This crispy beer-battered fish recipe is easy to make at home with simple ingredients! I’ll show you how to make the best crunchy, seasoned coating for flaky white fish, plus deep-frying steps for delicious, golden-fried results.
Golden Fried Beer-Battered Fish
Homemade beer-battered fish is officially the best way to satisfy a craving for fish and chips from my own kitchen. Beer adds great carbonation and a unique flavor to classic batter, making the fish extra crunchy, golden, and rich.
You really only need 5 ingredients, plus simple pantry spices. And don’t be deterred by deep-frying. It gets this beer-battered fish deliciously crunchy just like the fried fish you’d order in a restaurant. Only better, because it’s fresh and made at home!
This crispy fried fish recipe is surprisingly versatile. Beer-battered fish makes delicious pub-style fish and chips with air fryer French fries and tartar sauce on the side. I also love making beer-battered fish tacos for an easy seafood dinner.
I use this same battered-and-fried method to make Italian-style fritto misto with homemade tartar sauce. That sauce pairs wonderfully with this beer-battered fish, too.
For an alternative to fish, make my easy beer-battered fried chicken instead!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need along with the ingredients for my restaurant-style beer batter recipe. See the recipe card for the exact ingredient measurements.
- Fish Fillets – Wild-caught or flash-frozen white fish is best. I like to use cod because it’s firm yet flaky and works well for deep-frying. Mahi mahi, tilapia, halibut, and haddock are also good options.
- Flour – I recommend all-purpose flour. I haven’t tested this recipe with other types of flour yet.
- Cornstarch and Baking Powder – These are the two secret ingredients to the most tender, crispiest beer-battered fish. Baking powder creates carbonation, while cornstarch absorbs moisture for a lighter, crunchier batter.
- Spices – Garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Egg – Helps the breading adhere.
- Beer – Make sure the beer you use is ice-cold. The best beer for beer-battered fish is a light beer, like a lager, pilsner, or pale ale. You want a beer with high carbonation and a crisp, clean flavor that isn’t too bitter.
Alternatives to Beer
There are a few options if you’d prefer to make your fish batter without beer:
- Non-alcoholic beer: The best choice, as it delivers the same flavor and bubbles as beer, just without the alcohol.
- Seltzer water or club soda: A good substitute that mimics the carbonation in beer, but not the flavor. Consider seasoning the batter with a little extra salt, onion/garlic powder, and paprika.
- Plain water: Not the best, as water results in a heavier batter and less-crispy crust. The baking powder in this recipe will help. If you do use plain water, make sure it’s ice cold. I also suggest adding extra seasoning to the batter.
Expert Tips for Crispy Fried Fish
- Use beer that’s cold from the fridge. Beer batter made with warm beer doesn’t have the same crispness.
- Pat your fish fillets completely dry with paper towels. If the fish is wet, the batter can slide off.
- Dry-dredge the fish first. After drying the fillets, dust them with flour before dipping them in batter. This light coating acts like “glue” to help the batter stay on the fish.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch. Cornstarch soaks up excess moisture, so the batter comes out crisp and not soggy or oily. Also, don’t overmix the batter, as it deflates the air bubbles.
- Fry at 375ºF. Oil temperature is key when deep-frying. If the oil is too hot, the batter will burn before the fish cooks through. If it’s not hot enough, the batter becomes soggy instead of frying right away.
Ways to Serve Beer-Battered Fish
Nothing pairs better with golden-fried, crispy battered fish than an ice cold beer! Squeeze some fresh lemon on top of your fish, and try one of these favorite serving ideas:
Pin this now to find it later
-
Heat the oil. Pour 2 to 3 inches of oil into a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, making sure the oil comes no more than halfway up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375°F.
-
Prep the fish. Meanwhile, as the oil heats, leave smaller fish fillets whole or cut larger fillets into 3- to 4-inch pieces (see my notes below). Pat the fish completely dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Then, dust the fish with some flour (just a light coating).
-
Make the batter. In a bowl, combine ¾ cup of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Add the egg and cold beer. Mix just until combined. A few lumps are perfectly fine. The batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
-
Batter and fry the fish. Dip each piece of fish into the batter, turning to coat it completely. Lift it out and let the excess batter drip back into the bowl for a few seconds. Carefully lower the fish into the hot oil and fry for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once halfway through, or until the batter is deep golden brown and the fish is cooked through. The internal temperature of the cooked fish should reach 145°F.
-
Serve. Transfer the cooked fish to a wire rack to drain, then serve immediately.
- Make them any size. Leave the fillets whole for classic beer-battered fish, or cut them into strips for fish sticks and smaller pieces for fish tacos. Just keep the pieces similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Use beer straight from the fridge. Warm beer will not give the same effect.
- Don’t overmix the batter, and make sure to use cornstarch for extra crispiness.
- Dust the fish with flour first. This will help the coating to stay on the fish.
- Temperature: Fry at 375°F. Use a thermometer, if possible, to check the oil temperature.
- Rest before frying. After dipping the fish in the batter, hold it over the bowl for 5 to 10 seconds. This allows the excess batter to drip off while the coating that remains on the fish thickens slightly before frying.
Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Beer-Battered Fish
Follow these steps to make this easy, restaurant-style fried fish.
- Get the fish ready. Start by slicing the fish fillets into sticks or larger pieces, whichever you prefer. I like fish stick-size if I’m making tacos or serving this to kids. Pat the fish completely dry before seasoning with salt and pepper. Then, lightly dust the dry fish with flour on all sides.
- Heat the oil. Meanwhile, bring about 2-3 inches of cooking oil to 375ºF in a deep skillet, or use a deep fryer. Do this before you mix the batter, since the fish will go straight from the batter into the hot oil. To test the temperature, dip the handle of a dry wooden spoon into the oil. If small bubbles start to form on the wood right away, the oil is hot enough.
- Make the batter. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and seasonings in a bowl. Add the egg, pour in the cold beer, and mix. It’s OK if there are a few lumps. If you run a spoon through your batter, it should be thick enough to coat the back without drizzling off right away. If the batter is too runny, add more flour; if it’s too thick, add a little more beer.
- Fry the fish. One piece at a time, dip the fish into your cold beer batter. Let the battered fish rest over the bowl for a few seconds so the coating can thicken, then carefully lower it into the hot oil. Fry for 4-6 minutes, until the outside is a deep golden brown. Afterward, use a slotted spoon or metal tongs to move the beer-battered fish pieces to a wire rack to drain. Serve while it’s hot and crisp!
Can I Bake This Instead?
Yes, but not with the wet batter as-is. The liquid beer batter would run right off the fish onto the pan! To bake beer-battered fish, you’ll need to add a breading, like the one for my baked battered shrimp. I suggest following the breading and baking method in that recipe, adjusting the baking time and oven temperature for fish instead. Most battered fish takes about 10-15 minutes to bake at 425ºF.
Storing Leftovers
Fried food doesn’t reheat well, so enjoy this beer-battered fish right away for the best taste and texture. If you absolutely must store leftovers:
- Refrigerate. Cover the leftover battered fish in an airtight container to keep in the fridge.
- Reheat. Reheat leftover fish in the oven (or air fryer if you have one) within 3 days. It won’t be as crispy as it was when first fried, but the flavor should still be good.
