Easy Crispy Fried Catfish Recipes

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, water, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture into a flat pan large enough to hold the fillets. Spread fish in one layer over bottom of pan, turning to coat each side, and set aside to marinate.
• In a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seafood seasoning. Add fish to mixture, a few fillets at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly.
• Heat oil in deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• Deep fry fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Avoid overcrowding so fillets have room to brown properly. Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside. Drain on paper towels.

CRISPY BAKED CATFISH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°. Spray broiler pan rack with cooking spray. If fish fillets are large, cut into 4 serving pieces.
• Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs, chili powder, paprika, garlic salt and pepper. Lightly brush dressing on all sides of fish. Coat fish with cornmeal mixture.
• Place fish on rack in broiler pan. Bake uncovered 15 to 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.

CRISPY BAKED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and top with a wire rack. Coat the rack with cooking spray.
• Stir cornmeal, flour and Cajun-Creole seasoning blend together in a large shallow dish. Whisk egg in a separate shallow dish.
• Pat fillets dry with a paper towel and sprinkle evenly with salt. Working with 1 fillet at a time, dip in the egg to coat, letting excess egg drip back into the dish. Then dredge in the cornmeal mixture, turning to coat both sides. Transfer to the prepared rack on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Coat the tops of the fillets with cooking spray.
• Bake until crispy and golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning the fillets over and coating with cooking spray halfway through. If desired, serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

OVEN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
• In a shallow dish, stir together the cornmeal, paprika, thyme, salt, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Dip the catfish fillets in milk, then place them into the cornmeal mixture and coat liberally; place on the greased baking sheet. Coat the tops of the fillets with cooking spray until wet.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

CRISPY SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine cornmeal, seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
• Pour milk into a separate dish.
• Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Dip a catfish fillet in the milk, and shake off any excess.
• Transfer milk-soaked fish to the cornmeal mixture and gently roll to coat on both sides.
• Repeat with remaining fillets.
• Place fish in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on each side (about 5-7 minutes per side). The fish will flake easily with a fork when it's done.
• Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the fish in batches. Don't overcrowd the skillet! Feel free to wipe out the pan and use additional butter/oil, as necessary, for subsequent batches.
• Drain fish on paper towels.
• Serve warm, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and a lemon wedge, if desired.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, pour in 2 inches of cooking. Let the temperature rise to 350 degrees over a medium-high heat.
• While the oil is heating up, whisk the buttermilk and hot sauce together in a large bowl. Place the catfish fillets in the bowl and let them soak for 15 minutes.
• As the oil is heating up and the fish are soaking up the liquid, combine the flour, cornmeal, Old Bay seasoning and 2 Tablespoons of salt in a large bowl.
• Take the catfish out of the buttermilk mixture and allow any excess liquid to drain off. Next, add the catfish fillets to the flour mixture. Coat each piece thoroughly on all sides, tapping off any excess flour. Transfer the fillets to a plate.
• Very carefully set 2 or 3 fillets at a time into the hot oil and let them fry. When the fish is cooked through, the breading will be crispy. This should take between 7 and 8 minutes. Transfer these fillets to a plate lined with a couple of paper towels. Add another 2 or 3 fillets and season the cooked pieces with salt. Serve them while they're hot.

CRISPY CATFISH

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whick together the egg and milk.
• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the cereal, flour, cornmeal and seasonings.
• Dip the fish fillets into egg mixture, then coat with cereal mixture.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/4-inch of oil over medium-high heat.
• Fry the fillets for 5-7 minutes on each side.

PAN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Rinse the fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, creole seasoning, paprika, and pepper together in a shallow dish. Pour the milk into a second shallow dish. Dip the fillets into the milk and then into the cornmeal mixture, coating them well and shaking of any excess.
• Heat 1/2 the butter in a large skillet over high heat, and fry 2 of the fillets for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• Transfer the fillets to a serving platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and fillets. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.

