Got Fish? Try This Beer Battered Fish Recipe!
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Living in Alaska I’d like to think I’m an expert in the area of Beer Battered Fish. Little did I know that I could make a BETTER Beer Batter Fish Recipe with just a little work.
Why is this the BEST Beer Battered Fish Recipe?
It makes the most perfectly crispy, flaky, and flavorful beer-battered fish! Use it with cod, halibut, or our NEW favorite fried fish, SALMON!
YES. You read that right, salmon. We always have a lot of salmon in the fall from a summer of fishing. One day my youngest son asked if we could make a deep-fried salmon sandwich. I said don’t think people deep fry salmon.
But then started thinking about it and realized we needed to try it. Why not? What would we lose? NOTHING. Ok, maybe a salmon fillet, but we could still salvage the meat if it was disgusting.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions of the summer, Fried Salmon Sandwiches. Like a surprise hit out of nowhere!! Now no one wants grilled salmon or salmon tacos.
Fried Salmon Sandwiches
We like our fried salmon sandwiches stacked up on hoagie rolls. Shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and either tartar sauce or a 5-minute aioli. Try that aioli; it’s amazing!
This Recipe isn’t JUST for Fried Fish Sandwiches!
You can use this for any style of fried fish!
- Make Fish Sticks
- Fish Nuggets
- Fish Sliders
- Plain Fillets
One thing to know about this beer batter recipe is this, it EXPANDS. Like expands A LOT. So if your piece of fish is two inches wide, it’s going to come out almost twice as wide! Be prepared.
One Trick to Making the Best Fried Fish
Roll the fish in cornstarch before you put it in the batter. Trust me on this one. The cornstarch helps the batter stick, which ensures that your fish doesn’t start to peel off its batter in your sandwich.
If you’ve ever had something fried where the batter slides off, it’s because they didn’t roll it in flour or cornstarch. Save yourself the heartache of a ruined piece of fish and roll it lightly in cornstarch, THEN batter it.
Pan Fried or Deep Fried?
I don’t have a deep fat fryer but I do have a stockpot that I like to fry in. I’ve also made this recipe using a deep frying pan and pan-fried them. I think overall the deep dutch oven used like a deep fat fryer worked best.
Pan-frying works well if that’s what you have. You just have to carefully turn the fish over in the oil about halfway through your cook time. So be careful when you’re cooking in a frying pan, the oil can splash out
Looking for ANOTHER amazing way to use Seafood?
Try my very seasonal and tasty Spruce Tips Gravlax (or lox!). This cold cured salmon has locally harvested spruce tips making it a one-of-a-kind dish to share with family and friends!
Or try this GORGEOUS Sole Meunière for a light and flavorful dinner!
To store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days! Reheat in the microwave or the air fryer for quick and easy leftovers.
Beer Batter Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- oil for cooking peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup IPA beer fresh not flat!
- 1-1 1/2 pounds fish salmon, halibut, cod
- extra cornstarch to dust on the fish
Instructions
- heat oil to 350˚ in a deep pot or deep fat fryer or deep frying pan
- pre-heat the oven to 200˚ to keep the fish warm
- while it heats up make your batter
- in a mixing bowl mix the dry powdered ingredients together with a whisk
- mix the egg and milk separately and then stir them into the flour mix, it will get thick
- once it gets thick slowly add the beer and stir until the batter is almost smooth it will get bubbly at first
And then smooth out - set aside until you’re ready to fry
- cut your fish in the size you prefer, check for bones too and pull any bones you find, I wouldn’t make the pieces of fish bigger than 2X4 inches or they may not cook all the way through
- pat your fish pieces dry, roll in extra corn starch
- when the oil hits 350˚ it’s time to fry
- use a fork to gently lower a piece of fish into the batter, let it sink to the bottom to get fully coated
- careful lift it out and set in the hot oil
- don’t poke the fish, just use the fork to lift it or you’ll be stuck trying to get the fish off the fork over the hot oil
- add 2-3 pieces of fish to the oil at a time so you don’t crowd the pan and cool the oil
- cook for 2-3 minutes then using a slotted spoon turn carefully, cook 1-2 minutes on the other side until the fish is a nice golden brown on both sides
- remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels or a baking rack over a plate to catch oil drips
- place the drained fish on a plate or baking pan lined with fresh paper towels in the warm oven to keep until the rest of the fish is done cooking
- serve hot on rolls if you’re having sandwiches or with dipping sauces for fish sticks or fillets
I did end up adding a little extra flour for a thicker batter. But other than it was really good! In the future I may try finding a way to add a little heat.