The Best Baja Fresh Fish Tacos Recipe you've ever tried are just a few minutes away! Crispy fish, crunchy slaw, soft warm corn tortillas and a creamy white sauce combine to fulfil your Cinco de Mayo dreams, any night of the year!
These are the tacos that put Baja California on the culinary map. This Mexican state south of San Diego, California, boasts some of the very best seafood in the world.
Traditional Baja fish tacos are always deep fried, then dressed simply with shredded cabbage, loads of fresh lime, and a creamy Baja sauce.
I don't do very much deep frying of my seafood. But this fish taco recipe gets rave reviews every time it hits the table. If you've been looking to switch up your Baked Fish Tacos with something new, this is a great seafood taco to add to your collection!
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Fish - the recipe calls for cod, but any similar white fish, such as mahi mahi or even grouper, will work. Fresh, if possible, or a high quality frozen fish that has been thawed gently in the refrigerator overnight.
Cold beer (or seltzer water) - I'm the weirdo who really doesn't like the flavor of beer. So I've often made "beer batter" using seltzer. But it's not just the carbonation that creates a great batter. The yeast in beer adds both flavor and lift to your batter. So I do recommend that you grab a bottle of pale colored beer.
Corn tortillas - Baja style tacos must be served on corn tortillas. And in my house, corn tortillas must be charred in a dry skillet before serving. But if you're feeding people who prefer flour tortillas, go with God.
For toppings:
Baja fish taco sauce - a 5-ingredient sour cream sauce the whole family will love. Find the full recipe at the link above. As written, this creates a slightly spicy sauce, but it can be modified to suit your needs!
Full measurements and directions included in the printable recipe card below.
Check out 19 Best Sides for Fish Tacos!
Step by step instructions:
1. Prep fish
To begin, dry cod thoroughly with paper towels and slice into 1 inch by 2 inch pieces. Dust the fish in ¼ cup cornstarch. Set aside.
2. Make batter
In a large bowl, prepare the fish batter. Combine self-rising flour, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and cayenne (if using) in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix well. Add 1 ¼ cups very cold beer. Stir to combine, but leave lumps.
3. Heat oil and batter fish
Heat about 2 ½ inches of neutral oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. You want to keep your oil around 375℉.
Dredge fish pieces that have been dusted with cornstarch in the beer batter. Let excess batter drip off the fish, then gently lower each piece into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, or the oil will cool and you will create a heavy, oily batter.
4. Fry fish
Fry battered fish for 3-4 minutes, or until the batter is medium golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Remove each crispy cod piece and lay on a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain any excess oil.
Continue dredging and frying the fish in batches until complete. The process goes quickly, but you can keep the finished fish pieces in a warming oven until ready to serve.
5. Serve with tortillas
Use a dry skillet to warm and slightly char corn tortillas. To serve, layer Baja fish taco sauce onto each corn tortilla.
Top with 1-2 pieces of beer battered cod, followed by shredded green and red cabbage and cilantro. Top with a squeeze of lime juice, and even more fish taco sauce, if desired.
FAQ's, Variations and Serving Suggestions:
Mexican Street Corn Casserole
Authentic Refried Beans
Arroz Rojo (Authentic Red Rice)
Taco Truck Green Sauce
Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Sauce
The recipe calls for cayenne, which adds just a touch of heat to the batter. You can add more ground cayenne to the batter, or rely on your taco sauce or a bottle of hot sauce to add additional heat to your meal.
Beer battered fish is always best served immediately after frying, so it's ideal to make just what your family and friends can eat at that meal. To reheat leftovers, heat on a rack over a baking sheet in the oven at 375℉ until just heated through.
This iconic fish taco originated in Baja California, Mexico, and the preparation referred to in this country as “Baja-style” is similar to what you might find on the Mexican peninsula. It usually involves deep-fried white fish, shredded cabbage, and a creamy white sauce.
Best Baja Fresh Fish Tacos Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 1 ½ pounds cod (or similar white fish), cut into strips
- ¼ cup cornstarch, for dusting
For the beer batter:
- ¾ cup self-rising flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ¼ cups very cold beer (or seltzer water)
- Neutral oil (for frying)
- 12-15 corn tortillas
For toppings:
- Baja fish taco sauce
- Green and red cabbage, finely shredded
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- To begin, dry cod thoroughly with paper towels and slice into 1 inch by 2 inch slices. Dust the fish pieces in ¼ cup cornstarch. Set aside.
- Make the beer batter. Combine self-rising flour, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and cayenne (if using) in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix well. Add 1 ¼ cups very cold beer. Stir to combine, but leave lumps.
- Heat about 2 ½ inches of neutral oil in the bottom of a dutch oven over medium-high heat. You want to keep your oil around 375℉. Dredge fish pieces dusted with cornstarch in the beer batter, let excess batter drip off the fish, then gently lower each piece into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, or the oil will cool too much and you will have a heavy, oily batter.
- Fry 3-4 minutes, or until the batter is medium golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Remove each crispy beer-battered cod piece and lay on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Continue dredging and frying the fish in batches until complete. The process goes quickly, but you can keep the fried fish pieces in a warming oven until ready to serve.
- Use a dry skillet to warm and slightly char corn tortillas. To serve, layer Baja fish taco sauce onto each corn tortilla. Top with 1-2 pieces of beer battered cod, followed by shredded green and red cabbage and cilantro. Top with a squeeze of lime juice, and even more fish taco sauce, if desired.
Notes
Substitute cod with any similar white fish, such as mahi mahi or even grouper.
Fresh fish works great, or choose a high-quality frozen fish that has been thawed gently in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mexican, American
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