Crispy Cajun Fried Catfish (Printable View)
Crispy, spicy catfish fillets fried to golden perfection with creamy, tangy homemade tartar sauce. Southern classic comfort food.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Catfish
01 - 4 catfish fillets, approximately 6 oz each
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce
04 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
05 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
06 - 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
07 - 1 teaspoon paprika
08 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
11 - Vegetable oil for frying
→ For the Tartar Sauce
12 - ½ cup mayonnaise
13 - 2 tablespoons dill pickles, finely chopped
14 - 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
17 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Salt and black pepper to taste
# Cooking Steps:
01 - In a shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add catfish fillets, turning to coat thoroughly. Marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 15 minutes.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
03 - In a large skillet or deep fryer, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350°F.
04 - Remove catfish from the marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip away. Coat each fillet thoroughly in the cornmeal mixture, pressing gently to ensure even adhesion.
05 - Working in batches, fry fillets for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
06 - In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, dill pickles, capers, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and fresh parsley. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Arrange fried catfish on serving plates while hot and serve with tartar sauce on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The buttermilk soak tenderizes the catfish while the hot sauce infuses it with just the right kick that keeps you coming back for more.
- Making your own tartar sauce with those briny capers and pickles creates a flavor that store-bought versions can never match – trust me, I learned this after years of cutting corners.
02 -
- Never crowd your pan when frying fish – I learned this the hard way when I tried cooking for a crowd and ended up with soggy, greasy fillets that nearly ruined my dinner party.
- The oil temperature drops when you add the fish, so give it time to recover between batches or your last pieces wont be as crispy as your first.
03 -
- If your cornmeal mixture starts getting clumpy after coating a few fillets, set aside a small portion initially to use for the final pieces – this keeps every fillet evenly coated.
- When frying, place the fish away from you as you lower it into the oil to prevent dangerous splatter burns – a lesson I painfully learned while cooking with my sleeves rolled up.