Beer Battered Fish

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Beer Battered Fish with a crispy coating and light tender fillets of fish.

Beer Battered Fish is one of our favorite ways to make fish at home. Who can resist that crunchy coating and the perfect flaky fish? Not me! 

We have a summer fishing/camping tradition. We always spend one weekend on Lake Roosevelt, on the Columbia River camping and fishing.

We have several families that go together. There’s a core group that’s always there, but we always have a few more families that are able to join us each year. This year there were a total of 15 of us.

We go for the fish – Walleye, but it’s also about having a great time and hanging out with everyone.

Walleye are a tender fish and need a net in order to bring them into the boat. Otherwise they tend to fall off the hook just as you bring them out of the water.

Sometimes the fishing gets a bit slow.

Some years the fishing is better than others, but we always catch enough to have a huge fish fry back at camp.

Most years we also have enough to bring back home and stock our freezers. I use the same recipe for making beer battered fish at home as I do at camp. I also make this pan fried Walleye  and a fish salad with the frozen fish. 

To make batter ahead of time

Since I’m never quite sure how much batter we will need at camp, I mix up all the dry ingredients and place in a zip top bag. I mix one batch in each bag and I usually bring 3 or 4 bags with me.

At camp you just add beer until the mixture is the right consistency.  You could just mix right in the bag and have one less thing to clean up.  We usually dump the dry ingredients into a big bowl since we do so many fish.

Rod is always our fish fryer at camp.

And he cooks up a ton!

At home, we use the same method – just in smaller portions. If you don’t have walleye, any light white fish will work – cod, haddock, halibut and flounder are good choices.

How to Make Homemade Beer Batter

• Mix flour, salt, paprika, baking powder and corn starch together
• Add beer and mix
• Mixture should be thick, like pancake batter
• If mixture becomes too thick, add a bit more beer
• If mixture is too runny, add a bit more flour

What type of beer is best for Beer Batter?

You can use any type of beer for beer batter. I like to use a light pilsner type beer because I don’t want a heavy tasting beer in my batter. 

What goes well with Beer Battered Fish?

We keep it pretty simple when eating beer battered fish. We often just have a crisp green salad or a coleslaw or even a couscous salad. Onion Rings would also be delicious with this fish. 

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5 from 10 votes

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Beer Battered Fish

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Beer battered fish with a crunchy coating and tender flaky fish. 

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beer battered fish, fish, fried fish, walleye

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 295 kcal

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

Batter

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 12 oz beer

Remaining Ingredients

• 1 -2 pounds fish fillets
• corn oil for frying

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add beer and stir. Mixture should be like pancake batter. 

2. Add 1 1/2 -2 inches oil to pan. Heat oil to 375 degrees. 

3. Pat fish fillets dry with a paper towel. Dip fish, one at a time, into beer batter. Add to heated oil.  Cook 3-4 pieces at a time so pan is not overcrowded. 

4. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Place cooked fish on a baking sheet lined with a baking rack.  Place in a preheated 250 degree oven to keep warm while remaining fish cooks. 

5. Repeat until all fish is cooked. 

Recipe Notes

I use Walleye fish, but any light fish will work.

Use a light pilsner beer.

This recipe makes a large amount of batter. There is enough to dredge all fillets and there will be extra batter leftover. 

Nutrition Facts

Beer Battered Fish

Amount Per Serving

Calories 295 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Cholesterol 37mg12%

Sodium 817mg36%

Potassium 482mg14%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 1g4%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 165IU3%

Calcium 100mg10%

Iron 2.6mg14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.