Baked Catfish with Herbs - catfish fillets topped with an herb blend, butter, and lemon and baked until golden. Quick and easy weeknight dinner.
I'm just going to say this: I love fried food. There. I've said it and I meant it, too. There's just not much better in this world to me than a perfectly cooked piece of fried chicken. Or country fried steak. Or fish. I could go on and on.
I realize that part of my love of fried food is cultural. When I was growing up, an everyday meal consisted of some kind of meat, more often than not fried, accompanied by two or three vegetables and bread. The proverbial "meat and three" that I see so often referenced these days.
My daddy loved a fried t-bone steak. Yes, deep fried. Mama would salt and pepper a t-bone, dredge it in flour and ease it down into hot oil in a black iron skillet to cook.
It came out golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside and juicy and moist on the inside. Hmmm...I hadn't thought of that in years until I started writing this.
Less Frying, More Baking and Roasting
Of course, we all learned that there were more healthful ways to eat, and gradually our diet changed. Fewer fried foods, more baked or roasted meats. But I still sometimes crave that good old fried food.
All those years ago frying was an inexpensive and easy way to prepare the main meat course so that's what was done. I mean, for goodness sakes, people back then were busy!
We just think we're busy these days. Laboring in the field from sunup to sundown or taking care of children and running a household a few decades in the past was a much more taxing existence than it is today.
But back then people could handle a more calorie-laden diet because of all the manual labor they did. Today, not so much.
So, even though I still love my fried foods and greatly enjoy them on occasion, I do look for ways to cook that are somewhat more healthful.
In this recipe for Baked Catfish, the fish is coated with a delicious blend of herbs and spices, then drizzled with butter and lemon juice and baked.
What a great change of pace from the usual fried catfish! We really enjoy this recipe, and I'm happy to share it with you, too.
How to Make Baked Catfish:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the parsley, salt, paprika, thyme, oregano, basil and pepper in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the spice-herb mixture over both sides of the catfish fillets. Place the fillets in a 9x13 baking pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. I also lined my pan with foil just because it makes it so much easier to clean.
Add the melted butter, lemon juice, and garlic powder to a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
Drizzle the butter-lemon-garlic mixture over the fillets.
Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
Enjoy!
More Fish and Seafood Recipes on Never Enough Thyme:
- Pan Fried Fish with Red Pepper Sauce
- Simple Grilled Fish
- Seafood Stew
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp
- Shrimp and Grits
- Salmon Croquettes
Baked Fish Recipes from Other Bloggers:
- Herb Baked Catfish from AllRecipes
- Baked Fish with Lemon and Bread Crumbs from Leite's Culinaria
- Baked Cod with Ritz Cracker Topping from Simply Recipes
- Oven Baked Fish Sticks from Life's Ambrosia
- Potato Chip Crusted Fish and Chips from Half Baked Harvest
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Baked Catfish with Herbs
Ingredients
- 2 tblsp. minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 4 whole catfish fillets
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tblsp. melted butter
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the parsley, salt, paprika, thyme, oregano, basil and pepper in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle over both sides of catfish fillets.
- Place the fillets in a 9x13 baking pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the melted butter, lemon juice and garlic powder to a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Drizzle the butter-lemon-garlic mixture over the fillets.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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Michelle Hurlbut says
This sounds so good! I love fish but for years only fried it. As I've gotten older, I've tried to find recipes that are healthier and this one I will definitely try! Just caught 3 big cats tonight! Here's another couple of recipes for baked fish that we love: Lemon Pepper Fish: Melt 2 tbs butter on cookie sheet. Slice a small onion into rings and lay on butter. Place your fish filets on top of onions and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning on both sides. Top with more onion rings, one lemon, sliced thin, and drizzle melted butter over top. Bake until fish is flaky. Orange Rosemary Fish: Melt 2 tbs butter on cookie sheet. Slice a small onion into rings and lay on butter. Place your fish filets on top of onions and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cut the ends off an orange, cut into pieces and chop fine in food processor.(rind and all) Add 1/2-1 tsp dried crushed rosemary and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Spread over fish filets. Drizzle melted butter over top. Bake until fish is flaky. *You may think this is way too much onion, but it is not overpowering. It becomes sweeter as it cooks. Also, you may think that keeping the rind on the orange would make it bitter, but it too becomes sweeter and the oils add to the flavor!
Lana Stuart says
Those recipes sound really delicious! I'll give them a try.
Sue says
Made this tonight with 2 filets. Used the same amount of herbs, mixed them all together & put in pie plate. Put 1 filet in pie plate, then put herbs on top & pressed down, picked up with wet hand and put in baking dish then did same with second filet. BTW, I lined baking dish with foil & sprayed with cooking spray first. Poured butter, lemon, garlic over fish and baked 350 for 20 minutes. PERFECTION!!
Lana Stuart says
So glad you liked the recipe! It's one of my favorites, too.
Julie says
This was delicious!! I used 1/2 tsp salt not the full tsp. Loved the fresh parsley. Will be a regular meal now!
Lana Stuart says
I'm so glad you liked it, Julie.
Amber says
Add some Pico de gallo to the top of this. Yum!!!
Lana Stuart says
That sounds delicious!
Benjamin Burn says
What would a good side be for the catfish?
Lana Stuart says
I serve just about any green vegetable with this fish - green beans, Brussels sprouts, collard greens. Also, steamed rice goes really well or a tossed green salad.
marion says
this recipe sound great for catfish having a time printing it. am i doing something wrong
Lana Stuart says
You should be able to just click the "Print" button inside the recipe near the bottom of the post and get a clean print of just the recipe itself. I just tried it to make sure and it worked perfectly.
Vito Barbuzzi says
Tried different recipes for catfish throughout the years,this is definitely the best.
Vito Barbuzzi says
(Cooked it at 400 deg,much better.
Tammi says
Made this last Friday. Still impressed! Absolutely delicious spicing. A keeper recipe. Thank you!
Lana Stuart says
Glad you liked it!
Gabriel says
I eyeballed the spice/herb amounts from the picture without reading the recipe and ended up using about ten times more than the recipe required (mostly fresh from the garden), and it was DELICIOUS. Basically a curried catfish. I guess I thought that was a much larger bowl. I need to try the recipe as intended some day, but it's just so good with all that fresh parsley all over it.