Fried Catfish

This Southern Fried Catfish recipe features tender fillets of catfish coated with a perfectly seasoned crispy cornmeal breading. It’s a Southern classic that’s guaranteed to add something special to the supper menu.

Ingredients to Make Southern Fried Catfish Recipe

Fried catfish is one of those consummate Southern entrees that can be found on the menu at restaurants and seafood dives all through the South. Each version comes with the cook’s own little twist in ingredients to make it their own. Thankfully, you can find quality frozen catfish and won’t have to spend all day fishing for your own. Unless you want to, of course. This fried catfish recipe begins with a buttermilk marinade, then the fish is coated with a seasoned cornmeal mixture that makes it crispy on the outside yet, tender and flaky on the inside. Ingredients to make the best Southern Fried Catfish: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Fish – 2 pounds of catfish fillets fresh or if frozen, thawed.
• Marinade – Buttermilk whisked with hot sauce and gives the fish a mild flavor and flaky texture.
• Salt – Salt to season the fish prior to placing into the marinade.
• Breading – Yellow fine cornmeal and all purpose flour form the base of the crispy coating.
• Seasonings – Seafood seasoning i.e. Old Bay or Seafood Magic, garlic salt, lemon pepper and cayenne pepper for a hint of spice. You can adjust this according to your taste.
• Oil – Peanut oil or vegetable oil have high smoke points higher than olive oil, for deep frying.
• Garnishes – Fresh lemon wedges and parsley for garnishing.

How to Make the Best Fried Catfish Recipe

• Marinate the Catfish Fillets – In a 13×9-inch shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and egg. Season the catfish fillets, lightly with salt. Add catfish fillets in a single layer, turning to coat.
• Refrigerate – Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours OR overnight.
• Prepare Coating – Whisk together cornmeal, flour, seafood seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper and cayenne.
• Dredge the Catfish – Remove fillets from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge fillets on both sides, pressing breading onto the fillets. Place onto a pan, repeating until all fillets are bread.
• Set the Breading – Chill to set while you heat the oil.
• Heat Oil and Fry – Heat oil to 355-365°F. Gently lower fillets into the hot oil, cooking per the recipe just until golden. Catfish fillets are thin and cook quickly.
• Serve – Remove from hot oil using a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined sheet pan or platter to drain, then serve

Tips for Making Crispy Fried Catfish

• Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need: A shallow dish for soaking the fish fillets in the buttermilk marinade, a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, a deep-frying thermometer, measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a fish spatula for turning and removing from the oil, a platter or a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. You could also use a deep fryer.
• Frozen Catfish: When using frozen catfish for this recipe, thaw the fillets per the package directions and recommendation. Make sure that your drain any excess liquid before adding them to the buttermilk marinade. It’s important to be certain that it’s thawed safely prior to cooking it up for your next fish fry.
• Adjust the Cooking Time: Catfish fillets tend to be thinner than some other varieties of fish. Due to this, they cook quickly. Look for golden not dark brown color and test one piece to see if it flakes easily with a fork.
• Monitor the Oil Temperature: It’s important to keep the oil at a constant temperature when frying. Also, the proper temperature prevents the cornmeal breading from absorbing too much of the oil and becoming greasy. Watching it closely will result in perfectly golden brown catfish.

How to Make Homemade Buttermilk

If you don’t routinely have buttermilk in your fridge, you can make your own. To each cup of whole milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar. Let it stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Stir well, then proceed with the recipe.

Recipe Variations

• Seafood Seasoning Substitutions: I use a seafood blend called Seafood Magic that we really enjoy, in this recipe. You could use classic Old Bay seasoning or any variety of seafood seasoning that you enjoy in the same amount.
• Cajun Seasoning: You could also adapt this recipe using Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning. When doing so, consider the amount of sodium in the seasoning and make adjustments to the amount in the recipe, as needed.
• Breading: You can swap out the cornmeal for self rising cornmeal and omit the all purpose flour and use self rising flour, instead. For this recipe, the combination of cornmeal and flour works best.
• Make Homemade Catfish Po’boy: This recipe is the only one you’ll ever need to make your own po’boy! Dress it with remoulade, lettuce and tomato and any of your favorite fixings on a toasted hoagie roll.

