Beer Battered Fried Fish ~ Light and Crispy!

This Crispy Beer Battered Fried Fish is light, flaky and packed with fresh flavor. Serve with tartar sauce, cabbage slaw, and French fries for delicious fish and chips at home.

My favorite way to eat beer battered fish is with crispy french fries and this Light Cabbage Slaw.

Why Beer Battered Fish is So Light and Crispy

Beer does several fantastic things for fried fish batter, but the main effect comes from the carbonation. The bubbles in beer aerate the batter, which helps to make it light and crispy. The same effect can be achieved by adding plain club soda, but beer also adds flavor.

The extra flavor from the beer is important.

The goal with fried fish batter, I feel, is to achieve a flavorful, crunchy coating that compliments the fish rather than completely overwhelming it. I want to be able to taste the fish, not just the batter. On the other hand, what's the point of bland, tasteless batter? 

If you can find it, London Pride beer is a fantastic choice for fried fish. It's an amber beer that's slightly sweet and not overly bitter. It adds a nice flavor to the batter without being too strong.

My second choice is Newcastle Brown Ale. But honestly, any kind of beer is fine. Just be aware that the stronger the flavor in the beer, the stronger the flavor in the batter.

This Recipe Makes More Beer Batter Than You'll Need.

This is to ensure that you can submerge each piece of fish in the batter without any difficulties. Fish is fragile. It breaks easily. I like to mix up a generous amount of batter so that I can dip each piece in the batter rather than having to roll it around. 

If having more batter than you need feels wasteful to you, just cut the recipe in half. I've also read that you can add an egg, some cornmeal and spices to the leftover batter and make hush puppies, frying them in the hot oil right after the cooking the fish. 

What's the Best Kind of Fish to Fry?

My two favorite kinds of fish to use in any fried fish recipe are Cod and Halibut. But, other great options are Haddock, Tilapia, or Polluck.

Alaskan Cod is the fish most often used in American restaurants for fish and chips, and it's what I usually use when making them at home. It's a great choice because it holds together well when coating it in batter and can withstand the high temperatures used for frying.

I also LOVE using Alaskan Halibut, however, this is more difficult to find unless, of course, you are in Alaska. And, if you are in Alaska, lucky you. 🙂 

How To Get The Beer Batter to Stick to the Fish

Here's the trick to getting beer batter to stick to fish:

1. Make sure the pieces of fish are dry and,
2. Dredge the fish in flour or cornstarch before dipping it in the batter.

It's important to blot the surface of the fish with a paper towel to suck up any excess moisture so that when you dredge the pieces in flour or cornstarch you get a nice, light coating rather than a thick globby mess.

After cutting the fish into pieces that are roughly 3-inches long, lay them out on a paper towel. Blot them on all sides with another paper towel then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Immediately after drying and seasoning the fish, dredge the pieces in some flour or cornstarch, coating them on all sides and shaking off the excess. The goal is to get a nice thin coating of flour or cornstarch, which gives the batter something to cling to.

For Fish and Chips, just add French fries

There are few things I love more than a plate full of really good fried fish and French fries. Honestly, I've never made fried fish without also making French fries.

Most fish and chips recipes include instructions for making your own fries from scratch. This isn't one of those recipes because I prefer to use frozen French fries.

If you were to go to the trouble of making French fries from scratch, I would most definitely not turn them down. I just don't often feel that the effort is worth it. Also, I usually prefer the taste of frozen fries. 

I just want to point out that I am almost always a from-scratch-is-better kind of person and will happily go through the extra effort for a higher quality result. I just don't think you always get that from fries. I am perfectly happy to heat up some oil and dump in a bag of frozen extra-crispy fries. 

How to make French Fries From Scratch:

1. Slice up a couple of potatoes into strips that are about ½ inch thick. 
2. Soak the strips in cold in water for at least an hour, and preferably overnight.
3. Rinse the potatoes in cold water and pat dry.
4. Fry the potatoes in oil that's been heated to 325 degrees. Use a slotted spoon to remove them when they are golden brown, laying them out on a paper towel lined plate or tray. Sprinkle with salt.

How to Serve Beer Battered Fish

Beer Battered Fried Fish was made for cabbage slaw. The purpose of slaw is to provide a fresh, bright, refreshing contrast to heavy, smoky, often fatty meats and fried foods, like fried fish.

Well made coleslaw or cabbage slaw should be crunchy, tangy, and possibly a little bit creamy. It should not be limp, listless, and drowning in mayonnaise. 

This Light Cabbage Slaw is my favorite thing to serve with fried fish because it includes both vinegar and a touch of mayo. It’s tangy, very slightly creamy but still super light, making it the perfect accompaniment to a plateful of fried fish and French fries.

Other Popular Seafood Recipes:

• Indian Shrimp and Rice
• Miso Buttered Pasta and Salmon
• Pan Seared Scallops with Chorizo and Roasted Corn
• Shrimp, Rice, and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
• Potato Salad with Creamy Green Sauce and Tuna Fillets

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.