Crispy beer-battered fish topped with tangy slaw and smoky chipotle sauce wrapped in warm tortillas, Baja fish tacos are a refreshing and delicious meal perfect for any time of the year!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Serves: 6
- Prep Level: Beginner +
What You’ll Love
Fresh and Flavorful: These tacos are filled with fresh fish, crunchy veggies, and bold, zesty flavors.
Easy To Make: With minimal prep, this simple recipe can be ready in an hour or less.
Customizable: You can easily adjust this recipe to suit your taste by adding extra or different toppings, making the sauce spicer, or using a different sauce.


What You Need to Make These Easy Baja Fish Tacos
Fresh Fish: A mild, flaky white fish like cod, halibut, or mahi mahi works best for this Baja fish tacos recipe.
Flour Mixture: Flour, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Beer: A Mexican-style beer will give the batter a rich flavor. You could use a light beer or non-alcoholic if you prefer.
Frying Oil: I recommend vegetable oil or canola oil.
Citrus Cabbage Slaw: Shredded cabbage, either green or red cabbage. I keep it easy by using a 10-ounce bag of store-bought pre-shredded cabbage. Add chopped red onion, apple cider, or lime juice, some vegetable oil, salt, orange zest, and fresh cilantro.
Creamy Chipotle Sauce: A spicy sauce that is a combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, salt, and canned chiles in adobo sauce. Adjust the amount to your liking. 1 pepper for a little heat, 2 to 3 peppers for a lot of heat.
Warm Corn Tortillas: Use flour tortillas if you prefer them.
Fresh Lime Wedges: To top off your delicious Baja tacos!

Ingredient Swaps
Fish: Fresh fish for frozen fish. Completely thaw the frozen fillets and pat dry with paper towels before using.
Seasonings: This recipe calls for smoked paprika in the batter. You can use regular paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, or onion powder.
Creamy Sauce: Canned chiles in adobo sauce have quite a bit of heat. Adjust it to your liking, or substitute it with cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or jalapeno peppers.
Citrus Slaw: Swap out the orange zest for lime zest. Use mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt instead of vegetable oil for creamy cabbage slaw. I’m not a huge fan of cilantro, so I use fresh parsley instead!
How To Make Baja Fish Tacos


Prepare the Slaw: In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, chopped onion, vinegar, oil, salt, orange zest, and cilantro. Toss well and set aside.
Next, Make the Sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chiles, lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and cumin in a blender or mini-food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.


Heat the Oil: In a deep skillet, heat oil to 350° degrees f over medium heat. 1 inch should be enough oil if you flip the fish midway through.
Prep the Fish: While the oil is heating, pat the fish dry with paper towels and cut it into strips about 1″ wide x 4″ long.


Prepare the Beer Batter: Whisk together the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the beer, while continuously whisking. The batter should be smooth and slightly thick.


Fry the Fish: Once the oil has reached the proper temperature, Work in batches. Dip each piece of fish into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Carefully and slowly place them into the hot oil. Fry until cooked through and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.


Transfer cooked fish to a plate lined with paper towels or a wire rack.
Heat the tortillas either in the microwave or in a warm skillet. Place fish stick in a warm tortilla, top with slaw, sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime! Serve with your favorite Mexican side dishes.

Recipe Tips
Best Type of Fish: Fresh, firm, and flaky white fish works best for these tacos. Try to slice the fish into evenly sized pieces for best results.
Beer Batter: Use cold beer to keep the batter light and airy.
Fry In Batches: Avoid overcrowding the pan when frying to keep the oil at the proper temperature and ensure a crispy texture.
Make Slaw in Advance: Prep the cabbage slaw ahead of time to let all the flavors infuse.
Check Oil Temperature: For best results, use a deep-fry thermometer or use the end of a wooden spoon to dip into the oil. the end will sizzle when the oil is hot and ready.

What to Serve with Fish Tacos
Sides
- Mexican Rice
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Refried Beans or Black Beans
- Chips with Salsa, Queso Dip, or Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Corn Casserole
- Pickled Onions
Desserts
- Churro Cheesecake
- Flan
- Mexican Cheesecake
- Fruit Salad
Check out more delicious taco recipes!



Easy Crispy Baja Style Fresh Fish Tacos

Crispy beer-battered fish topped with tangy slaw and smoky chipotle sauce wrapped in warm tortillas, Baja fish tacos are a refreshing and delicious meal perfect for any time of the year!
Ingredients
- For the Fish:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup Mexican beer (cold)
- 1 pound skinless cod fillets cut into 1-inch wide x 4-inch long pieces
- Vegetable oil for frying
- For the Slaw:
- 10-ounce bag of shredded cabbage (green, red, or a mix)
- 3 tablespoons chopped onion (red or yellow)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons orange zest – optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- For the Smoky Chipotle Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2-3 canned chiles in adobo sauce – roughly chopped. Add a little of the adobo sauce for extra spice.
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- For Serving:
- 8 warm small tortillas (corn or flour)
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Make Slaw: Toss the shredded cabbage, chopped onion, vinegar, oil, salt, orange zest, and cilantro. Set aside.
- Make the Sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chiles, lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and cumin in a blender or mini-food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Fry the Fish: In a deep skillet, heat oil to 350° degrees f over medium heat. 1 inch should be enough oil if you flip the fish midway through.
- While the oil is heating, pat the fish dry with paper towels and cut it into strips about 1″ wide x 4″ long.
- Prepare the beer batter by whisking together the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the beer, while continuously whisking. The batter should be smooth and slightly thick.
- Once the oil has reached the proper temperature, work in batches and dip each piece of fish into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Carefully and slowly place them into the hot oil. Fry until cooked through and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer cooked fish to a plate lined with paper towels or a wire rack.
- Heat the tortillas either in the microwave or in a warm skillet for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Serve in a warm tortilla with slaw, sauce, and a fresh squeeze of lime.
Notes
Top Tips
Best Type of Fish: Fresh, firm, and flaky white fish works best for these tacos. Try to slice the fish into evenly sized pieces for best results.
Beer Batter: Use cold beer to keep the batter light and airy.
Fry In Batches: Avoid overcrowding the pan when frying to keep the oil at the proper temperature and ensure a crispy texture.
Make Slaw in Advance: Prep the cabbage slaw ahead of time to let all the flavors infuse.
Check Oil Temperature: For best results, use a deep-fry thermometer or use the end of a wooden spoon to dip into the oil. the end will sizzle when the oil is hot and ready.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 473Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 1055mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 21g
Leave a Reply