Deep-Fried Catfish Fillets With Hush Puppies Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 01/19/23
Basic Deep-Fried Catfish Fillets With Hush Puppies

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This catfish recipe uses a simple cornmeal coating. The fish is deep fried to perfection and served along with the optional hush puppies. 

The fried fish is kept warm in a 200 F oven while the hush puppies are fried. 

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Ingredients

For the Catfish Fillets

  • 3 to 4 catfish fillets, about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds

  • 3/4 cup cornmeal

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Corn oil, for deep-frying

For the Hush Puppies

  • 1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix

  • 1/2 cup self-rising flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten

  • 1 cup buttermilk (approximate)

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped

  • Dash of black pepper

Steps to Make It

Catfish

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    catfish ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Place a rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Heat the oven to 200 F. Place a rack in a rimmed baking sheet.

    rack in a rimmed baking sheet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Cut each catfish fillet in half crosswise.

    Cut each catfish fillet in half crosswise

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Combine the cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.

    Combine the cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Dredge the fish fillets in the cornmeal, patting to make the cornmeal cling to the fillets.

    Dredge the fish fillets in the cornmeal

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. Drop the fillets in deep hot oil at about 370 F. Cook 5 to 10 minutes or until crisp and brown.

    catfish fried in a pot of oil, removed from oil

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Remove to the rack in the baking pan and place in the preheated oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining catfish and the hush puppies.

    fried catfish on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Hush Puppies

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Hush Puppies ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of self-rising cornmeal mix with the self-rising flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and sugar. Add the beaten egg and enough buttermilk to make a thick batter. We start with about 3/4 cup. The batter should drop slowly but easily from a spoon.

    egg, buttermilk, cornmeal and flour in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Add the green onion and freshly ground black pepper to the batter. 

    green onions and hushpuppy batter

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Drop into the hot fat (see above) and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, turning frequently or until golden brown.

    hush puppies frying in a pot of oil

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Drain on paper towels and keep warm with the catfish while you finish frying the remaining hush puppies.

    hush puppies on a paper towel lined plate

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
656 Calories
32g Fat
55g Carbs
36g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 656
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 143mg 48%
Sodium 1408mg 61%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 258mg 20%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 807mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)