Crispy Fried Catfish with Hot Sauce
Golden, crunchy catfish fillets finished with a tangy hot sauce drizzle. Ready in 20 minutes—the weeknight Southern dinner that actually tastes homemade.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb catfish fillets
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup hot sauce (Frank's or Crystal)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 whole lemon
Instructions
- 1
Pat catfish dry with paper towels. Mix flour, cornmeal, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl.
- 2
Heat 0.5 inch neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
- 3
Coat each fillet in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Slide into hot oil and fry 4 minutes without moving.
- 4
Flip gently and fry another 3 minutes until edges are golden and fish flakes easily with a fork.
- 5
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Whisk hot sauce with melted butter in a small bowl.
- 6
Drizzle catfish with hot-butter sauce and squeeze fresh lemon over top. Serve immediately.
Tools you’ll need
- large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan (12-inch)
- shallow bowl
- small bowl
- tongs or fish spatula
- paper towels
- instant-read thermometer (optional, for oil temp check)
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