Baja Fish Tacos
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Crispy beer-battered cod tucked into corn tortillas and topped with slaw and a smoky chipotle sauce, Baja fish tacos are the perfect summer meal.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Many years ago, Michael and I rented a convertible and drove up the California coast. One of our favorite stops was La Jolla, where we strolled around town and stumbled upon a Mexican restaurant with great food and breathtaking views of the Pacific ocean. I don’t know if it was the scenery, the margaritas, or the fact that we were on vacation, but the Baja fish tacos were out of this world. To recreate them at home, I came up with this version made with crispy beer-battered cod tucked into corn tortillas with a cabbage slaw and smoky chipotle sauce. I’m happy to say they come pretty darn close. To complete the meal, pair the tacos with chips, salsa, and guacamole.
“I have made these so many times – now my friends a family are all making them as well. The chipotle sauce is the star!”
What You’ll Need To Make Baja Fish Tacos
Most of the ingredients are pretty straightforward, except maybe the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. If you’ve never had them, get ready to add a new staple to your pantry! They’re small peppers (usually red jalapeños) that have been dried and smoked, and they come in a spicy tomato sauce that has a smoky flavor. You can find them in the Latin section of most supermarkets, and I have many recipes that incorporate them.
How To Make Baja Fish Tacos
Begin by making the slaw, which is a combination of shredded red cabbage, chopped red onions, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, oil and salt.
Next, make the chipotle sauce by combining the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, mayonnaise, lime juice and garlic in a mini food processor or blender. I use three peppers for a spicy sauce; of course, use less if you prefer a milder sauce.
When you’re ready to fry the fish, prepare the beer batter by whisking together the flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Slowly pour in the beer, whisking all the while.
Cut the cod into 1-inch wide x 4-inch long strips.
Then dip the fish into the beer batter.
Pan-fry the fish until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. As you can see, there’s no need to deep fry the fish. I use about a 1/2 inch of oil, which is plenty as long as you flip the fish midway through.
If you’re wondering if you can skip the beer batter and frying altogether and just grill or pan-sear the fish, the answer is yes but the tacos won’t be nearly as good. Fried fish has a wonderfully crispy texture and depth of flavor that really can’t be achieved any other way. It’s worth it! Plus, even with the fried fish, these tacos are still amazingly light and fresh.
When the fish is golden brown, drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
Warm up the corn tortillas (I do it in the microwave), then assemble the tacos with a generous amount of chipotle sauce, a heap of cabbage slaw and a piece of crispy cod. Serve with lime wedges, lots of napkins and enjoy!
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Baja Fish Tacos
Crispy beer-battered cod tucked into corn tortillas and topped with slaw and a smoky chipotle sauce, Baja fish tacos are the perfect summer meal.
Ingredients
For the Cabbage Slaw
- 5 cups (or one 10-ounce bag) shredded red cabbage
- 3 tablespoons minced red onion
- ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Chipotle Sauce
- ¾ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, from one lime
- 2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (canned), roughly chopped, plus 1-2 teaspoons sauce (see note below)
- 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
For the Beer Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup beer
For the Fish and Tortillas
- 1½ pounds skinless cod, cut into 1-inch wide x 4-inch long strips
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas, warmed
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Toss the cabbage, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, oil and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce and garlic in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Gradually add the beer, whisking until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of ½-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F, or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when dipped into the oil.
- Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, dip the fish strips in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Let the excess batter drip off, then fry the fish in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Smear each tortilla with a generous amount of the chipotle sauce, then top with the cabbage slaw. Lay one piece of fish inside each tortilla and serve with lime wedges.
- Note: 3 chipotle peppers and 2 teaspoons sauce will give you a spicy sauce. Use less for a milder sauce. You can freeze any leftover chipotle peppers from the can.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 3 tablespoons of oil are absorbed into the fish when fried.
- Note: Nutritional Information does not include the chipotle sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 577
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Sodium: 1025 mg
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Jenn,
I made these yummy fish tacos last night but I think I did something wrong. The batter did not stick to the cod and in the end I had fish that was fried but had no batter. Plus the fish fell apart in the pan. I used a cast iron skillet and the fish stuck to the bottom leaving quite the mess. 🙁
I’m hoping you can tell me what I did wrong so I can try them again. Thanks, Amie
Hi Amie, It sounds like your oil was not hot enough. Here’s a good link that shows how to tell when the oil is the right temperature: http://lifehacker.com/5980225/use-a-wooden-spoon-to-know-when-oil-is-ready-for-frying Hope that helps 🙂
Fish tacos always sounded yucky to me. That is until I saw the photo of yours! That looks so good that the ingredients are now on my grocery list! I will be making this! I cook for one now and don’t cook often. When I do, I mostly use my 1.5 qt. slow cooker. I’m not adding stars because I have not actually tried it. But, I will! Thank you. I just found your site and signed up!
Welcome to the site, Bara. Hope you enjoy it!
I am reviewing this again. I have now made these about 5 times and they are simply outstanding. Friends cannot stop eating them.
