This quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe is full of southern flavor. Add it to your meal rotation soon!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Cornmeal coating is the key to extra crispy catfish filets
- Airfrying is cleaner, easier, and safer than using the deep fryer
- A healthy option but you'd never be able to a difference by taste alone
This air fryer Southern fried catfish recipe is so easy and tastes just like your favorite deep-fried seafood delicacy.
Serve it at the next fish fry and the praise will start rolling in—no fishing for compliments today!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Place buttermilk in a large shallow dish and add the hot sauce.
- Add catfish fillets and let them marinate.
- Mix dry ingredients and dredge fillets.
- Air fry as directed in the recipe card below.
🥫 Storage
Air-fried catfish filets are best enjoyed hot out of the fryer. But, if you've got a few leftovers, they'll last in the fridge for three or four days.
Store the fish in an airtight container. Separate the layers with parchment paper to protect the crispy coating.
You can freeze leftovers for up to a month.
Let the frozen fried catfish thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat it in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for about five minutes.
Work in small batches to avoid soggy fish.
Enjoy!
📖 Variations
- Use frozen catfish instead of fresh if you'd like. Be sure to let it thaw completely before marinating and breading.
- Make Southern fried catfish nuggets by slicing the pieces of fish into smaller, bite-sized chunks. This is great for kids or as a party snack!
- Slice the filets in half or thirds to make them fit better on sandwiches.
- Reduce the amount of hot sauce if you don't like spicy food.
- Adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning to taste, or use your favorite seafood seasoning! Old Bay seasoning is a good, mild option.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the cornmeal breading if you prefer more heat.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Large batches don't work well in an air fryer. For the ultimate Southern fried catfish, place filets spaced well apart. Leave enough room for hot air to circulate around all the sides of the filets.
- The buttermilk mixture is key to tender, flaky fish! It also makes the catfish taste a bit sweeter, too.
- Don't forget to dry the buttermilk off of each piece of catfish before dredging through the flour mixture. This prevents it from being soggy.
- Shake the excess cornmeal mixture off of the catfish filets. This will create the light, crisp breading that good fried fish is known for!
- No messy, hot oil is needed when air frying. However, giving each catfish filet a spritz of oil helps them to crisp up. Use a light hand, though. Otherwise, the breading will taste oily instead of crunchy.
- You can freeze the coated filets before (or after) air frying them to make an easy, grab-and-heat freezer meal.
- Serve the air-fried Southern catfish with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and a generous sprinkling of some kosher salt. Oh, and don't forget extra hot sauce!
- We like to make crispy catfish sandwiches. Toast the buns with a little peanut oil or butter on a baking sheet for a delicious finishing touch!
👩🍳 FAQs
Yep! It's all in the name. Fresh catfish was caught from its natural habitat. Farm-raised, on the other hand, was bred in a large tank. Many people prefer fresh, but you can choose whichever for this air-fried catfish recipe.
All-purpose flour alone makes an okay coating, but the best fried catfish includes the Southern staple, cornmeal, too! This gives the breading an extra crisp texture and adds a lovely, slightly nutty flavor.
Sure thing, go ahead! You won't be able to tell too much of a difference. I'm all for using up ingredients you've already got!
It should take about 10-15 minutes per batch to achieve perfectly golden brown catfish. However, the time may vary slightly depending on the size of the filets.
You can, but the best way to do it is in the air fryer! Just like with french fries, hush puppies, and other fried favorites, the air fryer heats the food up while preserving the crispy exterior.
📚 Related recipes
- Grab your cast iron skillet and get ready to enjoy the best Cajun Fried Chicken ever! It's double-breaded for an extra satisfying crunch.
- Fried Pork Chops and Gravy is an easy one-skillet dish that's packed with Southern homestyle flavor.
- Fried Shrimp Po Boys are a Southern classic. Enjoy them for lunch, dinner, or game-day parties. The spicy avocado remoulade makes them impossible to resist!
🍽️ Serve with...
- Campfire Sauce is a sweet and spicy dip, perfect for air-fried fish!
- Crispy Potatoes perfectly complement any fried main course.
- Southern Coleslaw adds a fresh element—either as a side or topping.
- Pig Pickin' Cake is a Southern potluck dessert that tastes like sunshine!
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
There's isn't a meal that's much more southern than fried catfish with maybe some collard greens and potato salad on the side.
This is just such an easy dinner with so much fresh flavor - I hope you'll try it!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Air Fryer Southern Fried Catfish
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 2 pounds catfish fillets
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce, if you don't like spicy use less.
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, or to taste
- olive oil cooking spray
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Instructions
- Place buttermilk in large shallow dish like a 13x9-inch pan.
- Add a 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and mix to combine.
- Add catfish fillets turning to coat.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.
- In another 13x9 inch pan or large plate mix the cornmeal, flour, and Cajun seasoning.
- Whisk to combine.
- Remove catfish from buttermilk to a plate, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off. Lightly pat dry and season with a little kosher salt.
- Place catfish fillets one at a time in seasoned cornmeal mixture and dredge to coat well on both sides.
- Shake off excess cornmeal and place on a plate.
- Preheat air fryer at 400º.
- Open and spray basket evenly with olive oil spray.
- Place the catfish in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Make sure they don’t touch. You may need to do this in several batches depending on the size of the fillets.
- Spritz catfish on top with a little olive oil spray.
- Close basket and air fry at 400º for 7 minutes.
- Open basket and carefully flip fish over with spatula, air fry for another 2- 5 more minutes. It should be crispy and golden brown.
- Check with an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the fish is 145F.
- Serve immediately with tartar sauce, hot sauce, and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Large batches don't work well in an air fryer. For the ultimate Southern fried catfish, place filets spaced well apart. There should be enough room for hot air to circulate around all the sides of the filets.
- Don't forget to dry the buttermilk off of each piece of catfish before dredging through the flour mixture.
- Shake the excess cornmeal mixture off of the catfish filets.
- No messy, hot oil is needed when air frying. However, giving each catfish filet a spritz of oil helps them to crisp up. Use a light hand, though. Otherwise, the breading will taste oily instead of crunchy.
- You can freeze the coated filets before (or after) air frying them to make an easy, grab-and-heat freezer meal.
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