Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Crispy Beer Battered Fish Recipe
For the lightest, crispiest fried fish, you possibly can’t beat Beer Battered Fish. The yeast and carbonation in beer makes the fish batter delicate and puffy, like at good fish ‘n chip retailers. In the meantime the shock of ice-cold batter hitting scorching oil makes it super-crispy – and what’s extra, it stays crispy for ages.
In the case of fish, a fry batter made with beer yields the very best end result for a lightweight, puffy, extremely crispy coating that stays crispy nicely past the time it takes to serve and eat it.
It’s the fish batter utilized by all the very best fish ‘n chips retailers. Right here’s what makes beer batter so good:
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Yeast and carbonation in beer acts like yeast in bread, making the batter go puffy because it cooks so it’s skinny and lightweight moderately than thick and greasy. It’s like Japan’s well-known tempura;
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Ice chilly beer is used to make the batter chilly. The shock of chilly batter hitting the new oil makes it go super-crispy. This idea is pretty frequent data as of late within the culinary world, a way deployed in all my batter-coated fried meals corresponding to everyone’s favorite Honey Chicken; and
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Rice flour for a stay-crispy batter. Simply utilizing regular flour doesn’t reduce it – it goes soggy inside minutes. We have to use a mix of rice and regular flour. It is a confirmed approach deployed in lots of Asian fried recipes, corresponding to Honey Chicken and Candy & Bitter Pork.
This battered fish has a lightweight crisp coating that stays crispy for over quarter-hour!
All you want for beer batter is chilly beer, flour, rice flour, baking powder and salt. For a non alcoholic model, simply substitute beer with soda water.
Beer Batter Dry Components
Rice flour – Key for a fish batter that doesn’t go soggy earlier than it hits the desk! For those who use solely wheat flour, it is going to solely keep crispy for a couple of minutes. Why not use all rice flour? As a result of rice flour doesn’t go golden when cooked. No person desires a pale, white beer battered fish! So we use a mix of wheat flour (which fits golden) and rice flour.
Flour – Simply plain/all goal wheat flour which, as famous above, is what makes the fish go a lovely golden color in addition to serving to the batter rise and puff when mixed with the baking powder (which doesn’t occur with rice flour); and
Baking powder – To make the batter puffy. The yeast and carbonation in beer alone isn’t ample to realize that airy-textured batter shell you get at the very best fish ‘n chip retailers.
Finest beer for Beer Batter
You should use any beer aside from darkish, closely flavoured beer like stouts or porters as they’ll discolour and flavour the batter excessively.
Pale ale and lagers are mostly used, however I’ve used all types in my time they usually’ve all labored out superb. You may solely barely style it – the beer is usually to make the batter crispy and puffy, not for flavour. Additionally, the alcohol cooks out within the scorching oil.
No matter you utilize, it must be ice chilly – cool for two+ hours within the fridge. It’s key for a crispy batter!
You should use just about any white fish fillet corresponding to: snapper, barramundi, cod, flathead, tilapia, hake, haddock, whiting and ling.
My favorite is flathead – however it’s expensive! See listing beneath for what fish retailers use in several international locations.
I like to recommend avoiding:
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Fish that dry out simply when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin. They work superb, however they are going to be too dry inside. These fish are (largely) higher in uncooked/uncommon type corresponding to Ceviche, Poke Bowls, Tartare or rigorously grilled;
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Delicate and thin-filleted fish – Like flounder or sole. Once more, it is going to work superb and truly, it’s scrumptious however the texture of the flesh could also be a bit too delicate for frying (ie you chunk into it and the flesh form of “crumbles”). Additionally these fish are usually very skinny fillets;
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Oily fish – Like salmon, trout, mackerels, mullet and sardines. You do see these fish in fried type, however it’s not so frequent with a batter. It’s only a bit too wealthy.
