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4.89 from 27 votes

Beer Battered Fish

Light and crispy Beer Battered Fish prepared the traditional way! To make the batter ultra-crispy, the water is replaced with beer for better texture and flavor.
Author Diana
Servings 6 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Fish:

  • 1 ½ pounds (650 g) fish fillets
  • Oil for frying

For Dredging:

  • ½ cup (60 g) all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Batter:

  • 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (240 ml) beer cold

For Serving:

Instructions

  • If using frozen fish, thaw completely. Season the fish with salt, and let it sit for at least 20-30 minutes (up to 1 hour) on a wire rack or paper towels in the fridge. This will help to extract the moisture from the fish and make it firmer for crispy fish.
  • Make the dredging flour. Combine flour with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk the flour with baking powder, salt, pepper, and cold beer. The consistency of the batter must be the same as heavy/double cream (add more liquid or flour if needed to achieve this). Make sure not to over mix the batter.
  • Dredge the fish in seasoned flour and shake off any excess flour. It's important to get rid of any excess flour to get the right texture.
  • Heat the oil in a cast-iron pot with a kitchen thermometer, or in a deep fryer until it reaches 300°F (150°C).
  • Dip the fish in batter, take it out shaking any excess batter off. And lower down into the oil very slowly.
  • Deep fry for 6-7 minutes turning halfway through.
  • Remove from oil, and place on a wire rack for the extra oil to drip and for the fish to stay crunchy (it will stay crispy for 15-20 minutes, so best served hot).
  • Serve with chips, tartar sauce, and lemon juice or malt vinegar.

Video

Notes

  • Use any firm white fish fillet such as cod, pollock, halibut, hake, catfish, basa, or ling. This doesn't work well with other fish such as tuna or salmon.
  • The fish must be super fresh to cook perfectly. If using frozen, then thaw in the fridge overnight.
  • Season the fish with salt prior to cooking, and let it sit for at least 20-30 minutes (up to 1 hour). This will help to extract the moisture from the fish and make it firmer for crispy fish sticks.
  • The batter must be thick similar to a heavy cream consistency.
  • The batter can be made ahead and sit in the fridge overnight, in fact, the fish turns out crispier when it's dipped in a batter that was made on the day before.
  • Use fresh oil.
  • Soggy greasy fish happens because oil is not hot enough, so controlling the temperature of the oil is very important.
  • If you have leftovers on the next day, I recommend reheating in an Air Fryer or a fan oven and the fish will crisp up again.

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 431mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg
Find it online: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/beer-battered-fish/