Ingredients
For the Fish tacos:
- 1 1/4 lb white fish (cod, halibut, redfish, tilapia) cut into short strips or bite sized chunks
- 1/2 tsp cumin ground
- 1/2 tsp coriander ground
- 1/2 tsp garlic granulated
- salt and black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 12 oz Bottle of Beer Mexican lager
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 24 corn tortillas warmed- used to double wrap each taco
- cilantro leaves, sliced radishes, lime wedges for garnish
For the Spicy Garlic Lime sauce:
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt slightly heaping
For the Citrus Slaw:
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- salt and pepper pinch of each
- 1 tsp honey or agave
- 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
- 4 cups green cabbage thinly shredded
- 2 cups red cabbage thinly shredded
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your spicy garlic-lime sauce ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- To prepare the sauce, place all ingredients into a food processor and processing until smooth and well blended. Pour into a bowl, or into a squeeze bottle, ideally, and keep chilled until ready to use.
- Next, gather and prep all of your citrus slaw ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- To prepare your citrus slaw dressing, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, pinch of salt and pepper, agave or honey, and oil until well-combined (you can also shake these vigorously in a small mason jar for convenience), and set aside for a moment.
- Add both of your shredded cabbages and the cilantro into a medium-size bowl, and toss the dressing with the cabbage/cilantro mixture. Keep chilled until ready to use.
- Next, gather and prep all of your fish taco ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- To prepare you fish tacos, add your cod pieces to a bowl and season with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, plus the cayenne, cumin, coriander and garlic powder. Allow them to marinate for a few minutes while you get your oil ready and prepare to fry.
- Prepare a baking sheet with foil and a place a wire rack over top to hold the cod once it's been fried.
- Next, add enough oil to a deep pan or a medium-size pot so that the fish can be submerged when you fry it (about 3 to 4 cups worth), and bring it to 365°.
- While your oil heats, whisk together the flour with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and slowly pour in the beer and whisk just until smooth.
- Once the oil is hot, dip the pieces of cod into the batter and fry in batches for a 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown.
- To assemble the Baja fish tacos, add a couple of pieces of the fried cod to the bottom of a couple of corn tortillas, top with a generous amount of the slaw, add in some radishes (if using), drizzle the spicy garlic-lime sauce liberally over top, and finish with some extra cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- Prepare your slaw and your sauce before frying your fish: Having all of your other elements ready to go before you begin battering and frying your fish is essential. Have your slaw prepped and cold, as well as your sauce and any other finishing touches.
- Firm, flaky white fish is best: Cod is a cost-effective and perfect choice for these fish tacos, because it takes on the flavors from the marinade and keeps its shape and texture once it's fried.
- Corn tortillas are traditional: I would recommend that you use a very soft corn tortilla for these tacos, and double up so that they don't split and fall apart. However, we actually often use flour tortillas (the fajita size ones) because we prefer the texture and the convenience of these not falling apart on us—the choice is yours!
- Prepare your beer batter just before frying: I find that gently whisking the beer into the seasoned flour just before frying creates a crispier batter, because the carbonation is still very fresh. You can prepare the batter ahead of time, but know that it may “flatten” a bit.
- Tasty toppings for Baja fish tacos: Some other tasty touches to add to your Baja fish tacos are fresh sliced radishes, fresh cilantro leaves, and a little squeeze of a lime wedge!
- Reheating fish tacos: We use our toaster oven set to 400° and bake the leftover battered fish until hot and crispy—it reheats really well. Then, simply warm up your tortillas and assemble your tacos.