Fried Catfish and Tennessee Tartar Sauce

Friends and family will love this quick and easy fried catfish recipe, especially when it’s served with some delicious Tennessee tartar sauce!

Ingredients

Catfish

• 4 pounds catfish fillets, cut in half
• 3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 quarts vegetable oil
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Tartar Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise

½ teaspoon hot sauce

• 1 teaspoon sweet and spicy relish

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Key ingredients

Baking Soda & Baking Powder · Black Pepper · Buttermilk

1. Season all sides of catfish with salt and pepper. Place in a bowl and coat with buttermilk.

Refrigerate while prepping other ingredients.

2. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne.
3. While heating oil over medium heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, combine all ingredients for
4. tartar sauce. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
5. 40
6. Remove catfish from buttermilk and allow extra to drip off. Dip catfish pieces, one at a time,

into the flour mixture and shake off excess.

7. Fry the catfish for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown, turning halfway through.* Allow catfish
8. to drain on a paper towel-lined plate before serving.
9. *Pro Tip
10. When you add oil to the Fish Pan, fill it no more than halfway up the side of the pan,
11. because when you add food to the oil, the level will rise.

Notes

From the Lodge Cast Iron cookbook I picked up during my visit to the Lodge Museum of Cast Iron in South Pittsburg, Tennessee (June 2026). Contributed by Lodge Cast Iron. Recommended cookware: Fish Pan.