Description
Baja-style fish tacos are the pride of the Ensenada coast — beer-battered white fish tucked into corn tortillas with crunchy cabbage slaw and a tangy lime crema. The contrast of hot, crispy fish against cool, creamy sauce is what makes them impossible to eat just one of. This is the taco that launched a thousand taco trucks, and it is easier to make at home than you think.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 1/2 lbs cod or halibut fillets, cut into strips
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 cup cold Mexican lager
- Vegetable oil for frying (about 4 cups)
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Make the lime crema: whisk together the sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest. Season with a pinch of salt. Refrigerate until serving.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and cumin. Pour in the cold beer and stir until just combined — the batter should be slightly lumpy.
- Heat the oil to 375°F in a Dutch oven or deep skillet.
- Pat the fish strips very dry. Dip each piece in the batter, letting the excess drip off, and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a wire rack and season with a pinch of salt.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame until pliable and lightly charred.
- Build the tacos: double up the tortillas, add a bed of shredded cabbage, top with a piece of crispy fish, avocado slices, pico de gallo, jalapeño, a drizzle of lime crema, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Cold beer is essential for the batter — the temperature difference between cold batter and hot oil creates extra puffiness and crunch.
- Double up the corn tortillas. A single tortilla will tear under the weight of the fish, and the double layer gives you structural integrity.
- Fry the fish in small batches to keep the oil temperature stable. Overcrowding the pot drops the temperature and produces greasy, limp results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 22
- Carbohydrates: 46
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 70