13 fried catfish recipes

Southern fried catfish, a classic with mustard-brushed fillets dredged in seasoned cornmeal and fried golden crisp. The crackling cornmeal crust is the whole point.

I enjoyed this pan fried catfish with the whole family, they all love it so much!

Crispy pan-fried catfish with a silky fermented black bean cream sauce made with sherry, ginger, and garlic. A refined fusion dish that bridges Southern fried fish and Chinese flavors.

Front porch fried catfish dipped in buttermilk and coated in seasoned cornbread stuffing mix with garlic, thyme, and red pepper. Deep-fried golden in just 2 to 3 minutes per batch.

Pan-fried catfish marinated in soy sauce, orange juice, and ginger, served with a reduced orange butter sauce. An Asian-inspired take on Southern fried catfish.

Creole catfish Bayou Lafourche: pan-fried catfish fillets topped with poached oysters in a silky tarragon-champagne butter sauce. An elegant Louisiana seafood dish built on a classic beurre blanc finish.

Pecan-crusted catfish with sweet potato chips: catfish fingers brushed with honey-mustard, breaded in toasted pecans, and pan-fried alongside crispy sweet potato rounds. A Southern weeknight plate.

Sauteed catfish dredged in thyme-flour, pan-fried golden, then plated under a sweet-tangy ginger peach sauce and toasted pecans. The Southern fish-fry tradition meets summer fruit in one elegant skillet dinner.

Plantation-style catfish fillets: crisp pan-fried catfish served over garlicky sauteed spinach and tomatoes, finished with parmesan and a pass under the broiler. A Southern supper with Creole flair.

Pad phed pladuk: a fiery Thai catfish curry built on a from-scratch pounded chili paste of lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime, with fish fried in fresh coconut cream. Bold, aromatic, and seriously hot.

Southern hush puppies fry up golden in 60 seconds, with crisp shells and tender cornmeal middles flecked with green onion. The classic side for fried catfish, fish fries, and BBQ plates.

Pan-fried catfish fillets topped with a Cajun butter sauce of plump oysters, smoky andouille sausage, mushrooms, and green onions. Louisiana bayou cooking on a plate.

Cajun-style baked catfish coated in cracker meal and Parmesan with lemon-herb seasoning, baked in rich meunière sauce until flaky. A Southern fish fry without the fryer.