This beer-battered halibut recipe has a golden-brown, crispy exterior, moist interior, and flavorful batter that makes it perfect for fish tacos, fish and chips, or a fish fry! This recipe doesn't use a deep fryer, so you can easily make it at home in your own kitchen.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This delicious fried fish has a perfectly golden brown, airy, crispy texture. It's the best fish recipe of its kind I've made. The batter is light, the fish is moist, and the spices provide an invitingly unique flavor.
Plus, you can't beat the quick cooking time. I love that I can shallow fry the fish instead of deep frying, which saves me on cleanup time.
With a few simple steps, you'll have amazingly good fried halibut (even if it's your first time!) ready in no time.
Whether you're looking to have a fish and chips night or make tasty beer-battered fish tacos, this recipe is the best place to start!
What You’ll Need
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- Halibut Fillet: I like to use local halibut if at all possible, but frozen Alaskan halibut is a great choice if there is none local to you. You can also use a different flaky white fish, like haddock or cod for this recipe.
- Kosher Salt: I like to use kosher salt because it is less salty by volume than table salt or sea salt. This makes it easier to taste as you go.
- Lime: You'll use the zest of one lime in this recipe, so it's important to shop at a store that has fresh limes available rather than just lime juice.
- Cornstarch: This ingredient is key to the texture of the batter. If you need a substitute, potato starch will also work well in this recipe.
- Cake Flour: Using cake flour is the key to success in this recipe. It has a lower gluten content, which helps the batter become crisp. Gluten can make your batter dense.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder also helps to ensure a light, crispy texture for the coating of the fish.
- Garlic Powder: This adds a savory flavor to the batter. Don't use fresh garlic as it will change the texture of the batter and it could potentially burn.
- Onion Powder: Follow the same advice for the onion powder. I don't recommend using fresh onion in its place.
- Paprika: This adds both color and flavor to the dish. Paprika has a smoky, somewhat sweet flavor. For a spicier dish, use hot paprika.
- Beer: Beer creates a light texture in the batter. I recommend using a light beer to make this recipe. Be sure that it is cold. You can use your beer of choice. The best beer is something simple and light, like a lager, as opposed to a dark beer like a stout or a porter.
- Neutral Oil: I recommend using canola oil, peanut oil, or rice bran oil for the best results. You want an oil with a high smoke point and a neutral flavor, like many vegetable oil options.
Recommended Equipment
Whisk or Chopsticks
Wire Rack / Cooling Rack or Baking Sheet
How to Make Beer-Battered Fish
Step One: Pat fish dry on both sides and season with salt and lime zest. Reserve in the fridge. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together until well incorporated.
Step Two: Add the beer slowly, stirring with a spoon or chopsticks just until the batter comes together. The batter should be thinner than pancake batter, but thicker than crêpe batter (pourable, about the consistency of heavy cream). It will also have some lumps. Do not overmix.
Step Three: Heat 1 inch of oil in a frying pan. The oil temperature should reach 350°F. You can use a small test piece first to ensure it sizzles when it is placed in the oil. Once the oil is hot, dip each piece of fish one at a time in the batter and shallow fry in the hot oil. Turn with tongs if needed for even frying. Fry in small batches to avoid crowding.
Step Four: Fry until golden brown. The internal temperature of the halibut should reach 145°F. Transfer finished pieces to a wire rack or paper towel-lined sheet tray to drain. Season with a pinch of salt while hot.
Step Five: Add to fish tacos or to a serving dish with lemon wedges or malt vinegar. Serve hot!
Variations and Substitutions
Old Bay Seasoning: You can try different seasoning blends for this dish, like dried spices or black pepper. I like using Old Bay when the fish is being made for a fish fry.
Different Fish: Try another flaky white fish with a firm texture in place of the halibut. Haddock is a great fish to use, as is cod. You can also use a different type of seafood entirely, like shrimp!
