A Southern Classic, just in nugget form! These Southern Fried Catfish Nuggets are crispy, flaky, and perfectly seasoned! Served with a homemade Tartar sauce, these nuggets are the perfect appetizer or snack for any occasion.
This recipe is the perfect seafood comfort dish. I love how these fish nuggets are soft and flakey on the inside but nice and crispy outside.
This Fried Catfish Nuggets recipe is one of my favorite fried foods to cook. So easy to prepare for dinner, using small nuggets of catfish fillets soaked in heavy Cream then a cornmeal mixture, they're perfectly crispy every time!
SOUTHERN FRIED CATFISH NUGGETS’ INGREDIENTS:
I picked all these ingredients from what I had in my kitchen pantry and fridge. So many of you may say this is not the way to make southern fried catfish, well I’m going to tell you it’s a new way to make your fried fish.
Catfish: Catfish is one of my favorite types of meaty fish. It fries and sears wonderfully. I used 2 lbs. total of catfish. And cut them up into one-inch pieces to make my nuggets.
Heavy Cream: I used heavy cream instead of regular milk because of the extra flavor of the fish. allow the catfish to marinate for one hour
Yellow Cornmeal Blend You cannot make southern fried catfish without using cornmeal! It gives the fish their golden yellow color when fried. I like to mix my cornmeal with three blends: Louisiana brand Crispy fish fry and Classic Fry with New Orleans Style Fish fry.
Seasoning Mix: To season the fish, I used a combination of Sea salt, Old Bay, onion powder, garlic powder, coarse black pepper, sweet paprika, and ground mustard. It’s the perfect balance of salt and spices.
Frying Oil: To deep fry, I recommend using peanut oil, but if you can’t find peanut oil in your local market, you can also fry your nuggets in canola oil or vegetable oil. Ensure that your oil is hot enough before frying any of your fish. Your oil temp needs to be between 345°F - 350°F.
Ingredients:
2 Pounds Catfish
2 tbsp. Garlic powder
2 tbsp. Onion powder
3 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 Cup Louisiana New Orleans Style Fish Fry
1 Cup Louisiana Crispy Fish Fry
1 Cup Louisiana Classic Fry
1 Cup heavy Cream
16 OZ Peanut Oil
2 tbsp. Ground Mustard
2 tbsp. Sweet Paprika
2 tbsp. Sea Salt
2 tbsp. Coarse Ground Pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Once you have your catfish fillets cleaned and cut into 1-inch nuggets, place them into a resealable bag (or a medium-size bowl) with the Heavy Cream - move the fillets all over to get evenly coated. Allow sitting for at least an hour.
Step 2: in another resealable bag, Mix the bag with all three cornmeal
Step 3: Now, add your seasoning to your catfish
Step 4: Put some catfish nuggets into the cornmeal mixture bag, seal, and shake well to coat evenly.
Step 5: Drop into heated oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined sheet pan and place into a preheated oven (low) to keep warm if needed.
Try these recipes below if you are looking for some side dish to add to this recipe.
I will be trying this recipe tonight.