These beer-battered fish tacos are crispy, light, and delicious. Served on warm tortillas with a refreshing mango slaw and drizzled with chipotle crema, they’re an easy, satisfying meal perfect for warm nights.
Chipotle crema included.
The beer batter creates a light, airy crust around flaky white fish—my go-to is cod because it’s widely available and flakes beautifully. Topped with a crisp mango-cilantro slaw and a drizzle of smoky chipotle crema, these tacos balance texture and bright, tangy flavors.
I prefer a shallow fry instead of deep frying to keep things simple and avoid filling the house with oil scents. A thin coat of oil in the skillet and relatively thin fish pieces fry up golden and crisp in minutes. The batter — flour, an egg, spices and beer (or club soda for a non-alcoholic version) — is straightforward and forgiving.
Prep the components ahead: make the slaw, whisk together the crema, and warm or char the tortillas. The slaw is simply thinly sliced green cabbage, sliced mango, red onion and lots of cilantro, dressed with lime juice, a touch of olive oil, honey, and seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s bright, crunchy, and pairs perfectly with the warm fish.
Letting the chipotle crema sit briefly helps the flavors marry and makes assembly quick once the fish is done. I often char tortillas over a burner or on a grill and keep them warm in a low oven until ready.
For the fish, pat it dry and season thoroughly. Coat in beer batter and shallow-fry in oil until deep golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side depending on thickness. The assembly is simple: warm tortilla, a scoop of mango slaw, a piece of beer-battered fish, a drizzle of chipotle crema, and guacamole or avocado slices if you like.
Tortilla > Slaw > Fish > Crema
These tacos taste like a summer day: bright, crunchy, smoky and utterly craveable.
Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw
Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw
Ingredients
Chipotle crema
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotles)
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Mango slaw
- 1 small green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 mango, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Fish tacos
- 4 cod fillets, cut into taco-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 12 ounces beer (or club soda)
- Avocado or neutral oil for frying
- 8–12 corn tortillas, warmed
- Guacamole or sliced avocado, for serving
Instructions
Chipotle crema
- Whisk sour cream, adobo sauce, lime juice and zest with a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Chill while you prepare the rest.
Mango slaw
- In a large bowl, combine cabbage, mango, red onion and cilantro.
- Whisk lime juice, honey and olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the slaw, let sit 5 minutes, then toss again.
Fish tacos
- Pat fish dry. Mix garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and season the fish evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and the remaining spices. Add the beaten egg and the beer (or club soda) and whisk until smooth.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat—just enough to cover the bottom.
- Dip each piece of fish into the batter, then place in the hot oil. Fry 2–3 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp. Repeat with remaining fish.
- Assemble tacos: warm tortilla, a handful of slaw, a piece of fish (break apart if needed), a drizzle of chipotle crema and a spoonful of guacamole or avocado slices. Serve immediately.
Course: Main Course | Cuisine: American | Serves: 4
Author: How Sweet Eats
These tacos are a summertime favorite — light, crisp and full of bright flavor. Live for this meal.