Southern Fried Catfish
Crispy, golden catfish fillets coated in cornmeal and spices, ready in under 30 minutes. A Southern classic that's restaurant-quality but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs catfish fillets
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- 1
Pat catfish fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 2
Mix cornmeal, flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a shallow bowl.
- 3
Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until a pinch of flour sizzles immediately, ~3 minutes.
- 4
Coat each fillet in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Lay them in the hot oil without crowding.
- 5
Fry 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- 6
Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot with lemon wedges and your choice of sides.
Tools you’ll need
- large cast-iron skillet
- shallow bowl for breading
- paper towels
- slotted spatula
- instant-read thermometer (optional)
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