Selection of fish varies between international locations and areas, relying on what’s out there. Commonest:
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Australia – Basa, hoki, flake (gummy shark!) and hake are seen at on a regular basis suburban fish ‘n chip retailers as a result of they’re economical choices with good flavour and flesh traits. Higher locations can even supply dearer choices corresponding to snapper, barramundi, cod, whiting and flathead (my favorite!);
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US – Cod, halibut, tilapia, haddock. Within the Southeast, catfish is used regularly; and
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UK – [updated thanks to reader feedback!] Cod and haddock are agency favourites, however different varieties supplied embrace hake, pollock, whiting and plaice.
Oil heating apart, beer battered fish takes 5 minutes to arrange, and every batch takes 3 minutes to fry. Terrifically quick!
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Dry & reduce fish – Dry fillets nicely, particularly if utilizing thawed frozen fish as a result of it is going to leech water whereas defrosting. That is key to crispy fish, so don’t shortcut this!
Reduce into desired dimension. I like “fish cocktail” dimension – 7 x 3cm / 3 x 1 1/4″ batons – as a result of it’s simpler to deal with for frying plus has a bigger floor space to quantity ratio = extra crunch! Entire or bigger fillets work simply superb as nicely, ie. conventional fish ‘n chip store format.
In case your fish could be very thick (3cm / 1.25″+), slice horizontally to make thinner items, in any other case the fish could not prepare dinner by means of by the point the batter is golden and crispy. Additionally, there will likely be an excessive amount of fish and never sufficient crispy batter!
Simply keep in mind the batter puffs up when cooking to double the thickness it was moist so don’t make big fish items! 😂
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Begin heating oil – Warmth oil to 190°C/375°F. Scorching oil is essential to make sure the fish doesn’t find yourself soggy and greasy. Use a big, heavy-based pot for security functions, for even heating of oil and higher warmth retention. You may after all use an electrical fryer in case you have one!
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Rice flour coating – Mud fish with rice flour, shaking off extra. That is an extra crispiness insurance coverage coverage, which is able to absorb any residual moisture on the flesh of the fish. I exploit rice flour as a result of it cooks up extra crisp than flour.
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Make batter simply earlier than frying so it’s as chilly and fizzy as doable. If it’s a scorching day, take further precautions corresponding to chilling the bowl and dry elements till required.
The opposite purpose batter ought to be made contemporary is the batter will noticeably thicken as gluten begins to kinds if left to take a seat too lengthy.
At this stage the fish can sit there whereas the oil involves temperature.
Observe: Recipe makes extra batter than you have to. But it surely’s arduous to dredge correctly should you don’t have sufficient. It will possibly trigger a dragging motion that wipes off an excessive amount of batter. Nonetheless, recipe will coat as much as round 1kg/2lb of fish.
5. Minimal of whisking – Solely whisk for five seconds, simply to include the beer into the dry elements – some lumps are superb, even fascinating. Over-whisking prompts gluten and can compromise crispiness.
6. Dredge fish – Maintain fillet by one finish and dip in batter, letting the surplus drip off for a second or two. The batter ought to totally cowl the fish however not be a thick coat as talked about – this batter puffs up a LOT!
TIP: Hold batter chilled. For those who’re a succesful prepare dinner and it’s gentle climate, the batter can keep out whilst you prepare dinner the fish (3 – 4 batches). For those who’re new to frying or it’s a stinking scorching summer season day, pop the batter again within the fridge whereas frying.
7. Fry 3 minutes – Gently decrease fillet into the new oil, dropping it in away from you, not in the direction of you, so any splash doesn’t come in the direction of your hand. I exploit my palms as a result of I’ve extra management, however you should use tongs for security should you favor.
Cook dinner for 3 minutes till deep golden. There’s no want to show, although you possibly can push down and submerge every bit below the oil briefly as soon as the batter has set. Fillets typically refuse to roll anyway as they grow to be buoyant on one facet solely!;
8. Drain nicely on paper towels or a mesh rack, and repeat with remaining fish.
How longer the fish stays crispy for – It would keep crispy for 15 to twenty minutes, even after it goes chilly. However clearly, greatest served scorching!
