Sometimes, you find great food in unexpected places. Last summer, I attended the BlogHer conference at the Marriott hotel in San Diego. There was a poolside restaurant at the hotel that served some amazing fish tacos. A little hotel cafe is probably the last place I’d expect to find something noteworthy– which just goes to show, I should always keep an open mind! I wrote about the tacos in my travel notebook, making my best guess at the ingredients. San Diego is known for their beer battered Mexican fish tacos, but these tacos were exceptional– ultra light and crispy with a perfect flavor, creamy cool sauce, and perfect crunch from panko breadcrumbs. I’ve been planning for a year to crack this recipe, and this past weekend I finally had a chance to work on it. I’m so excited about how this one turned out!
Recreating that super cripsy, flavorful exterior was the most challenging part. I finally solved it by beer battering the fish with a spiced batter, then dipping each piece in panko breadcrumbs for an ultra crispy coating. I wanted a really light beer batter, so I made it tempura style, adding beer for flavor– the carbonation helps to make it nice and crisp. This batter/breading combination took me many, many tries to get exactly right. My family has started calling it Tori’s “famous” Crispy Panko Coating. Yup, gotta bold that and take ownership of it, because it’s just that good. I’m excited to share the results with you!
Panko breadcrumbs are key to this recipe. These Japanese-style breadcrumbs have gained popularity in recent years due to their light, crispy texture. You can find them in most grocery stores, either near the breadcrumbs or in the Asian food section. If you’re having trouble locating panko, regular breadcrumbs will suffice, but the finish product won’t be quite as crunchy.
These tacos are pareve without sauce. If you add the sour cream (which I highly recommend), then of course it becomes a dairy dish. To keep these tacos dairy free, feel free to use a sour cream substitute for the sauce, like Tofutti. And if you like a creamier sauce, you can mix half mayonnaise, half sour cream– I like it that way, too.
You’re going to love these tacos, they’re like a fiesta in your mouth. I’m excited for you to try them! If you make them, please report back and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Note: If you’re avoiding alcohol, you can make the batter alcohol free by substituting seltzer water for beer. This breading method allowed me to skip using egg in the coating, so those who are allergic to egg can also enjoy this dish.
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Crispy Panko Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Taco Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless white fish fillets - choose a firm white fish like cod or halibut
- 15 corn tortillas for serving
- Grapeseed oil or oil with a high smoke point for frying
Tori's Crispy Panko Coating Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups beer (or substitute seltzer water)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
Topping Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
- Fresh lime wedges for garnish
- You can add other taco toppings if you prefer-- salsa fresca, fresh chopped cilantro, jalapeno or hot sauce for a kick
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream (or 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or more to taste)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- Salt to taste
NOTES
Instructions
- Cut the fish fillets into chunks that are roughly 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the beer or seltzer, flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Note that the beer will be difficult to measure out due to foam; you’ll need at least 1 1/2 cups of beer to make this batter. The batter should be thick like pancake batter, but if it appears clumpy or overly thick add more beer, seltzer or water until mixture is thin enough for dipping.Pour the panko breadcrumbs into another bowl. Have an empty plate handy for the breaded fish.
- Dip each piece of fish into the batter. When you pull the fish out of the batter, let the excess batter run back into the bowl.
- After dipping in the batter, gently roll each piece in panko crumbs to coat. Leaving too much batter on the fish will lead to clumping, so make sure your fish is only lightly coated with batter before breading. Use one hand for wet dipping and the other for dry, otherwise you’ll end up with lots of clumps in the dry coating ingredients. Place the breaded fish onto the empty plate.
- When your fish is breaded, heat 1/2 inch of cooking oil in a skillet over medium high. Fry the breaded fish pieces in batches of 6. If the oil is at the correct temperature, it should bubble and sizzle evenly—no splatters or popping.
- Flip the fish when they turn dark golden brown. It will take 2-3 minutes per side for the fish to become golden and crisp.
- While the fish fries, whisk together your sauce ingredients. Reserve the sauce.
- Place fried fish pieces on a wire rack to drain, if you have one. This will keep the fish as crisp as possible. Use paper towels to catch the oil drips underneath the rack. If you don’t have a wire rack, you can drain the fish pieces on a double layer of paper towels.
- When all the fish pieces are fried, assemble your tacos. Heat the corn tortillas in a skillet till they become warm, fragrant, and flexible. Place 2 pieces of fried fish in each taco. Top with a bit of shredded cabbage, some diced tomato, 2 slices of avocado, and 1 tbsp of sour cream sauce. Serve warm with fresh lime wedges.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Lara says
Made this last night and it was super easy and even more delicious. I used cod and it turned out perfectly. I did have to add a little extra flour to the batter to make it thick enough, but it wasn’t a big deal. The only thing is I wish I had salted the fish when I first took it out of the oil, it was a little under seasoned. My husband loved this and we will definitely be having it again, even though we rarely eat fried food.
