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Fried Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

It takes a little bit of practice to get the fish fry just right without your fish falling to pieces or drenched in oil, but once you’ve got it done, the result will be tender, flaky, golden brown fried fish. Serve wtih avocado, mango salsa, crema, black beans and rice.

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 c. cake flour
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 c. light-flavored beer (or seltzer)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 c. canola or peanut oil
  • 1 pound fresh cod, deboned and cut into eight, 2-oz. fingers
  • 8 small corn tortillas
  • Mango salsa, recipe below
  • Mexican crema, for serving
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced, for serving
  • 1 lime, quartered, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, black pepper, sea salt, and smoked paprika. Transfer half of the mixture to a smaller bowl and set aside. Add the beer (or seltzer) and beaten egg to one of the bowls, and whisk until you have a thick but drippy batter. If necessary, add more beer or flour until it reaches the right consistency.
  2. Heat oil in a medium, high-sided saucepan (or deep fryer if you have one) until temperature reaches 350°F. Working one piece at a time, gently dip a piece of fish into the batter, let extra batter drip off, then roll the fish in the dry flour mixture. Remove the fish for ~30 seconds to let the mixture become tacky, then roll in the flour again (the double-dipping method helps the tacos become extra crunchy). Use tongs or a slotted spoon/skimmer to gently transfer the fish to the hot oil. Fry for about 1 minute, then gently flip in the oil to fry the other side (unless the fish is fully submerged, in which case don’t worry about flipping it). When the fish is golden brown all over, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the fish to a paper-towel lined plate (be careful! The fish is super delicate here and it’s easy for it to fall apart if you go too fast). Season lightly with sea salt while still warm. Repeat until you have used all the fish.
  3. To serve, place one piece of fish in each tortilla. Top with mango salsa, crema, avocado, and serve with a piece of lime. Serve immediately.