Fried Fish Tacos
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 26, 2025 
You’ve got to try our Baja Fish Tacos Recipe – Corn tortillas loaded with delightfully crispy pieces of cod and fresh slaw, then topped with a creamy, spicy-sweet baja taco sauce. These are hands-down the BEST Fried Fish Tacos you’ve ever had.
Fried Fish Tacos are the Best Tacos
WE. LOVE. TACOS. And that might be a bit of an understatement.
From Spicy Turkey Tacos and Chicken Tinga Tacos to Birria Tacos Recipe (Quesabirria), Baked Tacos (Easy Taco Bake), Tacos al Pastor Recipe, and even Vietnamese Banh Mi Street Tacos – we just cannot get enough!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
We developed this fantastic Baja Fried Fish Tacos recipe, complete with a refreshing slaw and vibrant fish taco sauce.
These little beauties are utterly irresistible. The beer batter fried fish pieces are the perfect combination of moist on the inside and ultra-light and crispy on the outside. The cabbage slaw is bright and crunchy, and the mayo-based chipotle sauce is just spicy enough to let the other components shine.
I have made these several times for friends, and always get “These are the BEST fish tacos I’ve ever tasted!” Try these at your next at-home taco party for something a bit different and wholly delicious.
Fish Taco Ingredients
While this recipe includes several components to make the fish tacos with slaw and taco sauce, the ingredients are all wholesome and readily available at most grocery stores.
To make the Fish Taco Slaw you need:
- Red cabbage – finely shredded
- Carrots – shredded
- Cilantro – chopped
- Red onion – thinly sliced
- Apple cider vinegar – or white vinegar for a stronger taste
- Honey – or agave
- Salt and pepper
For the Fish Taco Sauce you need:
- Mayonnaise – regular or low-fat
- Lime juice – freshly squeezed
- Chipotle chiles – small canned peppers in adobo sauce
To make the Baja Fish Tacos you need:
- Cod fillets – or grouper, or another firm white fish
- All-purpose flour – or preferred gluten-free flour
- Cornstarch – naturally GF-friendly
- Seasonings – salt and garlic powder
- Beer – pick a light crispy beer
- Oil – for frying
Plus, you’ll need corn tortillas for assembling the tacos, and slices of lime to garnish.
How to Make Fried Fish Tacos
Find the full Fish Taco Recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, cooking tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Pro Tips: Make sure the pieces of fish are well dried so the batter sticks to the fish. The batter will thicken as it rests, so you may want to add another splash of beer to it right before frying.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy crispy fried Fish Tacos with cool, crunchy slaw and creamy sauce with all of your favorite taco sides!
They pair great with Spanish Rice or low-carb Roasted Cauliflower Rice. And I also love to serve these Baja tacos with refried beans or Frijoles de la Olla, and Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Tips for Storage and Reheating
Baja Fish Tacos are best served fresh out of the hot oil. However, you can reheat the fish strips in the oven for leftovers. Cool the cooked fish strips completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days.
The homemade fish taco slaw and the chipotle baja sauce will keep well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baja fish tacos, also known as baja cali tacos, originated in Baja California, Mexico, and usually consist of battered and fried white fish, shredded cabbage, and a white sauce.
Not at all! The chipotle cream taco sauce has a bit of a kick thanks to the chipotle peppers, but these tacos are relatively mild. For more spice, add some diced fresh jalapeños!
Store the leftover fried fish on its own in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer for crispy fish, and assemble in a taco when ready to serve!
Looking for More Delicious Fish Recipes?
Baja Fried Fish Tacos (with Slaw and Fish Taco Sauce)
Video
Ingredients
For the Fish Taco Slaw –
- 4 cups finely shredded red cabbage
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt and pepper
For the Fish Taco Sauce –
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
For the Crispy Fried Fish –
- 1 ½ – 1 ¾ pounds large cod fillets or grouper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups light crisp beer like Corona
- 2 quarts fry oil canola, peanut, or vegetable
For the Baja Fish Tacos –
- 24 small flour or corn tortillas
- Lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- For the Fish Taco Slaw: Set out a large mixing bowl. Chop all the produce and add to the bowl. Drizzle with apple cider vinegar and honey. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Then toss well to combine. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Chill until ready to serve.
- For the Fish Taco Sauce: Set out a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise, lime juice, and chopped chipotle pepper. Mix well. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Chill.
- For the Baja Fried Fish: Set a large saucepot on the stovetop. Attach a cooking thermometer to the side of the pot, then add in the fry oil.
- Set out a large baking sheet covered with paper towels. Cut the fish fillet’s into 1 x 2 inch strips. Lay the fish strips on the paper towels to dry.
- Turn the stove on medium heat and bring the fry oil to 360 to 370° Set out another baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain the fried fish strips.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, add the flour, corn starch, salt, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine. Then whisk in the beer to form a light frothy batter. (The batter will thicken as it rests, so you may want to add another splash of beer in it right before frying.)
- Once the oil is that the right temperature, dunk a fish strip in the batter. You should have a thin, but solid, coating of batter on each strip. If the batter seems too thick, add another 2 to 4 tablespoons of beer.
- Gently lower each fish strip into the hot fry oil. Batter and fry 10 – 15 fish strips at a time. Stir with a skimmer to flip the fish strips over and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown.
- Carefully move the fried fish to the prepared pan. Repeat in two or three more batches.
- When ready to serve, place to fish strips on each tortilla. Top with fresh slaw and a dollop (or a drizzle) of chipotle mayonnaise.
These are a family favorite. To save shredding. I just use a bag of ready-made coleslaw mix
Yum , Thank you for Sharing .. Can’t wait to make these next weekend !
SSSOOOOO DELICIOUS! I used radishes instead of carrots, cuz I love radishes in slaw and I didn’t have carrots.. used mandolin to thinly slice them and the cabbage and red onion.
The size of the cod pieces were perfect, and I happened to have Corona in the fridge. too, so the batter was fantastic.
I’m making this again tonight, cuz, we’ll, why not???
Yeah they were the best ever..so absolutely delicious!
these have become my all-time favorite tacos to make at home! It reminds me of a local taco place here in asheville!