Do you have some fish left in your freezer? Running out of ideas for creating a unique dish from the usual ingredients?
You’ve come to the right place!
In this article, we will list down all the recipes for crispy beer-battered fish that you should definitely try out.
Who knows, this beer-battered fish recipe might just become your new favorite!
6 Beer-Battered Fish Recipe Ideas to Try Out
1. Classic Crispy Beer Battered Fish with Tartar Sauce
Ingredients:
- White fish fillet (2 lbs)
- All-purpose flour or plain flour mixture (1 cup)
- Garlic Powder (for flavor; 1 tablespoon)
- Paprika (if you want it to be a bit spicy; 1 tablespoon)
- Seasoned salt (1 teaspoon)
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- Beer (preferably dark beer; 1 1/3 cups)
- Oil (4-5 cups)
Instructions:
Preparing the fish:
- Add the oil to a pot you normally use for frying fish or a deep fryer.
- Pour the oil until it is 2-3 INCHES DEEP.
- Heat oil until it reaches 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While waiting for the right oil temperature, cut the thawed frozen fish into STICK SHAPES, around an inch wide and 3 inches long.
- PAT FISH DRY with paper towels.
- Don’t forget to season the fish with salt and pepper.
- If you want a REALLY CRISPY beer battered fish, do not rinse the fish, and make sure to pat it dry before putting it into the batter and deep frying.
Creating the fish batter:
- Combine the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, paprika, and seasoned salt in one bowl.
- WHISK them until every ingredient is mixed.
- Add the LIGHTLY BEATEN egg.
- While whisking, GRADUALLY add the beer until the batter forms.
- Continue whisking the thick batter until there are no more lumps present in the bowl.
- Once the beer batter is prepared, dip the white fish fillet one at a time into the batter.
Deep frying the fish:
- To ensure that you will produce a crispy fish, cook it for 3-4 minutes until the fish is golden brown.
- If you are using a deep fryer, make sure to pat the fish with paper towels to remove excess oil or drain it on a wire rack.
2. Deep Fried Beer-Battered Cod Fillets
Ingredients:
- Cod fish (700g)
- Canola oil (2 quarts)
- 1 slice of lemon
- Salt (1 teaspoon)
- Pepper (1 teaspoon)
- Beer (1 can)
- Baking powder (1 teaspoon)
- 2 egg whites
- Flour (1-2 cups)
Instructions:
- Prepare the canola oil. We don’t recommend substituting olive oil because the fresh cod fillets will burn!
- To create a consistent beer batter, the best beer to use is a mild-flavored one. This will make the crust of the battered fish crispy.
- Combine the BEATEN EGG WHITES with the bowl of salt, pepper, flour, and baking powder. This will result in a fluffy batter, perfect for a crispy coating.
- If you want some chilly taste or spice, feel free to add some black pepper or paprika.
- ADD THE COLD BEER and continue whisking with a silicone spatula until everything is mixed.
- Dredge the fish in the flour and pat the fish with a fork. Flip it over and do the same with the other side.
- Transfer the fish fillets to the beer batter. Using the spatula, spread the batter into the fish. Flip it over and spread the same to the other side.
- Wait for the hot oil to reach 350 degrees Fahrenheit first before placing the beer-battered fish one by one.
- DEEP FRY the fish for three minutes. Wait until it is golden brown.
- Use paper towels to remove the excess oil from the crispy fish, or use a cooling rack.
- Add the slice of lemon and some garnish on top of the battered fish. You can also pair it with malt vinegar.
3. Crispy Beer-Battered Fish With Sparkling Water and Lager
Ingredients:
- Cod, hake, or haddock fillets (400g)
- Sunflower oil (1 liter)
- Corn starch/corn flour (50g)
- Plain flour (50g)
- Baking powder (1 teaspoon)
- Lager beer (75mL)
- Sparkling water (75mL)
- Turmeric
- Salt (1 teaspoon)
- Pepper (1 teaspoon)
Instructions:
- Combine the plain flour, corn flour, baking powder, and turmeric in a bowl. Season this with salt and pepper.
- Set aside one tablespoon of this mixture onto a plate.
- Gradually pour the lager beer and the sparkling water into the bowl. Continue stirring until there are no more lumps left.
- Let the beer batter rest for 30 MINUTES.
- To complete the classic fish and chips experience, we will now prepare the lemon wedges, starting with boiling a large pan of water.
- You can also search for a separate chips recipe or use an air fryer to fry french fries. Toss the potatoes together until they are evenly coated with seasoning.
- ROAST the lemon wedges or french fries for 30 minutes, or deep fry them until they are also golden brown.
