Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Red Cabbage Slaw, Avocado Crema, and Cotija Cheese

I have been wanting to make these for MONTHS. I absolutely love Mexican food, and all seafood, so these were a huge treat for me. I love the textures in this too. I am a huge texture person with food. The crunchy slaw with the crema, and the flaky fish with the light beer batter, AND the crumbly cheese was perfect. Too good. Make these with some chips and guac and salsa and your favorite Mexican beer..perfect summer meal. Great for entertaining too!

Serves 2
(Makes a lot of extra slaw and crema..feel free to bump up the fish if you’re serving more people. Batter makes plenty too.)

For the slaw:
1/2 medium red cabbage, shredded
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
zest and juice of two limes
2 T. sugar
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

For the crema:
1 avocado
zest and juice of 2 limes
1/2 a jalapeño pepper, chopped
1/2 c. sour cream
2 T. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of cayenne

For the batter and fish:
1 c. + 2 T. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
12 oz. your favorite Mexican beer (I used Modelo)
1-1/2 lbs. cod, cut into 1” chunks
1/3 c. oil for frying
flour or corn tortillas
1/2 c. Cotija cheese, crumbled (Can also use Queso Fresco or Queso Blanco)
more cilantro for garnish
squeeze of lime for garnish

Begin by making the slaw. I made mine the night before and let it marinade overnight. Combine shredded cabbage, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice and zest, salt and pepper, sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a medium mixing bowl. Stir well to combine and let marinade in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Next, make the crema. This can be made ahead too. Combine avocado, lime juice and zest, jalapeño, sour cream, Greek yogurt, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a food processor. Pulse 10-15 times and then pureé for about 30 seconds until silky and smooth. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Make the batter. Combine flour, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Stir in the beer until everything is incorporated and no lumps remain.

Heat a skillet over medium/high heat with 1/3 c. oil. Dip the pieces of cod into the batter, shaking off excess. Fry the pieces of fish, about 3 to 4 minutes per side in batches. Let drain on paper towels. Season with a little salt when the fish comes out of the hot oil.

To assemble tacos, put several chunks of fish on the tortilla, top with slaw, a drizzle of the crema, and a few crumbles of Cotija. Squeeze a little lime juice over it if desired, and even a little hot sauce if you want. Enjoy!