Fried Catfish
intro
Crispy golden cornmeal-crusted fried catfish with tender, flaky white flesh, a beloved Southern American staple perfect for casual shared family meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Brine the catfish fillets
Pat 680g of catfish fillets completely dry with paper towels, then submerge them fully in 240ml of buttermilk in a shallow glass dish. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 15 minutes to tenderize the fish and help the breading stick securely during frying.
Mix cornmeal breading
In a wide, shallow ceramic dish, combine 180g fine yellow cornmeal, 60g all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk the dry mixture for 30 seconds until all spices are evenly distributed throughout the cornmeal and flour base.
Heat frying oil
Pour 1 liter of neutral vegetable oil (peanut or canola) into a heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, until the oil reaches a 5cm depth. Heat over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, until the oil reaches a steady 175°C (350°F) as measured with a clip-on candy/deep fry thermometer. Never leave heating oil unattended.
Bread catfish fillets
Remove one catfish fillet from the buttermilk at a time, holding it above the dish for 3 seconds to let excess buttermilk drip off. Press both sides of the fillet firmly into the cornmeal breading mix, coating every surface to create an even 2mm thick crust. Set breaded fillets on a wire rack for 5 minutes to let the coating set before frying.
Fry catfish in batches
Carefully lower 2 breaded fillets into the hot oil at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry for 6-7 minutes total, flipping each fillet halfway through cooking at the 3.5 minute mark with a slotted metal spatula, until the crust is deep golden and crispy, and the fish’s internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F). Adjust stovetop heat as needed to maintain a constant 175°C (350°F) oil temperature between batches.
Drain and rest fillets
Lift cooked fillets from the oil with the slotted spatula, holding them above the pan for 2 seconds to let excess oil drain off, then transfer them to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle fillets lightly with a pinch of extra kosher salt immediately after removing from oil, then let them rest for 3 minutes to let excess grease drain and the crust set before serving with tartar sauce.
Tips
2.Letting breaded fillets rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before frying helps the coating adhere properly, preventing it from sliding off the fish during cooking.
3.Use fine-ground yellow cornmeal for the most authentic, non-gritty crust; coarse stone-ground cornmeal will create a rough, overly textured coating that falls off easily.
OMG this crispy southern fried catfish was the star of our Sunday family dinner! The crust was so crunchy and stayed on perfect, no soggy spots at all. My husband kept going back for seconds, even my picky 7 year old ate two whole fillets. Served it with hushpuppies and coleslaw, 10/10 would make again.
Made this for my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging for the recipe! So easy to throw together even for a crowd, the seasoning is spot on — not too spicy, just enough kick. SO good, I’ll be adding this to my regular rotation for sure.
Total game changer for my weekly meal prep! I was worried fried catfish wouldn’t reheat well, but I popped these in the air fryer at 400 for 5 minutes and they got crispy all over again. Way better than the sad fast food fish I used to grab on busy weeknights.
Grew up eating my grandma’s fried catfish in Alabama and was skeptical a random online recipe could measure up, but Y’ALL. This hit every single nostalgia button. The crust crunch, the Cajun seasoning balance, it’s exactly what I remember. I did add a tiny extra pinch of paprika because that’s how grandma did it, no notes otherwise!
Took this camping last weekend and cooked it up on our cast iron over the fire. Absolute home run. The crispy crust held up even when we were cooking outside in the wind, and the whole crew devoured every last fillet before I could even get a second piece for myself. Will make every camping trip from now on.
Wait, does anyone know if this works with a gluten free flour blend for the dredge? I have celiac and have been craving good fried catfish for ages, this recipe looks too good to pass up!
Made this last night for my wife’s birthday dinner (she’s been begging for fried catfish for months) and she said it’s better than the stuff we get at our favorite seafood shack downtown. Only thing I messed up was I overcrowded the pan on the first batch, so those were a little less crispy, but the rest were perfect. Don’t be like me, fry in small batches!
My kids loved it!!! I was so worried the Cajun seasoning would be too spicy for my 5 and 8 year old, but it was super mild and flavorful, they dipped theirs in tartar sauce and ate every bite. Even got them to eat a side of collards with it, which is basically a parenting win in my book.
I catch my own catfish down at the local lake and I’ve been frying ’em for 40+ years, so I know good catfish when I taste it. This recipe is top tier. The cornmeal to flour ratio is exactly right, no weird overpowering seasonings that cover up the fresh fish flavor. 5 stars easy.
First time ever making fried fish of any kind and this was so easy! I was super intimidated by hot oil and getting the crust right, but the instructions were so straightforward, no confusing steps. It came out perfectly crispy on the first try, my husband thought I ordered takeout lmao.
Made these for our college football watch party this past weekend and they were gone in 10 minutes. I cut the fillets into nugget sized pieces for easy dipping, set out bowls of tartar, comeback sauce, and hot honey, and people were raving the whole game. Will absolutely be making these for every game day this season.
I was skeptical fried catfish could fit into my higher protein meal plan, but a 6oz fillet is actually super high protein and the crispy crust is so satisfying I don’t even feel like I’m “dieting”. Paired it with roasted broccoli and a little tartar sauce, chef’s kiss. Way better than boring baked chicken every night.
Pro tip: Make this in a cast iron skillet if you have one! The heat retention is unbeatable, you get that extra crispy, evenly golden crust every single time. I used my 12 inch lodge that I’ve had for 10 years and these came out better than any restaurant catfish I’ve ever had.
Added an extra 1/4 tsp of cayenne and a dash of hot sauce to the egg wash like my pops used to do, and this came out insane. The base recipe is perfect, it’s so easy to tweak to your own taste preferences. Served it with fried green tomatoes and sweet potato fries, total southern comfort food feast.
Y’all I burn everything I cook, even toast half the time. I followed this recipe exactly, used a candy thermometer to keep the oil at 350, and my catfish came out perfect!!! Crispy, golden, not burnt, not raw in the middle. My roommate thought I ordered delivery lmao. Easy enough for even the most hopeless cooks like me.
I usually only make catfish when we go to the coast, but this recipe made it so easy to make at home that I don’t think I’ll ever order it out again. The cost of making it at home is half what we pay at a restaurant, and it tastes fresher too. Total win for weeknight dinners.
Made this for our after-church supper last week and everyone was asking where I got the recipe. The older ladies at church who have been making catfish for 50 years said it was some of the best they’d ever had. I’d call that a massive win. Served with cheese grits and fried okra, obviously.
Wait, does this recipe work with other white fish if I don’t have catfish? My son has a mild catfish allergy but loves crispy fried fish, I was wondering if tilapia or cod would hold up with this crust?
Meal prepped 8 fillets on Sunday and ate them all week for lunch, reheated in the toaster oven they get just as crispy as day one. The seasoning is so good I didn’t even need tartar sauce half the time, which is saying something because I put tartar on everything. 10/10, no notes.
I was so scared of deep frying at home because I’ve heard horror stories of oil splatters and fires, but this recipe had such clear safety tips I felt totally comfortable doing it. I kept the oil at a steady 350, didn’t fill the pot too high, and it was totally stress free! The catfish came out so crispy, I can’t believe I waited this long to try frying at home.