- For the fish, heat the cooking oil and dip cod fillets or the haddock into the turmeric flour and the batter.
- Fry it for 6-8 minutes until you can see a crispy coating on the fish.
- To ensure that the fish stays crispy, serve it right away with lemon juice and tartar sauce on the side.
4. Super Crispy Kiwi Beer Battered Fish
Ingredients:
- Fish fillet (4 pieces)
- Vegetable oil (1 1/2 liters)
- Self-raising flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 whisked egg
- Beer (300 mL)
- Salt (1 teaspoon)
- Malt vinegar (1 teaspoon)
- 1 slice of lemon (to serve)
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a deep pot or deep fryer.
- While waiting for the hot oil, COMBINE the self-raising flour and salt in a bowl. Make some space in the middle and crack the egg there.
- Pour over the cold beer and add the malt vinegar. This ingredient will help the fish stay crispy. Whisk until a smooth batter forms.
- Dip the fish into the first bowl of flour, and shake off the excess before dipping it into the bowl of batter.
- Lower the fish into the oil. Depending on the thickness of the battered fish, cook it for 2-4 minutes until the cooked fish is crispy and golden.
- To prepare the mushy peas, BOIL THE PEAS for 5 minutes and drain. Use a food processor to mash the peas together until they have a pureed texture. Otherwise, use a fork.
- Alternatively, you can also pair the deep-fried fish with tartar sauce and lemon.
5. Crispy Beer Battered Fish using Kosher Salt and Rice Flour
Ingredients:
- White fish (700g)
- Kosher salt (not iodized or table salt)
- Black pepper (1 teaspoon)
- Canola oil (1L)
- All purpose flour (3-4 cups)
- Seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, red pepper)
- 1 egg
- Very cold beer
- Fryer/Dutch oven
- Oil thermometer
- Wire rack
Instructions:
- Add the canola oil to a large and deep pot, preferably three inches deep. This will provide enough space for the crispy fried fish to cook properly.
- Place the oil thermometer in the pot, and heat it until it reaches 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While this happens…
- SEASON with salt, and then start patting the fish dry with a paper towel. After that, you can season it with more salt and pepper.
- Set aside the fish, and make the crispy beer batter by whisking the flour, corn starch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a bowl.
- GRADUALLY WHISK the egg and the beer into the bowl and continue stirring until the batter is not lumpy anymore.
- Dip the fish into the batter one at a time, and then directly put it into the pot. Do the same to the remaining fish, and make sure you wait until they are golden brown.
- Once cooked, remove the excess batter and the oil by letting it cool on a rack.
- You can MAKE YOUR OWN dipping sauce, such as a homemade tartar sauce. You can also pair it with fried chicken if you are looking to eat them as a snack.
6. Golden Crispy-Beer Battered Fish Recipe
Ingredients:
- Hake fish fillet (4 pieces)
- Self-raising flour (1 cup)
- 1 can of golden ale
- Salt (1 pinch)
- Pepper (1 pinch)
Instructions:
- Start sifting flour, salt, and pepper into a bowl. This one is a minimalistic recipe, but if you want to add some flavor, feel free to include onion powder.
- Once you are down, dredge the fish in the rice flour and set it aside. Do it for the other fillets until the batter is prepared.
- GRADUALLY ADD the beer into the batter to ensure that the resulting fried fish is crispy. Whisk until you notice that there are no more lumps.
- When the batter is ready, start putting one fish fillet into it at a time.
- SLOWLY TOSS the fish into the oil, making sure you wait for the excess batter to come off first before you submerge the fish.
- Wait until the fish is golden brown before flipping it over. Wait for another 3-4 minutes, and then remove it from the pot.
- Place it on top of a rack to cool, or you can also place it on top of paper towels to remove the excess oil.
- Serve it with tartar sauce or any sauce of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most commonly asked questions about crispy beer-battered fish recipes:
What Beer Is Best for Fish Batter?
The type of beer that you use does not really matter. But we recommend that you use a beer that will not overpower the taste of the fish.
While the type of beer does not matter, we do find that a COLD BEER works better than a beer at room temperature.
When it comes to beer, cold temperatures help create that crispy batter and thin coating that we want our beer batter to have.
If the beer is not cold, make the batter cold by putting it in the fridge first for 15-20 minutes. The coldness of the beer batter hitting the hot oil will result in crispy beer-battered fish.
If you are worried about the alcohol content of the beer, the alcohol will get cooked off when the fish is fried.
What Type of Fish Is Best for Beer-Battered Fish?
The best type of fish to use in a beer-battered fish recipe are fishes that are meaty and suitable for frying.
