Baja Fish Tacos
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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. To complete the meal, pair the tacos with chips, salsa, and guacamole.
“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. You can find them in the Latin section of most supermarkets, and I have many recipes that incorporate them.
How To Make Baja Fish Tacos
Begin by making the slaw, which is a combination of shredded red cabbage, chopped red onions, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, oil and salt.
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.
When you’re ready to fry the fish, prepare the beer batter by whisking together the flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Slowly pour in the beer, whisking all the while.
Cut the cod into 1-inch wide x 4-inch long strips.
Then dip the fish into the beer batter.
Pan-fry the fish until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. As you can see, there’s no need to deep fry the fish. I use about a 1/2 inch of oil, which is plenty as long as you flip the fish midway through.
If you’re wondering if you can skip the beer batter and frying altogether and just grill or pan-sear the fish, the answer is yes but the tacos won’t be nearly as good. Fried fish has a wonderfully crispy texture and depth of flavor that really can’t be achieved any other way. It’s worth it! Plus, even with the fried fish, these tacos are still amazingly light and fresh.
When the fish is golden brown, drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
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. Serve with lime wedges, lots of napkins and enjoy!
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Baja Fish Tacos
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.
Ingredients
For the Cabbage Slaw
- 5 cups (or one 10-ounce 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
- 2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (canned), roughly chopped, plus 1-2 teaspoons sauce (see note below)
- 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
For the Beer Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup beer
For the Fish and Tortillas
- 1½ pounds skinless cod, cut into 1-inch wide x 4-inch long strips
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas, warmed
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Toss the cabbage, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, oil and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce and garlic in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- 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-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F, or when 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 and coat on both sides. Let the excess batter drip off, then 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.
- Note: 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.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 3 tablespoons of oil are absorbed into the fish when fried.
- Note: Nutritional Information does not include the chipotle sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 577
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Sodium: 1025 mg
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
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.
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This is my absolute favorite sauce for fish tacos! I sometimes substitute part of the mayo with sour cream. I have yet to make one of your recipes that I didn’t like! Love the Thai crunch salad, especially the dressing. The soft molasses cookies are a hit at Christmas. Love the Pumpkin bread in the Fall. And just 2 weeks ago, I made your Chocolate buttercream my new go to. I never would have thought of the melting chocolate! Try all of Jenn’s recipes, you won’t be disappointed!! Thank you, Jenn for sharing your incredible gift of cooking with us!! Now, if I can just get pie crust right!!
I love this recipe! Can you tell me what size non-stick skillet to use? You said medium. Is that a 10-in or 12-in? Does it matter much which size I use? Thanks!
Hi Wendi, a medium skillet is about 8 inches, but if you have a 10-inch one, that’s fine. Hope you enjoy!
I have made these tacos several times, following the recipe exactly. They are so good! Everyone loves them. The sauce is a little spicy for my kids, but you can just add a bit of sour cream for them. Best fish taco recipe ever!
These were fantastic! I did have one problem with the fish sticking to my pan. Any tricks in preventing this from happening? Thanks!
Hi Annie, Glad you enjoyed them! Regarding the sticking, it sounds like the oil wasn’t hot enough. A good way to ensure that it’s hot enough is to drop a cube of bread into the oil; if it sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready. Also, you may want to use a nonstick pan and jostle the fish around a little before flipping it to ensure that it’s not sticking. Hope that helps!
Can you save leftover batter for the next day?
Hi Di, while it’s possible, it may thicken up a bit as it sits so you may need to thin it with a little more beer. Also, it may not have the same light texture when it’s fried.
I had the same issue. I loved the
flavor but had to scrape the fish. I even used a candy thermometer to judge heat. I used an all clad pan but would a cast iron skillet be a better choice?
Hi Mel, Sorry you had a problem with the fish sticking! If you feel confident that the oil temperature was right, I think cast iron would be a great alternative to try.
I made this last night for a family dinner and it is incredibly good. I couldn’t find cod so used swai instead. The chipotle sauce is so good the guests finished it all and said they would consider drinking it! Really the best fried fish I’ve ever made too.
I made these exactly as directed and they are FANTASTIC!!
Fantastic tacos! Crispy, delicious cod, tastes like Mexico.
Jen I have been an experienced home cook for 40 years. I do all the cooking as my wife doesn’t like to cook but I love it. I like variety but I’m not good at making up recipies. I get almost all my Ideas on line, and your site has been a Godsend. Super variety and so easy to make delicious meals. My family is from Mexico so I’m good with most of mexican cooking…that being said I have always struggled with fish tacos. Your recipe really added the missing components. The slaw, the batter was the best..We have pleanty of fish tacos in Mexico..Mine were ok but you really brought it to the next level…we live in So. Cal. so we get decent corn tortillas here but nothing compares with really freshly made. I am currently using your site to make all my weekly menus and it works beautifully….THANK YOU
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THIS.. IS AMAZINGGGGGGG!! 10/10 definitely recommend!
I usually get Baja fish tacos at bar taco restaurant.. I was craving these but didn’t want to go out with my 15 month old. I’m glad I came across this recipe- it’s just so good!
These are amazing and EVERYONE in my family loves them! It may possibly be the best fried fish I have ever made. Do not use a beer that doesn’t have a big taste. It truly effects the batter. I have used Yingling which was a hit and then try the second time using a run-of-the-mill bud light (I don’t recommend). Easy prep and easy to make! Thank you 🙂
Fish tacos are my favorite dinner and I’ve tried 100 different recipes. This is by far the best I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for sharing this gem of a recipe!