My homemade Beer Battered Cod is earth shatteringly crispy, yet has a light texture thanks to a mix of more traditional all-purpose flour with rice flour.
The beauty of beer-battered fish lies in its delightful textural contrast. The fish boasts a delicate, flaky interior that melts in your mouth, while the batter yields a satisfying crunch with a hint of yeasty sweetness from the beer. Each bite is a perfect balance of textures and flavors, begging for a dunk in your favorite dipping sauce. For me, that’s homemade tartar sauce!
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a little malt vinegar, and a handful of ultra-crispy French fries or chips, and this classic British pub food can be enjoyed — and elevated! — from the comfort of home.
Check out more of our easy cod recipes, including this easy Parmesan-crusted cod (it’s baked, not fried), Mediterranean baked cod, or butter poached cod.
What You’ll Need
- For the beer batter: All-purpose flour, rice flour, onion powder, kosher salt, baking powder (to give it some lift), Old Bay seasoning, sweet paprika, and cold beer. Use something light, such as a lager or IPA.
- Cod loin filet
- Kosher salt and black pepper, for seasoning
- Neutral oil, for frying (such as sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil).
For serving, I recommend making your own tartar sauce then enjoying with a squeeze of fresh lemon, a little malt vinegar, and either French fries or chips.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Fish: If you don’t have cod, haddock, or halibut, other white fish like pollock or tilapia can be used. Even snapper would work!
- Gluten-free: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Note that if you use something with a stronger taste (such as almond flour), it will impact the flavor of the fried cod fish.
- Non-alcoholic: For a non-alcoholic version, you can use club soda or sparkling water instead of beer. I do this with my calamari and crispy watercress salad!
- Rice flour: This may seem untraditional, but it’s what we used to deep fry in restaurant kitchens. It’s much finer and lighter than all-purpose flour, but you use both because one adds structure, while the other adds a crisp, light texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- If you haven’t already, make the tartar sauce. I promise it takes just minutes to prep and is so much better than store-bought!
- Make the beer batter. To do this, whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, rice flour, spices, kosher salt, and baking powder), then whisk well to combine. Pour in ice cold beer, then whisk until mostly smooth. There should be a few lumps! Cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes while you prep the fish.
- Heat enough neutral oil in a large deep pot to come up a few inches until it reaches 375°F (190°C).
- Fry the fish. Pat the cod filets dry with paper towels, then season on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Carefully coat each piece fully in the beer batter, allow excess to drip off, then very gently lower into the hot oil (away from you, to avoid splatters). Fry for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second before transferring to a paper towel-lined wire rack.
- Enjoy hot! Sprinkle the hot fish with kosher salt, then enjoy immediately with tartar sauce, malt vinegar, and/or lemon wedges! Serve with fries or chips and enjoy!
Save The Oil To Reuse!
You can reuse the oil more than once! Allow it to cool completely, then strain into a large resealable bottle or container (I use either old oil bottles or large 1-liter seltzer bottles). Seal tightly, then place a piece of masking tape on it. Label with the type of oil and the date of first use. Store in a pantry, then use the next time you fry something.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Choosing the beer: Use a light beer like a pale ale or lager for the best batter texture. Avoid dark beers which can make the batter too heavy.
- Oil temperature: Maintaining the correct oil temperature is crucial. Too low and the batter will absorb too much oil; too high and the batter will burn before the fish is cooked.
- Dry ingredients: Make sure the fish is thoroughly dried with paper towels before coating to ensure the batter sticks properly.
- Resting the Batter: Letting the batter rest for 10-15 minutes after mixing can help to improve its texture.
- The key to crispy batter is ice cold beer. Do not use warm or room temperature beer. Chill thoroughly. Do not use a dark stout.
- If you overcrowd the pot while frying, you’ll bring down the temperature of the oil too much. If it falls below 350°F, the fish will not crisp up properly.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
I recommend making the beer batter right before frying to keep it light and airy, but if you’re really short on time, you can prepare the batter a few hours in advance. Refrigerate it until needed, then give it a good stir before using.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftover beer battered cod in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remember, seafood has a shorter shelf life than meats and poultry.
- To reheat: Reheat fried fish in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10-15 minutes to regain their crispiness. Avoid microwaving as it can make them soggy.
- To freeze: Lay leftover fried cod out on a baking sheet to freeze individually before transferring to freezer bags. Reheat in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes from frozen.
Serving Suggestions
If you like love crispy fried fish and chips, then French fries or potato wedges are ideal sides! You could also enjoy with coleslaw, corn, or a light green salad.
As far as what to enjoy with the fried cod, I love a splash of malt vinegar, a few lemon wedges, and creamy tartar sauce (it takes just 5 minutes to make at home) for dipping!
This totally checks the box for that classic British pub craving. I think you’ll be surprised by how easy fried fish is to make at home!
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Crispy Beer Battered Cod
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the tartar sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 small or 1 large shallot, finely chopped, about 3 Tbsp
- ½ lemon, juiced, about 2 Tbsp
- ¾ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the beer batter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rice flour
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 cup cold beer, something light, and not too heavy, such as a lager or IPA
For the cod
- 1-1½ lbs cod loin fillet, cut either into 3-inch square pieces (for sandwiches) or long thin strips, about 2×4-inches
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ~4 cups neutral oil, for frying
For serving
- Malt vinegar
- Lemon wedges
- French fries or chips
Instructions
- Make the tartar sauce. Combine all ingredients in a bowl: 1 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish, 1 tsp Dijon, 3 Tbsp finely chopped shallot, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, ¾ tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Stir well, taste, then adjust seasoning. Place in the fridge until needed. This can be made 1 day in advance!
