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Home » Side Dish Recipes » What to Serve With

85 Best Sides to Serve with Southern Fried Catfish

Published: Jun 24, 2023 · Updated: Jan 31, 2025 by Marye

A collage of side dish and dessert images with text overlay for Pinterest.

Wondering what to serve with catfish? If you're looking for the perfect side dish, simple recipes, and classic Southern comfort food, you're in the right place.

Let's get to it!

Overhead view of crispy catfish fillets.
Table of Contents
  • ❤️ Why we love it
  • 🥦 Vegetables and Sides
  • 🍞 Breads
  • 🥧 Desserts
  • 🍷 Beverages
  • 🍇 Garnish
  • 💭 Things to know
  • These sides are also great with
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why we love it

  • A great way to get an easy dinner on the table—fast
  • Dunk catfish into tasty sauces or make yummy fried fish sandwiches
  • Goes well with so many delicious side dishes, you'll never have to eat the same one twice (unless you want to, of course!)

Southern fried catfish fillets are a great choice when you're craving something satisfying, but don't want to spend all night in the kitchen.

Plus, the mild white fish and crispy golden brown coating are so versatile in flavor pairings—no matter which of the classic sides you choose, your taste buds will be happy!

Closeup of golden brown fried potatoes in an iron skillet.

🥦 Vegetables and Sides

The most popular side dishes to serve with fried catfish also happen to be some of the easiest. Browse these veggies and sides to get a feel of what real Southern cooking is all about.

  1. Fried potatoes (shown above)
  2. Collard greens with bacon
  3. Jalapeno cheese grits
  4. French fries
  5. Cucumber salad with sour cream...
  6. ... or without sour cream
  7. Potato salad
  8. Pickled okra
  9. Fried green tomatoes
  10. Southern mac and cheese with beer
  11. Crockpot green beans and ham
  12. Cilantro lime rice
  13. Whipped sweet potatoes
  14. Mashed potatoes
  15. Onion rings
  16. KFC copycat coleslaw
  17. Potato wedges with cajun seasoning (Jo-Jo potatoes)
  18. Fried okra
  19. Macaroni salad
  20. Red beans and rice
  21. Copycat Red, Hot, and Blue potato salad
  22. Garden fresh salad
  23. Cowboy Caviar (black-eyed pea salad)
  24. Cheesy slow cooker macaroni and corn casserole
Overhead view of cornbread with a serving removed.

🍞 Breads

Bread is a classic side dish for dinner because it's easy, fills you up, and is just dang tasty. Serve these bready sides with fried catfish for a complete, delicious meal.

  1. Cornbread with creamed corn (shown above)
  2. Hush puppies
  3. Farmhouse bread (great for sandwiches!)
  4. Country-style whole wheat rolls
  5. Refrigerator biscuits
  6. Hatch chile cheese bread
  7. Skillet cornbread
  8. Cornbread muffins
  9. 30-Minute dinner rolls
  10. Buttermilk biscuits
  11. Crusty cornmeal sandwich rolls (also great for sandwiches!)
  12. Sliced French bread
  13. Frozen dinner rolls
  14. Pain de Mie (Pullman loaf)
Lemon meringue pie with a slice taken out of it.

🥧 Desserts

I don't know about you, but my family doesn't like to leave the dinner table without eating dessert. Finish off your scrumptious meal with these sweet Southern staples.

  1. Lemon meringue pie (shown above)
  2. Beignets
  3. Peach cobbler
  4. Old fashioned banana pudding
  5. Mississippi mud cake
  6. Southern buttermilk pie
  7. Pecan praline cheesecake
  8. Hummingbird cake
  9. White buttermilk Texas sheet cake
  10. Chocolate mayonnaise cake
  11. Shoofly pie
  12. Mardi-Gras King cake
  13. Pecan pie
  14. Red velvet poke cake
  15. Ice cream sundaes
  16. Old-fashioned Southern blackberry cobbler
  17. Key lime pie
  18. Gooey butter cake
  19. Pecan praline coconut pie
  20. Turtle candy
A glass of bright red hibiscus lemonade with a yellow and white straw.

🍷 Beverages

What if I told you that some of the best side dishes aren't actually "dishes" at all—but drinks?

Serve these tasty beverages with your fried catfish dinner for refreshing, unique flavor and a well-rounded meal.

  1. Hibiscus lemonade (shown above)
  2. Tropical pineapple sangria
  3. Caipirinha cocktail
  4. Bourbon peach tea in a pitcher
  5. IPA beer
  6. Dry prosecco
  7. Watermelon margarita pitcher
  8. Classic Mojito
  9. Texas Mule cocktail
  10. Pinot Gris wine
  11. Honeydew margarita frozen cocktail
  12. Coconut Mai Tai
  13. Chardonnay wine
  14. Sparkling Rose
  15. Whiskey Sour cocktail
  16. Frozen tropical margarita with a sweet chile rim
  17. Sweet Riesling wine

🍇 Garnish

Garnish adds extra flavor to a meal, helps cut through the richness of the fish, and can even add a hint of sweetness or a little spice. When serving your hearty main dish, don't forget these tasty accompaniments.

  1. Lemon wedges
  2. Candied jalapenos (Cowboy Candy)
  3. Hot sauce
  4. "Jezebel" dipping sauce
  5. Chipotle aioli
  6. Tartar sauce
  7. Campfire sauce
  8. Spicy avocado remoulade
  9. Greek yogurt-based sauce (a homemade, healthier alternative to tartar)
  10. Fresh chives or parsley

💭 Things to know

Served with a great side dish or two, these tips will help you to have the best southern fried catfish dinner ever. Enjoy!

  • There are a lot of catfish recipes out there, but this air fryer catfish is my favorite. It's a healthier option, less messy, and, best of all, tastes as good as the "real," deep-fried classic.
  • Avoid overcrowding the fryer—air fryer or deep! In either case, there should be room around each piece of fish for proper cooking.
  • Fried food gets its flavor from both the marinade and the batter. So, don't skimp on either of those steps!
  • For evenly cooked, flaky fish, let it sit at room temperature for about fifteen minutes before frying.
  • Peanut oil is one of the best for frying, and olive oil is okay too. You need something with a higher smoke point.
  • Frying the classic way? Monitor the temperature of the hot oil closely. You want it to stay hot enough to cook the fish without burning. Too low of a temp and your fish will be soggy!
  • Drain the fried catfish on a wire rack (placed over a baking sheet lined with paper towels). This will allow excess oil to drip off so the cornmeal coating stays crisp.
  • Make a big batch of fried catfish and freeze the extras! (The best way to do so is in a big freezer bag, separating each filet with parchment paper.) Homemade frozen catfish is a great addition to a weekly meal plan when you need something quick.

These sides are also great with

These sides are also delicious with other simple main dishes.

  • Cajun grilled chicken
  • Grilled chicken wrapped in bacon
  • Grilled Creole shrimp
  • Classic shrimp and grits

What are your favorite sides for fried catfish? Leave a comment and let us know! We're always looking for new ideas.

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

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Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

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NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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