Golden oven-fried catfish is perfectly crispy and loaded with flavor! This recipe features everything you love about classic southern fried catfish without all the extra fat and calories that come with deep frying.
Fried catfish is a southern staple and it is one of my favorite things to eat. I look forward to the warmer months all year so that our family and friends can get together for a big backyard fish fry!
And while I LOVE traditional deep-fried catfish, I wanted to find a healthier way to satisfy my craving without compromising on flavor or texture.
This catfish gets the same flavorful breading as my traditional fried catfish, but instead of dropping the filets in the deep fryer, they are baked in the oven. Spraying the breaded fish with cooking spray helps them crisp up nicely in the oven.
Serve this catfish with our Mississippi Comeback Sauce or New Orleans Remoulade for dipping!
Jump to:
- Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- How To Make Oven-Fried Catfish
- Variations and Substitutions
- Tips For Extra Crispy Oven-Fried Fish
- Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
- What To Serve With Southern Oven-Fried Catfish
- Recommended Tools For This Recipe
- More Southern Recipes You Will Love!
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- Catfish fillets. You need about two pounds of catfish or six fillets.
- Cornmeal. This is the base for the breading and gives the catfish its signature, crispy coating.
- All-purpose flour. A small amount of flour is combined with the cornmeal to create the breading.
- Salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. These spices are used to season the catfish breading.
- Buttermilk. The catfish is dipped in a buttermilk mixture before being coated in the breading to help it stick to the fish.
- Eggs. Eggs are combined with the buttermilk for dredging the fish.
- Hot sauce. A small amount of hot sauce is added to the buttermilk mixture for added flavor and a touch of heat! I use Louisiana Hot Sauce for this recipe!
How To Make Oven-Fried Catfish
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a baking or cooling rack on top of the foil on the baking sheet. Spray the baking rack with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Rinse and pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels. Set them aside while you prepare the coating.
- To a gallon zip-top bag, add the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. Gently shake the ingredients in the bag to combine. Set the bag aside.
- Add the buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce to a large baking dish or pie plate and whisk the ingredients until combined and the eggs are completely mixed in.
- Working in batches of two pieces of fish at a time, transfer the catfish fillets to the dish with the buttermilk mixture and coat both sides. Then place the fish in the bag with the cornmeal mixture and gently shake the bag to completely cover the catfish pieces in the breading.
- Line the catfish up on the prepared sheet, being careful not to overlap the pieces of fish. Generously spray the tops of the catfish fillets with olive oil or canola oil cooking spray, making sure there are no dry spots left.
- Transfer the fish to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Garnish the fish with chopped parsley if desired and serve with lemon wedges. Don't forget to serve this fish with New Orleans Remoulade or Mississippi Comeback Sauce for dipping!
Variations and Substitutions
If you are not a fan of catfish you can make this recipe with other flaky white fish such as flounder, cod, or tilapia.
Feel free to adjust the seasoning varieties and amounts to suit your tastes. You can make the fish a little spicier by adding more cayenne or you can add some dried herbs for brightness. Some people also swear by using Old Bay Seasoning to flavor fried fish.
Tips For Extra Crispy Oven-Fried Fish
- Be sure and cook the fish on a baking or cooling rack and not directly on the baking sheet. The fish releases liquid as it cooks and if you cook it directly on a baking sheet you will end up with soggy, mushy fish!
- Generously spray the tops of the fish with cooking spray! Make sure there are no dry spots left on the fish. This helps the fish crisp well in the oven and gives you a texture very similar to deep-fried fish.
- Cook the fish long enough! Because the fish releases liquid as it cooks, you want to give it time for all the liquid to drain out of the fish so that it crisps nicely. Cook the fish for the full 25 to 30 minutes or until it is crispy and golden brown.
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
You can make the cornmeal breading in large batches and store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Leftover oven-fried catfish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftover fish in the oven or a toaster oven for the crispiest texture.
What To Serve With Southern Oven-Fried Catfish
These are some of my must-have side dishes to serve with southern fried catfish! Whether you are having a backyard fish fry or making these oven-fried filets, you will want to complete your meal with some of these accompaniments:
- Southern coleslaw
- Hushpuppies
- French fries
- Spaghetti and meat sauce. This one might seem left-field, but for most southern Black families, spaghetti is a side dish and is almost always served at a fish fry!
- Southern mac and cheese
- Southern buttermilk cornbread
- Baked beans
Recommended Tools For This Recipe
More Southern Recipes You Will Love!
- Southern Cheese Grits
- Sour Cream Biscuits
- Cajun Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Creole Sauce
- Authentic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
📖 Recipe
Easy Southern Oven-Fried Catfish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 catfish fillets about 2 pounds
- 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika or regular sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper depending on spice preference
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk whole or low-fat
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon hot sauce such as Louisiana, Frank's RedHot, or Crystal
- Olive oil cooking spray or canola or vegetable oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Rinse and pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels. Set them aside while you prepare the coating.
- To a gallon zip-top bag, add the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. Gently shake the ingredients in the bag to combine. Set the bag aside.
- Add the buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce to a large baking dish or pie plate and whisk the ingredients until combined and the eggs are completely mixed in.
- Working in batches of two pieces of fish at a time, transfer the catfish fillets to the dish with the buttermilk mixture and coat both sides. Then place the fish in the bag with the cornmeal mixture and gently shake the bag to completely cover the catfish pieces in the breading.
- Line the catfish up on the prepared sheet, being careful not to overlap the pieces of fish. Generously spray the tops of the catfish fillets with olive oil or canola oil cooking spray, making sure there are no dry spots left.
- Transfer the fish to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Garnish the fish with chopped parsley if desired and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Make sure there are no dry spots left on the fish when coating it in cooking spray.
- Leftover oven-fried catfish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftover fish in the oven or a toaster oven for the crispiest texture.
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