Soul Food Fried Catfish (Printable Version)

Crispy, seasoned catfish fillets paired with a flavorful tangy remoulade sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Catfish

01 - 4 catfish fillets, approximately 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

# How To Make:

01 - In a shallow dish, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add catfish fillets and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
02 - In another shallow dish, combine cornmeal, flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, 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 the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge each fillet in the cornmeal mixture, pressing lightly to coat evenly.
05 - Fry fillets in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
06 - Mix mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, pickle relish, lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, and parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Serve fried catfish fillets hot with remoulade sauce on the side.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The cornmeal coating stays impossibly crispy on the outside while the fish stays tender and flaky inside, like biting into something that shouldn't work but absolutely does.
  • Homemade remoulade tastes nothing like store-bought versions—it's tangy, spicy, and has personality that transforms everything on your plate.
  • You'll nail this on your first try because the technique is straightforward, and once you taste it, you'll understand why this dish has stayed in Southern kitchens for generations.
02 -
  • Oil temperature is everything—if it's not hot enough, the fish absorbs oil instead of frying, and you end up with a soggy, greasy disaster instead of something crispy.
  • Double-dipping (returning the fillet to buttermilk after the first dredge, then coating again in cornmeal) gives you an extra crunch that regular single-dipping can't match, and it's a game-changer if you want restaurant-level texture.
  • Don't let the coated fillets sit in the mixture waiting to fry because the buttermilk starts to soak through the cornmeal and the coating loses its structure before the fish even hits the pan.
03 -
  • If your oil temperature drops too much after the first batch, wait a minute or two for it to recover before adding the next batch—dropped oil temperature is the number one reason fried food ends up oily instead of crispy.
  • The remoulade is actually better the next day after flavors have a chance to get to know each other, so feel free to make it a few hours or even a day ahead if you're planning ahead.
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