Fried Fish Recipe
by Sommer Collier — on May 6, 2026 When I’m in the mood to go all in, I make this beer-battered fried fish recipe. I fry flaky white fish in a light, crispy beer batter until it’s golden on the outside and perfectly moist inside. It’s the kind of meal that begs for fries, slaw, and a stack of napkins.
Crispy fried fish is a staple in Southern cooking, which is one of the many reasons I love living in the south! My cornmeal fish fry recipe is a reader favorite, featuring white fish filets in a crunchy yellow cornmeal coating with bold Cajun spices. You should definitely give that a try sometime… But if you’re looking for a fried fish recipe with an ultra crisp and airy batter, and moist fish inside, you’ve come to the right place today! I’m going to show you how to make the most decadent and flavorful beer battered fried fish.
You can serve it with homemade french fries for a classic fish and chips recipe, on fish sandwiches, or with hush puppies, coleslaw, and all your other favorite Southern-style side dishes.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Restaurant-Style, But Better – Not to toot my own horn but, toot toot! My recipe makes crunchy and flavorful pieces of fried fish that are just as good as, if not better than, what you find at a classic UK pub with chips. Plus, these are way less expensive! I love using these crispy fried strips to make other recipes, like baja fried fish tacos and these incredible fried fish sandwiches!
Simple Quality Ingredients – I use basic pantry staples, including my 3 not-so-secret dry ingredients for the most crispy fried fish. Especially when it comes to battered and fried food, I prefer to have total control of the ingredients, so I know if there are any questionable preservatives and what kind of oil was used.
Your Fried Guide – Frying fish is an easy process, but it has to be done correctly. Here I’m showing you my no-fail method with step-by-step instructions and tips for how to beer-batter and fry fish so the coating gets golden and crunchy, and the meat inside is succulent and flaky.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Fish filets – I’ve found that a firm, flaky white fish like grouper or cod is best for making fried fish. But you can use whatever white fish you like, including halibut, haddock, catfish, or walleye.
- Dry ingredients – I use a trifecta of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder to get the coating beautifully crunchy without being heavy.
- Beer – I recommend using a crisp, light beer that doesn’t have a heavy flavor. Try a Corona, Stella Artois, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, or similar brew.
- Fry oil – I prefer to use peanut oil, but canola oil is also good for frying. Both have high smoke points with a mild flavor.
- Seasonings – I use garlic powder, salt, and pepper to season the batter before whisking in the beer.
Suggested Equipment
- Large pot – You need a deep 6-8 quart pot with a heavy bottom. I love deep frying in my ceramic-coated cast iron because it heats evenly and keeps the oil at a consistent temperature.
- Cooking thermometer – A heat-safe kitchen thermometer is super important to cook perfectly fried fish. The oil needs to be at just the right temperature so the outside gets crunchy, not greasy.
- Drying rack – Speaking of crunchy fish that’s not at all greasy, the battered fried pieces of fish need to be drained as soon as they come out of the oil. I use a cookie drying rack placed over a rimmed baking dish to keep the mess to a minimum.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep the Fish – The first thing I want to do is remove as much excess moisture from the fish as possible. I find the best way to do this is to line my rimmed baking sheet with paper towels before slicing the fish filets into long strips that are about 1 1/2 inches wide. (Remember, they’ll get bigger once coated in the batter and fried.) I lay the pieces on the paper towels as I go, and once I’ve cut all of the fish, I place a layer of clean paper towels on top of the strips, and gently pat them so the towels absorb the moisture. Don’t smoosh them!
Make the Batter – While the fish dries on the towels, I get out a medium mixing bowl (or a large mixing bowl) and a whisk. Into the bowl goes the flour, cornstarch, and spices. Give it a ‘lil whisk, gently pour in the beer, and whisk again to make a thick but fluid batter.
Heat and Dip – Next, I set my large 6-8 quart pot over medium or medium-high heat on the stovetop and pour in the oil. It should fill the pot about halfway. I clip the cooking thermometer to the side of the pot, with the tip sticking into the oil.
Once the oil reaches 365 degrees, I use one hand to gently lower a piece of the fish into the beer batter. It needs to be fully submerged so the fish gets completely and evenly coated. I tend to work one-by-one, battering and frying, and can usually fit 5-8 large pieces in the pot at once.
And Fry – I move quickly and carefully to lower the battered fish into the hot fry oil. Then I use my clean hand with tongs to swirl the fish around a bit and move it to the side before lowering in the next piece. This keeps them from sticking together while the batter is wet. The oil temperature will continue to rise while you are battering, but should not exceed 375 degrees, and it should come down a bit as each piece of fish is added to the pot. You want to keep the temperature at about 350 degrees, so adjust the heat up or down as needed.
