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This southern fried catfish is perfectly seasoned with spices, coated in cornmeal, and fried til golden brown. I love serving it with fries and coleslaw but feel free to serve it with any of your favorite sides!
WHAT DOES CATFISH TASTE LIKE?
When cooked, catfish has a dense and moist texture that is less flaky compared to other types of white fish. Its taste is slightly sweet and mild, and it readily absorbs seasonings. Typically, catfish is coated with cornmeal and deep-fried.
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Fish – If your local seafood market doesn’t have catfish feel free to substitute with flounder, tilapia, or swai fish.
- Spices – You’ll need old bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Make sure all of your spices are fresh and aren’t expired.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is what I like to use for fried fish.
- Cornmeal – Yellow cornmeal is used to help achieve the perfect crispy coating.
- Eggs and Buttermilk – In order for the flour and cornmeal mixture to adhere to the fish, it is necessary to use both eggs and buttermilk.
- Hot Sauce – Adds great flavor but is optional!
- Oil – Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil works!
TOP TIPS
- Make sure to pat the filets dry so the coating sticks to them properly without sliding off. I like to pat them dry with a paper towel on both sides.
- These cook super quickly, so keep an eye on them! I used a deep fryer and cooked the catfish fillets for 3-4 minutes total, but if you don’t have a deep fryer, I recommend cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- When the fish come out of the fryer, allow them to sit for 2-3 minutes before eating. Feel free to season with extra salt, if needed.
- Feel free to serve with remoulade sauce, tartar sauce, or just lemon wedges!
CAN I MAKE THIS IN ADVANCE?
Unfortunately, no. If fried catfish is left sitting for too long, it tends to become soggy. To avoid this, my recommendation is to fry it and serve it immediately.
Tried this Southern fried catfish recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Southern Fried Catfish
Ingredients
- 2 lbs catfish fillets
- 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- oil, for frying
Instructions
- Preheat a deep fryer or a Dutch oven with 4 inches of oil up the sides to 350°F.
- Pat the catfish filets dry with paper towels and set them aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the old bay, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Season the fish on both sides with the spices.
- In a large shallow bowl, stir together the rest of the seasoning mix, flour, and cornmeal.
- In another large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce.
- One at a time, place a filet into the flour mixture and coat the fish in the flour. Shake off the excess.
- Place it into the egg mixture until coated, and let the excess drip off.
- Lastly, place it back into the flour mixture and coat well. Let the excess shake off and place it on a sheet tray. Repeat with the remaining filets.
- When ready to fry, gently add 1 filet at a time to the fryer and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and an internal temperature reaches 145°F. Flip if needed.
- Place the fried catfish on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil, and then place it on a sheet tray with a wire rack on top. This will help keep the fish crispy.
- Repeat with the remaining filet and serve with lemon wedges and sauce of your choice.
Notes
- Make sure to pat the filets dry so the coating sticks to them properly without sliding off. I like to pat them dry with a paper towel on both sides.
- These cook super quickly, so keep an eye on them! I used a deep fryer and cooked the cat fish fillets for 3-4 minutes total, but if you don’t have a deep fryer, I recommend cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- When the fish come out of the fryer, allow them to sit for 2-3 minutes before eating. Feel free to season with extra salt, if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
