FISH TACOS😍

Living in San Diego I am spoiled with my choice for fish tacos and to be honest until now I had 0 motivation to make them at home. But GUYS, oh my god they are SO much better at home. Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy and tender in the middle, whatever toppings your heart desires and one delicious sauce to tie it all together you’ll literally want to drown in. Besides, why not keep celebrating Cinco de Mayo all month long?😉 You’re gonna wanna make these ASAP.

Tips: 

• The trick to perfectly crispy beer battered fish is in the batter. Use a cold beer and don’t overwhisk the mix. As soon as you see that it’s combined, stop whisking and leave it alone.

• Another trick to ensure your batter gets crispy - make sure your cod is dry. Pat it dry, season it, add it to the fridge uncovered for 10 minutes, then pat it dry again. Excess moisture will keep your batter from getting crispy.

• The batter should be somewhere in between crepe batter and pancake batter - when you raise your whisk from the batter, it shouldn’t run off immediately but it also shouldn’t stay on your whisk. If your batter is too thin, it won’t cling to the fish. If it’s too thick it’ll keep the fish from cooking.

• Since the technique for measuring flour varies from person to person, try adding 1 1/4 cups flour to the batter first, then adding 1/4 cup at the end. This will ensure you can eyeball the batter to make sure it’s not too thick.

• Make sure to test your oil before you add the fish to make sure it’s hot enough. You can do this by adding a few droplets of the batter to check for sizzle. If the oil is not hot enough, your batter will slide right off the fish and it will be greasy.

• Use a dutch oven or a large pot where the oil only comes up about halfway. 

• When adding the fish to the hot oil, tease it a little bit in the hot oil before dropping it in. Once you drop it in, twist the pan a bit to avoid the fish from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If it sticks, just take a slotted spoon and gently release it.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

For the Beer Battered Fish:

• 1.5 lbs cod

• 2 liters vegetable or canola oil

• 12 oz light beer

• 1 ½ cups flour + ¼ cup

• 3 tsps baking powder

• 2 tsps garlic powder

• 2 tsps paprika

• ½ - 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Chipotle Sauce:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise 

• ¼ cup greek yogurt

• 2 tbsps adobo sauce (use the sauce that comes in a can of chipotles in adobo)

• Juice from 1 lime

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Fish Tacos:

• Corn or flour tortillas

• Pico de gallo

• Shredded lettuce or cabbage

• Avocado 

Directions:

For the Beer Battered Fish Tacos:

• Cut the cod filets into even pieces.

• Pat the cod filets dry and season with salt and pepper. Place uncovered in the fridge for 10 minutes while you work on your batter.

• In a large bowl, add the 1.5 cups flour (I spoon, then level - if you scoop from a measuring cup and then level, start with 1 1/4 cups flour then add the addition 1/4 cup gradually so it’s not too thick), baking powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined, then add the beer and whisk until just incorporated.

• Make your sauce by mixing the mayo, greek yogurt, adobo sauce, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in the fridge until ready.

• Remove the cod from the fridge and pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

• Add oil to a large dutch oven or pot and bring up to medium high heat. It will take a couple minutes to get up to 350 degrees, which is right where you want it for this recipe.

• Add ¼ cup flour to a plate and season with salt and pepper.

• Dredge the cod pieces in the flour, ensuring to coat all sides, then shake off the excess.

• To test your oil to ensure it’s hot enough, drip in some of the batter to make sure it sizzles.

• Place each piece of fish in the batter and shake off any excess. Carefully add a little bit into the oil to test it, then lay it away from you. Immediately turn the pot to ensure the fish doesn’t stick to the bottom. If it does, take a slotted spoon and gently remove the fish from the bottom of the pot. 

• Cook for 3-5 minutes, turning over occasionally to ensure all sides get golden brown and crispy. Once golden brown, remove and add to a paper towel or wire rack and season with salt.

• Repeat with remaining fish, ensuring there’s no more than 3-4 pieces in the pot at a time. 

• Meanwhile, toast your tortillas over an open flame or in a skillet and prepare your toppings.

• Serve with fish in the tacos with the sauce and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!