The following are our favorites for the classic fish and chips and beer-battered fish:
- Cod
- Haddock
- Whiting
- Ling
- Halibut
Always opt for the fleshy ones because they are the most suitable for deep frying. We suggest that you do not use oily fish such as salmon, trout, and mackerel.
Delicate fishes are also not combative with crispy batter. Fishes like flounder and sole tend to crumble even when they are deep-fried.
We also do not recommend using tuna, kingfish, marlin, and swordfish as they dry too easily inside, especially when deep fried.
Why Does My Beer Batter Fall off Fish?
Some excess wet batter will naturally disperse or fall off the fish when you put it in the fryer. However, what’s not normal is if it is not sticking to the fried fish.
Another reason why the batter is not sticking to the fish is the way it is tossed into the hot oil.
To ensure that the fish fry inside the beer batter, try tossing the fish SLOWLY into the hot oil.
Do not rush when making beer-battered fish, as this may cause the cold batter to come off.
Fish will fry properly when there is enough space, too. We know you’re excited to try the crispy beer-battered fish, but the crispy fried fish only happens when there is enough space.
Too much fish being fried inside the pot will drop the temperature, causing the batter to come off. Now, the fried fish recipe will not be complete if it loses the crispiness, right?
Do not stack the fried fish on top of one another, as the cold batter will come off, too.
Another reason is the consistency of the batter. There is a reason why we add egg and cornstarch to the mix. These two help the batter stick to the fish!
How Does Gordon Ramsay Make Beer Batter?
To create the batter, Gordon Ramsay whisks the flour, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl.
He then adds the egg whites to the center of the mixture and whisks while gradually pouring the lager and the soda water. Sprinkle with salt and mix again.
If you want to add some unique taste to your batter, you can also add some curry powder, garlic powder, or paprika if you are craving something spicy.
Do I Need Rice Flour to Create the Batter?
No, the rice flour is not part of the batter, but of the dredging flour. You may be wondering, what is the use of dredging flour?
This flour is used to make sure that the fish will stick to the batter before you deep fry it. This is part of the deep frying procedure.
Make sure to dredge fish in the rice flour first before you put it into the batter. This will help the crispy beer batter to be more consistent and sticky to the fish.
What Type of Oil Is the Best to Use?
The best type of oil to use is an oil specifically for frying. Some use olive oil, but we do not recommend it as it could burn the fish fillet.
Vegetable oil would work, and you can also use avocado oil which has the highest smoke point.
FUN FACT: The smoke point is the temperature wherein the oil breaks down before it starts smoking. If you want the fried fish to be deep-fried, you need an oil that has a high smoke point.
Another oil that has a high smoke point is corn oil. It is also very affordable and can continue frying until 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Of course, we won’t need to fry the fish at this temperature, but this just means that this oil can handle high temperatures and will not burn your fish.
Here are other types of oil that you can rely on when you are making crispy beer-battered fish:
- Canola oil
- Sunflower oil
- Soybean oil
- Peanut oil
- Safflower oil
What Is the Best Pair for a Crispy Beer Battered Fish?
Aside from the classic tartar sauce, you can eat fish that has been beer-battered with a sauce that is zesty and citrusy.
The tastiest pairing comes from the fruit juices, such as orange sauce, apricot sauce, and lemon and citrus fruit sauce.
The citrus from these sauces pairs off well with the taste of the fish. However, if you do not want that, you can also opt to create a chilly or pepper sauce and mustard sauce.
How Can I Make Homemade Tartar Sauce?
As cliche as it may sound, tartar sauce remains the best pairing for ANY seafood, and this includes our class beer battered fish.
To be frank, all you need is five minutes to whip up your own tartar sauce, which will save you some dollars from the supermarket.
Once you learn how to create your own tartar sauce, you won’t need to buy another tartar sauce again!
Here are the ingredients that you will need:
- Mayonnaise
- Chopped pickles or relish
- Lemon juice
- Herbs (either tarragon, dill, or both)
All you need to do is mix all of these ingredients in a bowl, and your tartar sauce is ready to be served.
Yes, it’s that simple.
However, if you want to add more flavor to your sauce, you can always opt to add capers, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, olives, and onion.
Final Words
There are so many types of beer-battered fish recipes out there, and this list just proves that you can add something new to a usual and ordinary dish.
You don’t even need to be a fan of fish and chips or any fish recipe to try these out at home.
So, the next time you see some fish in your fridge and wonder what to do with them, grab yourself the ingredients and start with these recipes.
Who knows? You might end up using these classic dishes for special occasions, too!
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