Southern Fried Catfish is a staple in every Southern kitchen. You can’t beat freshly caught catfish filets, dredged in perfectly seasoned cornmeal breading and fried until the inside is perfectly tender and the outside is a crisp, golden brown.
I grew up catching fish with my dad, and on the rare occasion, we would fry them. I was picky about fish as a kid – they used to tell me that every fish was lane snapper so that I would eat it. As an adult, I am less picky about my fish, but I also learned how to fry fish, and I think it is one of the best ways to cook it.
There is not much better than a hot and crispy piece of fish that leaves just the right amount of grease on your fingers so that you can’t be bothered to touch your phone during dinner. I love to serve my fried fish with creamy tartar sauce and crispy fried okra – with some fries on the side. YUM.
My Southern Fried Catfish Recipe is the ultimate fried catfish recipe – a recipe that every Southern cook should know how to make. It is salty, flaky, crunchy, and a little spicy – the best delicious fried fish.
Fried Catfish Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make the best fried catfish recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Fresh Catfish
Catfish Fillets – Fresh is best – fish, of course, will smell fishy, but it shouldn’t smell awful. If it doesn’t smell right, ask for a second opinion before cooking it.
Wet Ingredients
- Eggs
- Buttermilk – You can also use regular milk with distilled white vinegar.
- Hot Sauce – I like to use Tabasco.
Dry Ingredients
- Cornmeal – I like to use my homemade cornmeal.
- Whole Wheat Flour – You can also use All-Purpose Flour, but I like the grittiness of wheat flour.
- Seasoning Salt
- Black Pepper
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning – You can either buy this or make it – I like to make it by dehydrating lemon peels, and then grinding them in a spice grinder with black peppercorns.
- Paprika – You can also use smoked paprika.
- Optional – Cayenne Pepper
Best Oil for Frying Catfish
I prefer to use peanut oil for frying seafood – it leaves no lingering taste and a perfect crunch. You can also use vegetable or canola oil.
Muddy Taste in Wild-Caught Catfish?
Ever notice that wild-caught catfish taste a little bit like dirt? Luckily, you can get rid of that taste using one of two methods:
- Dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda in a quart of water. Submerge the catfish fillets in the water in a bowl and soak them for 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge. Drain well, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels before proceeding with the recipe.
- Cover the catfish fillets with buttermilk in a bowl and place the bowl in the fridge, covered, for one hour. Drain, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels before soaking it again in clean and unused buttermilk – the quantity the recipe calls for.
How to Make Southern Fried Catfish
Fried catfish is a signature dish that every Southern cook should know how to make.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a large bowl – whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce together. (Picture 1-2)
- Next, soak the catfish fillets in the egg mixture. Make sure the fillets are fully coated. Let this sit while you mix up the dry ingredients. (Picture 3-5)
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, cornmeal, salt, paprika, pepper, and lemon pepper. (And cayenne pepper if you are using it.) Mix well to ensure an even distribution of seasoning. (Pictures 6-7)
- Now, dredge the soaked fillets in the cornmeal mixture and make sure they are fully coated. Shake off any excess breading.
- Place the fillets on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let the fish sit in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes while you heat up the oil – this will help the cornmeal coating stick to the fish.
To Fry Catfish in a Deep Fryer
- Heat the deep fryer to 350°F.
- When the oil is hot, carefully drop the fillets in and cook them for 7-10 minutes.
- Fry the catfish until the fillets are golden brown and the internal temperature is 145°F. (For thinner fillets, it can take less time so watch the color – we cut these fillets thick.) Shake the basket as needed to prevent sticking.
- Rest the fried catfish fillets on a wire cooling rack – not directly on the towel – this will allow for the crispiest fish.
To Fry Catfish on the Stove
- In a large pot, deep cast iron skillet, or Dutch oven, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil over medium heat. The oil should be hot enough that when you splash water on it, it sputters back at you.
