Satisfy your fried food cravings with this irresistible beer-battered fish recipe.
How to Make Beer-Battered Fish
You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:
Beer Batter for Fish
To make the beer batter for fish, you’ll need the following ingredients: salt and pepper, flour, garlic powder, paprika, an egg, and (of course!) a can or bottle of beer.
Best Fish for Frying
The best fish for frying is white, neutral-flavored, and lean. This recipe calls for cod, which is mild and has a sturdy texture that stands up well to the hot oil.
Best Beer for Beer Batter
You can use any beer you have on hand. The yeast in the beer acts like yeast in bread, making the batter thin and puffy.
Just make sure your beer is extra cold — when the cold batter hits the hot oil, the reaction ensures the coating is nice and crispy when it comes out of the fryer.
How to Fry Beer-Battered Fish
If you’ve never fried fish at home, this is the best recipe for crispy, light, airy, beer-battered fish,” according to culinary producer Nicole McLaughlin (a.k.a NicoleMcMom). Here are a few of her favorite tips and tricks:
- Avoiding substituting the beer with something like club soda, as beer adds a ton of flavor.
- Nicole loves using cod because it’s meaty, but it’s also super light and flaky. It holds the batter really well, she says.
- This is not a recipe Nicole recommends making in advance — as soon as you dip the fish in the batter, send it straight to the oil. However, you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time.
- Nicole suggests serving the beer-battered fish with this Quick Tartar Sauce recipe.
How Long to Fry Fish
In a deep fryer with oil heated to 365 degrees, the beer-battered cod filets should be perfectly cooked after about 2 minutes on each side.
What to Serve With Beer-Battered Fish
Complete your meal with one of our 15 Best Side Dishes for Fried Fish. Here are a few of the crowd-pleasing ideas you’ll find:
How to Store Beer-Battered Fish
Store the beer-battered fish in an airtight container lined with paper towels in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise
“I dipped the fish in flour before I dipped it into the batter,” says Theresa. “It turned out awesome! My husband said it was better than the fish and chips he had at Red Lobster!”
“Brilliant fish that stayed crispy for a long time after frying,” according to Hankus. “Tasty batter and easy to make.”
“This was an excellent recipe,” raves Holly Marie. “I made sure the cod was patted very dry prior to applying the batter. I used Guinness as my beer of choice and it turned out excellent!”
Editorial contributions by Corey Williams