- Make the beer batter. In a large bowl, combine ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup rice flour, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp Old Bay, and ¼ tsp sweet paprika, then whisk well. Pour in 1 cup ice cold beer, then whisk until mostly smooth. There should be a few lumps – do not overmix! Cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate while you heat the oil and season the fish.
- When ready to begin, heat the oil. Place enough neutral oil in a large deep pot then heat over medium-high until it reaches 375F. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Season the fish. Pat the cod portions dry with paper towels, then season on both sides with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- When the oil is hot, coat and fry the fish. Coat each piece of cod fully in the beer batter, using either your hands or forks to help dip and lift the fish out of the batter. Allow excess to drip off, then very gently lower into the hot oil, letting it fall away from you. Cook in batches, a few pieces at a time, until the batter has puffed up and turned golden brown, about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second. Use a spider to transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with a little Kosher salt, then repeat with remaining cod filets.
- Enjoy! Serve immediately with tartar sauce and/or malt vinegar, lemon wedges, and fries or chips!
Notes
- Nutrition facts are an estimate only and based on the assumption that you will NOT consumer 4 cups of oil. The facts above assume 1 cup of oil for the full amount of cod (and all of the tartare sauce). Take with a grain of salt or feel free to use the above ingredients to calculate a more precise estimate.
- Instead of cod, consider using haddock, tilapia, or snapper.
- The key to crispy batter is ice cold beer. Do not use warm or room temperature beer. Chill thoroughly. Do not use a dark stout.
- Rice flour may seem untraditional, but it’s what we used to deep fry in restaurant kitchens. It is much finer and lighter than all-purpose flour, but you use both because one adds structure, while the other adds a crisp, light texture.
- If you overcrowd the pot while frying, you’ll bring down the temperature of the oil too much. If it falls below 350F, the fish will not crisp up properly.
- You can reuse the oil more than once! Allow to cool completely, then strain into a large resealable bottle or container (I use either old oil bottles or large seltzer bottles). Seal tightly, then place a piece of masking tape with the type of oil and the date on it. Store in a pantry, then use the next time you fry something.
Nutrition
Photography by: Megan McKeehan
Ari’s recipe for crispy beer battered cod is, hands down, the best fried cod I’ve ever tasted. I am a fried cod connoisseur, and this recipe is the best ever.
Kristin, oh my goodness — thank you!! LOVE to hear this and so glad you love it too! xo, Ari
Thank YOU for the amazing recipe!
OMG so good! I definitely recommend. The batter was so crunchy and that sauce is my new go-to for any fried fish.
(Review provided by an employee of wellseasonedstudio.com.)
Yay! That batter is SO crispy, love it! xo, Ari
Ari, fish and chips are my favorite! Is it absolutely necessary to use rice flour? I only asked because I wouldn’t use it for anything else and I live alone so I hate for it to go to waste. Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi–it’s one of my favorites too! No, you can use all-purpose flour and end up with similar results. The last restaurant I worked for in NYC (a Jean Georges restaurant) taught me to fry in rice flour, which yields an extra crispy product. Rice flour also absorbs less moisture and fat during frying, which means it eats less greasy. You’ll see that I use that often in place of AP flour when frying, but you certainly don’t need to use it. Hope this helps! xo, Ari
Ari, Many thanks for answering. Understand completely and using just AP flour should work out well for me because extra crispy isn’t my thing. Love your recipes.
So glad this was helpful!! Report back! Best, Ari
I made this Saturday night using Icelandic Cod, and it was amazing! The crust was amazing, never tasted anything better. The tarter sauce was fabulous, never buying store bought again. Served with french fries and homemade coleslaw. Today is my husband’s birthday and he requested it again! Not making it today though, bought some fresh King Salmon that just had arrived fresh (in Illinois never frozen) so we are making your “Marry Me Salmon”.
Thank you!
This makes my heart so happy, Linda! I think fish and chips has a reputation of being difficult to make at home, but it’s a really simple process and the results are so much better than anything you get from a restaurant. The crunch alone–too good!
Also, happy birthday to your husband, I hope he loves the marry me salmon just as much (it’s one of my husband’s personal favorites–that sauce!). Cheers, Ari
Just one question. How do you measure that the oil is 375 degrees? Should I use a meat thermometer.
Hi Craig–great question! There are thermometers labeled ‘candy‘ or ‘deep fry‘ that are better suited to measuring oil temperature. They’ll have a little clip that allows them to be secured to the pot of oil so you can just leave it there while your oil is heating. A meat thermometer will certainly work, but it likely won’t have the ability to be clipped on the side. Let me know what you think of the fried fish! Cheers, Ari
This was delish! I ended up using trout filets that were in my freezer, courtesy of my dad, and they still turned out wonderfully. I will say that I was skeptical of the rice flour, but I really loved the crispier, lighter texture that it gave! The tartar sauce was probably the best I’ve ever had, it was just bursting with flavor. I do have some leftovers from making this last night and plan to make a crispy fish sandwich for lunch – yum!