Here’s a crispy, flavorful Southern Fried Catfish recipe — golden on the outside, tender and flaky inside.
🐟 Southern Fried Catfish
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 4 catfish fillets
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
1️⃣ Soak the Fish
- Rinse and pat catfish fillets dry.
- Place in a shallow dish and pour buttermilk over them.
- Let soak 20–30 minutes (this helps tenderize and flavor the fish).
2️⃣ Prepare the Coating
- In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
3️⃣ Heat the Oil
- Pour about 1 inch of oil into a deep skillet.
- Heat to 350°F (175°C).
4️⃣ Coat the Fish
- Remove fillets from buttermilk, letting excess drip off.
- Dredge in cornmeal mixture, pressing lightly to coat well.
5️⃣ Fry
- Fry fillets in batches for 3–5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Drain on paper towels.
6️⃣ Serve
- Serve hot with lemon wedges.
- Pairs well with coleslaw, hush puppies, or fries.
💡 Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the pan — fry in batches.
- Keep oil temperature steady for crispy results.
- For extra crunch, double-dip: buttermilk → cornmeal → back into buttermilk → cornmeal again.
- Add a little hot sauce to the buttermilk for extra flavor.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- 🔥 Spicy Cajun fried catfish
- 🧄 Garlic butter baked catfish
- 🥪 Southern catfish po’ boy sandwich
Which one would you like?
