Crispy Portuguese Fried Green Beans with Beer Batter

Some recipes are straight-up childhood memories, and Portuguese “peixinhos da horta” (fish from the garden) are definitely one of them, these are beer battered fried green beans! The classic version uses plain green beans, which are delicious but sometimes hard to find, especially out of season. So why not try it with round green beans? They’re much easier to get, especially frozen, pretty much all year round ;D

And hey, the smaller, more compact shape isn’t bad at all! Once fried they really do look like little “fishes” from the garden, hehehe. I went with the classic beer batter and the result speaks for itself, they’re almost, almost as good as the originals hahaha.

In case you don’t know them, peixinhos da horta are an iconic Portuguese snack, green beans boiled, dipped in a light batter and fried until golden and crunchy on the outside. The name is simple, once fried the beans look a bit like tiny fried fish, hence “fishes from the garden”!

Hummm, I think making good peixinhos da horta isn’t very complicated, but if you want to make fantastic ones there are a few tricks. Let the green beans drain really well after boiling, make a more flavorful batter with beer, let the batter rest a little before using and, of course, season everything properly. It makes a huge difference in the final result! Okay, let’s get to the recipe!

Crispy Portuguese Fried Green Beans with Beer Batter

Servings: 4
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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I’m posting this a few days before São Martinho (Saint Martin's) season in Portugal (November 11th), and I think these are the perfect snacks for it! São Martinho is all about roasted chestnuts, new wine, and good company, and a plate of hot, crunchy peixinhos da horta fits right in next to all of that ;D

Ingredients

Round Green Beans – 500g
Salt – 2 Teaspoons
Self-rising Flour – 150g
Black Pepper – A pinch
Eggs – 2 (large)
Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon
Beer – 100ml (cold, lager-style)
Sunflower Oil – For frying

Directions

Start by cooking the green beans, in a pot with plenty of water and a pinch of salt, add the round green beans (you can use them straight from the freezer). Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain well, then place them on paper towels to absorb as much excess moisture as possible.

Prepare the batter in a bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the chilled beer, and season with salt and pepper. Add the flour (sifted in) and the olive oil, whisking thoroughly until you have a smooth, creamy batter, the consistency should be similar to thick honey.
Let the batter (and the cooked green beans) rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
When you are ready to make the “peixinhos da horta”, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, you want the oil to be about 3 fingers deep.

Once the oil is hot, take the batter out of the fridge. Add a handful of green beans to the batter, then take two at a time, ensuring they are well-coated and place them into the hot oil. (Frying two at a time works well because the round green beans are smaller, grouping two together creates a good, substantial size.)
Repeat the process, frying a few at a time, don’t overcrowd the pan and turn them occasionally until they are golden brown on both sides.
Remove them to a wire rack or kitchen paper to drain, and continue until all the green beans have been fried.
Serve immediately while hot and crispy. Bom apetite! and Happy St. Martin’s Day!

Notes & Tips: Oh if you want the more classic recipe for Portuguese peixinhos da horta, please follow the link, its almost the same recipe! ;D

Unlike long green beans, which have a season, frozen round green beans are available pretty much all year at any supermarket, so you can make this whenever the craving hits!

I’ll repeat myself here, the drier the beans are before going into the batter, the crunchier they come out after frying. If you have time, cook the beans the day before and leave them in the fridge on kitchen paper overnight.

The oil needs to be properly hot before you start. If it’s cold, the batter soaks up too much oil and you get greasy, soggy peixinhos. Test it with a drop of batter, and if it bubbles and rises quickly, it’s ready. If you have a thermometer, aim for about 350 to 375ºF (175 to 190ºC).

Don’t overcrowd the pan. Too many at once drops the oil temperature and the result isn’t as crispy. Fry in small batches, and if you need to keep them warm, leave the finished ones on a rack in a low oven, around 176ºF (80ºC), while you fry the rest.

Any lager works perfectly. In Portugal, Sagres or Cristal are classics, but any light, cold American lager will do the job. The bubbles help make a lighter, airier batter, which is what gives that crunchy texture.

Got leftover batter? Don’t throw it away! Slice an onion into rings, dip them in the batter and fry them. Homemade onion rings to go with your peixinhos da horta ;D

These are amazing fresh out of the pan, crunchy outside and tender inside, but they’re also good cold, soft and still delicious ;D So they’re perfect for snacking, and also great to make ahead for parties or picnics. If you want to reheat them, a few minutes in a hot oven or air fryer brings back most of the crunch.

A little garlic mayo or a squeeze of lemon on the side never hurts. And an ice-cold lager next to the plate is highly recommended!

This recipe for Crispy Portuguese Fried Green Beans with Beer Batter was originally created on BakeAfter. Esta receita de Peixinhos da Horta de Feijão Verde Redondo com Polme de Cerveja foi publicada em português no Iguaria.