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Air Fryer Catfish

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Southern-style cornmeal-crusted catfish with Cajun seasoning, cooked in the air fryer for a fully crispy crust and tender, flaky fish — no pot of oil required.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 catfish fillets (about 6 oz each)
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Crystal or Tabasco), mixed into the egg
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. In a shallow bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, beat the eggs and stir in the hot sauce.
  2. Pat the catfish fillets very dry with paper towels. If fillets are thick in the center and thin at the edges, fold the thinner tail end under to even out the thickness.
  3. Dip each fillet in the egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then press firmly into the cornmeal mixture on both sides. Set on a wire rack and spray both sides generously with cooking spray.
  4. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes. Arrange the coated fillets in a single layer in the basket.
  5. Cook for 12 minutes, flipping carefully at the halfway point with a thin spatula. The crust should be golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature should read 145°F with white, opaque flesh throughout.

Notes

Pat extremely dry. Surface moisture is the main reason crusts fail to crisp — dry the fish more than you think is necessary.

Press the coating on firmly. Cornmeal doesn’t adhere as aggressively as panko; pressing both sides helps it stick.

Use a spatula to flip, not tongs. Tongs can tear the fragile cornmeal crust off the fish.

Spray generously. Cornmeal needs oil to crisp — more cooking spray means a better crust.

Wild catfish tip: If using wild-caught catfish with a strong flavor, soak fillets in buttermilk for 1 hour before coating to mellow the taste.

Reheating: Air fryer at 375°F for 3–4 minutes revives the crust well.

Find it online: https://airfrycentral.com/air-fryer-catfish-southern-crispy-fish-made-faster/