Beer Battered Fish Fry

Beer Battered Fish is perfectly golden brown, delightfully crispy, and comes together in minutes with just a few pantry staples.

There is nothing more Wisconsin than a beer battered fish fry. I am the authority on the situation, after all. I’ve eaten my fair share of fish fry in my 27 years. And I’ve made many batches too.

Finally, I’ve nailed it. The perfect beer battered fish fry recipe. It took awhile, but I’ve figured out that, as with most Midwestern recipes, less is more.

Making the beer batter for the fish fry

Here’s what you’re going to need to get that golden brown and crispy exterior we all know and love from beer batter:

• Beer (Duh. I like using a local Lager, preferably one from KBC – you know my penchant for cooking with their brews.)
• Flour
• S&P (that stands for salt & pepper, yo)
• An egg, whisked ever so gently
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Time, just a little of it

The key to crispy, flavorful fish

I’ve learned a lot since I first started making fish. To start, you want to make the batter first. There is no leavening in this recipe, nothing to react and create bubbles, like baking soda. Once the batter is whisked up, you’ll need to let it hang out so the beer can do its thing and the bubbles can disperse throughout the mix.

While the batter rests, make sure the fish is patted dry. This helps the seasoning and batter adhere to the fillets. After that, you’ll want to season the dried fish generously with salt and pepper.

While all of this is happening, bring the oil up to temp. When frying on a stovetop, I always like to overheat my oil. As soon as you drop in your food it knocks the temperature down, so having it up higher than the recipe calls for ensures the food will be cooking at the correct temperature from the get-go. Yes, a deep fryer would be easier, but I haven’t been brave enough to use the monster that Seth got a few months ago. It’ll happen this summer!

The most important step, I think, is to season after frying! A good sprinkle of salt when the fish is fresh from the fryer will make sure the fish has a lot of flavor and is far from bland.

Serving beer battered fish

At fish frys around here it’s customary to get a side of French fries, coleslaw, and a slice of buttered rye bread with your order. Maybe a squeeze of lemon. Almost certainly a pickle (that I gladly give to Seth). And an Old Fashioned or two. Who am I to buck tradition? Find my recipe for beer battered fish fry by clicking the link here!

Want more? Watch the video I created for Webster’s Marketplace to see a step-by-step on making the perfect batch of beer battered fish fry.