Crispy oven fried catfish is a great alternative to frying without the mess and fattiness of the oil.
Fried catfish seems to be on every restaurant menu in the South. That’s because catfish can be easily obtained at a reasonable price since it is farm raised in Louisiana and the surrounding area. Catfish can be prepared a number of different ways but fried is personally my favorite. That was until I realized I could have the same crispy breading without the mess of frying it and instead baking it in the oven.
Oven Fried Catfish

Oven Fried Catfish
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds catfish fillets
- 1 cup Zatarain’s Fish Fri (Seasoned Cornmeal Mixture)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.
- Grease a 13×9 glass baking dish with the oil.
- Place baking dish in the oven while you prepare the catfish.
- Rinse the catfish fillets, and pat dry.
- Lightly whisk eggs in a shallow bowl.
- Place cornmeal into another shallow bowl.
- Dip the fillets in egg wash and then coat in cornmeal.
- Place fillets in a hot baking dish.
- Bake for 8 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.
- Let the catfish rest on paper towels and serve with a lemon wedge.
Step-by-Step
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 13×9 glass baking dish with the oil. Place baking dish in the oven while you prepare the catfish. Rinse the catfish fillets, and pat dry.
Lightly whisk eggs in a shallow bowl. Place cornmeal into another shallow bowl. Dip the fillets in egg wash and then coat in cornmeal.
Place fillets in a hot baking dish. Bake for 8 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.
Let the catfish rest on paper towels and serve with a lemon wedge.
Thank you! Love this, it worked better for me on a cookie sheet. The glass dish had my batter coming off when I would try to flip.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!