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    Home » Recipes » Courses » Side Dish Recipes

    What to Serve with Fried Catfish

    Published: June 20, 2022 · Updated: June 29, 2022 by Kari · Leave a Comment · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

    A pin collage showing what to serve with fried catfish, fried okra, potato salad, coleslaw, & collard greens.
    A pin collage showing what to serve with fried fish, fried okra, cornbread, coleslaw, & collard greens.
    A pin collage showing what to serve with fried catfish, fried okra, cornbread, coleslaw, & collard greens.
    A pin collage showing what to serve with fried catfish, fried okra, cornbread, coleslaw, & collard greens.

    Looking for something to serve with fried fish? Look no further. When you pull those perfectly golden brown, cornmeal-crusted fried fish filets from the deep fryer, you don’t want to stress about what to serve with them.

    There isn’t much better than getting together with friends for a fish fry. (Ok, maybe a crawfish boil.) In the summertime, we love to make Southern Fried Catfish, but we do try to limit our catfish intake, so we also fry up all kinds of panfish or sunfish as well - bluegill, yellow perch, white bass, pumpkinseed, freshwater drum, crappie, and redears.

    A cast iron pan with parchment paper topped with fried catfish fillets.

    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:

    Creamy Coleslaw

    Classic Southern Coleslaw

    This Creamy Southern Coleslaw recipe is one of my favorite side dishes. The sweet, tangy dressing combined with the fresh, crunchy cabbage is so simple, yet so flavorful.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    Creamy southern coleslaw (shredded carrots & cabbage covered in mayonnaise) up close.

    Coleslaw is an easy side dish to serve with fried fish - you can use bagged slaw mix to save on time and make it ahead of time. This coleslaw uses a little bit of buttermilk so it has a nice tang to it that complements the fried fish really well.

    Collard Greens

    Southern Style Collard Greens

    This is the last recipe for collard greens that you will ever need. These southern-style collard greens are cooked with bacon, onions, and garlic and couldn't be more delicious.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    A white bowl of paleo collard greens with bits of bacon on a blue and white towel.

    We always have our first fish fry here when the collard greens in our garden are at their peak. Summer is just warming up but we aren’t in the thick of it yet. It doesn’t get much better than freshly caught fish that is crusted in cornmeal, fried until crispy, and served with freshly picked greens!

    We love to cook our collard greens with diced onion, bacon, and a ham hock. Top them with a little pepper vinegar and they are absolute perfection.

    Fried Okra

    Crispy Fried Okra

    This Fried Okra is dredged in buttermilk and breaded in a flour & cornmeal coating that's loaded with flavor. Fried until crispy in peanut oil, it’s an addictive Southern appetizer, snack, or side dish.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    Cornmeal crusted fried okra draining on a paper towel.

    Fried Okra? Need I say more? Southern popcorn. You can drop it in the fryer while breading up your fish and snack on it while getting things ready - because you know no one will wait to eat it! We love to dip fried okra in ranch, Cane's Sauce, and Boom Boom Sauce.

    Crawfish Étouffée

    Crawfish Étouffée

    Crawfish Étouffée is another one of those New Orleans classics that is so easy to make and is so over-the-top delicious. The creamy sauce, tender crawfish, and perfect amount of Creole seasoning make this a knockout dinner.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    a zoomed in image of a pot of crawfish etouffee

    This may seem like an odd suggestion, but Fried Catfish fillets with a scoop of crawfish étouffée over the top served with a scoop of green onion rice is an amazing dish known as Catfish Atchafalaya. I highly recommend trying it.

    Catfish Atchafalaya

    Catfish Atchafalaya is a unique combination of Southern Fried Catfish, smothered in Crawfish Étouffée, and served with Green Onion Rice. It is a five-star meal that is easy to enjoy at home.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    a white plate with fried catfish, crawfish etouffee, and green onion rice on it

    Southern Potato Salad

    Easy Southern Potato Salad

    This Easy Southern Potato Salad made with Hard-Boiled Eggs and Pickles is a summertime favorite. It has a creamy, flavorful mayonnaise dressing and is topped with Creole Seasoning for a perfect finishing touch.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    A bowl of creamy southern potato salad with a mustard based dressing.

    Southern Potato Salad is creamy, tangy, and delicious - it balances out the crunchy cornmeal coating on the fish. It is a perfect side dish for fried fish & can be made ahead of time so you can focus on perfectly frying up your fish. I love that it is cold and creamy in contrast to the crispy texture of the fish. Plus, it is delicious.

    Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans or Instant Pot Southern Green Beans

    Crock Pot Southern Green Beans

    These Crock Pot Southern Green beans have so much flavor - they are a family favorite. They are the perfect easy side dish for any holiday menu.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    A bowl of southern style green beans cooked in a crock pot with ham, bacon, and red bell peppers.

    Southern Green Beans are a popular side dish that can be cooked (and pretty much ignored) while other things are going on. The Crockpot Green Beans recipe is great because it can be started in the morning and it will cook all day while you are busy getting other things done and the Instant Pot Green Beans recipe is great if you forgot to prepare a side dish to go with your catfish dinner.

    Southern Style Green Beans - Instant Pot

    It's hard to be that cooked all day with smoky meat flavor of Southern green beans. They are melt in your mouth delicious and are ready in less than an hour.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    Two white bowls filled with southern green beans and bacon on a gray background with two yellow flowers and a yellow napkin.

