If you have been looking for an easy gluten free air fryer catfish recipe, you are going to love this recipe. You can make this Southern catfish recipe two ways, in the air fryer or pan-fried. I walk you through both ways so you can learn how to cook catfish.
Jump to:
Get ready for a delicious new air fryer recipe to try! I have been creating a lot of air fryer recipes lately because I really love how quickly the air fryer can cook a meal. All you need are some catfish fillets or nuggets and some cornmeal fish breading.
Making this recipe in your air fryer gives you all of the crispy flavors, without all of the fat from frying in oil. You can check out all of my delicious gluten free air fryer recipes on the blog for more air fryer recipe ideas!
I love using my 8 qt Ninja Air Fryer because it has two separate compartments, making it easy to cook a whole meal at once. If you don't need a big air fryer, this little 3.4 qt Corsori Air Fryer will do the job just as well. Make sure whichever air fryer you buy is dishwasher safe so you have easy cleanup!
Why this air fried catfish is so good:
This air fried catfish recipe is one of our new favorites because it is not fishy, and it is breaded in a crispy coating. Cooking it in the air fryer gives you all of the crispiness with less fat and less cleanup!
I would definitely say this is a good fish to introduce to kids, as long as you soak it to remove the fishiness. Another great fish to introduce to kids is cod. Try this easy gluten free Cod Alfredo recipe. My kids love it.
Ingredient notes:
- Catfish - Use either filets or catfish nuggets.
- Cornmeal - Although cornmeal is naturally gluten free, I advise buying the Bob's Red Mill or another brand that is labeled gluten free. This way you avoid cross-contamination issues.
- Buttermilk - You can also use regular milk. I typically make my own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the soaking milk. This also gives a nice lemon flavor to the fish.
- Gluten free flour blend - Any blend should work well. It does not need to contain Xanthan Gum.
- Paprika - I used Hungarian paprika, not smoked.
Recipe step by step directions:
Step 1: Add buttermilk to a bowl and gently place the catfish fillets (or nuggets) into the milk. If you don't have buttermilk, it is easy to make by adding lemon juice to milk.
Many ask me why you need to soak catfish, or if it is even necessary. The reason it is so important to soak your catfish is that it takes away that fishy flavor. (If you have picky kids, this is even more important!) You will want to soak your catfish for 30 minutes.)
Step 2: Mix up the cornmeal seasoning mix in a large bag. Place the cornmeal fish breading and seasoning ingredients into a large bag and shake to mix it up. When the catfish is done soaking in buttermilk, hold the catfish over the bowl to allow the extra milk to run off.
Place the catfish in the bag, one fillet at a time. Shake gently so the raw catfish fillet is coated in the catfish breading mixture.
Preheat your air fryer to 375º F.
Step 3: Spray the bottom grill of the air fryer with a high heat oil like avocado or canola. (Do not use olive oil or another heat intolerant oil or your fish will turn out rancid.) Place a breaded catfish fillet in the air fryer.
Step 4: Spray the top of the gluten free breaded catfish with more oil. This will help the crust get nice and crispy!
Step 5: Cook your catfish in the air fryer for 12-15 minutes. The actual cook time will vary depending on the size of your catfish fillets, and whether you use catfish nuggets or fillets. You will know the catfish is done cooking when it is crispy and the cornmeal breading is a golden color.
*Note, many will recommend flipping your catfish over partway through the cooking cycle. I find this difficult without the catfish falling apart in the air fryer. It is up to you if you want to try this. I did not flip it and my catfish was still crispy and delicious on both sides.
Drizzle the cooked catfish with lemon juice. Serve with my fluffy Gluten Free Air Fryer Dinner Rolls and some French fries!
Frying Catfish Stovetop:
To fry your catfish in oil on your stovetop, follow steps 1 and 2 above. In a dutch oven or cast-iron skillet, heat your oil. I recommend using either avocado or canola oil. It is very important to use an oil that can tolerate high heat.
Heat the oil to 350-375º F. Gently add a piece of breaded catfish. If you are using catfish fillets, fry one filet at a time. If you are frying catfish nuggets, you can fry several together as long as they don't touch.
Cook in the hot oil for 3 minutes and flip it gently with tongs. Be careful of the hot oil splashing. Cook 3 minutes on the other side and move to a paper towel-lined plate. The paper towel will help absorb extra oil from frying. * If your catfish is thick, it may need to cook a little longer on each side.
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
I know I talked about this above but it is important. I highly recommend soaking the raw catfish in buttermilk or milk to remove that fishy flavor.
You definitely need to use an oil that can handle high heat. My favorites are canola, avocado, and grapeseed.
Yes! You can cook moist and delicious fish recipes in the air fryer.
Frozen fish cooked in the air fryer does not turn out well because of the moisture from being frozen. It is best to thaw the fish and pat it dry before seasoning and cooking.
The catfish will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator but it will lose its crispiness. To re-crisp, reheat in the oven at 325º for 15 minutes.
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Cod
- Air Fried Scallops in a Dill Butter Sauce
- Gluten Free Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave me a rating and a comment. I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Air Fryer Catfish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds catfish fillets Usually 3-4 fillets
- ¾ cup cornmeal * see note
- ¼ cup gluten free flour * see note
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning * see note
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk * see note
- 1 tablespoon light oil for spraying
Instructions
- Add buttermilk to a bowl and gently place the catfish fillets (or nuggets) into the milk. If you don't have buttermilk, it is easy to make by adding lemon juice to milk. Soak the fish for 30 minutes. This step is important to remove the fishy flavor from the catfish.
- Mix up the cornmeal seasoning mix in a large bag. Place the cornmeal fish breading and seasoning ingredients into a large bag and shake to mix it up. When the catfish is done soaking in buttermilk, hold the catfish over the bowl to allow the extra milk to run off.
- Place the catfish in the bag, one fillet at a time. Shake gently so the raw catfish fillet is coated in the catfish breading mixture. Preheat your air fryer to 375º F.
- Spray the bottom grill of the air fryer with a high heat oil like avocado or canola. (Do not use olive oil or another heat intolerant oil or your fish will turn out rancid.) Place a breaded catfish fillet in the air fryer. Make sure the fish isn't touching so the air can circulate around each piece of fish.
- Spray the top of the gluten free breaded catfish with more oil. This will help the crust get nice and crispy!
- Cook your catfish in the air fryer for 12-15 minutes. The actual cook time will vary depending on the size of your catfish fillets, and whether you use catfish nuggets or fillets. You will know the catfish is done cooking when it is crispy and the cornmeal breading is a golden color.
- Note, many will recommend flipping your catfish over partway through the cooking cycle. I find this difficult without the catfish falling apart in the air fryer. It is up to you if you want to try this. I did not flip it and my catfish was still crispy and delicious on both sides.
- Drizzle fresh lemon juice over the fish and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure the bag of cornmeal you buy says gluten free. Bob's Red Mill and a few other brands label their cornmeal.
- To make your own buttermilk, add 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. It also adds some nice lemon flavor to the fish.
- Gluten free flour blend - you do not need to add Xanthan gum. You can also use brown rice flour.
- I like to use Zaitarains cajun seasoning because it is gluten free. Always read the labels on the spices you use.
- This fried catfish will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Frying Catfish Stovetop:
To fry your catfish in oil on your stovetop, follow steps 1 and 2 above. In a dutch oven or cast-iron skillet, heat your oil. I recommend using either avocado or canola oil. It is very important to use an oil that can tolerate high heat. Heat the oil to 350-375º F. Gently add a piece of breaded catfish. If you are using catfish filets, fry one filet at a time. If you are frying catfish nuggets, you can fry several together as long as they don't touch. Cook in the hot oil for 3 minutes and flip it gently with tongs. Be careful of the hot oil splashing. Cook 3 minutes on the other side and move to a paper towel-lined plate. The paper towel will help absorb extra oil from frying. * If your catfish is thick, it may need to cook a little longer on each side.Nutrition
If you love the recipes you are finding on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free chocolate e-cookbook!)
Pam R.
Would this work with crappie or bream filets?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Pam, I am not sure how thick they are, but yes, this would work for them...you may need to cook longer if they are thicker, or less if they are thinner.