How to Make a Great Fish Batter

Fish and chips is one of those snacks that’s going to be around forever. It’s always a hit in any fish fry, and for good reason. If you want to make this at home, make sure to have your batter game drilled down. But don’t get intimidated; it won’t really take much to make a great fish batter!

Preparing a batter for deep frying is the key to excellent fish and chips. The most basic ingredients—water, flour, baking powder and salt—and the simplest fish batter recipe will be enough to give your fish fillets a heavenly crisp. Or you can try some variations.

Common fish batter recipes

There are many crispy fish batter recipes around (we’ll share our take on how to make batter for fish later in the article). Feel free to try a few and see what’s a good fit for your taste. Here are some examples:

• Baking powder batter

  With baking powder in the mix, the batter may puff up a bit more than in other recipes on this list. The result is a light and crispy texture and a delicate taste. You can add malt vinegar for a bubbly batter.

  Note: Apple cider vinegar is great for salad dressing. But when it comes to fish and chips, malt vinegar is the best choice.

• Egg white batter

  Give your egg white a whisk. The beaten egg acts as a leavening agent to produce a light-textured batter perfect for deep-frying fish. Egg white batter yields fluffy pouches around the fried fish, making for a consistent crisp.

• Yeast batter

  If you’re looking for that crunchy crust, this fish batter recipe works for you. It gives you just what you might expect—a familiar breadlike flavour, with the crisp in the thinner ends retained.

• Beer batter

  Blame the ice-cold beer mixing with hot oil for that delightfully crisp coating that stays crisp longer than other recipes. If you’ve tried fish and chips in restaurants, you’ve probably had beer batter.

  Fortunately, learning how to make a beer batter for fish is just as easy as learning to make other recipes. You can also try a non-alcoholic version of beer-battered fish, with club soda as the replacement.

  Note: You can use any pale-coloured beer, such as lager or pale ale.

No matter which recipe you choose, these types of fish batter are prepared in pretty much the same way—by combining the dry ingredients and cooking at the right temperature. The latter is particularly important because it is with the right oil temperature that the outside of the batter is sealed. Otherwise, the batter will be greasy and might not have the best texture.

Another important factor to consider when making a fish batter is the type of oil to use. As with oil temperature, you’ll want to stick with the guidelines to ensure quality.

Check out this absolute must-try fish batter recipe

Make your own fish and chips and show off your skills with this easy-to-follow fish batter recipe. Discover the secret to making a crispy, light, fish batter with a beautiful golden colour at home. It can also be used on calamari and onion rings, and it’s easier than you think!

Before anything else, make sure to use white fish, as it’s perfect for fish fillets. This couldn’t be any truer for this recipe, as we’ll be using the tasty blue eye trevalla.

Order fish fillets from trusted online seafood markets like Manettas and have them delivered to your doorstep.

Why not shop Fish Fillets today to make your own crispy batter fried fish? Browse on our website at Manettas Seafood Market – simply enter your suburb and you will see hundreds of products available in your area.

Classic fish batter with lemon and dip

Serving suggestions

Fish and chips is best served immediately after cooking. Keep in mind that the longer battered fish sits out in the open, the more the moisture from it will slowly soften the batter, losing the crisp you carefully produced. The secret may be in the batter, but squeezing some lemon will add a citrusy flavour that takes your fish and chips to the next level.