If you’re craving a weeknight dinner that will transport you away to a seaside vacation, allow us to introduce one of our go-to recipes: Fried catfish. Our top secret for the most flavorful, extra-crispy catfish? A buttermilk and hot sauce marinade. We know, it may sound odd, but the result is an extra-flavorful, slightly spicy catfish that, once coated and fried, results in crispy fillets that rival even our favorite seafood restaurants. Keep reading on for all of our top tips on how to make this easy fish dinner as crispy and flavorful as possible:
Soaking your catfish before frying:
Just like in our fried chicken recipe, you're going to want to marinate the catfish in buttermilk before dredging and frying. It'll permeate the fish with flavor, eliminate any unwanted flavors or smells, and will make sure it stays nice and juicy after it's fried. Don’t have buttermilk? You can make your own with milk + lemon juice.
How to make the best fried catfish:
— Use cornmeal in your dredge. There's a lot of debate about whether you should use flour or cornmeal, but here at Delish, we think you should use both! You should also add some garlic powder, paprika, and salt for optimal flavor.
— The best way to cook catfish. You can definitely pan-fry or bake catfish, but for the crispiest (most delicious) results, it's best to deep-fry.
—The best oil for frying catfish. A neutral oil like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil will work best in this recipe. Avoid olive oil—it has too low of a smoking point and would burn.
Serving ideas for fried catfish:
If you’d like to go full-fried with this meal, fried okra, homemade french fries, or hush puppies would be delicious pairings. That being said, you can never go wrong with serving up coleslaw, Southern potato salad, or collard greens along with this fried dish.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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- Yields:
- 6 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 2 hrs 50 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 678
Ingredients
For fish
- 2 c.
buttermilk
- 1 tbsp.
hot sauce, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
See AlsoCrispy Fried Fish - Kent Rollins - 1 1/2 lb.
catfish fillets
Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1
lemon, sliced into wedges
For dredging
- 1 1/2 c.
yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 c.
all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp.
kosher salt
- 1 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp.
paprika
- 1/2 tsp.
garlic powder
Directions
- Step1In a large bowl or Ziplock bag, combine buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Add catfish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, orup to 8 hours.
- Step2In a large shallow bowl, whisk to combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Remove one catfish fillet from buttermilk mixture and lightly shake to remove excess buttermilk. Dredge in cornmeal mixture and place on a baking sheet or large plate. Repeat until all catfish is dredged.
- Step3Fill a large pot or Dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil. Heat over medium until oil reaches 350°, then fry catfish in batches until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Remove to a paper towel–lined plate and season withsalt immediately. Serve with hot sauce and lemon slices.