- If you can smell the oil, it is likely too hot. (If the oil is too cold, the breading will absorb the oil, and the fish will be soggy. EW! Too hot, and the outside will cook before the inside.)
- Fry the catfish fillets in small batches so that you don’t crowd the oil – if you put too much fish in the oil at one time, it will lower the temperature, and the fish won’t cook.
- Carefully place the breaded fish fillets into the hot oil and cook the fish for 7-10 minutes – until the fillets are golden brown and the internal temperature is 145°F. (For thinner fillets, it can take less time so watch the color – we cut these fillets thick.)
- Allow the fish to rest directly on a wire cooling rack for a nice crispy exterior.
Repeat with the remaining fillets until all of the fish is cooked. Serve with some slices of lemon and tartar sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Heat your oil properly. Make sure your oil is hot enough before putting your fish into it. If you do not have a thermometer that you can use in oil, another way to test that oil is hot is by flicking a drop of water into it. If the oil spits and sputters back at you, the oil should be hot enough. If nothing happens, give it some more time. If the oil is cold, the fish will soak up a ton of oil and just get really soggy and greasy. If you put your fish in and you realize that the oil is too cold, you can still save it – take it out right away and wait for the oil to heat up. The flip side of this is if your oil is too hot, the outside of the fish will burn before the inside has a chance to cook. (You can generally smell when oil is burning.)
- Don’t Overcrowd the Oil. If you put too much into the oil, it will start to cool down and the fish will get soggy. If you can’t fit all of your fish in at once – be patient and fry it in batches. (If you have to fry a lot of fish, place a cookie sheet in the oven over a baking sheet and turn the oven onto a “warm” or a super, super, super low setting (around 200°F) and place the fish in there. This will help it stay warm and crispy.)
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
If using a deep fryer, we use peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. They really are the best for frying fish.
Yes! We use this same recipe to fry perch, snapper, grouper, striped bass, and shell crackers. Just adjust the cooking time for larger or smaller fillets.
What to Serve with Fried Catfish
Traditionally, we love to serve flaky fish with some lemon wedges and tartar sauce or a remoulade sauce, but a unique – and delicious way to enjoy fried catfish is by making Catfish Atchafalaya.
It is a huge plate of crispy fried catfish smothered in crawfish étouffée with a heaping scoop of green onion rice. It’s easily one of the best fried catfish dinners – and maybe one of my favorite dinners of all time.
Storage & Reheating
How to Store Leftover Fish
If you don’t finish fried fish in one meal, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator after letting it cool.
You can also freeze the fish, just be sure to put it in an air-tight container or plastic bag. (Vacuum seal it if you can – this will prevent freezer burn.)
Reheating Fried Catfish
I like to reheat it in the air fryer to crisp it back up – if you do not have an air fryer, you can use the toaster oven or the regular oven, just put some foil under the fish to catch any drippings so you don’t end up with a toaster that permanently smells like fish.
Helpful Tips
- Place Catfish Directly on a Wire Rack to Drain. Instead of placing fish directly onto a paper bag or a towel, place it on a rack with the paper or a towel underneath to catch drippings. The fish will cook a little longer as the oil drips off and the result will be perfectly crispy catfish. (And the underside won’t get soggy!)
- Use Fresh Fish. Make sure that your fish is not old – if it smells off at all, be cautious eating it. Catfish smells a little fishy, but should not have a very strong odor.
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Southern Fried Catfish
Ingredients
- 1 – 2 pounds catfish filets cleaned and deboned
Dry Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco Sauce
For Serving
- lemon wedges
- tartar sauce
- extra Tabasco sauce
For Frying
- 2 – 4 cups frying oil the quantity of oil depends on the size of the deep fryer or pot that you are frying in, you want at least 2 inches of oil
Instructions
- Combine the wet ingredients in a large bowl – whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce together.2 eggs, 3 tablespoons buttermilk, 2 teaspoons Tabasco Sauce
- Now, soak the catfish fillets in the egg mixture. Make sure the fillets are fully coated. Let that sit while you mix up the dry ingredients.1 – 2 pounds catfish filets
- In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients – flour, cornmeal, salt, paprika, pepper, and lemon pepper. (And cayenne if you are using it.)⅔ cup cornmeal, ¼ cup whole wheat flour, 1 ½ teaspoons seasoning salt, ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Mix well to ensure an even distribution of seasoning.
