Cast-Iron Skillet Blackened Catfish

This 5-ingredient, Blackened Catfish recipe features crisp on the outside yet tender on the inside catfish fillets. We’ll start by seasoning the fillets in a homemade Cajun seasoning blend that packs a zesty punch and then searing them to perfection in a piping-hot skillet. You’ll get succulent, buttery catfish with delectable flavor galore!

Mmmmhmm, we talkin’ catfish today! How many of you dig catfish, too? It’s right up there for me alongside fried chicken in terms of Southern comfort goodness. I love finding it on the menu whenever I’m at a little mom-and-pop diner spot or a soul food restaurant. My mom is obsessed with catfish and asks me to make her a batch whenever I can. This is how I make my homemade blackened catfish and I’m so excited to get the recipe up on the site for you.

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Catfish Fillets: The main star, duh.
• Olive oil: For coating the catfish fillets.
• Spices: My Creole Cajun seasoning is all ya need, peeps! This well-rounded spice is superb here because it’s bold with plenty of signature blackening essence (garlic, onion, pepper, a little heat w/ herbs, etc). Make my homemade version or use store-bought Cajun seasoning if you’d like!
• Butter: We’ll sear the catfish fillets in good ole butter because it lends a savory richness + flavor like no other when it comes to blackening foods. In butter we trust over here #butterbeready 🧈🙌🏾!
• Lemon: A splash of this zippy, bright citrus helps to finish off the fillets by adding contrast and helps to cut through the richness of it all.

How To Make Blackened Catfish:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

This 5-ingredient blackened catfish is the epitome of EASY…

• Room temp catfish– Let the catfish fillets sit on the counter for 20 minutes to come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. This will help the catfish to cook more evenly and help during the blackening process.
• Season the fillets– Once the catfish is at room temperature, pat them dry with a paper towel. Place the catfish fillets onto a small baking sheet or platter. Drizzle the oil over the fillets and use your hands to coat them on both sides. Season the fillets with Cajun seasoning, massaging the spices into the fillets. Set the seasoned catfish fillets aside for at least 15 minutes.

Cast-Iron Skillet or Bust!

To make something “blackened” is to dredge a piece of food in spices, coat it in butter, and then sear the food over high heat. The skillet is traditionally a *cast-iron skillet* to ensure a deeply brown to black crust on the outside.

• Let’s sear & blacken– Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. Working in batches, place the catfish fillets top-down into the pan. Allow the catfish to sear, undisturbed, until a deep crust appears, about 3-5 minutes. Then use a fish spatula or slotted utensil to carefully flip the fillets over to achieve a sear on the other side; about 1-2 minutes, or until the catfish is firm yet tender to the touch and easily flakes with a fork.

What Does “Blackened” Mean?

Like many (really) good things, the blackening process was brought to us by way of Cajun-Creole food, a fusion of French and Southern cuisine 🖤.

The charred outer surface of blackened food brings out heaps of flavor as the spices are toasted as a result of cooking over high heat. That crust is comprised of the spices perfectly seared until black-ity black, ha! When done right, the burnt-like appearance on the catfish comes from the butter charring the spices in the hot, cast-iron skillet. You can “blacken” an abundance of things.

What To Serve With Your Blackened Catfish?

Serve the fillets immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing and alongside your favorite sides like rice, veggies, mac and cheese, etc.

I cannot recommend enough that you pair this blackened catfish recipe with my Cajun Dirty Rice and/or Crawfish Cream Sauce for extra indulgence that’ll send ya to the moon, y’all. The three of them together make for a scrumptious trio, it’s like winning the lotto in food form, ha 😭😛😍!!!

Listen, Blackened Catfish is such an OG Southern classic. It gives cozy, comfort food for sure and is so delicious! Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Don’t miss these yummy dishes:

• “Marry Me” Chicken Meatballs
• Brown Sugar Bourbon Salmon
• Red Beans & Rice
• Hamburger Steaks with Gravy
• Perfect Baked Ziti
• Creamy Shrimp & Grits

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Recipe by: Quin Liburd- Butter Be Ready

Photography by: Ashley McLaughlin