Utilizing a 1-minute, larger temperature, Asian double-fry technique utilized in issues like Honey Chicken and Candy & Bitter Pork, you may make massive batches of beer battered fish and serve all of it up piping scorching! Right here’s how:
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First fry: Solely prepare dinner the fish for 2½ minutes till it’s golden and crispy, however not deep golden like pictured. Go away to empty, proceed with remaining fish;
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Second fry: That is to reheat, in addition to make it deep golden and stay-crispy. Improve oil temperature to 200°C/390°F. Add fish and fry for 1 minute till deep golden. For Fry #2, you possibly can crowd the oil extra (ie. should you cooked fish in 4 batches, you are able to do this in 2 batches). Drain and repeat with remaining fish. Voila! All fish are piping scorching!
Many choices – and don’t let anybody inform you what is correct or mistaken!
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Lemon wedges – A squeeze of lemon is all the time welcome and many individuals are pleased with simply this;
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Tartare sauce – I prefer to make mine further lemony when utilizing it for fried meals;
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Any seafood dipping sauce – Discover all my favourites right here;
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Aioli (garlicky mayonnaise);
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Yogurt combined with lemon – For a lighter possibility, although considerably ironic when making fried fish!
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Ketchup or Aussie tomato sauce;
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Malt vinegar and a sprinkle of salt – The British method!
Although frankly, should you’ve obtained actually good fish and also you season each layer evenly, then you definately’ll munch it plain and received’t even take into consideration a dipping sauce!
For the last word fish and chips expertise at residence, crispy selfmade French fries are a should! Fluffy on the within, crispy on the skin – they usually STAY crispy even lengthy after they’ve gone chilly because of a game-changing new technique. It’s uncommon to search out fries this good even at up-market bistros.
If, like me, you don’t fry a lot – oil wastage, clear up and all that jazz – and are on the fence about whether or not it’s value making selfmade fried fish, keep in mind this: crispy battered fried fish is a kind of issues that you just can not purchase in frozen comfort packets.
And it’s a kind of stuff you can not convert into an oven model – or an airfyer!.
So, is it value making? YES, a thousand occasions over!!– Johnsat x
And LISTEN to the CRUNCH!
Ingredients
- 700g/ 1.4lb white fish fillets , like flathead, snapper, whiting, cod, tilapia, flathead (skinless, boneless, Note 1)
- ¼ cup rice flour (Note 2)
- ¾ cup plain/all purpose flour
- ¼ cup rice flour (makes it super crispy, Note 2)
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup very cold beer , anything other than dark beers like stout, porter etc (Note 3)
- 4 – 5 cups peanut oil (or vegetable, canola or cottonseed oil)
- Tartare Sauce
- Lemon Wedges
- Homemade Crispy French fries
- Baked Potato Wedges
Instructions
- Dry & cut fish: Pat fish dry using paper towels or a tea towel. Cut into 7 x 3cm / 3 x 1¼" batons, or larger fillets if you prefer. If you have very thick fillets, cut in half horizontally (Note 1)
- Dusting bowl: Place ¼ cup rice flour in a shallow bowl.
- Heat oil: Heat 6cm / 2" – 3" oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat to 190°C/375°F.
- Salt & dust: While oil is heating, sprinkle 3 or 4 pieces of fish with a pinch of salt, then coat in rice flour and shake off excess. You can leave them like this for up to 10 minutes.
- Cold batter: Just before cooking, whisk together the flour, rice flour, baking powder and salt. Add very cold beer into the batter and whisk just until incorporated evenly into the flour. Do not over-mix, do not worry about flour lumps (Note 4). It should be a fairly thin batter but fully coat the back of a spoon. If too thick, add beer 1 tsp at a time.
- Dredge fish: Dunk a piece of fish in the batter, the let the excess drip off very briefly.
- Fry 3 minutes: Carefully lower into oil, dropping it in away from you, one piece at a time. Don't crowd the pot; fry in batches. Fry for 3 minutes, flipping after about 2 minutes, until deep golden.
- Drain: Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining fish. Serve hot! However it will stay crisp for 15 – 20 minutes. (Note 5 for larger batch cooking).
- Serve with Tartare Sauce, lemon wedges and a leafy green salad on the side dressed with a classic vinaigrette. Serve with Crispy French Fries or oven baked wedges!
