Crispy Beer Battered Fish

Name: Crispy Beer Battered Fish
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup cornstarch; 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided; 1/2 cup 2% milk; 1/3 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer; 2 cups crushed unsalted top saltines (about 40); 4 cod fillets (6 ounces each); Oil for deep-fat frying

A local restaurant made a similar breading for shrimp po' boys, but we think this version's better. I serve the beer battered fish with a ranch dressing and hot sauce mixture as a dip. —Jenny Wenzel, Gulfport, Mississippi

Ingredients

1/2 cup cornstarch
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
2 cups crushed unsalted top saltines (about 40)
4 cod fillets (6 ounces each)
Oil for deep-fat frying

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch, baking powder, salt, Creole seasoning, paprika, cayenne and 1/2 cup flour. Stir in milk and beer until smooth. Place crackers and remaining flour in separate shallow bowls. Coat fillets with flour, then dip in batter and coat with crackers.
In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry fish in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Editor's Note

The following spices may be substituted for 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning: 1/4 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder and paprika; and a pinch each of dried thyme, ground cumin and cayenne pepper.

Nutrition Facts

1 fillet: 513 calories, 27g fat (3g saturated fat), 66mg cholesterol, 775mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 30g protein.

Originally published as Beerpura Fish Fry in Simple & Delicious April/May 2012

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Simplysandi

Mar 3, 2017

Can't wate to try this receipt. Can you use bread crumbs for crackers?
I_Fortuna

Feb 12, 2016

I believe baking soda is better to use than baking powder. It does need to be replenished, however, if left to stand too long. Also, club soda (seltzer water) can be used instead of beer but beer produces more of a bubbly batter or you can add a little lemon or lime to a club soda batter and it will create more bubbles.
KimberlyRL

Apr 9, 2015

Great batter. I used Old Bay seasoning. My family loves fish fries and this recipe is a hit!
gucci65

Mar 5, 2015

Use any kind of fish. I have used haddock and cod. Wonderful. !
LMCheatham

Jan 19, 2015

Can't wait to try this. Does any fish work well? (I am a catfish lover). Please advise. Thank you, absolutely LOVE your recipes.
tastyneedle

Dec 24, 2014

Excellent! Very crispy and tasty batter! The fish was better than any we've ever made at home. My husband is a picky eater and he not only cleaned his plate but went back for seconds! The only change I made to the recipe was to use cajun seasoning as I could not find creole. I crushed the saltine crackers in my blender to make them extra fine. Will absolutely make this again!
rebelwithoutaclue

Oct 29, 2014

Very good batter. Used real beer because I don't believe nonalcoholic beer is allowed in our home. If you put the prepared fish in the freezer 15-20 min then directly into the hot oil, the batter won't fall off the fish during frying.
Appy_Girl

Mar 25, 2014

This batter is not just for Fish! It also works very well on Chicken. I prepared some chicken wings using this recipe last week and they were wonderful. Who would believe that Beer and milk would work so well together. They do and the amount of heat is just enough.I did make one small change. I did not use the saltines. I lightly dusted each wing with some of the same spices that went into the batter. I allowed the wings to air dry for about 20 minutes. Then into the batter they went. I tapped the side of the bowl to remove excess batter before placing into the hot oil. My wings were on the larger side so I finished cooking them in the oven for an additional 15 minutes at 350.I also believe that this same batter would a good one to use with onion rings.Janie
briske11

Oct 15, 2013

made this last night i and my boss enjoyed it and there is no leftovers for the kids
JennTats

Mar 22, 2013

I used Guinness as my beer of choice and Panko instead of saltines. Tastes great!! Thank you for this recipe! My cod has never looked or tasted so good.