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This Beer Battered Cod tastes just like those on many Wisconsin Fish Fry menus but proves that no deep-fryer is required to feast! This easy fish recipe is coated in a beer batter that’s crunchy, crispy, and remarkably light.
This Wisconsin-style Beer Battered Cod can be made in a heavy-bottomed skillet or a deep fryer, and it will taste delicious either way.
Pair the quick-cooking fish with a homemade tartar sauce and you might just wonder why you ever stocked up on frozen fish sticks.
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Vegetable oil: Opt for a neutral oil with a higher smoke point, like peanut, canola, or vegetable oil.
- Beer: The beer will cook off as you fry the fish, but you can use non-alcoholic beer or club soda in the batter instead.
- Cod fillets: Frozen or fresh. If you can’t find cod, any white flaky fish such as walleye, hake, tilapia, perch, catfish or even shrimp will do. Look for fillets that are about 1-inch thick, as thicker ones will result in longer cook times.
Step-by-step instructions
- To make the tartar sauce, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, pickles, onion, lemon juice, pickle juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate while frying the fish fillets so the flavors can meld.
- To create a warm holding area for the cooked fish, turn the oven on to 200 degrees and place a baking sheet with a wire rack inside it. Then line a dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels and place it next to the stove. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cumin, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Pour 1 inch of oil into a Dutch oven or sturdy-bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees. As the oil heats, mix the beer into the flour and spices and whisk until smooth.
- When you’re ready to start frying, dredge the fish fillets one at a time in the batter. Let the excess batter drip back into the bowl and carefully lower the fillet into the hot oil.
- Work in batches, cooking as many fillets as you can without crowding the pot. Gently keep the pieces moving in the oil so the fillets don’t stick to the bottom or to each other. Fry until the fish is golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. When cooked through, the inside of the fish should register 145 degrees.
- Carefully take the cooked fish out of the oil and set on the paper plates to drain off extra oil, then move it into the warm oven while you finish frying the rest. Replenish the oil if the level falls noticeably below 1 inch of oil. Allow if to return to 375 degrees before adding more fish. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes enough batter for about 2 pounds of fish.
- Storage: Store the batter in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days.
- Holding: While frying in batches, keep the cooked fish in a low (200 degree) oven to keep it warm.
- Oil temperature: Crowding the pan can cool the oil down, resulting in oil-saturated fish. Oil that isn’t in the target temperature means that the fish takes longer to cook, too. Don’t rush it; let the hot oil return to 375 between batches.
- Thermometer: A trustworthy digital thermometer can keep you on track when frying, or cooking in general. The target temperature for frying fish is 375 degrees.
- Keep warm: Use a wire rack fitted inside a baking sheet to keep the fish crispy in the oven as you fry additional batches.
- Thaw completely: If using frozen fish, thaw it completely before battering.
- Reheating: Leftover fried fish can be reheated in an air fryer or toaster oven at 325 degrees until heated through.
- Air fryer: Unfortunately this recipe won’t work in an air fryer because it’s a wet batter. We tested it and 0/10 do not recommend.
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Beer Battered Cod
Ingredients
For the tartar sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup dill pickles minced
- 3 tablespoons onion minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the beer battered cod:
- 4 to 5 cups vegetable oil (see note 1)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup light beer (see note 2)
- 2 pounds cod skinless, cut into 4 inch by 1 inch strips (see note 3)
- lemon cut into wedges, for garnish
Instructions
To make the tartar sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pickles, onion, lemon juice and dill pickle juice. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I like ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper). Cover and allow to chill for 20 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
To make the beer battered cod:
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Prepare a plate lined with paper towels as well as a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven until it is 1 inch deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne. When the oil is almost ready, add the light beer to the flour mixture and gently whisk until smooth.
- Using tongs, lift pieces of fish and dredge through batter, allowing any excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Add the fish to the hot oil, gently swimming the fish to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom or to any other pieces.
- Fry until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit on a digital thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent pieces from sticking to one another.
- Remove the fried fish from the oil and allow to drain briefly on paper towels. Transfer to the wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven to keep fried fish warm.
