Rachael's Baja Beer-Battered Fish Tacos

Baja Beer-Battered Fish Tacos

Come on, it’s taco night, and you know you’ve been waiting for this! You’ve had that craving for something crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. Well, here it is—Baja Beer-Battered Fish Tacos that are anything but basic. With beer-battered fish that’s golden and crunchy, smoky chipotle sauce, tangy slaw, and soft tortillas, every bite will make you feel like you’re kicking back on a beach. So grab a cold one and get ready, because taco night just got way more exciting—like that was even possible.

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts safflower, vegetable, or canola oil, for frying

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • ¼ cup chipotle hot sauce (I like Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce)

  • Salt and pepper

For the slaw:

  • Juice of 2 limes (about ¼ cup)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 cups shredded jicama or matchstick-size pieces of jicama

  • 1 large shallot or ¼  red onion, finely chopped

  • A handful (about ⅓  cup) of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

  • 2 Fresno chiles, very thinly sliced

For the fish:

  • 1½ cups flour

  • 1 teaspoon each granulated garlic, granulated onion, and chili powder (I like Gebhardt) or smoked paprika

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) lager beer (I like Dos Equis or Corona)

  • 2 pounds skinless sustainable cod or halibut, cut into 3- to 4-inch by 1-inch pieces

  • Flaky sea salt

For the tortillas and toppings:

  • 8 corn tortillas

  • Toppings (optional): sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, shredded green or red cabbage, and/or crumbled queso fresco

Directions

In a tabletop fryer or large Dutch oven, heat the safflower oil over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360°.

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and chipotle hot sauce; season the chipotle sauce with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, whisk the lime juice, olive oil, honey, and cumin; season. Toss in the jicama, shallot, cilantro, and chiles.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, spices, and salt. Whisk in the beer. Working in batches, coat the fish in the batter. Fry until cooked through and deep golden, about 4  minutes per batch; return the oil to 360° between batches. Drain the fish on paper towels. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

In a dry skillet over high heat or directly on a gas burner, cook the tortillas until softened and charred in spots, about 1 minute per side.

Build the tacos with the tortillas, fish, chipotle sauce, and jicama slaw. Add the toppings, if using.

From Rachael Ray Every Day, June 2018