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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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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!