Fried Catfish

This Fried Catfish features a crispy cornmeal crust over tender catfish filets. Add in a squeeze of lemon and some homemade tartar sauce, and you’ve got a delicious fish fry recipe!

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Whenever we make our way to the coast, I always seek out fried catfish. Many of the fried seafood shacks that you find near the beach offer fried catfish, and it’s always the first thing I order. Sure, I make sure to save room for fried shrimp and hush puppies, too…but fried catfish is first on the list.

I grew up in Charleston, SC, and we go back there a couple of times each year. And I order catfish every time. But the funny thing is catfish are found in fresh water. You can watch the shrimp boats come back every morning with loads of fresh shrimp. Not so for catfish. Nevertheless, fried catfish is a staple at many of the seafood restaurants around Charleston. (To be fair, there are some rivers and lakes in the region where catfish can be caught…just not in the ocean.)

How to Make Fried Catfish at Home

Making Fried Catfish at home is not very difficult at all. There are a couple of secrets that will make your catfish taste better, but it’s not a hard process.

• Soak the Catfish in Buttermilk. Catfish are ‘bottom-feeders’ which means they can sometimes have a muddy or gritty taste. Soaking the catfish filets in milk or buttermilk improves the flavor and removes any overly fishy smell or flavor. I also put a bit of hot sauce into the buttermilk as it adds a tiny hint of heat. Not to worry – the hot sauce doesn’t make the catfish overly spicy!
• Dredge the Catfish in Cornmeal and Flour. Some recipes call for the catfish filets to be dredged in cornmeal only. This will produce crispy, tasty catfish. However, adding a bit of self-rising flour to the mixture creates a lighter coating. The fried catfish is still crispy, but the self-rising flour leads to a better overall texture.
• Homemade Tartar Sauce. Technically this isn’t required for making fried catfish at home, but I strongly recommend making homemade tartar sauce. It’s not difficult to make at all, and this homemade version tastes so much better than the store-bought bottles! (If you live in the South, then Duke’s mayo is a must for tartar sauce – IYKYK!)

This Fried Catfish recipe is one of my all-time favorites! In fact, we commented that this would be a great recipe for inviting friends over and making a huge batch in the backyard. It’s that good! While I do enjoy eating fried catfish fillets by themselves, we turned this batch into tacos. A small flour tortilla, a bit of homemade tartar sauce and a fried catfish filet. The dinner table was entirely silent while we were eating – that’s the mark of a really tasty recipe!

If you’re looking for other recipes that go well with Fried Catfish, I recommend:

• Southern Hush Puppies. The ingredients for hush puppies are very similar to the ingredients for the coating on the catfish. You’ve already got the oil hot, so take advantage of it and whip up a batch of hush pupppies, too!
• Cole Slaw. The crunchy cole slaw pairs perfectly with fried food. We’ve made this recipe more times than I can count. A bit of coleslaw on a taco with a piece of fried catfish would be pretty fantastic!
• Macaroni Salad. This mac salad recipe is a family favorite, and it pairs well with all sorts of recipes – including fried fish!

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover fried catfish should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. (Since the catfish has a breading, leave it uncovered – otherwise the breading won’t get crispy again.) The filets can also be reheated for a few minutes using a skillet or an air fryer.

If you’re looking for a fantastic recipe for catfish, then I highly recommend this one – Enjoy!

Did you make this Southern Fried Catfish recipe at home? Leave a comment or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Fried Catfish

This Fried Catfish features a crispy cornmeal crust over tender catfish filets. Add in a squeeze of lemon and some homemade tartar sauce, and you've got a delicious fish fry recipe!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Refrigeration Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 628kcal

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Ingredients

For Fried Catfish

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1½ Tbsp hot sauce
• 6 6-8 oz. catfish filets
• vegetable oil or canola oil for frying
• 1½ cups yellow cornmeal
• ½ cup self-rising flour
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder

For Homemade Tartar Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp dill pickle relish can use sweet pickle relish if desired
• ½ tsp yellow mustard
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

For Fried Catfish

• Using a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add catfish filets, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Using a Dutch oven, deep fryer or large, heavy pot, add 2” of oil. Place over medium heat until oil reaches 350°F.
• Using a large shallow bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder.
• Remove catfish filets from buttermilk and dredge each one in the cornmeal mixture. Shake off any excess cornmeal.
• Working in batches, fry catfish for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown in color.
• Transfer fried catfish to a wire rack set over a plate lined with paper towels or a brown paper grocery bag. Repeat process with remaining filets.
• Serve hot with fresh lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

For Homemade Tartar Sauce

• Using a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined.

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