
Beer-Battered Fish Recipe
Extra crispy beer-battered fish are made from tender, flaky cod fillets and deep-fried with a beer-battered coating. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice on top and dip into ketchup or mayo for the best taste.
Unlike other fried fish, beer-battered fish is utterly delicious and deeply flavorful with a beer-infused batter. Once you try it, you will never bother ordering them from a restaurant again.

Why This Recipe Works?
This beer-battered fish recipe is quick and easy to prepare. It takes under 30 minutes from start to finish and rivals the best seafood restaurants.
It’s also an amazing recipe for game nights. You may serve them with baked french fries or parmesan zucchini fries to complete the meal.
This recipe doesn’t require many ingredients and all of them can be easily found in local grocery stores. You may also use only salt and black pepper, and the taste is still guaranteed.
Recipe Ingredients
Crunchy beer-battered fish calls for these ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Old Bay seasoning
- Beer
- Egg
- Cod fillets
- Ground black pepper
- Oil
- Lemon
Cod fillet retains the best texture after deep frying. You may also choose a different firm white fish, such as halibut or sea bass.
A good Old Bay seasoning substitute will be celery salt and paprika. For cooking, you may substitute each teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning with a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon celery salt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika.

How To Make Beer-Battered Fish?
Deep-fried beer-battered fish is so simple and quick to make.
First, prepare the beer batter by mixing all-purpose flour, salt, Old Bay seasoning, beer, and one egg in a bowl. Whisk well and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Next, pat dry the cod fillets with paper towels and coat them generously with beer batter.

Finally, heat a pot with oil on medium heat. Slowly drop them into the pot and deep fry until golden brown and fully cooked.
Remove cod from the pot and drain on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauce, such as mayo or ketchup.
Cook’s Tips
For the best result, please follow my tips:
- Let the batter sit for 10 minutes until it thickens. You may also make the batter and refrigerate it overnight. The thick batter helps to get an extra crispy and airy layer on fried fish.
- Pat dry the cod fillets with paper towels before coating them. It will create a firm texture after deep frying.
- Make sure to control the oil temperature at 375°F (190°C) while deep frying to avoid the fish turning out greasy and soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you may choose either fresh or frozen cod fillets. Thaw the frozen fish at room temperature and pat dry to get rid of the excess water before cooking.
The cooked fried fish should be golden brown and float near the surface of the oil.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe has 462 calories per serving.

Beer-Battered Fish
Golden crispy Beer-Battered Fish are deep-fried into perfection. This homemade fried fish recipe is so easy to prepare with fresh cod fillets and perfect for game nights. It's absolutely delicious and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 12 oz beer
- 1 egg 2 oz with shell
- 2 lb cod fillets cut into big pieces
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
- Lemon wedges for serving
Directions
-
1
Combine all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and Old Bay seasoning in a bowl, then whisk in beer and egg. Constantly whisk the batter until smooth and no lumps remain. Let sit for 10 minutes to thicken.
-
2
Rinse and pat dry cod with paper towels, and season with salt and ground black pepper.
-
3
Fill a medium pot with enough oil to cover the fish and heat it over medium heat until it reaches 375°F (190°C). Coat cod in the batter, take out and shake the excess batter off. Slowly drop fish in the oil one at a time. Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry for 5 to 8 minutes until both sides turn golden brown and crispy, turning halfway through to ensure they're fully cooked.
-
4
Remove cod from the pot and drain on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.
-
5
Serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauce, such as mayo or ketchup.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Source: Delish
Tips
Made this yesterday, followed the recipe exactly as written and used Heineken as the beer. It came out perfect!
Great recipe Bee.
The batter for the fish was perfect, it was crispy without overwhelming the fish.
I liked it better than what I get at fish and chips restaurants.
Thank you so much for teaching me to cook delicious food.
Thanks?
Curious as what kind of oil do you use? I would think that olive oil would leave an undesirable taste???
Vegetable oil.