Crispy Beer Battered Fish

ByLeigh Harris April 25, 2023April 25, 2023

This beer battered fish is made delightfully light and crispy with the use of a light-colored beer and baking powder. Moist, tender cod on the inside with crispy, crunchy, batter on the outside!

Beer Battered Fish in a basket with a beer in the background.

Why You’ll Love This

Beer battered fish is easier to make at home than you think. Stay in, make your own, and save some money. What could be better than that?

No need to settle for frozen pre-battered fish filets!

Some of our other favorite seafood recipes to make are Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Slaw, Shrimp Po Boy, Shrimp Piccata, and Crispy Bang Bang Shrimp.

Ingredients Needed

White fish – Such as cod, tilapia, or halibut. Choose a fish that has an ocean-like smell, if it smells fishy it’s old and you don’t want to use old fish.
All-purpose flour, baking powder, and light-colored beer – These create a nice puffy, crispy beer batter. Cold beer is best.
All-purpose flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. – These are the dry ingredients for the seasoned dredge and seasoning of the fish for the best flavor.
Vegetable oil – Peanut oil or canola oil for frying can also be used.

How to Make Crispy Beer Battered Fish

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and beer until smooth thin batter forms. It should be thinner than a pancake batter but slightly thicker than a crepe batter.

Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Beer Battered Fish - cod pieces on butcher paper

Cut the fish into long strips about 6 inches. Pat the fish dry with paper towels.

Heat your oil to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with paper bags or paper towels, place a wire rack on the towels, and set it aside.

Mix together in a small bowl, the garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Season the fish fillets on both sides, reserving half the seasoning mix for the dredging flour mixture.

Beer Battered Fish - cod pieces, flour mixture, and wet batter on a pice of butcher paper

In a shallow dish whisk together the reserved seasoning mix and 1 cup of flour.

Working with one piece of fish at a time, dip the fish into the seasoned flour, and coat evenly on both sides. Then dip the fish into the beer batter, completely dunking it until it is fully submerged. Drain the excess batter and carefully drop the battered fish into the hot oil.

In batches cook the fish for about 4 to 6 minutes on the first side, turn it over, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. It depends on the thickness of the strips. Some of mine were thinner and cooked more quicker than others.

Place on the prepared pan while frying the remaining fish. Season with salt if desired.

Beer Battered Fish in a butcher paper lined basket, with tarter sauce and lemon wedges

Frying fish does not need to be intimidating. This recipe lends perfect crispy and fluffy battered fish right in your own kitchen!

What to Serve with Fried Fish

This fish is so tasty you only need to garnish it with lemon wedges, malt vinegar, or tartar sauce.

Or serve with french fries for Fish and chips.

Yes, this is a great recipe for fish and chips, or try our favorite Jalapeno Hushpuppies.

Try making this fish into fish tacos with tortillas and a cilantro slaw!

Tips

Plan ahead, it’s best to make the batter at least 30 minutes before dipping the fish. The resting time allows the carbonation in the cold beer to activate the baking powder for a lighter, crispier batter.
You can make the batter up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Oil Temperature – When deep frying if the oil is not hot enough, the coating will absorb too much grease and become soggy. If the oil is too hot, it will cook the coating too fast leaving the fish underdone.
Don’t overcrowd the pan or deep fryer. Cook just a few pieces at a time to avoid dropping the temperature of the oil.
Fish is done when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
Heat the oven to about 250 degrees F while you are frying. Place the cooked and drained pieces in the oven to stay warm
Drain the fish on a wire rack. This will keep the crispy coating from becoming soggy.

FAQs

What type of fish should I use?

Cod is the best to use for its light, flaky texture. You can also use tilapia, haddock, grouper, or halibut.

What type of beer should I use?

Choose a light-colored beer. We like to use a pale ale or IPA. A Mexican lager such as Modelo or Tecate is also a good choice. The carbonation and yeast are part of what help make the batter light, puffy, and crispy.

Storage and Reheating

This fish is best eaten fresh but if you have leftovers you would like to save place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. To reheat, place the fish on a wire rack on a baking sheet and warm them in a 350-degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes.

More Fish Recipes

Baked Whole Red Snapper

Pan-Seared Salmon Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Spicy Shrimp Sushi Stack

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