Valerie Mather says
What kind of beer is best for the batter? And what kind of oil should the fish be fried in? I’m making these tonight 🙂
Tori Avey says
Valerie, any beer will be fine– I would avoid heavy bitter beers like Guiness, but a pale ale or a more mellow beer will work great. I generally use grapeseed oil to fry these, but any oil with a high smoke point will work.
wendee Louis says
I use an ale with mine. And dark beer is actually pretty good too.
Carol Lloyd-Jones says
Absolutely delicious! Got a little scared because my batter was a bit runny, so I added a bit more flour, which may have soften the flavor a bit, but perfect nonetheless! Used mahi mahi which had the right texture. Had encore requests for future family dinners 🙂 thank you for the recipe!
Michelle says
Made this recipe with wild caught Pollock. It was delish!!! Family loved it!!! Here were my tweaks: made sauce with 1/2 Greek yogurt, 1/2 mayo, added pinch of cayenne, and 4 shakes of chipotle hot sauce…then followed the recipe…it was yummy!! Made fresh pico de Gallo to top it. Really was a great recipe!
julia says
My husband made these for dinner tonight. They are FABULOUS!!!!
aml1968 says
1 1/2 of beer is equivalent of 12oz so a12oz beer should work??
Jake says
Hi Tori,
I was born and raised in SoCal, spent a lot of time in Mexico growing up, and have eaten A LOT of fish tacos in the last 30 years. Your recipe is amazing. I’ve always done the standard beer batter type, adding the breadcrumbs was genius! I made this and can’t imagine ever going back. Thanks!
Dave says
This was an awesome recipe. I used cod. I served it with mashed potatoes, freshly picked corn on the cob and a side salad. So good! Thanks, Tori. You are becoming my go to ‘chef’!
Diana says
We had these for dinner this evening with fresh Alaska cod. My husband, a cod fan, really liked them. However, I will mention that the fish needed to be salted pretty liberally and could have been spicier. Also next time I will just toss the cabbage in the sauce. We threw in some cherry tomatoes from our garden.
Dave says
Can hardly wait to try this. Camping/tenting until Thursday. First recipe back will be this one. Thanks, Tori. Glad to have you back.
melissa says
I added a bit more salt, made a creamy cole slaw as a topping plus raw red onions and the grilled-up kernels of a couple fresh ears of corn…. uuummmm… crunchy fish heaven! I served with a baked spinach artichoke dip topped with red pepper and a fresh vinegar heavy salad. De-friggin-lishous! Everyone leaned back from the table, held their belly and groaned a bit! I used whole grain scoop shaped tortilla chips for the artichoke dip, and tried a bit o’ fish with all the toppings stuffed into a chip as a sort of app… really, really good! Will probably make this forever! Um Um Um!
ps, I used cod and it crumbled but nobody complained!
Tori Avey says
Sounds like a tasty meal Melissa!
Elizabeth Levy says
We have made your wonderful recipe 4 times, Tori–and love it every time!
Used a drizzle of tehina on each taco with the lime squeezed over the cilantro and some quick-pickled cabbage and sweet onion, and used the seltzer instead of beer–’twas fantastic!!!
Thank You–and Chag Sameach to You and Yours for Pesach.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Tori Avey says
Thanks Elizabeth, Chag Sameach to you as well! (that drizzle of tahini is inspired!!)
Elizabeth Devine says
We made the fish for fish and chips – absolutely marvelous. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Terrific Elizabeth! I did that a few weeks ago, too. I just love this batter/breading combo.
Elizabeth Levy says
I LOVE your site and recipes, Tori!
I can’t wait to make these fish tacos!!!
Think I will try tehina instead of the mayo and sour cream (just to drizzle on the taco/fish as a sauce).
🙂 🙂 :o)
John M says
Now I am wondering if it will be any good on baked pork chops?
Mozzarella sticks has to happen soon too!
Carole says
I used this batter on chicken and it was delicious. Thank you for a recipe I can use on multiple proteins.
Carole says
I am going to try this on chicken and see if it is as good as it was on the fish.
amy says
That’s my next plan, Carole! This would be fantastic for a thin-pound chicken breast with Italian seasoned panko, for use in a chicken parmsan.
And would make FANTASTIC chicken nuggets.
OR fried mozarella sticks. (Cut moz into sticks, freeze, and coat/fry from frozen).
Lots of options!
amy says
I made this breading today for some fresh halibut for crispy fish tacos, and it was just PERFECT. Thank you thank you thank you! This will work so well on fish, chicken, etc. I used a sweet chili flavored panko from Safeway and it was amazing.
Tori Avey says
So glad you liked it Amy!
Tony Arellano says
Would you recommend peanut oil instead of vegetable oil?
Tori Avey says
Peanut oil works great and has a high smoke point, perfect for frying. Enjoy!
Jessica D says
Looks like fish tacos tonight! :). Super excited to try this!