Southern Fried Catfish

I personally hate fish of any kind but my boyfriend is a huge fried catfish fan. He said it was the best fried catfish he has ever had! The trick is after you bread the fish let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This way you wwill not have problems with the breading falling off!

2 minutes into frying, the batter came off the catfish. Maybe an egg in the buttermilk mixture would help. (I usually use whole milk and egg)

This was a very easy recipe, It was de-licious- !, I didnt have the buttermilk, just used regular, and it still was a hit at the dinner table

The breading was crisp, stayed on the fish and the fish was flaky. The only draw back was it was a bit bland. We were expecting a little more zing with the Old Bay, but it didn't deliver. Being from the South ourselves, we were a bit disappointed.

Batter stayed on the fish which was a plus, but the recipe lacked flavor. Next time I will triple the bay seasoning.

To sour 1 cup of regular milk, just add a T or two of white vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes. I gave this a 4 because I dredged the fish in flour before wet ingredients. Nice flavor. Don't forget the malt vinegar either!

This was really good. The catfish turned out nice and crispy. My whole family enjoyed this recipe. I wouldn't change the recipe at all.

this diffantly works but i also suggest adding an egg wash to the buttermilk and water mixture and make sure your grease is hot enough

I always eliminate the buttermilk stage, never thought it added a thing to the taste. But the seasoning of the cornmeal and flour is spot on. If you are having trouble getting the batter to stick, place prepared catfish in the freezer for 15-20 min. Then go directly to the hot oil. At 375 degrees the fish will be crispy brown in about 7-8 min, turning once. If you want to pump up the golden color of the fish, add 1/4 tea of turmeric to the cornmeal mixture.

My husband and I really enjoyed these and even the leftovers were good the next day.

I haven't had time to read ALL 700+ reviews, so this might have already been noted. We made 2pounds of catfish and still had gobs of leftover cornmeal mixture. Next time I'm cutting that part in half. Also, as some have noted, I will use at least 3x as much bay seasoning. All and all, the whole family loved it!

Easy and good, just greasy! (But I guess that's what makes it good).

Good start. Needs more seasoning. My husband thinks it would be alot better with some squeezed lemon on it.

Excellent! I doubled the recipe and had plenty of liquid dip and batter for 5 lbs of catfish. Our catfish were pretty thick and a few of the pieces should have been cooked a little bit more. Next time, I'll either cut them through the biggest part of the fish or cook another 30 seconds or so. We used an outdoor camping wok and it worked so great. It was a huge hit with everyone and we plan to cook it again on our labor day camping trip!

So GOOD! The fish was perfectly flavored and was so yummy ..a great southern classic!

My husband made this recipe just as is, except omitting the seafood seasoning (he doesn't like spicy). The rest of the family would have enjoyed the kick, but maybe next time! Anyway, it was delicious, moist and the breading was to die for. It reminded us of the meals we were served when we visited family in North Carolina. Thanks for sharing!

I had never made catfish before I tried this recipe. It was so easy and tasted very good. I will make this again!

'Like almost everyone else said, yes, crispy; not "wow" crispy, but not "eh" either. That's more to do with the oil temp, I think. Yes, bland - even with adding some cayenne (not enough). Way too much coating leftover. Use less if you try it. 'Think I'll try Cornmeal Coating or a beer batter next time.

I screwed this recipe up royally and it still turned out really well. The buttermilk I had in the fridge had gone bad so I had to use a beaten egg and a couple tablespoons of whole milk instead. Then I read the measurement for the cornmeal wrong and used only ½ cup. But my husband still loved it and I can’t wait to try the recipe again as it is written.

This recipe was a big hit with my family! Thanks!

Read the reviews and decided to add more seasoning to the mix. Over all it is a good recipe and I will use it again.

Just made this for dinner but had to use regular cornmeal. I'm at temporary lodging so I didn't have a food processor to break up the cornmeal. With that said, I thought the batter was too gritty but it still tasted good.

This recipe is excellent—the fish turned out crispy and flakey, but still tender. I double breaded the filets, and had no trouble with the breading crumbling off. I only made a few slight variations... one teaspoon of Old Bay definitely wouldn't have been enough, so I used a tablespoon. Then i added a dash of lemon pepper and a hint of dill. The catfish turned out fantastic. Everyone (even my friend who hates catfish) loved it and there were no leftovers. There was, however, plenty of the milk mixture and breading left over. This recipe would easily allow you to make 2 pounds of catfish, probably more.

Yes!

Excellent breading, we used crappie and it was divine!

I tried this recipe last night after reading a few of the reviews. I tripled the Old Bay Seasoning, as was suggested, and it still wasn't as flavorful as expected BUT everyone loved it. I did not have trouble with the crust sticking but prior to cooking I read several fish recipes from other sites that suggested heating the oil first while preparing everything else and don't overcrowd the pan because it lowers the oil temp. The crust is amazing and browned perfectly. Next time I'll just add more salt, pepper and Old Bay. So fast and easy!! And the kids asked for seconds and thirds. Who can argue with that?!

One of the better fried catfish I've made! Didn't have OLD Bay at the house so i looked up the spices and it turned out amazing!

In following with a few reviewers I doubled the Old Bay Seasoning, marinated in a milk / lemon juice mix and let the fish "rest" in the breading 10 minutes to alleviate the breading from falling off. Also, I learned years ago that to accentuate fish's flavor be sure to salt it as soon as it comes out of the fryer. My husband and I both enjoyed the recipe and I'll definitely be making it again.

Crispiest fish I've EVER made!!! Plenty of flavor thanks to the Old Bay/Seafood seasoning. Great catch!

Loved this! Like moms! And like her I soak catfish in buttermilk for 15 to 20 min. I know wild caught, but is a habit with all cats!

Such a great easy approach to fried catfish. We had some fresh catfish the boys had caught and cleaned. Cornmeal made it nice and crunchy. We will be making that again!

Loved it! Don't try to over-bread the fish. It makes the delicate catfish flavor come out more if it's lightly coated. Also, you don't need a deep fryer for this. You can use a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven with a candy thermometer. Just make sure to monitor the temperature! The temp tends to plummet when you put the catfish in.

I soaked the catfish all day in the buttermilk then fried it as directed. Everyone love it!

A very nice, very authentic southern recipe. I didn't have buttermilk so I made my own with regular milk and lemon juice - worked just fine. I wanted extra crispy, so I also added a second dredge through the cornmeal mix, with a dip in egg between the first and second dredge. Was excellent, without being too much.

I made this for my grandson and he loved it.

I used creole seasoning instead of old bay. This came out so wonderful. the darker the crust the better it sticks! Thanks.

I made this tonight, and was very good. Just like the recipe calls for. Thanks- got it saved in recipe box.

I feel like this recipe is a really great base and easy to make! However, the seasoning and spices are too little for my partner and I so we made some adjustments to the recipe. I ended up adding 2-3 tablespoons of old bay to the buttermilk mixture as well as 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of cayenne powder, and salt and pepper to taste. I also cut the catfish filets into quarters and marinate the fish in the buttermilk mixture

Delicious and I will make this again. Thanks

Easy and very tasty! I add my homemade tarter sauce to dip into. Just Mayo pickle relish and a spot of vinegar.

I tweaked this recipe a little bit. I did not add water to the buttermilk, it didn’t make sense to add it since some reviews said that the breading kept falling off. I added more than triple the amount of old bay seasoning. And I also seasoned the catfish fillets with salt and pepper along with seasoning he buttermilk. It came out really good! My husband and even my 2 year loved it!

This was my first attempt a fried catfish, and it was really good. I will definietly be cooking this again.

Not clumpy, came out crispy, didn't absorb grease. Batter stayed just fine. It was all about the fish, not the batter. Will add more spice though.

Crispy and stuck on the fish well, but like the other reviews said, it was bland. Even my 13 year old said so. I sprinkled extra old bay on it after it was finished but that wasn't enough.

Just OK not great

it is a little bland i use straight buttermilk everything else plus itilian bread crumbs and plenty of salt and pepper,mix ketchup with louisiana sauce for dipping,no more bland...

First time trying catfish,used this recipe but doubled the old bay,LOVEDIt,will make this again.

This was really good. After reading some of the reviews, I did up the tsp to 1 Tb of old bay. Everyone ate it up. It's a keeper!!

Great recipe! My family loved it!!

This was really good, I did add 1 Tbs Old bay and after breading the fish I let it sit for 10 minutes before frying. My husband said its the best we've had yet and I agree.

Real good. I will use this one again.

I m@de it but, my family was going to hold me hostage until till I shared your recipe to them.

The only good thing about this recipe is the kitchen didn’t burn down. Batter didn’t hold whatsoever. Desperately needs egg to bind.

Added lemon pepper seasoning and it was perfection.

Flavourful and moist. I would probably change the following on a second cooking: double-batter the catfish, add a touch more salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper. It just needed a bit of punch to it.

Some reviewers reported problems wit batter falling off fish. Adding egg to prep won’t help but using more flour and less cornmeal will. Flour adheres to flesh better. Catfish is a wonderful choice for frying and works with a variety of seasonings, especially Cajun, Ora simplemixture of salt and pepper with onion, garlic, and cayenne powder to taste.

Delicious. The only change I made was to add onion powder to the flour mixture.

Definitely needs more seasoning. I subbed out cajun seasoning for the Old Bay as we are not Old Bay fans and I even added a bit extra and it was still rather bland. I also added an egg to the buttermilk and water mix and the coating was perfect! It was crispy and stuck right to the fish. We will definitely make this again but add more seasoning and use the egg.

I cooked this for the first time for family and friends and they loved it!

I really liked the breading although I deep fried it for four minutes instead of three (I prefer my fish cooked a little harder.) I will add more spice to the coating the next time, but this turned out well and I think will lend itself well to tweaks.

This is the best! I doubled the recipe and came out with just enough marinade but twice as much breading as I needed. Still, it worked out great! Wonderful with coleslaw.

