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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.
See more recipes:
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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10/10! So yummy! There is a brightness in the slaw, a heat in the Mayo & we added a little avocado. Delish! Will be making again & again.
A 10/10 as always! Jenn, your website and cookbooks are my first go to for all my home cooking (trust me, I’ve tried other sites and they just do not compare). To lighten it up I made the crema with lemon juice as I didn’t have a lime, fat free greek yogurt and reduced fat mayo and it was delicious. My husband and I ate the entire cabbage salad between the two of us! I did cheat and use store bought breaded cod that I baked so I can only imagine what the real deal would be like.
So delicious. I added a guacamole to the tacos (and used small flour tortillas because I cannot have corn) and it was a huge hit with everyone. Will make again and definitely recommend! 10/10!
Hi Jen, I absolutely love this recipe for when I’m at home cooking for my family. But I work in a detox facility and for obvious reasons I can’t bring beer into work, even to cook with. The clients have been craving fish tacos and I’d love to make them this recipe since it’s such a hit at home. Can I substitute ginger ale, soda, or a non alcoholic beer?
Hi Rachel, So glad you like these! Yes, you can replace the beer in these with club soda. Hope everyone enjoys them!
Hi there, it’s hard to find cod here, can I replace it with seabass? thanks
Sure, that should work. Enjoy!
I was really excited to make this! I’ve made multiple recipes from your site and I loved them all! But this one didn’t work out to well… the batter stuck to the bottom of the pan which then caused the batter to come off the fish.. had to throw it all away. I used enough oil so I am not sure what happened.
Hi Katie, I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you! It sounds like the oil wasn’t hot enough. A good way to ensure the oil is hot enough is to drop a cube of bread into the oil; if it sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready. Also, you may want to use a nonstick pan and jostle the fish around a little before flipping it to ensure that it’s not sticking.
Love these tacos! We all overate the evening we made these, they were amazing.
Excellent fish recipe! I made the fish as written using Miller high life, what we had in the fridge. The batter was enough for 2lbs of fish, but what was left prob could have covered another 1/4lb or so.
I added a julienned carrot, 1/2c frozen&thawed corn, a thinly sliced yellow pepper, and a scallion to the cabbage slaw because I like more veggies.
I also didn’t have any Mayo or chipotles so I made a cilantro lime crema sauce using what I had in the fridge: yogurt, lime, cilantro, and garlic. It was a good pairing with the fish!
These fish tacos look great. Do you have any alternatives for reducing the sodium content?
Hi Lois, I think the most efficient way to cut back on the sodium here is just to cut back on the added salt in both the slaw and beer batter. You can always add more salt to taste if needed. Hope you enjoy!
The wife and I love this recipe, this will be the 3rd time that I made this dinner. I added 2 teaspoons of Old Bay to the batter which gave the fish a little more kick. I did use 3 chipotle peppers but one of them I deseeded it. Delicious!!!
I can’t wait to try your recipe! Fish tacos are my absolute fave and finding good ones is really a crap shoot! My question: what can I substitute for the chipotle? I get really nauseated every time I eat it 🙁 . From the reviews that’s what really makes the recipe but I’m in a spot! Any suggestions?
Hi Kathy, I’d replace the chipotle peppers with smoked paprika to taste. Hope you enjoy!
I also didn’t have any Mayo or chipotles so I just did a cilantro lime crema using 1/2c plain yogurt (Greek if you have it), 1/2c chopped cilantro, zest and juice of 1 lime, 1tbsp olive oil (if your yogurt is full fat you can skip), 1 clove fresh garlic minced, salt & pepper and blended in my mini food processor. It was lovely and perfect on the fish. It would have been even better with a jalapeño, but I didn’t have it.