fried catfish recipe

The crispy exterior breading of this Southern Fried Catfish is perfectly seasoned with tender, delicious fried fish underneath. It can be ready in under 30 minutes and just as good as going to a fish fry!

Fried Catfish

farm-raised catfish filets, (thawed if previously frozen (4-6 filets))

salt

buttermilk

yellow cornmeal

all-purpose flour

paprika

black pepper

cayenne pepper

Peanut oil or vegetable oil, (for frying)

Sprinkle the catfish filets with kosher salt on both sides. Place the seasoned filets in a shallow dish or resealable bag and cover with the buttermilk, turning to coat. Set aside to soak while preparing the rest of the ingredients and oil, or transfer to the fridge for up to 8 hours to marinate.

Combine cornmeal, flour, seasoned salt, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large resealable ziplock bag. Whisk or toss to evenly disperse spices.

Heat 1/2 to 1 inch of oil in a large cast iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 to 365 degrees F.

Remove the catfish from the buttermilk soak 1-2 pieces at a time, letting excess buttermilk drip off. Transfer the catfish pieces to the bag of seasoned cornmeal and flour, seal, and toss to coat well. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining fish pieces and coating.

Carefully add catfish pieces to the hot oil, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Fry for 4-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the middle. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets. Be sure to watch the heat as the fish fries so you can adjust up or down to keep the oil temp in the 350 to 365 degree F range as much as possible.

Transfer the fried catfish to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack and place in a warm oven (225 degrees F) while frying the remaining catfish pieces.

Serve with coleslaw, hush puppies, french fries, and lemon wedges or other sides.

I made this for supper and it was awesome!  As a life-long lover of fried catfish, I’d definitely make this again.  I followed the recipe as written, except I made the fish into nuggets, for ultimate cornmeal coverage.  
Thanks!

This recipe was so reassuring for a first timer. I've recently started eating fish and my fiance loves it so I wanted to try this for him. It was so much easier than I expected. He did recommend just a little more seasoning next time, but he still really enjoyed it! Maybe I will add some cajun seasoning, he's used to more of a Louisiana style. Will be making again though without a doubt. I've tried chicken recipes before with buttermilk baths and then breading that went terribly wrong, so glad this one was perfect!

I haven't made it by your recipe yet, but that sounds very much like what I tried before. I'm anxious to use your recipe. I was just 'winging it' before! 
I did some homework about where to get my fish. It seems that there is a consensus that MS catfish farms are the best. I'm an AL girl and now live in TN. I'm not sure what or where is the best way to obtain this fish. Do you have any names, contact info, or suggestions?
Thanks!

I made this for my hubby who has some Alabama roots and he raved about it, and this non-fish girl LOVED IT! And those hush puppies, mmmhhh!

Wonderfully crisp! We made this into a sandwich with coleslaw on top. Great recipe!

This was so easy to make at home, thanks for all the tips! The buttermilk gives such a nice flavor.

My easy Southern Fried Catfish recipe is so good. It features tender fish coated in a perfectly seasoned, crispy fried cornmeal coating. Yum!

catfish fillets

hot sauce

cornmeal

½ tsp pepper

garlic powder

oil,

Prepare your dredging stations. In a shallow bowl,...

Prepare your dredging stations. In a shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. In another mix together cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder.

Preheat about ½ inch oil to 350°F in...

Preheat about ½ inch oil to 350°F in a cast iron skillet or electric skillet.

Season the catfish fillets with salt and pepper....

Season the catfish fillets with salt and pepper. Working in batches (you will probably only be able to fit two fillets in the skillet at a time) dredge catfish first in the buttermilk mixture, followed by the cornmeal mixture.

Fry dredged catfish for 2-3 minutes per side,...

Fry dredged catfish for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Remove to a wire rack or paper towel...

Remove to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain.

Serve with tartar sauce or remoulade sauce, along...

Serve with tartar sauce or remoulade sauce, along with lemon wedges.

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Fried Catfish

Fried Catfish

Top 2 fried catfish recipe recipes from across the web

The most viewed fried catfish recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Fried Catfish

Fried Catfish

The most viewed fried catfish recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine