Keep the crunch and the spice with this healthy baked catfish recipe.
Southerners sure do love their fried catfish. And although I am not originally from the South, I have lived here long enough to be wholeheartedly in love with it, too. Unfortunately, it is typically loaded with saturated fats and calories when prepared the traditional way.
This baked catfish recipe is a heart-healthier alternative to the typical southern-fried catfish. It is still crunchy and spicy, which makes it a hit with friends and family.
Serve it with a crunchy cabbage salad and some oven-baked sweet potato fries for a Southern-style meal that is sure to please even the most finicky southern belles and gentlemen.
- 1/2 cup of beer
- 1/2 cup of hot sauce
- 4 pieces of catfish
- 2 cups of cornmeal
- spray oil, such as Pam cooking spray
- salt and pepper
- Pour the beer and hot sauce in a large Ziploc bag and add the fish. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the fish from the bag and discard the marinade.
- Put the cornmeal on a plate and dredge the fish in it to thoroughly coat it on both sides.
- Spray the fish with cooking oil spray on both sides.
- Lay the fish on parchment paper, on a cookie sheet, which has also been sprayed with cooking oil.
- Lightly salt and generously pepper the fish on top.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the fish is flaky and the coating is crisp.
Stacey Kendrick, MS, is a health educator with more than 20 years of experience in wellness and population health. She spent much of her career at Vanderbilt’s Faculty/Staff Wellness Program and currently works in Strategic Marketing at Vanderbilt. She is mother to two adult daughters. In her free time, she teaches healthy cooking classes, runs, gardens and enjoys backyard bonfires.