- Now, dredge the soaked fillets in the cornmeal mixture and make sure they are fully coated. Shake off any excess breading.
- Place the fillets on a plate and cover. Let them sit in the refrigerator for 10 – 15 minutes while you heat your oil – this will help the breading stick to the fish.
To Fry Catfish in a Deep Fryer
- Heat a deep fryer to 350°F.
- When oil is hot, drop filets in and cook for 7 – 10 minutes – until the fillets are golden brown and the internal temperature is 145°F. (For thinner fillets, it can take less time, so watch them – we cut them thick.)
- Rest the cooked fillets on a wire cooling rack – not a towel – this will allow for the crispiest fish.
To Fry Catfish on the Stove
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil over medium heat. The oil should be hot enough when you can splash water on it and it sputters back at you. If you can smell the oil, it is likely too hot. (If the oil is too cold, the breading will absorb the oil and the fish will be soggy. EW! Too hot and the outside will cook before the inside.)
- Fry the fillets in small batches so that you don't crowd the oil – if you put too much fish in the oil at one time, it will lower the temperature and the fish won't cook.
- Cook for 7 – 10 minutes – until the fillets are golden brown and the internal temperature is 145°F. (For thinner fillets, it can take less time, so watch them – we cut them thick.)
- Rest the cooked fillets on a wire cooling rack – not a towel – this will allow for the crispiest fish.
- Serve and enjoy!lemon wedges, tartar sauce, extra Tabasco sauce
Video
Notes
Tips
- Heat the oil properly. Make sure the oil is hot enough before putting your fish into it. If you do not have a thermometer that you can use in oil, another way to test that oil is hot is by flicking a drop of water into it. If the oil spits and sputters back at you, the oil should be hot enough. If nothing happens, give it some more time. If the oil is cold, the fish will soak up a ton of oil and just get really soggy and greasy. If you put your fish in and you realize that the oil is too cold, you can still save it – take it out right away and wait for the oil to heat up. The flip side of this is if your oil is too hot, the outside of the fish will burn before the inside has a chance to cook. (You can generally smell when oil is burning.)
- Don’t overcrowd the oil. If you put too much in the oil, it will start to cool down and the fish will get soggy. If you can’t fit all of your fish in at once – be patient and fry it in batches. (If you have to fry a lot of fish, place a cookie sheet in the oven over a baking sheet and turn the oven onto a “warm” or super, super, super low setting and keep the fish in there. This will help it stay warm and crispy.)
- Use a wire rack. Instead of draining grease off of your fish onto a paper bag or a towel, place it on a rack as you would use for cooling cookies. (With the paper or a towel underneath to catch drippings.) The fish will cook a little longer as the oil drips off and will get nice and crispy.
- Use fresh fish. Make sure that the fish is not old – if it smells off at all, be cautious eating it. Catfish smells a little fishy, but should not have a very strong odor.
Special Equipment Needeed
- a large bowl
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
What Can You Serve with Fried Catfish?
Too much fried food can be kind of heavy and greasy, but a good creamy side dish can balance that out. There are a lot of popular side dishes to serve at Fish Fries – here are our favorites:
You can find more recipes to serve with fried catfish here.
Hey can catfish stay in marinade overnight?
Yes! I do this all the time with greasy or dark fish like bluefish to make them less fishy 🙂
After a day of successful fishing, this was perfect way to use the harvest on some panfish. Came out amazing! Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
I will try your recipes soon
Will be going up to Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas soon. The fish are not biting to good right now weather changing back and forth to much