A fish tacos recipe made with white fish that has been lightly fried in seasoned beer batter, served with a crunchy habanero slaw and creamy chipotle sauce. Bring on the tacos, friends! There is ALWAYS room for tacos.
What is it about fish tacos that make them so awesome? Perhaps because...THEY ARE TACOS? Quite possibly.
Tacos are certainly one of life's perfections, but the fish taco is something unto itself. It is so much about the fixings. So many choices!
And the fish, right? What sort of fish do you choose? How do you season it? What type of hot sauce do you pour forth?
Oh my, and do we serve it grilled or blackened or fried?
Help!
No worries. This isn't any sort of taco crisis. I am NOT freaking out over here.
I LOVE that we have so many options for fish tacos that I might just have to create a whole new section on the site dedicated to fish tacos specifically. Perhaps soon!
But for today, we're going to start with a simple decision - FRIED FISH TACOS.
I normally do not fry food, but lately I've been experimenting with a few recipes and I've gotten myself hooked on something super simple - BEER BATTER.
Beer batter is incredibly easy to make and it puffs up so nicely when you fry it, especially with fish. The fish cooks quickly this way.
The resulting outer layer is light and airy, but also crisp and crunchy, and it has quickly become one of my favorite methods for frying.
Beer batter, baby!
About the Beer Batter
A simple beer batter consists of flour, baking powder, salt and beer. I like to season it up to impart the fish with extra flavor.
Make sure you season the batter. I truly makes a difference.
Then, hit the fish with a bit of salt after the fry, while they are draining on paper towels.
About the Crunchy Habanero Slaw
For the slaw, I busted out a couple of habanero peppers that were just BEGGING to get into this recipe.
They add the expected level of heat, but also the fruity flavor that pairs so well with fish.
It's a mixture of the habanero pepper, cabbage, red onion and cilantro with a bit of lime juice for your citrus pop.
Top it all off with a quick and easy chipotle cream sauce and BOOM! Fish taco night!
If you're not into frying, you can easily convert this to a Grilled Fish Tacos with Spicy Habanero Slaw recipe, but hey, YOLO.
Get that oil heated up!
CRUNCH-CRUNCH.
Try Some of My Other Popular Shrimp or Fish Taco Recipes
- My Favorite Fish Tacos
- Szechuan Salmon Tacos
- Beer Battered Fish Tacos With Spicy Habanero Slaw
- Baja Fish Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
Patty's Perspective
A good drink pairing for this recipe is a citrusy Wit or Wheat beer, or even an Old Bay spiced Bloody Mary.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Beer Battered Fish Tacos Recipe with Spicy Habanero Slaw
Ingredients
FOR THE SLAW
- ½ cup diced cabbage
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1-2 habanero peppers diced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Juice from half a lime
- Salt to taste
FOR THE CHIPOTLE CREMA
- 1 cup crema our sour cream
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo
- Juice from half a lime
- Pinch of salt
FOR THE BEER BATTERED FISH
- 8 ounces white fish I used halibut, but tilapia is great, too
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt + more for finishing
- 2/3 cup beer
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
FOR SERVING
- Warmed corn tortillas
- Extra limes
- Hot Sauce to taste!
Instructions
- Get your slaw going by mixing all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the chipotle crema, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Set into the fridge until ready to use.
- Next, get your fish going by adding the 2 cups of vegetable oil to a large pot. Heat to 375 degrees. Do not let the oil boil.
- Slice the fish into strips and set aside.
- Set out two bowls. In the first bowl, add half the flour along with paprika and garlic. Mix well.
- In the second bowl, add remaining flour, baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt and beer. Whisk vigorously until nicely combined.
- Dip the fish into the first bowl, then coat with beer batter in the second bowl. Tap off extra batter.
- Set into the oil and fry a couple of minutes per side, until the fish is nicely browned.
- Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with a bit of salt.
- Serve the beer battered fish on warmed corn tortillas. Hit with a tiny bit of salt, then lime juice, then a bit of the chipotle crema and top with your slaw and a bit of hot sauce.
Nutrition Information
Joanna says
Wow!!! My mouth is watering....Can't wait to try this recipe!! Thank you Mr. Mike for posting this! I'm a chilihead as well...woohoo! God bless you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I hope you love them, Joanna! I do!