Air fryer catfish is one of my favorite seafood recipes. Seafood meals are usually tricky recipes and need some skills. However, a catfish air fryer is an effortless dish; it needs a few essential ingredients available at your neighborhood grocery shop, making it a perfect recipe for beginner chefs. And finally, you can vary with this tasty air fryer catfish as it goes well with many different side dishes during the week. So let’s start by learning how to make this simple dinner recipe in the air fryer!

Ingredients for air fryer catfish:

• Catfish fillets: 1 pound. The best option is fresh fillets; one pound should ideally consist of two to four distinct fillets. Thaw the fillets out first if you purchase frozen.
• Buttermilk: 1 cup. This is necessary because buttermilk makes the fish taste sweeter and more mildly flavored by helping to “wash away” the muddy flavor of the catfish.
• Cajun seasoning: 2 teaspoons. Before breading the fish, combine the batter and taste it for seasoning.
• Breading: ½ cup cornmeal, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup flour, and one teaspoon garlic powder.
• Hot sauce: 1 teaspoon.
• Oil spray.
• Salt to taste.
• Parsley and lemon wedges: for garnishing

Necessary kitchen tools:

• Air fryer
• Kitchen tongs

How to cook catfish in air fryer?

Step 1: Combine the catfish fillets with the buttermilk and spicy sauce in a bowl. Allow soaking for 20 minutes. After that, take the fish out of the buttermilk and softly pat it dry.

Step 2: In a shallow dish, like a pie plate, mix the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, flour, Cajun spice, garlic powder, and salt. Next, dip the catfish fillets into the breading mixture and push them down to coat them thoroughly.

Step 3: Add your fillets to the air fryer basket in a single layer after spraying the basket with oil. Give the fish a generous spray of oil. At 400 degrees F, air fried for 10 minutes before flipping and cooking for an additional 10 minutes. When the fish has finished frying, it should be crispy and flake easily with a fork. Serve air fryer catfish with salad, and enjoy.

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How to air fry catfish nuggets?

If your children don’t like fish, making catfish nuggets is a terrific method to get them to eat it, use the same air fryer catfish fillet ingredients and follow these steps to make wonderful air fry catfish nuggets:

• If the fish is frozen, simply placing it in a dish of cold water will cause it to thaw.
• Using paper towels, pat dry catfish. Fill a bowl with the fish fry mixture. One by one, roll the nuggets in the mix before placing them in the air fryer basket. It doesn’t require oil spraying.

How long to air fry catfish nuggets?

Air fry for ten minutes. They will cook equally on all sides if you do not overcrowd the basket. So you don’t have to move nuggets while they are cooking. Carefully remove it from the air fryer once finished.

Ideas to get the incredible air fryer catfish:

• You may use freshly caught fish fillets or fully defrosted frozen ones. In this dish, narrow strips won’t work. Therefore the fillets shouldn’t be too thin.
• To ensure your fish has a crispy crust, tap the extra breading off so the fish isn’t too breaded. Also, to avoid the fish becoming too soggy, substitute spray oil for olive oil.
• To create a thicker bread covering, use an egg wash. Alternatively, you may use an egg wash and flour combination instead of the fish fry breading. Either way, the fish will be juicy and crispy.
• Depending on the type and thickness of the fish you’re using and the air fryer model, you might need to change the frying periods. Fish is cooked when it flakes nicely with a fork.
• Because of how it tastes and smells, people dislike catfish. Choosing the appropriate liquid to soak it in may reduce catfish’s typical texture and bitterness.
• Placing a piece of parchment paper in the air fryer will make cleanup a joy. After cooking, all left is to take the parchment paper from the Air Fryer! There is no oily residue behind, making cleanup incredibly simple and quick!

How to store air fryer catfish leftovers?

Put the leftovers of the catfish air fryer in a zip bag and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Reheat them by putting them back into the air fryer basket and cooking for a few minutes at 350 degrees F.

What to serve with air fryer catfish?

For dips, there are many options to serve with this dish:

• Ketchup and mayonnaise mixture
• Ranch dressing
• Tartar sauce

Also, you can serve air fryer catfish with:

• Vegetables like air fryer asparagus or air-frying zucchini, air fried vegetables pair perfectly with this dish.
• Salad: you can serve Cesar or an Italian dish with air frying catfish to get a nice supper.

What sort of fish can you cook in an air fryer?

You can use any fish fillets in this air fryer recipe for fish! Use salmon, cod, tilapia, catfish, and other fish.

How to thaw frozen fish?

A night in the refrigerator is the ideal time to defrost fish. Or, if the piece is not too large, you may defrost it by putting it in ice-cold water and leaving it on the counter for an hour.

  Servings: 4

  Cuisine: American

  Course: Dinner, lunch

  Calories: 200 kcal

Air fryer catfish

Air fryer catfish is one of my favorite seafood recipes. Seafood meals are usually tricky recipes and need some skills. However, a catfish air fryer is an effortless dish; it needs a few essential ingredients available at your neighborhood grocery shop, making it a perfect recipe for beginner chefs.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 19 mins

Total Time 24 mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 200 kcal

Equipment

• Air fryer
• Kitchen tongs

Ingredients

  

• Catfish fillets: 1 pound.
• Buttermilk: 1 cup.
• Cajun seasoning: 2 teaspoons.
• Breading: ½ cup cornmeal, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup flour, and one teaspoon garlic powder.
• Hot sauce: 1 teaspoon.
• Oil spray.
• Salt to taste.
• Parsley and lemon wedges

Instructions

 

• Combine the catfish fillets with the buttermilk and spicy sauce in a bowl. Allow soaking for 20 minutes. After that, take the fish out of the buttermilk and softly pat it dry.
• Mix the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, flour, Cajun spice, garlic powder, and salt in a shallow dish like a pie plate. Next, dip the catfish fillets into the breading mixture and push them down to coat them thoroughly.
• Add your fillets to the air fryer basket in a single layer after spraying the basket with oil. Give the fish a generous spray of oil. At 400 degrees F, air fried for 10 minutes before flipping and cooking for an additional 10 minutes. When the fish has finished frying, it should be crispy and flake easily with a fork. Serve air fryer catfish with salad, and enjoy.

Notes

Depending on the type and thickness of the fish you're using and the air fryer model, you might need to change the frying periods. Fish is cooked when it flakes nicely with a fork.