I add the following notes:
A non stick pan makes this much simpler with no risk of sticking.
I soak the cod in ice water for about half an hour before drying and battering.
Mix the batter AFTER the oil reaches frying temperature.
Use a light colored beer, not a dark – i.e. Corona, not Guinness.
Great recipe and the family loved it! I really like how every one of your recipes has a picture of the finished product as well as what you will need for the recipe. I have always said – who buys a recipe book without pictures!?!? Thank you so much!
This is a monthly staple at our house. The sauce and cole slaw are used in other meals. The only change I have made is I use a tex joy seafood seasoning. Also we are fortunate to have access to fish my husband caught.
Best fish tacos ever! The sauce is amazing! Thank you for this recipe!!
Just made these and they were amazing. Thank you.
Excellent recipe! This is the real deal Baja Fish Taco! Very simple,tons of flavor taco. Thankyou for this recipe.
Hi, is there anyway to make these ahead of time and reheat for a party? Thanks!
Hi Peggy, Unfortunately, this is not a dish that can be made ahead of time. The fish won’t stay crispy. Sorry!
Outstanding! Perfect flavor, good directions. Thank you!
Yummy. Made the chipotle mayo with 1/2c mayo and 1/4 greek yogurt. Next time would use 1/2 greek yogurt and 1/4c mayo. Used white whole wheat flour for the batter. Would also be very good without the tortillas.
I am a San Diegan native who now lives in Colorado. These fish tacos were amazing and reminded me of home. Thanks for the recipe!
Wow! Best fish tacos I’ve made, and so easy! You must try this one!!!!! I also added a little sugar to the slaw.
Hi. Love your recipes thank you for all your hard work and sharing your talent
Question; I don’t drink alcohol. Or buy it . What liquid can I use to substitute for the beer in the beer batter for fish tacos?
Thanks
Michelle
Hi Michelle, Club soda will work fine. Glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Baja fish tacos – use NA beer if you do not drink – I make these with Clausteler – the best German NA beer – all the flavor, with none of the alcohol.
I love your website! Every recipe I try, I love! I’m gluten intolerant, so I will use my favorite brand of GF beer, but how do I make the flour batter GF? Thanks!!!
Just use a Gluten Free All Purpose Flour like Bob’s Red Mill. Trader Joe’s has one too.
This recipe is so awesome! There use to be a place in my town that sold fish tacos that we loved. They closed and we could never duplicate the recipe for sause or slaw or find a place that compared. This is spot on. My husband commented on how he could just eat the slaw. I am so excited! It was also super simple and easy. Thank you so so much!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My husband and I loved it…I have made twice! I made my own modifications….a bit of cumin into the sauce, instead of all mayo, split with sour cream (he hates mayo), and a drop, or less than, of lime juice into the batter. I have to accompany the tacos fresh salsa, avocados, and shredded cheese. Incredibly flavorful! And of course we serve it alongside fresh margaritas!
Hello! I love the look of this recipe and am very excited to try it! I was just wondering if you could recommend a suitable substitute for the beer in the batter? My family does not drink so I was hoping for a non alcoholic version.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Rose, Club soda will work.
Hi- making these for friends tomorrow but had to get tilapia this time (no fresh cod!) Any modifications? My family loved these so much last time I hate to disappoint! Thanks:)
Will still be delicious, Jill — no modifications necessary, any white flaky fish will work.
They were outstanding- maybe even better than the cod-Thanks!
My apologies if I have already commented on this recipe, but it is my son’s favorite fish taco recipe and his top choice request. It’s simple but very flavorful.
Absolutely delicious! And so easy to make. Made with frozen battered fish filets and was tasty so only imagine it would be ten times better with freshly fried beer battered fish!
My fiancee, who is a tough critic, said they were even better than the fish tacos at the brand new, impossible to get into, upscale taco place in town!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Thanks so much for posting, this really was delish. One question…the fish was sticking to the bottom of the pan (especially after the first batch). How can I prevent this next time? This was my first time frying anything at home, so I think it was a great first attempt, and I will definitely try, or rather “fry” again!!
Hi Sammy, Do you have a nonstick pan that you can use? Also, be sure the oil is hot enough.
So yum, I didn’t change a thing (except that I only had green cabbage on hand – which was fine). Easy to make too.
I love fish tacos and I think these were best I’ve ever had! I had some left over cabbage from the Thai Crunch Salad, so I used that for the cabbage part. Obviously, not with the dressing that went with it. Only draw back is that my cooktop is covered in splattered oil. Oh, well. Worth the mess.
I made these fish tacos last night, and they were great- will definitely go into my rotation. I made the slaw and sauce ahead and used a pinch of sugar in the slaw to take the bite off for the kids. I also added in diced avocado which worked too. Thanks–i have loved your blog for a long time and I always seem to have success with your recipes!
