Corn Chip Crusted Catfish
My husband loves to catch fresh fish! On his last fishing trip, he caught some big catfish and had a friend fillet them for us. I made Corn Chip Crusted Catfish for dinner. Using a corn chip crust makes the catfish so crunchy and flavorful! There is nothing like fresh fish for dinner with your favorite sides.
There are a variety of ways to bread fish before frying it. The most common breading is bread crumbs, seasonings and flour, which makes a lighter crispy crust on the fish. Beer Battered fish is a recipe that coats the fish with a wet batter made with beer, resulting in a thicker dense crust that is packed full of flavor. Both methods make a delicious fish dinner.
This recipe for Corn Chip Crusted Catfish uses a combination of roughly crushed corn chips and bread crumbs and gives the fish that super crunchy texture that everyone loves. The corn chips also give the fish a slightly sweet flavor. Fry the fish until golden brown and you’ll have a meal fit for a fisherman.
Using a special seasoning mixture made just for catfish makes it flavorful and delicious. Mix together 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder and cumin. Add this to the bread crumbs before frying for simply the best tasting fish. Let’s get started!
Corn Chip Crusted Catfish
Makes 6 servings.
What’s needed:
- CATFISH FILLETS– These can be bought fresh or frozen. Thaw the fillets before breading and frying.
- SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS– Gives the catfish a crunchy crust and great flavor.
- FISH SEASONING– Mix together one teaspoon each of smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder and cumin. This is used to season the fish.
- LARGE EGGS– Dip the fish into the beaten eggs prior to coating with bread crumbs.
- CORN CHIPS– Roughly crush the chips and add them to the bread crumbs and flour mixture.
- CANOLA OIL– This is heated in a skillet and used to fry the fish.
How to make Corn Chip Crusted Catfish?
- Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry with a paper towel. Put the flour and fish seasoning on a large plate and mix well. Put the eggs and water in a shallow dish and beat well. Put the bread crumbs and the crushed corn chips on a third plate and mix well.
- Begin by dipping the fish in the flour mixture, shake off the excess flour, and then dip the fish in the egg wash, finally dip it in the crushed corn chip mixture until coated well.
- Heat 1/2 inch of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully lay the fish in the hot oil, always facing it away from you to prevent splashing. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until fish is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove fish from the skillet and drain on a paper towel. Add a pinch of salt to the fried fish before serving.
I kept it simple and served the catfish with fresh fruit and grilled vegetables. The fish was definitely the star of the meal. Can you hear the CRUNCH?
For more of the best fish dinners, check out these tasty recipes:
- Homemade Fish Sticks
- Balsamic Glazed Salmon
- Herb Crusted Grilled Grouper
- Sheet Pan Soy Ginger Salmon with Veggies
Corn Chip Crusted Catfish
Ingredients
- 6 fillets catfish
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons fish seasoning, Mix together 1 teaspoon each of paprika, salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and cumin.
- 2 large eggs , beaten well with one tablespoon of water
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup corn chips, crushed
- canola oil for frying
- Remove fish from the skillet and drain on a paper towel. Add a pinch of salt to the fried fish before serving.
Instructions
- Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry with a paper towel. Put the flour and fish seasoning on a large plate and mix well. Put the eggs and water in a shallow dish and beat well. Put the bread crumbs and the crushed corn chips on a third plate and mix well.
- Begin by dipping the fish in the flour mixture, shake off the excess flour, and then dip the fish in the egg wash, finally dip it in the crushed corn chip mixture until coated well.
- Heat 1/2 inch of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully lay the fish in the hot oil, always facing it away from you to prevent splashing. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until fish is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove fish from the skillet and drain on a paper towel. Add a pinch of salt to the fried fish before serving.
Equipment
- 1 large, skillet