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Air Fryer 3 Ingredient Fried Catfish

air fryer 3 ingredient fried catfish on a white plate

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Air Fryer Fried Catfish is another hit for me with the Air Fryer. I had been dying to try out frying catfish in my Air Fryer. This weekend I had a reason to test it out. It is Labor Day Weekend and one of my close friends is in town for a visit.

Summer holiday weekends usually involve COOKOUTS! My friend is a pescatarian. She only eats seafood and does not eat any other meat. Unfortunately for my friend, cookouts are usually filled with grilled chicken, beef, and pork.

There wasn’t going to be any grilled seafood at the cookout we were planning to attend. Being the good friend I am, I decided to whip up some fried catfish that we could bring to the cookout with us for her to eat. 

air fryer 3 ingredient fried catfish on a white plate

I was amazed at the results of the Air Fryer! This fish turned out very crispy with an amazing crunch. Using the Air Fryer instead of deep-frying saves almost 400 calories and 45 grams of fat per serving.

I also love that there is no stinky house after making these! I rarely fry foods in my home, and certainly not fish because the deep-fried smell lingers for DAYS! Thank you, Air Fryer!

I used trial and error to determine the cooking time. The fillets I prepared were very long. Because of the length, I opted to cook each fillet one at a time. Use your discretion here and do what works best for you.

Use your judgment on if you will need more or less fish fry seasoning noted in the recipe ingredients. The amount you will need will vary based on the size of your fillets. Each fillet should be fully coated with seasoning, but not overly coated.

Cooking time will likely vary based on the Air Fryer brand you use and how crunchy you prefer your fish. 

air fryer 3 ingredient fried catfish on a white plate

I cooked the filets at 400 degrees for about 22 minutes total. Time will likely vary based on the Air Fryer brand you use and how crunchy you prefer your fish. At 10 minutes I flipped the fish. I then allowed them to cook for 10 more minutes, flipped them one last time, and cooked for 2 minutes. 

collage photo of air fryer catfish

What I love most about the air fryer is that I get to incorporate all of the foods I left behind, back into my lifestyle. We ate fried catfish and spaghetti pretty often growing up. For some of you this may sound like an interesting combination! Over the years I have learned this may be a Midwest dinner choice!

I have missed it so much! Thank goodness for the air fryer!

air fryer 3 ingredient fried catfish on a white plate

If you prefer catfish nuggets those should work just fine, too! Simply add the breading to the catfish nuggets.

If you are looking for more Air Fryer Catfish check out 17 Air Fryer Recipes You Have to Try or my Air Fryer Salmon and Air Fryer Fish Sticks  recipes.

If you are looking for more information on southern-style Air Fryer Catfish, check out 17 Air Fryer Recipes You Have to Try.

More Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Hush Puppies
Air Fryer Southern Style Pork Chops
Air Fryer Crab Cakes

Air Fryer Fish Sandwich
Air Fryer Potato Skins
Air Fryer Scallops

air fryer fried catfish on a white plate with fresh lemon
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4.91 from 44 votes

Air Fryer 3 Ingredient Fried Catfish

Air Fryer 3 Ingredient Fried Catfish is a quick and easy low-calorie, low-fat and low-carb recipe. This recipe is crispy and crunchy!
Save this recipe here.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer catfish, air fryer fish
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 208kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pat the catfish dry.
  • Sprinkle the fish fry onto both sides of each fillet. Ensure the entire filet is coated with seasoning.
  • Spritz olive oil on the top of each filet.
  • Place the filet in the Air Fryer basket. Do not stack the fish and do not overcrowd the basket. Cook in batches if needed. Close and cook for 10 minutes on 400 degrees. 
  • Open the air fryer and flip the fish. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Open and flip the fish.
  • Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until desired crispness.
  • Top with optional parsley.

Notes

Use your judgment on if you will need more or less fish fry seasoning noted in the ingredients above. The amount you will need will vary based on the size of your fillets. Each fillet should be fully coated with seasoning, but not overly coated.
Cooking time will likely vary based on the Air Fryer brand you use and how crunchy you prefer your fish. At 10 minutes I flipped the fish. I then allowed them to cook for 10 more minutes, flipped them one last time, and cooked for 2 minutes. 
 
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Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)

Serving: 1fillet | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g
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Nutrition DataMacros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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Recipe Rating




Mary

Tuesday 5th of September 2023

Thank you for this. I will make some tonight. I will sub garlic powder and paprika for the spice mix.

PaPa Dave

Saturday 24th of June 2023

Absolutely Perfect!

staysnatched

Sunday 25th of June 2023

Glad to hear it!

Sydney

Thursday 18th of May 2023

Easy and quick. Always tasty. If you’re not making stay snatched recipes you’re messing up

staysnatched

Friday 19th of May 2023

haha! Glad you enjoyed it.

Elyssa

Sunday 26th of March 2023

Thanks for this! I made catfish in the air fryer some years back, and the batter was just a bit powdery on certain places, but was still good. I want to try it your way today! And yes! Spaghetti and catfish is a thing down south too:)

staysnatched

Tuesday 28th of March 2023

Glad to hear it!

Serantha

Saturday 11th of March 2023

I like the simplicity of this recipe and I got a good result. This might be my go-to for "fried" fish. It was crispy and just as good.

staysnatched

Wednesday 15th of March 2023

I'm glad you enjoyed it!