Best Southern Fried Catfish Recipes

SOUTHERN-STYLE OVEN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a 13x9 glass baking dish with the oil, and set aside.
• Rinse the catfish fillets, and pat dry. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, creole seasoning, paprika, sugar, and black pepper. Combine the eggs and hot sauce or water in a another bowl. Dip the fillets in the egg mixture, dredge in the cornmeal mixture, and arrange in the baking pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown. Turn once during cooking. Place catfish on a paper-towel lined plate, and serve immediately with additional hot sauce.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Heat the peanut oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature.
• Whisk the cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. Combine the seafood seasoning, kosher salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the catfish fillets evenly on both sides with the spice mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk, flip once to coat both sides, hold over the pan and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Gently add the fillets, 2 at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets. Arrange the catfish on a serving platter and serve immediately.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH NUGGETS

Steps:

• Put oil in a skillet until it is halfway up or you can use a deep fryer, a deep fryer is actually best for these. Heat until hot or if using skillet use medium high heat.
• In a large bowl beat egg with a fork, add buttermilk to it. Beat again to incorporate.
• In another big bowl put cornmeal and seasonings to taste.
• Rinse nuggets and dip into milk mixture, depending on how many you have you could probably fit them all in at one time.
• Take a few out of the milk and dip in to the cornmeal, roll around to get it coated good, then put into oil.
• If using skillet put them in until skillet is full. fry 3 minutes, turn and fry another 2-3 minutes. If using a deep fryer fry 5 minutes, about halfway through stir them around to break up any that might have clumped together. They are done when golden brown and flake easily with a fork.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, mayonnaise, scallions and relish to make a tartar sauce. Refrigerate until needed.
• Heat oil in deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Combine cornmeal, Blackfish Spice and salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge catfish fillets in seasoned cornmeal. Deep-fry coated pieces in batches until they are cooked through, about 10 minutes. (For basic reference, use the manufacturer's instructions for your deep fryer for similar foods, then test the fish see that it is fork tender.) Allow to drain on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce and fresh lemon wedges (to squeeze lemon juice over the fish).

SOUTHERN-STYLE PAN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Whisk together buttermilk, mustard, Essence, garlic, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Place fillets in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in an even layer. Pour buttermilk mixture over fish, making sure each fillet is evenly coated; set aside.
• In another shallow baking dish, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt.
• Working with 1 piece of fish at a time, remove from buttermilk mixture, shaking off any excess, and dredge in flour mixture to coat. Transfer to a plate and repeat process with remaining fillets.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully add two fillets to skillet. Cook, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until golden brown and crisp on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Using a fish spatula, transfer fillets to a paper towel-lined plate; repeat process with remaining 2 fillets. Serve immediately with tartar sauce, if desired, and lemon wedges.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH WITH HUSH PUPPIES

Steps:

• 1. HUSH PUPPY BATTER: Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Add milk, onion and egg. Stir until well combined. Set aside. Mixture will be a little thick.
• 2. Rinse catfish and pat dry with paper towels. Combine cornmeal, flour, salt and red pepper in shallow dish. Dip fish in cornmeal mixture. Heat 1" of oil in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat until oil registers 375 degrees.
• 3. Fry fish, a few pieces at a time, 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and fish flakes easily when tested with fork. Adjust heat to maintain temperature. Drain fish on paper towels.
• 4. TO MAKE HUSH PUPPIES: Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Fry, a few pieces at a time, 2 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 24 hush puppies.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, water, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture into a flat pan large enough to hold the fillets. Spread fish in one layer over bottom of pan, turning to coat each side, and set aside to marinate.
• In a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seafood seasoning. Add fish to mixture, a few fillets at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly.
• Heat oil in deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• Deep fry fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Avoid overcrowding so fillets have room to brown properly. Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside. Drain on paper towels.

FRIED SOUTHERN CATFISH

Steps:

