Beer battered fish tacos with cabbage slaw are the best way to reinvent the classic weeknight taco. These tacos feature flaky white fish coated in the crispiest beer based batter sandwiched into a fresh tortilla with a tangy cabbage slaw.

Who here loves a good taco? We sure do.

Usually they’re filled with seasoned ground beef.

However we’ve even gone as far as filling them with shredded pork, carnita-style, sloppy joe filling, and chicken and ranch…

Variety is the spice of life, after all, especially when we’re talkin tacos!

And these beer battered fish tacos…

Crispy fish, citrusy slaw, all on a fresh warm flour tortilla.

What’s not to love?

Ingredients

To make these you’ll need a set of ingredients for the beer batter, one for the fish itself, and a final set for the cabbage slaw.

For the beer batter you’ll need:

Flour– All purpose
Cornstarch
Paprika– A whole tablespoon. You can use regular or smoked if you prefer.
Baking powder
Beer– Your favorite light beer
Egg

To make the fish you’ll need:

White fish filets– Either fresh or frozen firm white fish like cod or catfish. Cut the fish into bite sized strips
Flour– For dredging
Salt and pepper

Then for the cabbage slaw you’ll need:

Coleslaw mix– The prepackaged kind that does not have dressing on it is perfect. You could also use a mix of shredded cabbage and carrot.
Fresh herbs– Chopped cilantro and chopped green onions
Lime juice– Fresh is best
Vinegar– Apple cider vinegar will give this the best tangy flavor.
Oil– Vegetable though you can use olive or another light oil if you prefer
Sugar– To balance all the tart tangy flavors
Salt

And lastly, you’ll need a package of corn tortillas for serving the tacos.

How to Make

Let’s break this down into different parts:

making the beer batter
preparing the fish
making the slaw
building the tacos

Making the Beer Batter

Start by whisking the flour, cornstarch, paprika, and baking powder together in a bowl.

Then add the beer and egg to the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Stir everything together until the batter is evenly combined but still lumpy.

Preparing the Fish

Start by thawing the fish out if you are using frozen filets.

Either way, pat the fish dried with paper towels.

Then season the fish with salt and pepper.

Pour enough oil into the bottom of a large skillet so that there is an inch of oil coating the bottom of the pan.

Heat the oil up over medium heat.

Then add 3/4 cup of flour into a shallow dish.

Dredge the fish through the flour, one piece at a time to coat the fish.

Shake off any excess flour before dipping it into the beer batter.

Then fry about 4 pieces of the beer battered fish in the hot oil for 2-4 minutes or until the fish is golden, turning the fish halfway through.

Put the fried fish on a paper towel lined plate to drain the oil.

Repeat until you’ve fried all of the fish.

Making the Cabbage Slaw

To make the cabbage slaw, toss all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Refrigerate the slaw until you are ready to serve.

Building the Tacos

To make the tacos themselves, steam the tortillas so they are warm.

Then fold a few pieces of fish into a tortilla.

Top with a spoonful of the slaw.

Enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

This is one of those dishes where you will need to store all the leftovers in separate airtight containers in the fridge.

Both the fish and the slaw are best within 2 days.

Reheating

If you have leftover beer battered fish, I highly recommend reheating it in the oven or air fryer to crisp it up again.

Skip microwaving it to avoid soggy fish and that unpleasant microwave fish smell.

What Tortillas are Best for Fish Tacos?

You can use either flour or corn tortillas though corn tortillas are a bit more authentic.

If you decide corn tortillas are for you, I recommend steaming them before using so they’re soft and pliable and won’t break or tear when stuffed.

How to Steam Corn Tortillas in the Microwave

The easiest method for steaming corn tortillas is going to be using a microwave.

Run some paper towels under a bit of water, then wring them out until they’re just damp.

Spread them out and add a stack of 5-6 corn tortillas to the center

Wrap them up in the damp paper towel, and place them in the microwave seam side down.

Heat them for 45-60 seconds.

Carefully unwrap them, avoiding any escaping steam, and then use them and top them as desired.

What is the best fish to use for beer battered fish tacos?

The key to any good fish taco, is well- the fish.

But, you need a fish that will hold up to the battering and frying process without falling apart or getting soggy.

For this particular recipe, you want a firm flesh white fish like Alaskan cod, which is my go to for this recipe.

That being said there are other options that will work too.

Other options include:

Halibut
Catfish
Tilapia
Flounder

Use whatever works best for you- whether it’s taste, availability, budget (or all three) that’s the deciding factor.

How to Keep Fried Fish Warm and Crispy While Cooking

Having a larger family, I often need to cook several batches of fried fish to feed us all.

Batch frying means, of course, that the first batch of fish will be done and waiting while I am cooking the next batches, but we aren’t going to let it cool off!

To keep the already fried fish warm in the meantime (before ready to plate), I transfer them from the paper towels to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and keep them in the oven on warm, just until ready to serve.

Tips and Tricks

The beer batter itself is classic and mild, almost like a fish and chips style beer batter. However, you can spice it up with your favorite seasonings if desired. Cayenne pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, or cumin would all add some more flavor to this party.
Though the recipe does have beer in it, the alcohol all cooks off while you fry the fish. This means the recipe is 100 percent safe for anyone- including kids- to eat.
The slaw is incredible as is but you could sweeten it a little more with some extra sugar or even add some heat with a chopped seeded jalapeno.

Other Beer Battered Foods

These beer battered fish tacos with cabbage slaw are a favorite way to add some variety to taco night.

Make them and enjoy!

Looking to try some other beer battered foods?

Here are some favorites:

If you’ve tried these BEER BATTERED FISH TACOS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!