Catfish Nuggets
Move over chicken nuggets. Make room for these crispy, golden-brown fried catfish nuggets served with a tangy champagne mustard sauce for dipping.
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Crispy, golden-brown fried catfish nuggets are a true Southern delight—perfectly seasoned, crunchy on the outside, and tender on the inside. When paired with a rich and tangy champagne mustard sauce, they become an irresistible appetizer or fun family dish with a gourmet twist.
Ingredients and tools you will need
Fried catfish nuggets are sure to become a family favorite. To make this catfish nuggets recipe, you will need:
For the catfish nuggets
- 2 pounds U.S. Farm-Raised catfish fillets, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- Oil for frying – vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil is recommended
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For the champagne mustard sauce
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup spicy brown mustard – I like the taste and texture spicy brown mustard gives to the sauce. If you can’t find it, Dijon mustard or Creole mustard can also be used. Regular yellow mustard might be too tart when paired with the vinegar.
- 1/3 cup champagne vinegar – as the name suggests, Champagne vinegar is made from Champagne. It has a light flavor similar to red or white wine vinegar. In fact, if you. can’t find Champagne vinegar, you can use a wine vinegar as a substitute.
- 2 egg yolks
Additionally
- Large skillet for frying – nonstick skillets are not designed for deep frying. Use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet instead.
- Small saucepan
- Thermometer
How to make catfish nuggets
- In a shallow dish, combine the corn meal, salt, and oregano.
- In a separate shallow dish, whisk together the milk and egg.
- Dip the catfish nuggets into the egg mixture, then coat them in the cornmeal mixture.
- Fill a large skillet halfway full with the oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat.
- Fry the nuggets, a few at a time, in the hot oil for about 3-4 minutes per side until the cornmeal crust is golden brown and the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees F.
- Remove the fried nuggets from the heat and drain on paper towels. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Keep warm.
How to make the champagne mustard sauce
- In a small saucepan mix together the sugar and the mustard.
- Add the vinegar and egg yolks. Stir to combine.
- Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened. If the mustard seems a little clumpy, try stirring with a fork or a whisk.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If chilled, let the sauce come to room temperature before serving.
Storage, freezing and reheating instructions
Storage. Transfer any left overs to an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours. Consume the fish within four days.
Freezing. Fried catfish can be frozen, though it may change the texture. I recommend laying the catfish out on a lined baking sheet and freezing on a flat surface. Once the fillets are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. Consume within three months. Thaw the fish in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating. If you want to keep that crispy crust, I don’t recommend reheating the nuggets in the microwave. Instead use the oven or an air fryer. Bake the fish at 350 degrees in the oven for 10 minutes until heated through or at the same temperature in an air fryer for five minutes. Spraying the tops of the fish with a little cooking spray before reheating will also help the crust crisp up again.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but they won’t have the exact same crispy texture as if you had fried them in oil. Coat the catfish pieces with the milk and cornmeal. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Arrange the nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you may have to work in batches to keep from overcrowding). Spray the tops of the nuggets with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Bake the catfish nuggets in the air fryer for eight minutes. Flip the nuggets, give them another coating of cooking spray, and bake for an additional four minutes.
Yes, but just like with the air fryer, you won’t have the exact same texture. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray, or if you have a wire rack, place the rack inside the tray and spray the rack with cooking spray. Coat the catfish nuggets with the milk and cornmeal. Arrange them in a single layer on the rack. Coat the tops of the nuggets with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
Catfish in the wild are bottom feeders. Therefore, wild caught catfish can have a muddy flavor that some people find distasteful. If you are using wild caught catfish, go ahead and soak your catfish pieces in enough milk to submerge the pieces for 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Drain the catfish and discard the milk. U.S. Farm-Raised catfish are fed pellets that float on the surface of the water, giving them a clean, light flavor. I have never needed to soak any U.S. Farm-Raised catfish in milk beforehand.
Check the temperature of your oil. If the temperature is too hot or too cool, the coating will not stick.
Serve catfish nuggets with
Fried Catfish Nuggets
Ingredients
For the catfish nuggets
- 2 pounds U.S. Farm-Raised catfish fillets cut into small pieces
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- Oil for frying
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
For the champagne mustard sauce
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
- 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, combine the corn meal, salt, and oregano.
- In a separate shallow dish, whisk together the milk and egg.
- Dip the catfish nuggets into the egg mixture, then coat them in the cornmeal mixture.
- Fill a large skillet halfway full with the oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat.
- Fry the nuggets, a few at a time, in the hot oil for about 3-4 minutes per side until the cornmeal crust is golden brown and the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees F.
- Remove the fried nuggets from the heat and drain on paper towels. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Keep warm.
- In a small saucepan mix together the sugar and the mustard.
- Add the vinegar and egg yolks. Stir to combine.
- Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened. If the mustard seems a little clumpy, try stirring with a fork or a whisk.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If chilled, let the sauce come to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Do you have questions about this post? Leave a comment. Have you made this dish? Be sure to leave a rating and review!
My family loves fried catfish. These nuggets are just as tasty but so much more fun because you can eat them with your fingers!