Crispy Catfish Fry. Do you love food that is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside? Then you are going to love this Crispy Catfish Fry! We take fresh catfish, dip it in creamy buttermilk, roll it in a spicy cornmeal mix, and then fry it until it turns golden and delicious. It smells so good while it’s cooking! This is a simple recipe that the whole family can enjoy together. Just remember — always ask a grown-up to help with the hot oil part. Let’s get cooking!
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 pieces big catfish fillets
- 1 cups cornmeal
- 0.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoons paprika
- 0.5 teaspoons garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
- 4 pieces lemon wedges (for serving)
Crispy Catfish Fry: Instructions
- Wash and dry the fish: First, wash your 2 pieces big catfish fillets under cold water. Then use paper towels to pat them dry. Getting the fish really dry helps the coating stick better.
- Soak in buttermilk: Pour 1 cups buttermilk into a bowl and put the fish in it. Let the fish sit in the buttermilk so it can soak up all that good flavor. This also makes the fish really tender.
- Mix the coating: Grab a wide bowl and mix together 1 cups cornmeal, 0.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoons paprika, 0.5 teaspoons garlic powder, and 0.5 teaspoons onion powder. Stir it all up really well so every spice is mixed in evenly.
- Coat the fish: Take each fish piece out of the buttermilk and lay it in the cornmeal mix. Press it down a little so the coating sticks to both sides. Make sure every part of the fish is covered.
- Warm the oil: Add 2 cups of vegetable oil into a deep pan for frying. Ask an adult to help warm the oil to about 175°C (350°F). The oil is ready when a tiny bit of cornmeal mix dropped in it starts to sizzle right away.
- Fry the fish: Carefully lower the coated fish into the hot oil. Fry each side until it turns a beautiful golden brown and gets nice and crunchy.
- Drain the oil: Take the fish out and place it on paper towels or a wire rack. This lets any extra oil drip off so your fish stays crispy and not greasy.
- Serve and enjoy!: Put your crispy fish on a plate. Squeeze a little juice from the 4 pieces lemon wedges (for serving) on top and add a tiny pinch of 1 teaspoons salt. Now dig in — it’s going to taste amazing!
Notes
🐟 Always ask an adult for help when frying — hot oil can be dangerous!
🍋 Lemon juice on top makes the fish taste even fresher.
🌡️ Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the fish — if it’s not hot, the coating gets soggy instead of crispy.
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