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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.
“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.
How To Make Baja Fish Tacos
Make the slaw: Begin by making the slaw, which is a combination of shredded red cabbage, chopped red onions, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, oil and salt.
Make the sauce: 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.
Batter and fry the fish: Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper, then add the beer to make the batter. Cut the fish into strips and dip them into the batter. Pan-fry in a shallow layer of oil, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
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.
Can I Make Baja Fish Tacos Without Frying the Fish?
You can grill or pan-sear the fish instead, but I really recommend sticking with the beer batter and frying. The crispy coating is what makes these Baja fish tacos so special, and it’s the perfect contrast to the fresh toppings. If you’d prefer a lighter, unfried version, I have a delicious fish taco recipe in my second cookbook.
Baja Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the Cabbage Slaw
- 5 cups (or one 10-oz/283-g 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 to 3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, canned, roughly chopped, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sauce (see note below)
- 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
For the Beer Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup beer
For the Fish and Tortillas
- 1½ lb skinless cod, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) wide x 4-in (10-cm) long strips
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 12 (6-in/15-cm) soft corn tortillas, warmed
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Make the cabbage slaw: Toss the cabbage, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, oil, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Make the chipotle sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce, and garlic in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Make the batter: 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-in (13-mm). Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F (175°C), or until 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, coat on both sides, and let the excess batter drip off.
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
- Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 3 tablespoons of oil are absorbed into the fish when fried; it does not include the chipotle sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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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What To Serve with Fish Tacos
These tacos practically beg for margaritas, chips, salsa, guacamole, and plenty of lime wedges. If you’re having friends over and want to make a meal of it, start with jalapeño poppers and finish with churro cupcakes.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Make-Ahead: The cabbage slaw and chipotle sauce can both be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately in airtight containers. Give the slaw a good toss before serving, as it may release some liquid as it sits. The fish is best battered and fried just before serving so it stays nice and crispy.
Storage: Leftover slaw will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, though it will soften over time. The chipotle sauce will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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THE BEST. I never fry foods, as its expensive, a waste of oil, and then you have to discard the oil- a bit of a pain. This is the best fish taco recipe I have found. WORTH frying for! Great Crema. Very easy. Better than the Mexican Street Tacos. I ate these 5 days in a row they were so good and to not waste the oil. True Cod or Halibut for me. Tilapia and sole are too thin, and you end up spending too much time frying, not enough eating! In a rush? not as good, but you can substitute oven baked frozen fish sticks.
3 cups of Cabbage is plenty
1# of fish feeds 4 nicely. 1.5# led to leftovers, but not enough for a 2nd meal.
Jen Segal you are the best! thank you!
These tacos are phenomenal! I do omit the cilantro as I’m one of the lucky ones who get the dish soap taste, but even without it they were a hit!! The fish batter is definitely my favorite part. I’ve even done just the fish for a fish and chips. Highly recommend these tacos! Oddly enough I usually make Jenn’s cilantro rice to go with them for the kids!
For me the real secret to this great recipe is the chipotle sauce. It is so simple but it is a wow. I like Jen was traveling & had an amazing meal at a tiny place on the Baja & came home & wanted to try and make it. Because her Asian Slaw recipe I tried was a winner I tried this one. The chipotle sauce is killer. I’ve swapped out the fish for shrimp, chicken, black beans & corn … the secret here is the sauce & the slaw.
Our son became a vegetarian recently so I’ve started making these tacos on a regular basis and everyone loves them! The batter is excellent and so easy to make as the tacos are fresh tasting and crunchy. I changed the sauce a bit as it was too spicy for us so I reduced the number of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce since the cans/brand can vary in temperature heat. The cabbage slaw is so EASY and perfect as a blend to the tacos. If you have extra slaw is excellent as a side dish the next day.
Jen, do you think this batter recipe would work for fried chicken?
So glad you enjoy them, Jane. I think the batter will work for chicken, but it won’t be typical fried chicken. For that, I’d recommend trying my buttermilk chicken tenders.
of all Jen’s recipes we have tried, this one gets the most amount of thumbs up from my crew. Yes, things are fried. But that’s what imparts the flavor! Even my son who is as picky as can be ate two servings. As someone who has recently become allergic to all red meat, I’m trying to find ways to incorporate more seafood into our diets (because chicken every night … ugh!). This is hard when folks say they don’t care for fish. But after feeding them this recipe, I’ve changed their minds. Magic!
I have made these so many times – now my friends a family are all making them as well. The chipotle sauce is the star! We eat it on so many other foods as a spicy condiment.
These are the best tacos ever. I never had fish ones and I love fish but in a taco sounded weird to me. I made them with all the ingredients, none missing! They are exquisite and I want to do it again and again ! Thanks for the great recipes I use your web site all the time.
We love this recipe! I had never cooked with adobo sauce before, and will now find more ways to incorporate it into other dishes…it adds so much punch!!
Easy directions to follow, full of flavor, and now on our dinner rotation! Absolutely delicious…I now make the coleslaw to pair with other dishes, or put it on sandwiches! Yummy! Thanks Jenn!
Excellent! Grilled the fish instead of frying.
My family loved this recipe! The sauce is so versatile – I stored the leftovers and use it on lots of different things like grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatoes and in salads. Thanks Jen!