- Allow the oil to return to 375 degrees and batter and fry the remaining fish. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Vegetable oil: Opt for a neutral oil with a higher smoke point, like peanut, canola, or vegetable oil.
- Beer: The beer will cook off as you fry the fish, but you can use non-alcoholic beer or club soda in the batter instead.
- Cod fillets: Frozen or fresh. If you can’t find cod, any white flaky fish such as walleye, hake, tilapia, perch, catfish or even shrimp will do. Look for fillets that are about 1-inch thick, as thicker ones will result in longer cook times.
- Yield: This recipe makes enough batter for about 2 pounds of fish.
- Storage: Store the batter in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days.
- Holding: While frying in batches, keep the cooked fish in a low (200 degree) oven to keep it warm.
- Oil temperature: Crowding the pan can cool the oil down, resulting in oil-saturated fish. Oil that isn’t in the target temperature means that the fish takes longer to cook, too. Don’t rush it; let the hot oil return to 375 between batches.
- Thermometer: A trustworthy digital thermometer can keep you on track when frying, or cooking in general. The target temperature for frying fish is 375 degrees.
- Keep warm: Use a wire rack fitted inside a baking sheet to keep the fish crispy in the oven as you fry additional batches.
- No beer: The beer will cook off as you fry the fish, but you can use non-alcoholic beer or club soda in the batter instead.
- Thaw completely: If using frozen fish, thaw it completely before battering.
- Reheating: Leftover fried fish can be reheated in an air fryer or toaster oven at 325 degrees until heated through.
- Air fryer: Unfortunately this recipe won’t work in an air fryer because it’s a wet batter. We tested it and 0/10 do not recommend.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Sorry! Any left over already cooked shrimp?
Do you think there is any possibility of freezing and left over cooked fish?
Hi Marlene, thank you for your questions! You absolutely can. Allow the fried fish or shrimp to cool completely. Wrap tightly and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to one month. Thoroughly reheat in a 325-degree air fryer for 5 to 7 minutes, place on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and reheat in a 350-degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave in 30-second intervals. (The shrimp may take less time, depending on how much is being reheated.) I hope this helps! Take care! – Meggan
Flavor is amazing. Keep batter as cold as possible – this helps prevent over browning. Soda water works perfectly. I whisk a 1/2 tsp of baking powder in with the flour and salt. Trick is getting the batter consistency correct for your flour. Mix it, let it sit for 5 minutes or so and adjust if needed.
To get the batter to stick, dry the fish really well. Previously frozen will be a problem if you do not – the batter will tend to slide off in the oil. I press mine between paper towels to extract as much cellular water as possible. You can also give the fish a light coating of cornstarch to act as a “glue.” Let it rest a minute before dredging in the batter.
After initial immersion at 375°, maintain oil temperature at 350°. Important to not burn the breading before the fish is fully cooked. Practice makes perfect.
Thank you for the tipes.
Best crispy cod recipe! Beer batters are all different but this is simple and delicious.
Tasty! We just made this. Got a hold of fresh cod in Arizona and we can’t find a good Fish & Chips place to save our lives, so we made our own tonight. 3 pounds of fresh caught Candian cod. Sweet dinner so delish!
Easy, too. Get your oil temp correct. It really matters. Thanks for this!
LIVE IN AZ AND YOU ARE CORRECT
CANT FIND A GOOD FRY ANYWERE
TRYING TMRW NIGHT HOPE IT TURNS OUT
BEING FROM WI HOPE IT IS GREAT
I’m going to try this but just one question, why cumin? :)
Hi Annie, the cumin gives the breading some great flavor along with the cayenne, salt, and pepper. I hope you enjoy it! – Meggan
Great recipe. I do one more step with frozen cod. Since it’s so wet from freezing/thawing, I first pat it dry, drag it thru some flour or cornstarch, shake off excess then into the batter. It helps the batter to adhere to the previously frozen cod better. Fresh cod doesn’t have this issue. But the initial breading is beneficial.
Thank you for this tip!