Catfish Fingers with Cajun Remoulade have a crunchy cornmeal coating that pairs really well with a creamy dip. Fried catfish is almost as southern as sweet tea and I especially love it cut into strips and deep-fried.
Catfish is easy to find and inexpensive compared to other fish.
Make Ahead
The Cajun Remoulade can be made 3 days in advance and refrigerated until needed.
Do You Soak Catfish Before Frying?
Wild catfish can have a muddy flavor and often benefits from soaking in buttermilk which helps remove that flavor. You can soak for up to 8 hours. Farm raised catfish has a milder flavor.
Type Of Oil To Fry In
You will need to fill your frying pan or Dutch oven with at least 2 inches of oil. I use either vegetable oil or canola oil. They both are great for frying because they have a high smoke point and a mild flavor. Peanut oil also works well but is more expensive.
How Long To Fry Catfish
The catfish should be fried until it is totally opaque on the inside and flakes easily. This should take about 2 minutes per side.
Recipe Tips
- Heat the oil to about 350 degrees F. Use a deep frying thermometer for best results. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the breading will soak up too much oil.
- Be sure your catfish is as fresh as possible. I recommend buying it the same day you plan on cooking it.
- Many people prefer farm-raised catfish over wild caught. It has a milder, cleaner flavor.
- If using frozen catfish, be sure to thaw completely.
- You can use either white or yellow cornmeal. Yellow is more standard, but white cornmeal is a little less gritty.
- I prefer a cast iron pan for frying, but any heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven will do.
These catfish fingers make incredible tacos!!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItLove cooking catfish? her are some other recipes you will want to try: Blackened Catfish with Comeback Sauce, Crunchy Catfish Tacos with Tequila Creamed Corn, and Southern Catfish Tacos.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Catfish Fingers with Cajun Remoulade
Ingredients
Cajun Remoualde
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch of cayenne pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 1 pound Catfish fillets
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together all Cajun Remoulade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Cut catfish into 1-inch strips. (See picture in post above)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and Cajun seasoning. Add catfish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
- In a pie plate, stir together flour, cornmeal and salt.
- Pour a few inches of oil into a Dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet. Heat to 350 to 365 degrees F.
- Dredge catfish in cornmeal mixture, and fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes.Drain on a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- Serve with remoulade sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