FRIED CATFISH NUGGETS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and all your spices. Add your beer and egg, and mix well, until everything is incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 30 min to help everything set.
• When ready to cook, pour vegetable oil in a fryer or deep skillet to a depth of at least 3 inches, and heat to 375°. Stir batter, and fold in catfish.
• When oil is hot, lift catfish nuggets with tongs, draining excess batter, and place in the oil, being careful not to over-crowd the fryer.
• Fry until browned, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove to paper towels to drain excess oil, and repeat with remaining fish.
• Serve warm with chips. To keep warm while you fry the rest of the fish, place on a baking sheet and keep in a low, warmed oven (150°-200°)

CRISPY AIR FRYER CATFISH

Steps:

• In a large shallow container, combine milk and lemon (or buttermilk). Add catfish fillets making sure it is submerged in the milk mixture. Let it soak for 5 minutes.
• In a large plate, add cornmeal, flour, and pepper. Combine well.
• When fish is done soaking, shake off excess milk coating then season each side evenly with cajun seasoning.
• Dredge each fillet into the cornmeal mixture, making sure to coat each side evenly. Place coated fillets on a plate and let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
• When the air fryer is HOT, spray the top side of the fillets with oil. Place the fillets face down into the air fryer basket. Make sure the fillets are in a single layer, a little overlap is okay. Cook in batches as needed.
• Airfry for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• After 10 minutes, check if the coating is crispy to your liking or if your fillets are thicker, add 5-10 minutes more. Remove filets carefully with a spatula when done.

AIR FRYER CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat air fryer at 370° for 4 minutes. (Refer to the owners manual of your air fryer for specific details regarding cooking fish.)
• Combine fish, milk and hot sauce in a medium bowl and allow to soak at least 30 minutes.
• Remove fish from marinade and place in colander to drain. Discard remaining marinade.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a large ziplock bag. One at a time, shake filets in bag to coat fish completely.
• Place filets in air fryer (avoid crowding) and mist with oil. Cook at 370° for 10 minutes. Flip fish and mist with oil. Continue cooking another 10 minutes. Fish should be golden brown and fully cooked.

EASY CRISPY FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a large skillet, fill pan with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Turn on heat to medium or medium high heat.
• Dip catfish in milk, then in cornmeal. Shake off excess cornmeal.
• Once oil is hot, begin frying fish in batches until they are golden brown. Flip fish so each side is cooked evenly.
• (On the 2nd or3rd batch of fish, you may want to reduce the pan heat because it will be extra hot). Add extra oil if needed.
• Drain fish on paper towels and sprinkle with salt or seasoning salt.
• Serve hot with tartar sauce.

FRIED CATFISH RECIPE

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl whisk together corneal, flour, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
• Season both sides of the catfish with salt and pepper. Dredge both sides in the cornmeal mixture.
• Add enough vegetable oil in a large nonstick pan or cast iron skillet to reach ¾ to 1-inches in depth. Heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 350 to 360ºF (177 to 182ºC). Check the temperature between each batch and adjust the heat as needed to maintain this range.
• Add two pieces of fish at a time to the pan, fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, and internal temperature reaches 145 °F (63°C). Transfer to a paper towel-lined pan to drain-Fry the remaining pieces of fish.
• Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse and pat dry your catfish (it needs to be fully thawed if it was frozen).
• Cut your catfish filets into thirds, if desired, but this isn't necessary.
• Add the buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl and whisk well. Place the fish fillets into the buttermilk mixture and let it sit while you mix the dry ingredients.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and Cajun seasoning. Mix well.
• Remove the fish fillets from the buttermilk mixture and dredge in the cornmeal mixture until fully coated. Shake off any excess breading and place on a wire rack while you repeat with the remaining fish.
• Place the wire rack in the fridge to chill while you heat the oil, about 10-15 minutes.
• Start heating your oil in a cast iron skillet to medium or medium/high. It needs to be about 350 F and about 2-3 inches deep.
• When the oil is hot, gently drop 2 to 3 pieces of catfish at a time into your oil. Fry for about 6-9 minutes or until they start to float and look golden brown. The internal temperature should be 340 F.
• Place on a wire cooling rack to allow for the crispiest fish.

15 EASY SIDE DISHES THAT GO WITH FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Pick your desired side dish.
• Prepare the ingredients.
• Enjoy your meal within 30 minutes!