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–+ servings
Perfectly fried catfish fillets with hot sauce, lemon wedges and tartar sauce
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4.26 from 62 votes

Fried Catfish Recipe

This classic southern fried catfish recipe is dredged in a perfectly seasoned and spiced cornmeal breading and fried until golden brown and tender.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: soul food, south, Southern
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 136kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt up to 2 teaspoons/ taste the seasoned cornmeal and adjust
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 lb catfish fillets
  • lemon wedges, tartar sauce and hot sauce for serving

Instructions

  • In a brown bag or ziploc bag, add cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon pepper, and paprika and shake together.
  • In a deep pie plate or large shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and hot sauce.
  • Add each filet into beaten eggs on both sides then add to the cornmeal breading and shake liberally to coat well. Place the fillet on the coated baking sheet. Repeat with each fillet.
  • Let fish set for about 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator then remove.
  • In a large dutch oven, pot or deep fryer, pour in about 4 inches of oil and heat over medium high heat until the temperature reaches approximately 340 degrees.
  • Working in batches, fry fillets until golden brown then remove and drain on racks or paper towels.
  • Cool for 5-10 minutes then serve with lemon and chopped parsley.

Notes

Fried catfish will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 days. If you would like to store your fish for longer, you can freeze the leftovers for up to a month. Just be sure to put the fish in an air-tight container or ziploc bag.
To reheat, allow the catfish to come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the catfish on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes (or until heated through). The oven is the best way to keep that crispy exterior.

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg