Fish and Chips

This classic fish and chips recipe is perfect for the summer. Fresh cod is slathered with a seasoned fish fry beer batter before being deep fried and served with homemade fries or chips. This fried cod fish recipe is extra crispy and packed with flavor from the lemon juice and seasonings. I serve my fish and chips with tartar sauce and sometimes some hot sauce on the side. If you enjoyed this fish and chips recipe, you will definitely love this Blackened Grouper and Air Fryer Catfish recipe.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

An Explanation Of The Ingredients

• Cod Fish – Fresh cod fish works best for this recipe.
• Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Flour – All purpose flour is mixed with seasoning and beer.
• Light Beer – I used Busch’s light beer for this fried cod recipe.
• Old Bay – Season the flour with old bay seasoning for the best fish fry batter you’ll ever try.
• Salt & Pepper – Season the cod fish and flour with salt and pepper to taste.
• Granulated Garlic – A little bit of granulated garlic goes a long way.
• Potatoes – Russet potatoes work best for this fish and chips recipe.

This is how you cut the potatoes into French fries.

Fry the French fries in hot oil.

How To Make Chips or French Fries

1. First, start by heating the oil in a large pot over medium heat. The temperature should be 300 degrees F. There should be enough oil to submerge the fries. The pan should not be more than half way full.
2. Scrub the potatoes clean then pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Cut the potatoes down the middle lengthwise. Lie them flat and cut thin strips of potatoes to make the fries.
4. Place the cut potatoes in a colander and run cold water over it for about a minute to remove excess starch.
5. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and pat dry them with a paper towel.
6. Fry the chips in the oil but do not overcrowd otherwise the temperature will drop. Work in small batches.
7. Fry them for 7-10 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat the same process for the rest of the potatoes. The time for frying will vary depending on how large the pieces of fries are.
8. Increase the heat of the oil to 375 degrees F and fry the potatoes again for about 1-2 minutes just to get that nice, crispy texture. Work in small batches to maintain the temperature.
9. Transfer the finished fries to a paper towel lined plate or baking dish. Add sea salt or seasonings of choice and serve.

Place the cod fish into flour before drenching it in the fish fry batter.

Drench each piece of cod fish in the fish fry beer batter.

Fry the beer battered cod fish in hot oil for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway.

How To Make Beer Battered Cod Fish

1. First, start by heating oil in a large pot. The oil temperature should be between 350-375 degrees F. Use this thermometer for the most accurate results.
2. Add the cod fish to a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over it. Let it sit and absorb the lemon juice for about 2 minutes. Pat dry the fish completely with a paper towel.
3. Place the cod fish on a cutting board and cut them into equal sizes for even cooking.
4. Transfer the cod fish to a clean, dry plate.
5. Season the fish with salt, pepper and granulated garlic.
6. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, beer, old bay seasoning, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Start with 1 cup of beer and add more little by little if needed. The batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.
7. In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup of flour.
8. Place one of the pieces of cod fish in the flour first and shake off any excess flour.
9. Transfer the fish to the beer batter and coat completely in the batter mixture. Transfer to a plate as you repeat the same steps for the rest of the pieces of fish.
10. Gently place the fish in the hot oil to cook. Cook 3 pieces of fish at a time so the temperature doesn’t drop. Fry them for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway. You’ll know it’s ready once the fish is a dark golden color.
11. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and blot the excess oil with a paper towel.
12. Finally, serve with chips and tartar sauce and enjoy!

Storing Fish and Chips

Store the fried cod fish leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Heat up in the microwave once you’re ready to enjoy again. I don’t recommend freezing fish and chips because once they defrost, you won’t have that same, crispy texture from when it was first fried.

Do I Have To Use Beer For My Fish Fry Batter?

I think using beer for my fish fry batter makes the fried cod fish extra crispy. However, you may substitute the beer for any carbonated beverage of your choice.

Where Can I Buy Old Bay Seasoning?

Old Bay seasoning can be found in most grocery stores in the spice aisle. You may also purchase it from here.

Tips & Variations

• I recommend using a thermometer like this one to measure the oil temperature. This will bring you the most accurate results when deep frying food.
• Substitute the beer for any carbonated beverage of your choice if you’re staying away from alcohol.
• The measurements for the seasonings in this recipe are used as a general guide. However, you may adjust quantities according to taste.