Soul Food Fried Catfish (Printable)

Southern-spiced fried catfish paired with a tangy remoulade, delivering crisp texture and bold flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Catfish

01 - 4 catfish fillets, 6 ounces each
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce
04 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
05 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 1 teaspoon paprika
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Remoulade Sauce

13 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
14 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
15 - 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
16 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce
17 - 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
18 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
20 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
21 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
22 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Method:

01 - Whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow dish. Submerge catfish fillets and marinate for 15 minutes minimum.
02 - Combine cornmeal, flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a separate shallow dish.
03 - Pour approximately 1 inch of vegetable oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven and heat to 350°F.
04 - Remove marinated catfish fillets from buttermilk, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Coat each fillet thoroughly in the cornmeal mixture, pressing gently to ensure even coverage.
05 - Working in batches, carefully place dredged fillets into hot oil and fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
06 - Combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, pickle relish, lemon juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Arrange hot fried catfish fillets on serving plates and accompany with remoulade sauce on the side.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The catfish stays impossibly tender inside while the cornmeal coating shatters between your teeth like savory gold.
  • That remoulade sauce is tangy, garlicky, and addictive enough that you'll find yourself using it on everything for weeks.
  • It comes together in 40 minutes total, which means you can serve something that tastes like it took all day.
02 -
  • If your oil isn't hot enough, the catfish will absorb oil and taste greasy instead of crispy—get that thermometer accurate and trust it.
  • Double-dipping (marinating again, then re-dredging before the second fry) gives you an extra-crunchy coating that's genuinely worth the five extra minutes.
  • Don't skip letting the fillets drain on paper towels; it's the difference between crispy-outside fish and soggy-outside fish, and that difference matters.
03 -
  • Save some of the buttermilk mixture after you remove the catfish; you can use it to marinate other proteins later in the week, and it never feels wasteful.
  • If you're frying multiple batches, keep the finished fillets warm in a 200°F oven while you finish the others—they'll stay crispy and hot until everything is ready to plate.
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