Baja Fish Tacos

We are both huge taco fans and agree that Baja Fish Tacos are very high on our list of favorites. We love the crispy goodness of the battered and fried fish paired with crunchy, shredded cabbage, fresh pico de gallo, and creamy, (slightly) spicy baja sauce!

Although we both prefer corn tortillas when it comes to tacos, we agree that flour tortillas are the best for baja fish tacos!

What are Baja Fish Tacos?

Baja fish tacos are fish tacos that uses beer battered and fried cod fillets, served up in soft tortillas with a spicy crema. The tacos are also topped with either shredded cabbage, pico de gallo or both. Our version uses both shredded cabbage and pico de gallo, to maximize the texture and flavor or the tacos!

How to Make Baja Fish Tacos

Baja Sauce Ingredients

Process

1. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together and set aside until ready to use.

Beer Battered Fish Ingredients

Process

3. Preheat oil to 350˚F in a wide skillet with tall sides.
4. Season cod pieces with salt and pepper.

5. Place flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Whisk dry ingredients together until smooth.
6. Add beer to flour mixture and whisk together until smooth.

7. Dip fish into beer batter until fully submerged, a couple pieces at a time.
8. Shake excess batter off each piece and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Fry fish for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and place onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack . Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly Ingredients

Process

9. Spread a couple spoonfuls of baja sauce in the center of each tortilla.
10. Top with a couple pieces of fried fish.

11. Top each taco with a small handful of shredded cabbage.
12. Next, top baja fish tacos with a couple spoonfuls pico de gallo (and an extra drizzle of baja sauce, if you want!). Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Tips and Tricks for Baja Fish Taco Success

• Don’t skip out on the cornstarch in the batter. It really helps to get the fried batter super crispy around each piece of fish. It also helps the crispiest last, so you don’t have to worry about the batter getting soggy while frying all the pieces up.
• Transfer fried fish to a cooling rack that sits in a rimmed baking sheet. This will also greatly aide in the fried fish remaining crispy, while allowing any excess oil to drip onto the baking sheet.
• Fry the fish in batches to prevent overcrowding and to maintain oil temperature.
• Charring the tortillas aren’t completely necessary, but we think it adds a nice, subtle smoky flavor to the overall tacos. We simply char the tortillas by placing them directly over the stovetop flames on each side for about 30 seconds.

Variations

• Increase or decrease the amount of adobo sauce used in the crema to adjust the spiciness level based on personal preference.
• If you can’t find crema, replace it with sour cream, creme fraiche or mayonnaise.
• Add a smear of guacamole or mashed avocado to the center of the tortillas, before adding the fried fish pieces to double the creamy goodness!
• While we love using flour tortillas for our baja fish tacos, use corn tortillas, if that’s your preference. They’ll be just as delicious!
• Use a different white fish such as tilapia or halibut.
• Use seltzer water instead of beer for the batter for a nonalcoholic version.
• We love the unadulterated shredded cabbage for the crunch and balance it adds to the tacos, but you can also create a simple and delicious cabbage slaw by adding a little vinegar, pinch of sugar and chopped cilantro to the cabbage, tossing everything together and allowing the mixture to sit for about 30 minutes before using it in the tacos.

Make Ahead Instructions

While we don’t recommend frying the fish ahead of time, you can definitely prep parts of the recipe ahead of time!

• Make the baja sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store the sauce in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
• Shred the cabbage up to 2 days in advance. Store the shredded cabbage in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
• Make the Pico De Gallo up to 3 days in advance. Store the pico in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

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