Mexico · Main · Medium
Baja Fish Tacos
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Baja Fish Tacos, in 5 ideas
- Do not crowd the pot. Too much fish at once drops the oil temperature and you get soggy instead of crunchy. Fry in batches.
- Flour tortillas are traditional here. Baja fish tacos use flour, not corn. Warm them so they are pliable.
- No beer, no problem. Sparkling water works nearly as well. The bubbles are what matter, not the alcohol.
- Keep the fish warm in the oven. 200F on a rack while you finish the batches. Never on paper towels.
- Extra crema, always. Make double. People will want more.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs firm white fish (cod or halibut), cut into strips
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold beer (lager works best)
- Oil, for frying
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- Lime wedges, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Stir the sour cream, minced chipotles, and lime juice together. This is your chipotle crema. Refrigerate until needed.
- Toss the cabbage and cilantro with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the cold beer and whisk just until combined. A few lumps are fine. Keep it cold.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 375F. Pat the fish strips completely dry.
- Dip each strip in the batter, let the excess drip off, and lower into the hot oil. Fry in batches 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden.
- Drain on a wire rack and sprinkle with salt immediately.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet. Build each taco: fish, slaw, a drizzle of chipotle crema, and a squeeze of lime.
Cold batter, hot oil. The temperature shock is what makes the crust shatter. If your batter sits out and warms up, the coating goes greasy instead of crisp.