We made these tacos last night and they were delicious! These will definitely be made again in the very near future, thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Thank you for this outstanding recipe! I have tried many fish taco recipes & this one wins hands down. Made them for dinner with friends & everyone loved them… Served with guacamole, shredded cheese & salsa along with the sauce & shredded cabbage.
simply AMAZING !!!! made last night for me and my husband – loved it … Thanks
Will be making this recipe this weekend. Is their anything I can use to replace the cilantro?
Hi Laurie, You can leave it out — will still be delicious.
My fiance’ and I made these tacos tonight and they were awesome! I loved how light the fish was because sometimes it can be heavy from frying. These were light and super tasty. Did the chipotle mayo first and stuck it in the fridge during rest of prep and cooking. We let the slaw sit for a bit to come together out on the counter while frying the fish. Just blown away how simple and delicious this was. Today was the first time on your site Jenn. So glad I found it on a google search for fish tacos! These tacos take me back to the Riviera Maya, MX or to our favorite Mexican restaurant in downtown Easton, PA. called Mesa. THANKS!
My family LOVES these fish tacos. The cabbage slaw and chipotle sauce are fantastic. Everything about this recipe is great. I had not ever deep fried anything before, now I make these at least once a month. I use a variety of white fish, most often tilapia. The kids help prepare dinner if I am making this. Winner all around.
So great! I’ve always been a little nervous to fry fish, but this recipe made it look so easy that I had to try! The fish actually came out beautiful! Your chipotle recipes are always welcome in my house and are quickly devoured!
The chipotle sauce for the fish tacos is amazing. I ended up putting a little bit more chipotle peppers than the recipe requires, because we like things spicy here. I haven’t tried making the breaded fish, since we already had some in the freezer. The red cabbage pairs with the fish and the sauce very well.
This is my go to recipe for fish tacos. Delicious!!
Delicious! Very straightforward to make, and evertying turned out perfectly. I made this in the middle of Canadian winter, and it was a delightfully refreshing taste of summer!
Me and 2 buddies made this while on a ski trip. They were really easy and super-good. I will be making them again!
These fish tacos are so so so good and I live in California so I would know 🙂 the sauce and slaw are seriously amazing. Jenn I have tried a few of your recipes and they never disappoint. You are my go-to site for recipes now!
Thanks, Sarah! So glad you liked the tacos 🙂
Hi! Do you think that I could make the batter and slaw earlier in the day and refrigerate?
Making this for a dinner party and trying to do as much as possible ahead of time!
Hi Kerry, It’s fine to make the slaw a few hours ahead. For the batter, mix the dry ingredients ahead of time but wait to add the beer until you’re ready to cook.
What would be a good substitute for the beer? Beer in anything makes my husband sick. Someone said they used sparkling seltzer water. If I use that should I add anything to the batter to give it more flavor (other than old bay)?
Hi Amy, Seltzer is a fine substitute.
Awesome recipe. Made them for dinner last night. Everyone loved them. Currently eating leftovers for breakfast
Like all of Jenn’s recipes, these are amazing. I do not make fried food. I have made these tacos twice!! The adobo sauce is delicious. I have made it as written and also with a vegan coconut mayo substitute. Both are delicious and go well on veggie burgers or in wraps with avocado in the days that follow. Love, love, love.
This was amazing made with roasted garlic guacamole so delish!
These are delicious! Flavors work well together. Crispy beer battered fish adds a great texture. I used tilapia. I also added some guacamole. Yum! This is definitely a keeper!
These fish tacos were so extremely easy to make and delicious!!! I had extra spicy mayo and cabbage slaw left over so I made tacos out of anything I could get my hands on after finishing the fish… Delish! Thank you for sharing!
Best fish taco recipe!!! My significant other and I wanted to grab fish tacos for dinner from our go to place in San Diego, but decided the hour drive was way too much of a hassle. I decided to surprise her the next day with this delicious recipe. Boy was she surprised! It looks like our new go to place for fish tacos will be at home. Easy recipe to follow, especially with my lack of culinary experience. Love the pictures. It makes following the recipe that much easier. Thank you Jenn for the amazing recipe!
These are the best. The real highlight is the chipotle mayo. I now know to make a double recipe and my kids put it on everything for the next week.
I had not made these before and they were great! I surprised my wife with them and she doesn’t like fish tacos. Everything i’ve made from this site has been SOOO tasty! Thanks for the ideas =D
I’ve had, and loved, Fish Tacos in restaurants. I was intimidated by the idea of cooking them myself…..and then Jen came along with this recipe! I said to self: “Yup, let’s give it a try”. Every one of Jen’s recipes that I’ve looked at or cooked has been a winner. I did it! Very proud of self! Delicious results! Thank you Jen!
This has been a firm family favorite, but when my son was diagnosed as gluten intolerant last Spring, I knew I had to find a way to keep making it. Using the America’s Test Kitchen replacement flour recipe in the beer batter, I made this again tonight and everyone raved. I’ve said it before…. best cooking site on the web.
Great tip, Sheila. And thank you!
I’ve been looking for a fish taco recipe to try for months and I just happened to pick this one! It was awesome and I followed it to the T! I wouldn’t change a thing!