Notes
Note: Light crispy batter requires a cold batter, so if it’s hot where you are, keep it in the fridge between batches.
Recipe makes more batter than you need – you can cook up to ~1kg/1.2lb of fish. It’s hard to dredge fish properly with any less.
1. Fish for frying – You can use virtually any white fish fillet such as: hoki, whiting, snapper, barramundi, cod, flathead (my favourite!), tilapia, hake, haddock and ling.
Fish to avoid: Meaty fish prone to drying out (like swordfish, tuna), delicate or thin fish (like flounder or sole). I personally wouldn’t use oily fish like salmon, but it works just fine.
Cutting: Recipe works for fish cocktail size pieces (ie. pick-up-and-dunk size), batons or whole fillet sizes. Remember that the batter puffs up considerably when fried.
If your fish is very thick (3cm / 1.25″+), cut in half horizontally to make thinner pieces, otherwise the fish may not cook through by the time the batter is golden and crispy. Also the ratio of fish to batter will be too high.
2. Rice flour – Essential ingredient for a really good crispy batter, and to keep it crispy for a reasonable time (15 minutes+). If you only use normal wheat flour, it will go soggy within minutes.
Find it in the baking aisle at the supermarket. Substitute with cornflour/cornstarch or potato starch (not quite as crispy, but still crispier than using only plain flour).
3. Beer: Must be ice cold, in fridge 2 hours+. Key for crispy batter!
Best types: Pale ale and lagers are most commonly used, but I’ve used all sorts in my time and they’ve all worked out fine. Doesn’t really matter because you can’t taste it, but avoid dark, heavily flavoured beer like stout or porter (will discolour and flavour batter).
Non alcoholic sub: Ice cold soda water + ¼ tsp extra baking powder. It’s basically the same as the batter used for Honey Chicken, slightly adapted to be suitable for fish.
4. Batter thickness: Thinner batter = crispy, delicate crust like you get at good fish and chip shops. 70% fish, 15% crispy batter, 15% empty cavern between fish and batter (the “puff”!).
Thicker batter = thicker crust, which some people like, but I am disappointed if I bite in only to find it’s 50% batter, 20% fish, and 30% empty cavern!
Do minimal whisking of batter, don’t worry about lumps, just make the beer mix through the flour evenly. If you over-mix, it will activate the gluten and the batter won’t be as light and delicate, it will be thicker, greasier and chewier.
5. Large Batch cooking: The nice thing here is that the fish cooks in 3 minutes so you can just keep them coming out. But if you want to do one large batch, you can do a double fry to reheat & it actually makes the batter less greasy because we use a higher heat (read up on this in my Stay-Crispy Honey Chicken):
– First fry: Fry fish in batches for 2½ minutes until crispy and golden, but not a deep golden. Drain on paper towels, continue with remaining fish.– Second fry: This is to reheat and make it deep golden and crispy. Increase oil temperature to 200°C/390°F. Add fish and fry for 1 minute until deep golden. For Fry #2, you can crowd the oil more (ie. if you cooked fish in 4 batches, you can do this in 2 batches). Drain and repeat with remaining fish. Voila! All fish, piping hot!
6. Reuse oil – Can be used twice more because flavour of batter is neutral, and doesn’t infuse oil with flavour. Cool oil in pot, line mesh colander with paper towel, strain oil. Store until required. I personally would stick to savoury uses rather than sweet. More fry-worth foods here.
7. Source – Partially adapted from this recipe by Chef John of Food Wishes. He knows his stuff, I trust him – and he’s pretty funny too!
8. Make ahead – Can’t be done I’m afraid! Fried fish will be soggy if reheated, and the batter needs to be made fresh. Sorry folks!
9. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings. It’s nowhere near as bad as you think, and I have allowed for a very generous 1/3 cup of oil consumption (across whole recipe). There is no way the batter for 700g/1.4lb of fish will hold that much oil, but I’ve included it to be conservative, so actual calories will be far lower. Very little batter actually ends up on the fish, you will discard about half. It’s hard to make less and dredge properly.
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