The Best Beer Batter Starts With Seasoning

In the world of deep fried foods, one batter stands out as the ultimate crunchy coating. Beer batter is a favorite among fried food enthusiasts, as using beer instead of water in fry batter works to reduce cook time, maximize the crunch, and protect food from overcooking. Because the beer's distinct taste provides batter with a little oomph, the most basic version requires little else but self-rising flour and a can of beer. But if you want to make truly exceptional fry, you're gonna need to season that batter up a little. That's why Mashed recipe developer Erin Johnson's crispy beer batter recipe doesn't skimp on the seasoning.

Rather than seasoning the food after frying, or relying on a solid dipping sauce to properly flavor fried food (that's just amateur stuff), Johnson's recipe expertly blends the flavor right into the batter using a combination of salt, pepper, onion powder, and Old Bay seasoning. Because the beloved seasoning contains red pepper and paprika (among other spices), its presence gives the batter a little smoky, spicy kick in every bite.

While you don't want beer to be the only flavoring agent in your beer batter, it certainly is a defining feature. As such, you should be careful to select a beer that suits your taste preferences. "I use a light beer for this," says Erin Johnson, adding, "You could technically use any kind of beer you'd like but too dark and flavorful negatively impacts the taste, in my opinion." However, that is completely a matter of taste! If you love drinking a Modelo Negro with your fish fry, try mixing it right in the batter.

As is, Johnson's beer batter is perfect for any number of fried delights. "You can use this to batter and fry almost anything," she points out. "My favorite is for onion rings, but the sky is the limit, really." You can also tailor the seasoning in your batter to suit the particular food you're frying. If you like super spicy fried chicken, add chili powder to the mix. If you want classic tempura-style vegetables, try a sprinkle of MSG in the batter (which is totally safe to consume, by the way, and you shouldn't believe the MSG myth).