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.
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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!
Made these last night…hubby said best fish tacos ever! Simple, flavorful and sooo crispy. Tori Avey kitchen magic!
Yay! 😀
Oh my Lordy. I made these tonight for my husband and I and we loved them. I haven’t had fish tacos since moving back to Illinois from Corpus Christi,TX where I could chow on fish tacos. These were even better than what we got down there! Bonus: the recipe halved easily for my husband and I.
I had a bounty of mahi-mahi from a friend, and used this recipe for a group dinner. One friend hates mayo based dishes, so he got guacamole instead. Everyone liked it! I did use a deep fryer instead of the pan, but otherwise I was faithful to the recipe! Thanks
Congratulations on cracking the recipe. Fish cooked this way can also be used without the tacos. May I suggest serving the fish with french fries (chips if your British) and a splash of malt vinegar? Such a mix would cause ex-pats from England to absolutely melt down. Again, congratulations and great work, and as you might have already guessed, I am originally from London England.
Ha! I actually made it for dinner this way tonight for our family. 🙂
These are phenomenal. I’ve always been a little intimidated by the idea of frying fish, but this was not hard at all. And that lime sour cream. Yum! My boyfriend is gluten free, so I substituted gluten free panko and beer. Huge hit. He hasn’t had anything beer-battered in ages.
This fish was delicious. Loved the crispy crust.
Only cooked three cod fillets so had lots of batter left.
Served with coleslaw and bread this time but
will be making the tacos next.
These Tacos are out of this world Delicious . I subsutitue Chipolte Mayo for sauce and use Angel hair Cole slaw
OUTSTANDING RECIPE thanks Tori. Kevin from Tucson
Glad you enjoyed them Kevin! 🙂
Made these with slices of haloumi for a vegetarian version… I will never eat another meal again lol. Might try it with different vegetables to make it completely vegan like asaparagus or something… I am neither vegan nor vegetarian I just like to experiment! Thank you for a great and versatile idea ?
Haloumi is inspired! Try it with portobello mushrooms and prepare to swoon: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/portobello-mushroom-schnitzel/
Hi! Recipe sounds delicious! Just wondering if flat beer will work, or if the carbonation is important.
Carbonation helps the end result to be lighter and more crisp. It’s not totally necessary but it does help with texture.
Amazing recipe!
Never seen my husband so excited over food before!
Thanks again absolutely delicious!
Oh i used non alcoholic shandy (it was what i had ) and worked perfectly.
Awesome Charly! Hope you are able to try some other recipes from the site. 🙂
This turned out fantabulously!! First time frying food and oh my it was divine.
The tempura held up ok. Had to slightly tinker the thickness with the non alcoholic beer I had on hand.
Paired the fish with guac & soft shells. Definitely making this again.
This recipe was a hit at my house .. delicious and very easy.
Made these last night and the whole family loved them. I used my small Fry Daddy fryer and the fish was cooked perfectly and not at all greasy. Homemade pico, avocado, and cabbage topped it off. Will definitely be a regular in our dinner rotation. I’m definitely going to try the beer batter panko combination on other foods (onion rings and chicken tenders)
Delightful! Lovely crunch. Thank you!
Looking forward to making this for an upcoming dinner party. Curious to know if the fish can be breaded ahead of time (a few hours or so) and refrigerated or if they have to be breaded right before frying them? Thank you!
Hi Lorraine, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I would not recommend breading ahead of time. Breading right before frying ensures a crispy result.
Tried to recreate the family’s favorite taco restaurant. This was definitely a huge hit and plan on repeating this again! Delicious, flavorful and very crunchy. The avocado didn’t provide as much flavor so I’d probably skip next time. The lime sauce was fantastic! Great flavor yet simple. Didn’t have sour cream on hand so substituted plain greek yogurt. I recommend adding toppings of fresh corn and pineapple to coconut. Think it would be delicious with a side of coconut basmati rice. Thank you for the best taco recipe I’ve ever tried!
I added some fresh grilled corn with a little butter and garlic salt. UMMM. Delish
Yum! Had a great Saturday night salad all washed down with a cold beer. I lightly coated the fish in flour before the batter, and like others I added some extra flour to the batter. Great recipe we really loved it, thanks for sharing.
Made these for a dinner party tonight and they were a huge hit. I had to add quite a bit more flour and cornstarch to the batter but it worked out just fine. I also add paprika instead of cayenne and it was amazing. The sauce was super duper. This is now part of my repoitre.
Hi Tori – Hello from Ottawa, Canada! I found you by accident when looking for a fool-proof pan-seared salmon recipe, and found it in your blog. That salmon is my go-to now, it is fabulous; this fish taco recipe is also a huge winner! I usually just lightly flour the fish but decided to go all out with your recipe and boy, was it a success. My husband powered through four tacos, and my 12-year old will be very upset she wasn’t here to enjoy some, too. Believe it or not, I used sole, halved the amount of oil, and used non-alcoholic beer i found in my pantry (no idea where that came from, but I am glad I now have a use for it!), and it worked perfectly. The sole did not fall apart, even though I expected it to given how delicate that fish is. Thanks so much, we will be making this very frequently from now on!
Fabulous Kassandra! Thanks for writing, and for reminding me that summer is here– time to make this for my family again! 🙂