    Garlic Mashed Potatoes

    Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Chunky Option)

    Mashed potatoes will be the most popular dish on your table with this perfectly garlicky and buttery mashed potato recipe. You can make them in an Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or on the stove - and you likely already have all of the ingredients.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    A bowl of cheesy garlic mashed potatoes.

    I love to make mashed potatoes - they go with everything, especially fried food. I love to make these mashed potatoes in an Instant Pot because they are quick to prepare and they don't require boiling potatoes or heating up the house - and they are so flavorful. They are a great choice for a summertime dinner.

    Cornbread Cooked in a Cast-iron Skillet

    Simply Sweet Skillet Cornbread Recipe

    Sweet Skillet Cornbread is light, crumbly, and has a perfect crisp to the edges. It is a little sweet and that's what makes it so delicious.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    A cast iron skillet with slices of cornbread in it.

    Cornbread is a classic side dish that goes with nearly everything. Cooked in a cast iron pan - you can't go wrong.

    Red Beans and Rice

    Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

    Louisiana Red Beans and Rice are thick, creamy, and delicious. This family recipe will have everyone clearing their plates.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    Homemade red beans with sausage in a cast iron skillet with a New Orleans dish towel

    I know it seems weird, but creamy red beans with a little bit of white rice, fluffy cornbread, and a big crispy slab of fried fish belong together. It is a Southern delicacy.

    French Fries

    Oven Baked French Fries

    Oven Baked French Fries are coated in olive oil, tossed in delicious seasoning, and baked until crispy. They are easy to make and are so good!
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE

    Fried fish goes so well with french fries - it's almost expected that you'll get french fries with fried fish. If you are using a deep fryer, you can just drop the fries right in - if you are frying fish on the stove and want to speed things along, you can bake fries in the oven.

    Hush Puppies

    Hush puppies are commonly served with fried fish and if your family likes them, you should serve them. We don't love them - my husband and I usually each eat one and then don't really want anymore so I wouldn't serve them at a fish fry, but I know people love them - so serve them if your crowd loves them!

    Onion Rings

    Beer-Battered Onion Rings - Just a Taste

    Up your fish fru side dish game with a crowd-friendly recipe for hot, crispy Beer-Battered Onion Rings with your choice of dipping sauces.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE

    Onion rings are totally underrated. I don't have a recipe for onion rings on my site because I made this recipe once and they were perfect - there's no reason for me to recreate perfection. I highly recommend that you make them as written and serve them with fried fish, burgers, ribs, everything.

    Pasta Salad

    Easy Pasta Salad (Mom's Recipe)

    This Pasta Salad is a bite from my childhood. It is overflowing with vegetables and reminds me of springtime and grilling with my parents. It is light enough for a hot day and is bursting with so much flavor.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    A bowl of pasta salad and a wooden spoon, zoomed in.

    This is my mom's recipe for pasta salad and it is always a hit - everyone always loves it and comes back for seconds. It is loaded with veggies and topped with Italian dressing.

    Cowboy or Redneck Caviar

    Redneck Caviar

    Redneck Caviar is a Southern Dip and Side Dish made with fresh vegetables & a delicious vinegar dressing. Black-Eyed Peas & Black Beans are tossed with fresh summer tomatoes, peppers, and corn and you won’t be able to resist scooping a chip in this dip!
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE
    A small bowl of redneck caviar with black-eyed peas, corn, black beans, and tomatoes with a side of tortilla chips.

    Cowboy or Redneck Caviar is such a great dish to serve with fried fish because it is so fresh and bright. We also love to serve it over grilled fish.

    Grilled Potatoes

    Blue Cheese Grilled Potatoes - Tried and True Recipes

    These Blue Cheese Grilled Potatoes are a quick and easy recipe that goes perfectly with your favorite hamburger or grilled chicken recipe.
    CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE

    If you plan on breaking out your grill for anyone who doesn't like fried food, grilled potatoes are a delicious side dish and they are really easy to prepare while cooking other things.

    Cucumber Salad

    You should probably have some kind of vegetable with fried food, right? A vegetable salad is always a good choice and cucumber salads are easy to make - especially if you live in the south and all summer long, someone will always be trying to get rid of bags of cucumbers and squash! (There's a joke in the south that you should always lock your car doors - not because of thieves, but because people will leave squash in your car!)

    We love to make cucumber salad with red onions, sour cream, vinegar, cucumbers, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and fresh dill.

    Condiments to Serve with Fried Fish

    • Hot Sauce - We love Tabasco or Crystal Hot Sauce
    • Lemon Wedges - Squeezing a little lemon juice over the top of a catfish fillet is so good!
    • Tartar Sauce
    • Kosher Salt - Sprinkling catfish fillets with a little bit of salt adds so much flavor.
    • Dipping Sauces -
      • Raising Cane's Sauce or Boom Boom Sauce are both SO good with fish.

    « Crawfish Monica
    Redneck Caviar »

    About Kari

    I am a WordPress Developer, Food Blogger, and Health Coach. I love to cook and experiment with fun new recipes. I hope you enjoy!

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    Hi, I'm Kari!

    I am a WordPress developer, food blogger, and health coach. I love to cook and experiment with fun new recipes. I hope you enjoy!

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