I absolutely adore fish tacos, but most of the time when I get them from a restaurant or to-go, they’re usually not quite right… whether it’s not enough toppings, the wrong kind of salsa (for me), or the fish is not seasoned properly–I’m usually left feeling unsatisfied. Maybe I’m just super picky about my fish tacos, but I decided I would just make them at home exactly the way I like them.
This version is made with corn tortillas, crispy beer battered fish, creamy cabbage slaw, cilantro avocado crema, and fresh mango salsa. The individual components taste delicious on their own, but combined together it is the most flavorful fish taco you’ll try.
INGREDIENTS
- corn tortillas – homemade or store-bought
- vegetable oil for frying
- mango salsa, pico de gallo, or your favorite salsa
For beer battered fish:
- white fish (like cod or halibut)
- all-purpose flour
- beer – Any kind of beer will work here. The purpose of adding the beer to the batter is it will keep the coating light and crispy. You won’t necessarily taste the alcohol flavor once the fish has been cooked.
- baking powder – reacts with the beer to help the batter get puffy and crispy
- seasonings: smoked paprika (adds flavor and color), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper
For cabbage slaw:
- shredded cabbage – I used red/purple cabbage for its vibrant color, but green cabbage works perfectly well, too.
- mayonnaise & sour cream – make the base of the creamy sauce
- chopped green onion – I like the mild onion flavor it adds
- lime juice
- white sugar – just a teaspoon to balance out the acidity from the lime juice
- seasonings: salt, black pepper, garlic powder
For cilantro avocado crema:
- ripe avocados
- sour cream
- cilantro
- lime juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt & garlic powder
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY FISH TACOS
Line a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on the lined baking tray. This will be used to drain the excess oil off the cooked fish and will make clean up so much easier.
Heat vegetable oil in a pan or pot to 350℉. While the oil is heating up, make the cabbage slaw, cilantro avocado crema, and prepare the fish batter.
Make cabbage slaw
1. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
2. Add shredded cabbage and green onion. Mix to combine well. Refrigerate coleslaw until ready to use. Can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator.
Make cilantro avocado crema
1. Blend avocado, sour cream, cilantro, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make beer-battered fish
1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 cup of beer. Once the batter looks smooth, let it rest for 15 minutes.
While resting, the batter will thicken as the flour absorbs the liquid. If it looks too thick, add more beer to the batter to thin it out. Make sure to whisk again until smooth.
2. Cut fish into pieces that are 1-inch wide. Pat dry with a paper towel. I like to make sure that the fish is well-seasoned so I sprinkle a little extra salt on all sides of the fish.
3. Coat the fish in the batter. Make sure each piece is well coated.
4. Fry the battered fish in the heated oil for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Do not overcrowd the pot with fish. Overcrowding will drop the oil temperature down too quickly and the fish will not get crispy.
I recommend checking the oil temperature after cooking each batch to ensure that the oil temperature is back up to 350℉ before cooking the next batch. You can use a candy or meat thermometer to check the oil temperature.
5. Use tongs to remove the fish from the oil. Place the fish on the wire rack to drain the excess oil. Sprinkle a little more salt to season the cooked fish, as needed. Repeat steps until all fish has been cooked.
Make tacos
Use 1 or 2 corn tortillas per taco. Layer with a couple of fish pieces and cabbage slaw. Top with salsa and a dollop of cilantro avocado crema.
Crispy Fish Tacos
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas 4 to 5-inches
- vegetable oil for frying
- mango salsa or your favorite salsa
beer battered fish
- 1 ½ pounds white fish like cod or halibut, cut into pieces 1-inch wide
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beer plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoons salt plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
cabbage slaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped green onion or chives
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- juice of 1 lime
- salt and pepper to taste
cilantro avocado crema
- 2 avocado ripe
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on the lined baking tray.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan or pot to 350℉. While oil is heating up, make the cabbage slaw, cilantro avocado crema, and fish batter.
cabbage slaw
- In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
- Add shredded cabbage and green onion. Mix to combine well. Refrigerate coleslaw until ready to use. Can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator.
cilantro avocado crema
- Blend avocado, sour cream, cilantro, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Refrigerate until ready to use.
beer battered fish
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 cup beer. Once the batter looks smooth, let it rest for 15 minutes.While resting, the batter may get thick as the flour absorbs the liquid. If it looks too thick, add more beer to the batter to thin it out.
- Cut fish into pieces that are 1-inch wide. Pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the fish.
- Coat the fish in the batter.
- Fry the battered fish in the oil for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Do not overcrowd the pot with fish.
- Use tongs to remove fish from oil. Place fish on the wire rack to drain the excess oil. Season with more salt, if needed. Repeat steps until all fish has been cooked.
make tacos
- Use 1 or 2 corn tortillas per taco. Layer with a couple of fish pieces and cabbage slaw. Top with salsa and a dollop of avocado crema.
Notes
- When frying the fish, it’s important not to overcrowd the pot because this can lead to the oil temperature dropping too much and prevent the fish from getting crispy. I like to use a digital thermometer to check the oil temperature in between batches to make sure the oil is 350℉.
- I know people can have mixed feelings about the flavor of cilantro, so add more or reduce the amount in the avocado crema based on your taste preferences.
- You can garnish your tacos with sliced radishes, sliced jalapeno, or squeeze a little extra lime juice before serving.