• 1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow pan.
• 2. Stir together buttermilk and egg in a bowl.
• 3. Combine the cornmeal, garlic powder and thyme in a large Ziploc bag.
• 4. Dredge catfish in flour mixture.
• 5. The dip in buttermilk mixture.
• 6. Next shake catfish in sealed Ziploc bag.
• 7. Fry in a deep fryer or heavy duty cast iron skillet in hot peanut oil.
• 8. Serve with hush puppies.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Whisk together egg, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Pulse saltines in a food processor until finely ground, then stir together with cayenne and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking dish.
• Dip 1 catfish fillet into egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in saltines to coat and transfer to a wax-paper-lined tray. Coat remaining fillets in same manner.
• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot (preferably cast-iron) over high heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Carefully lower 1 fillet into oil (temperature of oil will drop to 340°F), then fry until golden and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer fillet with a slotted spatula to a rack set over paper towels to drain briefly, then transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep hot in oven. Fry remaining fillets in same manner, returning oil to 360°F each time.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Preheat Grease to 360 degrees.
• In a bowl or pie plate or even a plastic bag place your cornstarch in and add a filet of your favorite fish. Close the bag and shake to coat the fish.
• Beat your eggs in a bowl and run the corn starched filets through the eggs.
• Mix your Corn Meal, Corn Flour, All Purpose Flour and Cajun Seasonings together in a Bowl, Pie Plate or a plastic bag and run your corn starched, egged filets through the flour mixture. Close the bag and shake to coat the fish.
• Fry for 5 minutes for an average sized filet.

BIG JOHN'S SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Pat outside if fish with paper towel to remove extra moisture.
• In shallow dish, combine all dry ingredients except flour.
• Dip fish in buttermilk, shake off excess buttermilk and coat with flour.
• Dip again in buttermilk, then coat with cornmeal mixture.
• In large heavy skillet (cast iron is best), heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.
• Fry fish about 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, or until fish will flake away with a fork.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• wash and drain well fillets.
• season fillets with salt and pepper.
• mix eggs with lemon juice, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
• in a recatngluar type dish for dredging mix flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper.
• dip fillet in egg then flour making sure to get a really good coating on the fish, pat the flour in to get a good seal- if desired do it twice to get a heavy coating on.
• we use a long cast iron frying pan that covers two burners on the stove to fry but you can fry outside or in a deep fryer using peanut oil which withstands higher heats. heat your oil very hot.
• fry a few fillets at a tme until golden brown and let drain on paper towels or brown paper bags.
• serve with tartarsauce, lemon juice and hot sauce if sesired.

SOUTHERN OVEN-FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• 1. Cut catfish filets into 4 pieces or use cafish nuggets. Rinse and dry with power towels.
• 2. Beat egg and mix with milk. Add hot sauce to taste.
• 3. In a second dish, combine flour, cornmeal and creole seasoning.
• 4. Put catfish into milk mixture, then cover with cornmeal mixture.
• 5. Place on pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
• 6. Once all catfish is on the pan, spray fish with cooking spray.
• 7. Place in a 450 degree oven for 6-10 minutes or until fish flakes and outside crust is crunchy.
• 8. Serve with tarter sauce or cocktail sauce or you can make crispy fish tacos.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275°F. Heat oil (2 to 3 inches) in 4-quart Dutch oven to 375°F. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels.
• Mix cornmeal, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in milk, eggs, pepper sauce and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until well blended. Coat fish with cornmeal batter, shaking off any excess.
• Fry 2 fish fillets at a time in oil 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm on cookie sheet in oven while frying remaining fish.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275°F. Heat oil (2 to 3 inches) in 4-quart Dutch oven to 375°F. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels.
• Mix cornmeal, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in milk, eggs, pepper sauce and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until well blended. Coat fish with cornmeal batter, shaking off any excess.
• Fry 2 fish fillets at a time in oil 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm on cookie sheet in oven while frying remaining fish.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Combine buttermilk and beer in a nonreactive bowl.
• Add the catfish fillets and refrigerate for 2 hours, BUT NO LONGER.
• Combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, rice flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
• Drain fillets and toss them lightly in the breading mixture to coat them.
• Place the breaded fillets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and don't let the fillets touch. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• On the stove, pour enough oil into a heavy skillet so that it is 2 inches deep and heat it so that it is 355 degrees F. on a frying thermometer.
• Carefully drop fillets in, 2 at a time and fry them for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until they are just golden.
• Remove the fillets with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain.
• Transfer the fillets to a platter and keep warm in the preheated oven until they are all fried.
• Work quickly so that they don't get overdone and serve immediately.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH

Steps:

• Heat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 350 degrees F.
• Sprinkle both sides of each catfish with salt and Old Bay seasoning.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the cornmeal.
• Dredge the catfish in the flour mixture and place in fryer.
• Deep fry for approximately 7 to 8 minutes until done.
• Drain on paper towels.

SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, water, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture into a flat pan large enough to hold the fillets. Spread fish in one layer over bottom of pan, turning to coat each side, and set aside to marinate. In a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seafood seasoning. Add fish to mixture, a few fillets at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly. Heat oil in deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Deep fry fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Avoid overcrowding so fillets have room to brown properly. Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside. Drain on paper towels.