Soul Food Fried Catfish (Printable)

Crispy Southern-style catfish fillets paired with a zesty remoulade sauce for a delicious main dish.

# What You Need:

→ For the 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

→ For the 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 chopped fresh parsley
22 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow dish. Add catfish fillets and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
02 - In another shallow dish, combine cornmeal, flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Heat approximately 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven to 350°F.
04 - Remove catfish fillets from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat each fillet in cornmeal mixture, pressing lightly to ensure even coverage.
05 - Fry fillets in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain.
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 - Plate fried catfish fillets while hot and serve with remoulade sauce on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The catfish gets impossibly crispy on the outside while staying tender and flaky inside, a texture that's genuinely hard to mess up once you know the trick.
  • Homemade remoulade sauce tastes nothing like store-bought versions and takes five minutes to throw together.
  • This is the kind of meal that feels fancy enough for company but easy enough for a random Tuesday dinner.
02 -
  • Oil temperature is everything—too cool and your fish absorbs oil instead of getting crispy, too hot and it burns before cooking through, so invest in a thermometer and trust it.
  • Don't skip the buttermilk marinade; I once tried frying catfish dry and it turned out rubbery, but that 15-minute soak changes everything.
  • The double-dip trick mentioned in the notes really does give you extra crunch if you're going for that crispy-fried-restaurant feel.
03 -
  • If catfish isn't available, tilapia or cod work beautifully with this same technique, though they're more delicate so fry for a minute less per side.
  • The key to crispy outside and juicy inside is not overcooking—3 to 4 minutes is all you need at proper temperature, and checking doneness by sound (that crackle when you press) is sometimes better than looking.
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