Side Dishes to Serve with Southern Fried Catfish

There are so many options you can serve alongside fried fish and seafood.

• Things such as homemade Hushpuppies and Southern Style Cole Slaw are classic. Y
• You might also like to add Sweet Potato Fries or Crispy Baked Potato Wedges to the meal.
• Fresh yellow Squash Fritters with a Sriracha dipping sauce or a big pot of Homestyle Green Beans and Red Potatoes.
• The kiddos would flip for a side of Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese.

Storage and Leftovers

• Storage: Catfish is best fried and eaten while fresh. That being said, you could store leftovers in an airtight container chilled in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Reheating: Reheat in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium heat, in a 325°F air fryer or on a sheet pan in a 350°F preheated oven just until crispy and heated through.
• Freezer: Freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.

More Southern Style Fish and Seafood Recipes to Make

Seafood can be made easily at home there’s no need to go to a restaurant to enjoy the flavors of the sea. More yummy seafood recipes you may like to try:

• Easy Fish Tacos are made in minutes in the oven on a sheet pan.
• Beer Battered Fish is a classic you can master at home.
• Crispy Crab Hush Puppies are a cost effective way to serve crab to a crowd.
• Maple Glazed Salmon is made in a skillet in no time flat.
• Air Fryer Shrimp are perfectly seasoned and ready for dipping in a spicy aioli.
• Scallops with Cream Sauce from Will Cook for Smiles.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Skillet
• Measuring Set
• Kitchen Utensils
• Knives and Chopping Board

Print

Fried Catfish

Course Main Course, seafood

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword fried-catfish, fried-catfish-recipe, southern-fried-catfish

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Marinade time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 12 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings (may vary)

Calories 608kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk See Cook's note
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 large egg beaten
• 2 lbs catfish fillets if frozen, thawed
• salt
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp seafood seasoning i.e. Old Bay or Seafood Magic
• 1 tsp garlic salt OR 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional
• 4 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
• lemon wedges and Italian parsley for garnishing

Instructions

• In a 13×9-inch shallow dish, whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce and egg. Season the catfish fillets, lightly with salt. Add catfish fillets in a single layer, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours OR overnight.
• Prepare: Remove catfish from fridge, let stand in marinade while you prepare the breading.
• Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl whisk together cornmeal, flour, seafood seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper and cayenne.
• Remove fillets from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge fillets on both sides, pressing breading onto the fillets. Have nearby a pan, repeating until all fillets are bread. Chill to set while you heat the oil. (You can do this up to 30 minutes in advance)
• Fry: Heat oil to 355-365°F. Gently lower fillets into the hot oil, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side or just until golden. (Catfish fillets are thin and cook quickly) Remove from hot oil using a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined pan or platter.
• Serve immediately with a side of tartar sauce and lemon slices garnished with parsley.

Notes

• Seafood Seasoning: I use a seafood blend called Seafood Magic that we really enjoy, in this recipe. You could use classic Old Bay seasoning or any variety of seafood seasoning that you enjoy in the same amount.
• Cajun Seasoning: You could also adapt this recipe using Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning. When doing so, consider the amount of sodium in the seasoning and make adjustments to the amount in the recipe, as needed.
• Breading: You can swap out the cornmeal for self rising cornmeal and omit the all purpose flour and use self rising flour, instead. For this recipe, the combination of cornmeal and flour works best.
• Make Catfish Po’boy: This recipe is the only one you’ll ever need to make your own po’boy! Dress it with remoulade, lettuce and tomato and any of your favorite fixings on a toasted hoagie roll.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 1025mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 462IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 2mg

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