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Baja Fish Tacos are a delicious casual dinner with fresh, flavorful and vibrant flair. Golden beer-battered white fish is served with a crisp cabbage slaw and cilantro lime crema to create an epic combination of flavors. This easy mouthwatering taco recipe is made for spring and summer and will soon be a family favorite!
Look no further for an instant crowd pleaser. Who doesn’t love tacos and who doesn’t love crispy beer-battered fish? If you’re looking for a dish to make for your family or friends, these easy baja fish tacos are a great option!
No fried foods? No problem! You can easily make this dish with grilled fish too. Either way, you’ll be proud to eat and serve this colorful fish taco that is packed with flavor. It’s an easy weeknight meal made with easy to find ingredients!
Table of Contents
- What are Baja Fish Tacos? 🐟
- Fan Feedback – Why Everyone Loves Them! 😋
- Ingredients You Need
- Other Toppings for Baja Fish Tacos
- What Kind of Fish to Use for Tacos
- Tips for Making the Perfect Fish Tacos
- Make Ahead and Meal Prep
- Storage and Leftovers
- What to Serve with Baja Fish Tacos
- More Mexican Recipes
- Baja Fish Tacos Recipe
What are Baja Fish Tacos? 🐟
Baja Fish Tacos are a beloved taco dish. They make me feel like I am on the sunny beaches of Miami or in a coastal town in Southern California like San Diego or along the baja peninsula. What sets them apart are the vibrant toppings. They are typically made with fried white fish, then topped with a crunchy cabbage slaw and flavorful cream sauce.
You can easily adapt the recipe to fit your taste, but this recipe is made with classic flavors you’ll love!
If you love this fish recipe, check out my other amazing at-home seafood recipes, like Filet O Fish Copycat, Fried Calamari and Shrimp Lo Mein.
Fan Feedback – Why Everyone Loves Them! 😋
“Usually people leave reviews and it’s hard to know, but these fish tacos are 1000/10. There were so good I’m leaving a review…I have leftovers and I was sad when I ran out….Do yourself a favorite and make these.” – Steph
“Best fish tacos I’ve ever had. At first it looked intimidating but it really wasn’t. I’ve already made it three different times and they are a hit! I used cod fish and honestly, this is my new favorite way to eat tacos. I’ve even made the slaw for a salmon burger.” – Mima
“This is super easy and quick to make once the slaw and sauce are prepped. I love fish so this recipe is perfeeect.” – Kelly
Ingredients You Need
All of the ingredients for these tacos are easy to find. It might look like a lot, but you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge or can easily pick them up on your next visit to your local grocery store.
- White Fish: Firm white fish filets like cod, snapper or halibut is my favorite.
- Beer: This recipe uses a beer batter for frying the shrimp. However, if you don’t want to use alcohol or beer, you can substitute with an alcohol free beer or use unflavored sparkling water.
- Cabbage: I use a mix of red cabbage and green cabbage for vibrant color.
- Tomato: Adds crisp color and flavor to the slaw. If you don’t like tomatoes, you can omit.
- White Onion: You can substitute with red onion, if desired.
- Jalapeños: Adds a kick of heat and fresh jalapeno flavor.
- Fresh Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, you can certainly omit it from the tacos.
- Limes: For freshly squeezed lime juice and to make lime wedges for serving to create plenty of lime flavor.
- Sugar: Adds a hint of sweetness to the slaw.
- Sour Cream: Helps create the creamy slaw and sauce.
- Mayonnaise: Serves as the base of the Mexican crema sauce.
- Sriracha: If you don’t want a kick of heat from the sriracha sauce, you can substitute with ketchup.
- All-Purpose Flour: To make a dry batter and wet batter to coat the shrimp for frying.
- Cornstarch: Helps to crisp up the fish.
- Egg: Serves as a base for the wet batter to coat the fish for frying.
- Spices: You will need paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Vegetable oil: For frying the tacos. A neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil works best.
- Tortillas: I like flour tortillas, but you can use corn tortillas, if desired. You could also use hard taco shells, if desired.
Other Toppings for Baja Fish Tacos
The best thing about tacos is that you can easily adapt that to fit your taste. If you’re not a big fan of cabbage, you can skip the slaw and garnish the tacos with lettuce instead. Or choose from one of the other taco toppings below.
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Red Onion
- Tomato
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Lime Juice
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Fresh Salsa – try my favorite restaurant style salsa recipe!
- Guacamole
- Corn or Corn Salsa
What Kind of Fish to Use for Tacos
The traditional choice for baja fish tacos is a firm white fish like cod or halibut. But you can use any type of fish that you prefer. Tilapia, mahi-mahi, and even shrimp will work well for these tacos.
Tips for Making the Perfect Fish Tacos
- Prepare the batter right when you fry the fish: This helps keep everything fresh and crisp. Batter the fish and fry right away. The cooked fish should be golden brown after frying.
- Choose the right kind of fish: A firm mild-fish like cod, halibut or even mahi mahi works well for these fish tacos.
- Grill the fish instead of frying: If you want to lighten up this dish, you can grill the fish instead of deep frying. Simply season the fish with the salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice before grilling until cooked through.
- Use store-bought crispy fish filet or fish sticks to save time: While I always highly recommend using fresh fish and my simple breading, you can use store-bought prepared fish filets or even fish sticks as a shortcut to save time. You will still have the same winning combination of flavors.
- Heat the corn tortillas in a skillet or on a griddle: This helps warm the tortillas to server with the fried fish, slaw and cream sauce.
- Customize with other flavors and toppings: Get creative with your toppings! Try adding pickled red onions, mango salsa, or additional herbs for a unique twist.
Make Ahead and Meal Prep
While baja-style fish tacos are best when served fresh, you can prepare the toppings ahead of time to save on prep time. If you want to fry the fish in advance, you can reheat it in the oven just before serving to main the crispiness.
Storage and Leftovers
Baja fish tacos are best served fresh, but leftover fish tacos can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days. It’s best to store the fried fish, cabbage and crema sauce all separately to main crispness and freshness.
Reheat the fish in the oven until warm and heated through. Assemble and serve with the slaw and sauce.
Make a burrito bowl: Add the leftover fish to a bowl with rice. Serve with the slaw and crema sauce for a fun and delicious burrito bowl. Perfect for meal prep!
What to Serve with Baja Fish Tacos
Classic side dishes like Mexican rice, black beans, or a refreshing Cucumber and Tomato Salad complement the flavors of Baja fish tacos beautifully. You can also serve them with chips and salsa or guacamole for a complete meal.
More Mexican Recipes
If you love Mexican-inspired dishes, then you will love some of my top Mexican recipes. All of these meals are packed with flavors the entire family will love!
Don’t hesitate to try this restaurant-quality taco recipe at home and let us know what you think!
Baja Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the slaw:
- ½ cup red cabbage finely sliced
- ½ cup green cabbage finely sliced
- ½ cup tomato diced
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 2 small jalapenos diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup ketchup or sriracha
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the fish:
- 1 pound white fish (cod, snapper or halibut is my favorite)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the wet batter:
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 14 ounces beer (or unflavored sparkling water)
Other:
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Tortillas for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Make the slaw:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, salt, sugar, and pepper. Toss everything together until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate the slaw.
Make the crema:
- In a blender or small food processor, blend together the mayo, sour cream, cilantro, ketchup, lime juice, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Prep the fish:
- Cut the fish fillets into small, manageable pieces (small enough to fit inside your tortillas.) Season the fish with salt and pepper.
- Add the flour for the fish (1 cup) to a plate. Set aside.
Prepare the wet batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour for the wet better (1 1/2 cup), cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the egg. Slowly pour in the beer or sparkling water and stir until a smooth, fizzy batter forms. Add more liquid if you need it. Your batter should be light.
Dredge the fish:
- Then dip each piece of fish into the flour and then into the wet batter, ensuring it's fully coated all over. Allow any excess batter to drip off before frying the fish in the hot oil.
Deep fry the fish:
- Heat vegetable oil in an extra deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot (350°F), carefully add the coated fish pieces, ensuring the pan is not overcrowded. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked fish to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
Assemble the tacos:
- Warm the tortillas in a skillet or on a griddle for about 30 seconds on each side until they are soft and hot.
- Take a warm tortilla and layer it with the crema and shredded cabbage. Top with a piece of crispy fish and then add more crema. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love fish tacos and these were so tasty. I had like 4 lol
Usually people leave reviews and it’s hard to know, but these fish tacos are 1000/10. They were so good I’m leaving a review. The only thing I’ll do the next time is make less batter because I didn’t have enough fish to use it all and I ended up throwing a bunch away. I had leftovers and I was sad when I ran out. To reheat I threw them under the broiler for a bit to get the outside crispy again and they were just as good as they were when I made them fresh. Do yourself a favor and make these.
Best Fish tacos I’ve ever had. At first it looked intimidating but it really wasn’t. I’ve already made it three different times and they are a hit! I used cod fish and honestly, this is my new favorite way to eat tacos. I’ve even made the slaw for a salmon burger
This is super easy and quick to make once the slaw and sauce are prepped. I love fish so this recipe is perfeeect <3
I made this for lunch today after seeing it on FB and it was sooo good