Fried Catfish

Course Main Course, seafood

Cuisine American, Southern

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

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 10

Marinade time 8

Total Time 8 12

Servings servings (may vary)

Calories 608kcal

In a 13x9-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.

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.