Mary’s Best Fish Fry Recipes: Beer Batter, Sides, Desserts, and Summer Cocktails
Even though the food is really, really good, the best thing about a good fish fry is the people. Getting together, having fun, entertaining the people you love. At our fish fries, everyone gets involved. Preparing the food is like an assembly line: Billy leads the pack, but everyone has a job to do. The fish come out of the lake, then someone cleans them. Then is filleting and bringing them over to the kitchen to be battered and fried! Everyone helps out in the kitchen, too.
A good fish fry starts with great fish and even better company.
Fish fry parties are popular all over the U.S., but we really love them in the Midwest. With so much access to water—lakes, rivers, creeks, and, in our case, the ponds on our farm—it’s kind of hard not to go fishing. My family is lucky because my husband Billy has done an amazing job of maintaining healthy fish habitats out on our farm, but you don’t have to own a pond to throw a good fish fry! All you need is some company, a few delicious side dishes, a good batter recipe, and, of course, fish (and I’m not judging if you buy it at the store).
Your next fish fry will be a big hit with my Buttermilk Hush Puppies, No-Mayo Coleslaw, Summer Salads, and my crispy Modelo Negra Beer Batter Fish Recipe!
As far as the batter goes, I’ve definitely got you covered. Click on over to my Crispy Modelo Negra Beer Batter Fish Fry recipe to find out how to batter and fry the perfect filet. This batter is light in texture and density, but super rich in flavor. You really can’t go wrong! But what about those sides, you ask?
Here’s a list of my favorite sides to serve at a fish fry.
My family would never forgive me if I didn’t add some of their favorite summer desserts to our fish fry!
For a good fish fry dessert, I’d go with more finger food. If you want it to feel a little bit fancy without putting in too much effort, try my Apricot Almond Granola Bars. But alas, I can’t lie: My real go-to dessert is (you guessed it) cookies. For any outdoor fish fry or a picnic-style meal, I love to recommend my Sweet N’ Salty Cashew Potato Chip Cookies. You won’t have to bring chips to your party, and trust me, people will be coming back for more! I also love to serve my Cast Iron Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie with Sea Salt Caramel. It’s easy to serve, and you can add a scoop (or two) of ice cream (more on whether or not to serve ice cream for a fish fry later).
Oh, and let’s not forget some refreshing cocktails and drinks to go with your fish fry.
So you still need something to drink. For the kiddos and anyone who doesn’t want a beverage with spirits, try my Summer Strawberry Lemonade. Bonus: It’s super easy to add a splash of vodka if you want! For those that do choose to enjoy a cocktail, I’ve got my Favorite Piña Colada recipe which is out of this world. If it’s gonna be a big party, try whipping up a batch of my Pomegranate Red Wine Sangria or my Favorite White Wine Sangria to impress your guests! Last but not least, serve your guests from a large bowl of ice-cold vodka beer punch. It’s refreshing and self-serve, which means you can concentrate on the fish!
Looking for more summer meals?
Check out this list of my favorite summer grill recipes for even more summer goodies.