Description
Golden cornmeal crust, flaky tender catfish, and bold Cajun flavor—this Southern fried catfish recipe is a Louisiana classic.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2½ to 3 lbs U.S. farm-raised catfish fillets (cut into 4–6″ portions)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
For the Dredge:
- 1½ cups yellow cornmeal (medium grind)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For Frying and Serving:
- Neutral oil for frying (e.g., peanut or vegetable oil)
- Lemon wedges
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Soak Catfish: Combine catfish, buttermilk, and hot sauce in a bowl or zip bag. Refrigerate 30–60 minutes.
- Make Dredge: In a shallow dish, mix cornmeal, flour, and all spices until well combined.
- Heat Oil: Fill a skillet or Dutch oven with 2–3 inches of oil and heat to 350°F.
- Dredge Fillets: Remove fish from marinade, let excess drip off, then coat in cornmeal mixture. Shake off excess.
- Fry in Batches: Fry 2–3 fillets at a time for 4–6 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy.
- Drain & Rest: Place fried fillets on a wire rack to rest and keep crispy.
- Serve: Garnish with lemon and parsley. Serve with remoulade, slaw, or your favorite sides.
Notes
- Substitute buttermilk with milk + lemon juice (1 tbsp per cup).
- Use gluten-free flour or skip flour for GF version.
- Rest fillets before frying to set crust.
- Reheat leftovers in oven or air fryer to maintain crunch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Deep-Frying
- Cuisine: Southern, American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet
- Calories: 385 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17.5g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80mg