Try this Blackened Catfish Recipe for a quick, healthy, and flavor-packed weeknight dinner. Different from Fried Catfish, this Catfish is coated with butter and Cajun spices, then pan-seared until charred and flaky. You won’t believe how easy it is to make this restaurant-quality dish at home.
The first time I had blackened catfish was in New Orleans. When I attempted to make it at home, I couldn’t believe how easy the recipe was to make!
What is Blackening?
Blackening is a Cajun and Creole technique in cooking that involves smothering a protein with cajun spices and butter until it creates more of a charred crust creating a wonderfully savory and smoked flavor.
Typical protein choices for blackening include pretty much all fish especially catfish and salmon, shrimp, and chicken, but you can use almost anything you desire!
Ingredients
- Cajun seasoning: Use store-bought or homemade Cajun seasoning. You can also try Creole seasoning or my favorite blackened seasoning blend.
- Olive oil, butter: I tend to use a mix of both olive oil and butter to prevent the butter from burning.
- Catfish fillets: Farmed catfish is mostly what you will find in the grocery store. If your grocery store doesn’t have it, you can replace with trout, snapper, perch, flounder, walleye, or bass.
- Lemon: I love the lemon here because the acidity really balances all of the fiery flavors in this dish.
How to Blacken Fish
Step 1: Dry the catfish
Make sure you thoroughly pat the catfish with a paper towel first. If they are wet, they won’t crisp up properly.
Step 2: Brush the catfish
Add the olive oil and melted butter together, then brush over the catfish. Make sure to coat them well!
Step 3: Add the spices
If you’re making your own Cajun, Creole, or blackened seasoning, combine it now. Dredge the catfish with the spice mixture, then allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes.
Step 4: Blacken the catfish
Preheat a cast-iron skillet with an extra tablespoon of olive oil. Once the skillet is very hot (and I mean hot), add the seasoned fillets. As soon as they start to sear, turn the heat to low-medium.
Step 5: Add the finishing touches
After approximately 3-4 minutes, carefully flip the catfish and cook on the other side until they are opaque and perfectly flaky. Serve your blackened catfish with additional lemon wedges and a squeeze on top.
What to Serve It With
These are some awesome side dishes to serve along with this:
Leftovers
Got leftovers? You can definitely store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
If you would like to freeze, just understand that the texture will slightly change once thawed after cooking but just make sure to cool completely then freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to a month.
Reheating
If you froze leftovers, let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
Once thawed, heat it on the stovetop over medium-low until the catfish is just hot enough. If you overheat, you could dry it out.
Blackened Catfish
Ingredients
- Cajun creole seasoning to taste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter salted, melted
- 4 catfish filets
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Dry the catfish filets with a paper towel. Mix olive oil and melted butter, brush onto filets, and coat with Cajun seasoning. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
- Preheat a skillet with olive oil. Add the filets and, once searing, reduce to medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook until opaque and flaky.
- Serve with lemon wedges.