Air Fryer Catfish is one of my new favorite ways to make catfish! No more hot oil spills or issues with soggy catfish. Making fried catfish just got a whole lot easier.
I have been using my Air Fryer so much and honestly, my husband thought I was crazy when I said I was going to make catfish. In fact, being a born and raised Louisiana boy, he almost refused to try it until he saw the final results. How could this be as good as a Louisiana fish fry?
Since that first bite, he has asked for Air Fried Fish at least twice a month. I love how fast he became a believer!
Have you been on the fence about making catfish? If you’re anything like my Louisiana man, you know it’s hard to beat a good plate of fried catfish.
Now I can make delicious air fryer catfish without the oil, without the added fat, and without the extra time that it would normally take to fry catfish. It’s a great way to make a healthier version of this delicious meal.
Now we have perfectly Air Fried Catfish every single time, and it’s one of my favorite recipes.
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Check out how easy it is to make this delicious dinner tonight. You won’t need gobs of oil, or brown paper bags, or anything of the sort to keep your fish fresh and crispy. You will only need a handful of ingredients on hand to make this easy dish.
If you’re in a rush, head down to the bottom of this blog post to grab the printable recipe card. We will have all of our favorite tips and tricks to make this tasty Air Fryer Catfish recipe, along with the full complete step-by-step recipe.
I love easy Air Fryer Recipes! If you’re looking for more family meals, check out our Air Fryer Nachos, Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas, and Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Meatballs. Each is made in the air fryer and all are delicious meals.
Ingredients:
- olive oil
- 1 pound catfish fillets
- fish fry breading (I use the Louisiana brand, or you can always make one that is homemade)
- tartar sauce
- lemon wedges
Easy Air Fryer Catfish
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- Rinse and dry the catfish with paper towels before coating. Add the seasoned breading to a shallow bowl and then dip each fish filet until they are completely coated. Spray each filet lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
- Place fillets in the prepared Air Fryer basket in a single layer. Cook on 400 for 10 minutes, then carefully flip the catfish filets and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Flip once more and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to get them extra crispy is needed.
- Serve with air fryer french fries, air fryer hush puppies, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the filets just before serving.
FAQs
What other types of fish can I make in the Air Fryer?
If you are looking for other mildly flavored and quick-cooking air fryer fish recipes, consider other types of white fish such as tilapia, bass, haddock, grouper, and snapper fish.
What type of breading should I use for catfish?
I love to use the Louisiana brand fish fry, but you can always make your own homemade version. Season them up with cornmeal, flour, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, and seafood seasoning such as Old Bay. Dredge the fish in the cornmeal mixture before frying. I love to use Louisiana Cajun Catfish fry – but it has a kick! So if you don’t mind spicy, give that one a try, too.
How long do I cook catfish fillets in the Air Fryer?
I love to leave the catfish fillets whole and rarely cut them into strips. I will make my catfish fillets with a 22 minute total cooking time. The extra two minutes is for that extra crispy crust on the catfish.
How many fish fillets can I fit into my air fryer basket?
It depends on the size of your air fryer. I can fit two whole catfish fillets into my smaller air fryer basket. If you have a larger basket or oven with the air fryer option, you can possibly fit all of your fillets at once.
I love this easy dinner recipe and I love using my air fryer. It is so much healthier than deep frying.
WHAT AIR FRYER SHOULD I USE?
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We love our Air Fryers and actually have two of them! If you’re in the market for an Air Fryer I love to use both the Ninja Foodie Pro and the Cosori 5.8Q.
The Ninja Foodi is a grill and has several different options. It’s also called an air crisper, and you can learn more about that here. I like this for larger projects. You can open the top and check on what’s cooking, and you can also use the temperature probe and never undercook or overcook anything again.
The Cosori has a basket, is an actual air fryer, and makes it easy to shake things around while cooking. The handle on the basket makes removing the basket easier, and it’s very easy to clean. Each works very well and I use them both with this big family of mine. I can have them both working and have dinner done FAST.
They both really do work great and I love to use them on an almost daily basis. One last thing I would recommend with whichever air fryer you choose, make sure to get some basket liners. They are amazing and help make cleanup a breeze!
MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES:
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Air Fryer Catfish
Ingredients
- 1 lb catfish fillets
- 1 cup fish fry breading
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- Rinse and dry the catfish with paper towels before coating. Add the seasoned breading to a shallow bowl and then dip each fish filet until they are completely coated. Spray each filet lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
- Place fillets in the prepared Air Fryer basket in a single layer. Cook on 400 for 10 minutes, then carefully flip the catfish filets and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Flip once more and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to get them extra crispy is needed.
- Serve with air fryer french fries, air fryer hush puppies, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the filets just before serving.
Notes
- If you are looking for other mildly flavored and quick-cooking air fryer fish recipes, consider other types of white fish such as tilapia, bass, haddock, grouper, and snapper fish.
- I love to use the Louisiana brand fish fry, but you can always make your own homemade version. Season them up with cornmeal, flour, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, and seafood seasoning such as Old Bay. Dredge the fish in the cornmeal mixture before frying. I love to use Louisiana Cajun Catfish fry – but it has a kick! So if you don’t mind spicy, give that one a try, too.
- I love to leave the catfish fillets whole and rarely cut them into strips. I will make my catfish fillets with a 22 minute total cooking time. The extra two minutes is for that extra crispy crust on the catfish.
- I can fit two whole catfish fillets into my smaller air fryer basket. If you have a larger basket or oven with the air fryer option, you can possibly fit all of your fillets at once.
This catfish looks so good! Crunchy and delicious. I admit I haven’t tried it either, love your enthusiasm for something different. Thanks for sharing!
The air fryer works its magic again. This catfish looks perfect. Definitely going to try this in my own air fryer. Thanks!
This is a delicious looking and sound recipe and a Must TRY!
I’m never cooking catfish any other way again! This was the bomb!
This was delicious and easy to make! I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you!