Tempura Batter: A tempura batter is another great option for fried fish.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: I recommend only cooking as much fish as you intend to eat. If you do have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, but the texture will not remain crispy.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
Reheating: To revive some of the texture of the fish, you can place it in an air fryer at 325°F for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
You can try this recipe with almond flour for a gluten-free substitute. I would not recommend something like all-purpose flour if you are changing that ingredient.
You can. Flaky halibut is my favorite fish to use here, but you can also use another white fish like cod or haddock.
Fresh halibut is a fantastic option, but frozen halibut will work just as well. You will need to allow the fish to fully defrost first and pat it completely dry before cooking.
How to Serve This Recipe for Beer-Battered Halibut
Beer-battered fish is a classic we all love. Give it a try with some of your favorite like fish tacos or try something new and serve it with one of the creative condiments below!
Fish Tacos: This is the perfect recipe to use for beer-battered fish tacos! You can also find a fish taco recipe you like, like these blackened cod tacos or these blackened redfish tacos with cilantro lime crema, and swap in the beer-battered halibut.
French Fries: I love using this recipe for fish and chips with homemade tartar sauce.
Salad: Lighten things up and serve your halibut with a fresh salad, like this Prasini salad (Greek green salad).
Sauces and Condiments: Try this fish with a variety of sauces and condiments to see what you like best. Chipotle Southwest sauce is creamy, tangy, and smoky.
Chimichurri aioli is bright and vibrant. It's delicious with salsa, too, like this serrano salsa, this pineapple habanero salsa, or this spicy pineapple habanero hot sauce.
Expert Tips
- Make your batter the right consistency. Remember, you'll want a thin batter, but not too thin. The batter should be thinner than pancake batter, but thicker than crêpe batter (extremely thin - like heavy creamy).
- Keep the batter cold. When making multiple batches, you can keep the batter cold by placing the bowl in an ice bath or throwing ice cubes into the batter but the batter has to be used almost immediately. Keeping the batter cold prevents the development of gluten, which will make the batter thicker and produce a less crispy result.
- Add a carbonated liquid. If you don't want to use beer in your recipe, you can use something like club soda. Adding a carbonated liquid makes the coating crispier for a longer amount of time than flour and flat water alone, so carbonation is key to the recipe.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment 💬 and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! You can also tag us @twocloveskitchen on Instagram or follow us on Facebook!
More Fish Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Beer-Battered Halibut
Equipment
- Paper Towels
- Measuring Cups
- Chopsticks or Whisk
- Wire Rack / Cooling Rack or Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 16 ounces halibut cut into 2–2.5-ounce strips, see note 1
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 lime zest of
- ⅔ cup cornstarch
- ⅔ cup cake flour
- ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoons paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup light beer cold
- 2 cups neutral oil like canola, peanut, or rice bran oil
Instructions
- Pat fish dry on both sides and season with salt and lime zest. Reserve in the fridge.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl until well-incorporated.
- Add the beer slowly, stirring with a spoon or chopsticks just until the batter comes together. The batter should be thinner than pancake batter, but thicker than crêpe batter (about the consistency of heavy cream). It will also have some lumps. Do not over mix.
- Heat 1 inch of oil and a frying pan to 350°F.
- Once oil is hot, dip the fish one at a time in the batter and shallow fry in the oil. Fry in small batches to avoid crowding. Fry until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Place on a wire rack to drain.
Notes
- You can also use another firm, flaky white fish like cod or haddock.
- Fridge: I recommend only cooking as much fish as you intend to eat. If you do have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, but the texture will not remain crispy.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
- Reheating: To revive some of the texture of the fish, you can place it in an air fryer at 325°F for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
Kati Steinhiser says
So, so, so goooood! We tried a ton of halibut recipes and this one is the best I've had! I would say that these fish and chips are better than the Mayfair Chippy in London!
Genevieve says
I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Kati!
Sky says
Umm, this fish was delicious and soo easy to make too! We’re never going out for fish tacos when we can make them better at home (and cheaper). Thanks for the recipe!
Genevieve says
Thanks so much, Sky!