Beer Battered Catfish Tacos with Black Bean Salsa and Avocado Crema

One catfish taco garnished with avocado cream sauce and salsa on a wooden cutting board.

5 from 1 vote

Beer Battered Catfish Tacos with Black Bean Salsa and Avocado Crema

Love fish tacos? Definitely put these easy fried catfish fish tacos on your list. Fresh catfish is battered in a flavorful beer batter, fried until golden brown, and served with a cool and creamy avocado crema sauce.

Course Entree, Main Courses

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 4

Servings people

Calories 292kcal

Author Lisa Bynum

Ingredients

Beer battered catfish:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup beer
2 pounds U.S. farm raised catfish cut into one-inch pieces
Vegetable oil for frying
10-12 10-inch soft corn or flour tortillas

Avocado crema:

1 avocado pitted
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tablespoon sour cream
Juice of ½ a fresh lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Salsa:

1 bunch fresh cilantro
4 Roma tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the catfish:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine one cup of the flour, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt.
Add the beer and stir until combined. Set the batter aside for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, coat the fish in the remaining ½ cup of flour.
Add about two inches of oil to a large skillet. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. Lower the heat the medium to maintain the temperature.
Add the floured catfish pieces to the beer batter and stir until the catfish is thoroughly coated with the batter.
Working in batches, add the battered catfish pieces to the hot oil. Fry for two minutes, then flip and fry for an additional two minutes until the catfish is golden brown on all sides. Remove the fried catfish from the hot oil and drain on paper towels.

For the avocado crema:

Scoop the avocado out into the bowl of a blender or food processor.
Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and lime juice.
Process until the ingredients are smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the crema into a small bowl for dipping or garnishing.

For the salsa:

Wash the cilantro and remove the stems.
Roughly chop the tomatoes and onion.
Place the cilantro, tomatoes and onion in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are slightly chunky and well combined. You can also chop everything by hand.
Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Add the garlic powder, olive oil, black beans and corn. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place 3-4 pieces of catfish in the center of a warm tortilla. Spoon the salsa over the top of the fish and drizzle with the avocado crema.

Video

Notes

Storage. Store the catfish in an airtight container or freezer bag lined with a paper towel. The paper towel will help absorb any excess moisture. The avocado crema and salsa should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume everything within four days.

Reheating. I don't recommend using the microwave to reheat because it can overcook the fish and the beer batter coating will be soft. Instead, you can preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spread the fish out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Reheat for 10-15 minutes until the crust starts to sizzle and crisp up and the fish is heated through. However, my preferred method for reheating is the air fryer. Arrange the fish in a single layer on the bottom of the air fryer basket. Reheat at 350 degrees for five minutes.

Nutrition