Best beer batter recipe: How to craft up the best batter

While most of the classic deep fried food can come frozen in a beer batter these days, or even made to order at your favourite local beer venue, there’s nothing quite like making your own beer batter recipe at home.

While many people think creating beer batter is time consuming and messy, making the best beer batter is actually much easier than you might think. All you need is a few staple ingredients, a can of your favourite beer and your choice of protein.

Read on to find out how to make the best beer batter recipe.

Best beer batter recipe

To get started, you’ll need the right tools:

• Mixing bowl
• Whisk or large fork
• Large pot for frying
• Paper towels

You’ll also need the following ingredients:

• 330ml can of beer from your favourite WA brewery
• 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
• Salt and pepper

Time to create the best beer batter

Mix the beer and flour in the bowl, taking care not to overmix. It’s okay if there are still a few lumps in the batter. You don’t want to stir it too much and lose the carbonation from the beer, as this is what creates lightness in the batter. Add salt and pepper to taste. That’s really all there is to it.

Beer batter tips

Okay, there’s a little bit more to it if you want to ensure the best beer batter possible.

For starters, always use cold beer to make the batter, and fry your chosen food as soon as possible after making the batter. The secret to a crispy, flaky crust is going from cold to hot quickly, so time is of the essence!

When adding your food to the frying oil (vegetable oil works best), make sure to get the oil good and hot first. You’re going for an oil temperature of 180 degrees Celsius or higher. As you add pieces to fry, take care not to overcrowd the pot.

Not only will you be running the risk of your pieces sticking together, but you’ll also be lowering the temperature of the oil temporarily. The longer it takes to get back to the appropriate heat level, the soggier your crust will be. If you’ve got a lot to cook, fry the pieces in batches rather than trying to stick them all in at once.

Choosing your protein

You can use beer batter to fry a wide range of foods. Of course, there are the old standbys of fish and chicken, but you can also get creative. Try frying up some oysters, veggies or steak medallions for a fresh take. You can even fry desserts. Oreos and Mars Bars are great for this purpose.

Be sure to pair the beer in your batter with the item you choose to fry. Lighter fish and chicken call for lighter beers, while steak and oysters can handle the stronger flavours of darker brews. Play around with different combinations to find what you like.

Putting it all together

Now that everything is ready to go, it’s time to get frying!

To start, do your best to cut your fish or meat into same-size pieces. This will ensure that everything cooks evenly in the same amount of time. Next, coat each piece with a bit of plain flour, shaking off any excess. This will make it easier for the batter to adhere to the surface.

Dip a piece into your batter, ensuring that it is coated on all sides. Move it directly into the frying oil. Fry each piece until it is crispy on the outside and cooked through to the middle. Frying times will vary depending on your protein of choice, so do a test piece first to see how long it takes before tossing in the rest.

After each piece is fried, move it to a paper towel to cool. Place another layer of paper towel over the top to soak up any excess oil. The last thing you want is for your meal to be soggy and greasy.

Now you’re finally ready to enjoy!