This was so good. I added a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning along with the old bay. I breaded my filets and set them on a cookie rack and in the fridge for about an hour. Reading was perfect!

Not my favorite recipe for fried catfish, but it’s difficult (not impossible) to make fried catfish bad. hehehe

Had no taste. Wish I could give it five stars but it's not good. Could be due to the ambiguous "salt and pepper to taste" instruction. Not sure how to do that with a seafood breading before cooking

Excellent! Following this recipe gave me confidence that I could make it. Turned out great! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

The texture of this was beautiful, but for me it needs a lot more seasoning to make it 5-stars. I used at least twice as much seasoning as what was called for and it still needed more. I’m sure it varies a lot depending on the blend you go with, I used Tony Cachere creole blend which may be pretty subtle compared to others.

Was awesome

I loved the texture of the batter, but thought it was bland also. I used Weber's Boston Bay seafood seasoning and doubled the amount plus added some seasoned black pepper, but still lacked the flavor for me. I decided to sprinkle some of the seasoning directly on the fish after I fried it and it was perfect! Hubby said it was perfect too! Thanks for the recipe!

Great dish!

Amazing. I wouldn’t change a thing! I’m from Nashville and this is some of the best catfish I’ve ever had.

It came out so delicious! My mom thought it was from a restaurant!! Yummy

Put a little salt and pepper on the fish before putting them in the buttermilk and used a little more Old Bay and cayenne pepper than called for. It's wonderful. Everyone loves it.

This was great! My children ate it all and it satisfied our craving for fried catfish. I took the advice of letting the fish sit for a few minutes after I battered it, I had no problems with the batter falling off in the fryer. We thought it could use more spice/flavor, so I applied Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and more Old Bay after it was cooked. Lemons and tartar sauce, will definitely make again.

I am not a catfish person my boyfriend is. He said that it lacked flavor. He said that it really needed more seasoning...I even tried it and agreed. I will be looking for another recipe with a little more pizazz! This just didn't do it..

Excellent recipe! Fish turned out perfect. We loved the breading, but I should have followed other recommendations about the blandness. Add more Old Bay, salt and pepper to the coating.

I cooked my cat fish tonight. I LOVED this recipe and I would use it again. The only thing I would change the next time is that I would use more Old Bay Seasoning.

Caught some channel cats and cooked them up the next day using this recipe. Very good, my friends had the fish next day and even thought it was good leftover. That's really saying something because leftover fried food isn't usually good.

Again, as I gave a review for a hushpuppy recipe, one really should use peanut oil vs. vegetable oil. Makes a world of difference. Otherwise, having been reared by a family with a a stocked catfish pond, this is the way it's done.

This was my first time making fried catfish and I am glad I went with this recipe. Only thing I changed was more Old Bay seasoning.

Wow!! I soaked seasoned the fish and the milk and he. Soaked them for about 3 hrs then fried in peanut oil and Salted as they came out of the oil. DELISH!!

I used Seasoning salt instead of Old bay.

I used the recipe that was posted an it was perfectly delicious! Thanks you!!!

I also want to add that if you put the breaded fish in the fridge 20 minutes and don’t disturb it while it is frying for at least 4 minutes, the batter stays on.

Came out awesome.

This recipe is a great starting point. I didn't have any issues with the breading falling off. There was definitely enough buttermilk and cornmeal mixes to make a lot more than a pound of catfish. I highly recommend more seasoning because they did come out kind of bland. Also, I recommend cooking them 4 minutes on each side because 3 just wasn't enough.

REALLY LIKE IT. EASY MADE. HAVE USED SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY.

Awesome and easy!!!

This was really good. After reading some of the reviews, I did up the tsp to 1 Tb of old bay. Everyone ate it up. It's a keeper!!

it is a really wonderful base. I used all buttermilk and seasoned cornmeal. I double dipped the fish, and I let it sat for about ten minutes.

Oh YEAH. Buttermilk, cornmeal, catfish. What's not to love?

I never fried fish like this and I’m glad I did soooo crispy!!!!!

Be sure to soak the catfish and rinse well to get any muddy taste out. Then you can just let it sit in the buttermilk mix until ready to bread. Some catfish will taste like the bottom of the lake, and some won't. But you don't know what you have until it's too late. This is an excellent recipe and I even added a little lemon pepper and seafood seasoning to it.

very easy, also worked well with cod excellent tasting and super easy to prepare I would not change a thing. I put the breaded fish in the refer for about 20 minutes before I fried it. the breading stayed on and was delish irishtrout

I follow the recipe, and it comes out great each time.

Loved every bite! This is my go to cornmeal/flour ratio and the Old Bay added a nice touch.

This is the first time I tried this recipe. It was delicious but next time I will add more old bay. Had no problem with coating, I press the mixture into the fish. Delicious. I love it’s mild flavor.

This recipe is absolutely yummy and very easy.

I omitted the tomatoes and added an extra Tablespoon of diced pickle. Used kosher dill in lieu of bread and butter chips in recipe. Just like Granny T would make!

Turned out great :)