Drain the Oil – I fry the fish for 4-5 minutes total, using tongs to move the pieces around every other minute or so. As soon as they turn golden brown, I use the tongs to pull the fried fish pieces out one at a time and place them on the drying rack.
Repeat – Once all of the fried filets have been removed, I use a skimmer to take out any little bits of batter that might have fried in the oil. I repeat the process of getting the oil to 365 degrees, battering and frying 4-5 pieces of fish, then drying them on a rack.
Expert Tips
The key to making exceptional fried fish is to create a light, airy batter using the right proportions of flour and cornstarch mixed with seasonings and a cold, crisp, flavored beer. Then make sure the fish is extremely dry before dipping it in the batter so it holds tight to the fish fillet.
Also, the fry oil temperature is extremely important. With many fried foods, the temperature needs to be low to make sure the interior has plenty of time to cook through. However, fish cooks fast, so a higher heat creates the perfect crispy crust. Make sure to use a cooking thermometer with a tip down in the oil for this recipe.
Lastly, work in batches when deep frying battered fish. I don’t want to overcrowd the pot, or the oil temperature will get too low and the fish will be soggy and sad. Depending on how large your portions are, you might be able to fry only 4-5 pieces of fish at a time.
Serving Suggestions
Not surprisingly, my first suggestion is to serve fried fish with homemade french fries, also known as chips in Europe. It’s common to serve fish and chips with malt vinegar doused over both the fillets and fries. But whatever you call them, you can also pair crunchy hot fish and chips with a cool dipping sauce, like any of these…
If you’re going more Southern US, I recommend leaning into the fried vibe with jalapeno hush puppies or fried okra. Then “lighten” things up with cold and creamy coleslaw and deviled egg potato salad.
Storing and Reheating
Like most fried foods, I think this fish and chips recipe is best enjoyed when it’s freshly made. Really, you just can’t get that perfect crunch back. However, if you do have leftovers, you can cool them and then store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep well for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
In my opinion, the best way to reheat fried fish is in the air fryer. Preheat the fryer to 350 degrees and cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through the fry time.
The other best option is to bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until hot and crispy again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soggy fried food is usually caused by the oil not being hot enough and/or there are too many pieces of fish crowding the pot. As I’ve mentioned, you need to use a quality cooking thermometer and work in batches to get the battered fish crunchy on all sides.
I keep the heat between medium and medium-high, and watch the cooking thermometer closely. Be prepared for the temperature to go down once the fish is added, but remember that it will also take a minute or two for the temp to rise or fall as the heat is adjusted.
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More Finger Food Recipes
Fried Fish Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ – 3 pounds white fish filets grouper, cod, halibut, haddock, catfish, walleye
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 ounce light crisp beer like Stella Artois or Corona
- 1 ½ quart fry oil peanut oil, canola oil
Instructions
- Prep the Fish: Set out a baking sheet and line it with paper towels. Cut the fish fillets into long strips about 1 ½ inch wide. Lay the fish strips on the paper towels. Once all the fish is cut, use another paper towel to gently press the fish fillets to remove excess moisture. Don't press too hard or you'll break the fillets. Let the fish sit out and dry as you prep the rest of the ingredients
- Make the Batter: Set out a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper. Mix well. Then whisk in the beer until the batter is smooth.
- Set a large 6-8 quart pot over medium to medium-high heat. Pour in the oil and place a cooking thermometer in the pot, with the tip down in the oil, and clip it to the side of the pot.
- Fry: Once the oil reaches about 365°F, it's time to start dipping the fish pieces. Working in batches, dip 6 to 8 fish strips at a time, then gently shake off the excess batter over the bowl. Carefully lower the fish fillets in the hot fry oil, one at a time. Use long tongs to swirl the battered fish in the oil before placing the next piece in the oil. This will ensure that they do not stick together. Do not overcrowd the pot; if using a smaller pot, work in batches of 4 to 5 pieces. *By the time the fish pieces are dunked, the oil should have reached about 375°F. The oil temperature will drop as the fish is added to the pot. You're looking to keep the fry oil around 350°F once the fish is in the oil. Watch the thermometer and adjust the heat as needed.
- Cook the fish pieces for 4-5 minutes total, until the exterior is a rich golden-brown. While the first batch is in the oil, lay out a rimmed baking sheet and place a drying rack over the top. When the fish reaches the right color and cook time, use tongs to carefully move the fish pieces to the drying rack. Then dunk the next batch and repeat.
- Serve the fried fish hot, with french fries, malt vinegar, and tartar sauce for fish and chips. Or serve it anyway you like!
