Southern Fried Catfish

two fried catfish filets on a red and white towel

4.90 from 28 votes

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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chilling Time15

Total Time45

Servings:

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Kari

Equipment

a deep fryer
a large bowl

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

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.

Nutrition