This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I love your recipes and this taco one sounds delish. The last time I fried Cod, our home smelled for weeks afterwards! I googled all the remedies to eliminate the smell but it lingers. Can you offer any tips to manage the smell that comes with storing and cooking cod ? Thanks so much!
Hi Susan, so glad you like the recipes! I wish I had some creative suggestions for you regarding ridding your house of the odor, but whenever I fry food, I find that despite opening windows and turning on my exhaust fan, the odor lingers for quite a while. Sorry, I can’t be more helpful!
I find lighting candles helps with the smell!
I made this recipe tonight and my husband said the best fish taco he’s ever had! He had one recently at a restaurant and he said it was dry and overcooked. These fish came out juicy and crispy 🙂
I haven’t made these yet and have used another recipe I found years ago from Gourmet magazine and the beer batter is the same except the recipe had it sit on the side for an hour. Am looking forward to adding the Cabbage Slaw and the Chipotle Sauce!
Just wanted to share my trick for excess Chipotle peppers in a can! Place remaining peppers and sauce in a small Ziploc freezer bag. Clean out the can and place the bag of peppers in the can and freeze. Putting it in the can is the trick so you know what it is as opposed to excess little bags of canned Tomato Paste, Tomatoes, et al.
I’ve always shied away from batters because I don’t like all the deep-frying and the oil. However I decided to try your recipe since you wrote that it only required 1/4″ of oil in the pan.
What a fabulous batter, WOW! Although my pan wasn’t quite hot enough for the first batch the 2nd batch was perfect, cooking up quickly and browning beautifully, The pieces looked as good as the best fish and chip place and the batter was light.
I made the chipotle sauce and the purple cabbage slaw (prefer lime juice to the apple cider vinegar); also made a side salad of black beans, mango, diced red pepper with lime juice, olive oil, s+p, minced coriander and a bit of cumin.
What a delicious dinner. Sadly, no leftovers (lol). Will definitely make this again!! Thank you so much.
By any chance, do you have a sub for the beer that would give the same results but without the alcohol (if serving children or folks who are celiac)? Thanks again.
Hi Marilyn, So glad you like these and had success with frying the fish! You can replace the beer in these with club soda. 🙂
Amazing tacos!!! We absolutely loved them!! Frying the fish was a bit messy and I may choose a different option for that next time, but will definitely be having them again!
These tacos were amazing. I’m not a very good cook, and I generally don’t like frying things, and am not very good at it. But my husband loved these tacos! The sauce was especially insane! Used embasa chipotle peppers in adobo, tilapia for fish, and corona extra beer that was canned in Mexico.
Like all your recipes this is a 10/10 , thank you Jenn!! Your shallow-fry cooking method has saved my counter and stovetop from countless oil spatters as well 😀
You demystified the Baja taco for me. It looked so intimidating but it turned out amazing. I was so proud of myself and I’m happy to say everyone raved about it. If I have a dinner idea, I always come to you first because I know you have the best recipes! Thank you!
Can these be made with tilapia instead of cod?
Sure, Kris, that should work. Enjoy!
I would need to start with cod thawed from frozen – fresh just not feasible in Kansas. Does this change anything? (I also had fish tacos from my previous hometown of La Jolla and am missing them).
Hi Robin, No, I don’t think it would change anything. Just make sure the fish is completely thawed. Hope you enjoy!
Incredible! As good, or better than any fish taco I’ve had at a restaurant, and very easy to make. I couldn’t find cod, so used haddock and was blown away. Definitely making this again, and highly recommend.