6 Delicious Beer-Battered Fish Recipes to Try ASAP!

Beer-battered fish is a classic dish that’s beloved for its crispy, golden crust and tender, flaky fish inside.

Whether you’re hosting a fish fry, preparing a family dinner, or simply craving something delicious, these six beer-battered fish recipes are sure to satisfy your taste buds.

Plus, stick around for a bonus recipe featuring beer-battered shrimp!

1. Beer-Battered Cod

Why It’s a Favorite: Cod is a go-to for fish and chips because of its mild flavor and firm texture. The beer batter gives the cod a light, crispy coating that’s hard to resist.

How to Make It: Coat cod fillets in a beer batter made with flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Fry until golden brown and serve with fries and tartar sauce for a classic meal. [Full Recipe]

2. Beer-Battered Tilapia

Why It’s a Favorite: Tilapia is a mild, versatile fish that absorbs the flavors of the beer batter beautifully, making it an excellent choice for those who enjoy a lighter, less fishy taste. It’s a great option for anyone looking for a tender and flaky fish that fries up perfectly.

How to Make It: Dip tilapia fillets in a beer batter made with your favorite light beer, then fry until golden brown. Serve with a side of coleslaw or a fresh green salad for a light, satisfying meal. [Full Recipe]

3. Beer-Battered Halibut

Why It’s a Favorite: Halibut’s meaty texture holds up well to frying, making it an excellent candidate for beer batter. The result is a hearty, satisfying dish.

How to Make It: Dip halibut fillets in a beer batter and fry until golden brown. Serve with homemade tartar sauce and your favorite sides for a restaurant-quality meal at home. [Full Recipe]

4. Beer-Battered Catfish

Why It’s a Favorite: Catfish has a unique, slightly sweet flavor that pairs wonderfully with a spicy beer batter. It’s a Southern favorite that’s sure to please.

How to Make It: Coat catfish fillets in a seasoned beer batter with a touch of cayenne pepper for heat. Fry until crispy and golden, then serve with hush puppies and coleslaw.

5. Beer-Battered Walleye

Why It’s a Favorite: Walleye is a freshwater fish with a mild, delicate flavor that shines when beer battered and fried. It’s especially popular in the Midwest.

How to Make It: Dip walleye fillets in a light beer batter and fry until golden. Serve with a side of fries or a fresh salad for a delicious, balanced meal. [Full Recipe]

6. Beer-Battered Perch

Why It’s a Favorite: Perch is known for its tender, sweet flavor, and when beer battered, it becomes a crunchy, irresistible dish that’s perfect for any occasion.

How to Make It: Coat perch fillets in a beer batter and fry until golden and crispy. Pair with tartar sauce and lemon wedges for a simple yet delicious meal. [Full Recipe]

Bonus Recipe: Beer-Battered Shrimp

Why It’s a Favorite: Shrimp is a versatile seafood that takes on a whole new level of deliciousness when coated in beer batter. The result is a crispy, flavorful treat.

How to Make It: Dip shrimp in a beer batter and fry until golden. Serve with cocktail sauce or a spicy aioli for dipping. [Full Recipe]

Whether you prefer cod, haddock, halibut, or something a bit more adventurous like catfish or walleye, these beer-battered fish recipes offer something for everyone.

And don’t forget to try the bonus beer-battered shrimp for an extra treat!

* Keto Beer-Battered Fish

Why It’s a Favorite: For those following a keto diet, enjoying crispy, golden beer-battered fish can still be possible with a few simple tweaks. By using low-carb ingredients, you can create a batter that’s both keto-friendly and delicious, allowing you to indulge without breaking your diet.

How to Make It: Substitute traditional flour with almond flour or a combination of almond flour and coconut flour. Use a low-carb beer to keep the batter keto-friendly.

Dip your favorite fish fillets in the batter and fry until crispy. Serve with keto-friendly sides like cauliflower mash or a fresh green salad.

This keto version of beer-battered fish lets you enjoy the classic dish while staying on track with your low-carb lifestyle.

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!