Baja Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
on Sep 13, 2021, Updated May 22, 2024
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The most delicious Baja beer battered fish tacos drizzled with a jalapeño cilantro sauce. A spice-filled batter is fried with halibut and served with a simple slaw and the most delicious spicy and tangy cilantro sauce. Cue’ the last meals of summer, and I’m obsessed. Check out our Chicken Tinga Tacos, and Braised Lamb Tacos with Charred Tomato Salsa for more taco inspiration!
Table of Contents
- What are Baja fish tacos?
- Ingredients You Need for Fried Fish Tacos
- Steps To Make These Baja Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
- Some ideas and inspiration to serve with these fried fish tacos
- Looking for more fish and seafood ideas? Check Out The Below Recipes!
- Baja Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce Recipe
What are Baja fish tacos?
These fried fish tacos are from Baja, California. The tacos are a classic west coast dish made of beer-battered white flaky fish on corn tortillas. They are oftentimes served with crema and cabbage.
Ingredients You Need for Fried Fish Tacos
What fish is best for fish tacos? White flaky fish! We are using halibut for this recipe, but you can opt to use any flaky white fish available to you, such as cod, mahi mahi, grouper, or tilapia. The fish is cut into strips, placed in the batter and fried. We love to season the fish in a copious amount of spices (see recipe below!)
Beer: A beer-battered fish really brings on the flaky, tender beer batter for the perfect fried fish filled with flavor!
Neutral oil, for frying: Use any neutral oil to fry the fish, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil.
For the slaw: A simple mix of shredded cabbage, fresh lime juice, cilantro, oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Creamy Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce: Mayo, sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chili powder (or cayenne pepper), vinegar, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper are blended until completely smooth and creamy! The best crema!
For serving: Serve with any of your favorite condiments and garnishes, such a radish, and more lime juice with warmed corn tortillas.
Steps To Make These Baja Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
Make the batter for your fish: In a large bowl, add in your flour and all your spices. Mix until combined. Slowly start adding in your beer, and mix until all the clumps are mixed together. Chill batter in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Next, slice your halibut in strands or desired cuts, season with salt and pepper.
Make your slaw. Thinly slice/shred cabbage and toss in a bowl with lime, cilantro, olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside in the fridge to marinate until ready to eat.
Make your sauce. In a blender or food processor, blend mayo, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, vinegar, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic and salt and pepper.
Fry: Now that you have all your components ready, let’s fry our fish! Heat your oil in a deep pot or dutch oven until about 360 degrees. Take your fish, and coat in your batter. Fry until golden brown and deep golden. About 5-6 minutes. Drain the fish on paper towels. Season with salt.
Heat your tortillas and assemble your tacos by adding on your sauce on your tortillas, the beer battered fish, slaw, more sauce, top with cilantro and pickled red onions (optional). Plate with a lime squeeze. Serve and enjoy!
Some ideas and inspiration to serve with these fried fish tacos
- Stone Fruit, Burrata & Prosciutto Salad
- Grilled New York Steak with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette Salad
- Summer Panzanella Salad
- Roasted Chipotle Salsa
Looking for more fish and seafood ideas? Check Out The Below Recipes!
- Steamed Mussels in White Wine & Lemon
- Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops
- One Pan Seared Salmon with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
- Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna with Grilled Avocados
If you do make this Baja Fish Tacos recipe Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and through social media so I can be sure to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter here as well!
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Baja Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
Ingredients
For Your Tacos
- 1 pound halibut, skins removed, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup beer
- 3 cups neutral oil for frying, vegetable, canola or safflower are options
- salt and pepper to taste
- top tacos with with lime juice, cilantro, and pickled red onion
- corn tortillas, warmed, to serve
For Your Slaw
- 4 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
- juice of 1 large lime
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For Your Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Crème Fraîche
- juice of 1 large lime
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1/2 jalapeno, deseeded if you want it less spicy
- 1/2 cup handful cilantro
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Make the batter for your fish. In a large bowl, add in your flour and all your spices. Mix until combined. Slowly start adding in your beer, and mix until all the clumps are mixed together. Chill batter in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Next, slice your halibut in strands or desired cuts, season with salt and pepper.
- Make your slaw. Thinly slice/shred cabbage and toss in a bowl with lime, cilantro, olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside in the fridge to marinate until ready to eat.
- Next, make your sauce. In a blender or food processor, blend mayo, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, vinegar, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic and salt and pepper.
- Now that you have all your components ready, let's fry our fish! Heat your oil in a deep pot or dutch oven until about 360 degrees. Take your fish, and coat in your batter. Fry until golden brown and deep golden. About 5-6 minutes. Drain the fish on paper towels. Season with salt.
- Heat your tortillas and assemble your tacos by adding on your sauce on your tortillas, the beer battered fish, slaw, more sauce, top with cilantro and pickled red onions (optional). Plate with a lime squeeze. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
