Follow this quick and easy recipe for fresh Baked Catfish fillets topped with herbs, butter, and lemon. A perfect weeknight dinner that the whole family will love, ready in under 30 minutes!
Here in the South, one thing we love is fresh catfish! And while my first instinct may be to fry it, baking catfish is really just as delicious.
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 catfish. I could go on and on.
That having been said, I also know that deep frying isn’t the most healthful way to cook. Which really stinks because it tastes so good!
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 you see so often referenced these days.
My daddy loved (believe it or not!) a fried t-bone steak. 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.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Southern
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Servings: 4
Primary Ingredient(s): Catfish fillets, lemon, butter, herbs and spices
Skill Level: Easy
Less Frying, More Baking and Roasting
When I think of catfish recipes, I automatically think of all those fish fries we had back in the day. Piles of french fries, fried hush puppies, and fried fish. 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.
This baked catfish recipe is my way of continuing to eat a fish I enjoy while being a bit more health conscious. 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 recipes! We really enjoy this method, and I’m happy to share it with you, too.
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- Baked catfish is not only delicious, it’s healthy.
- The herb seasoning gives the fish a vibrant flavor
- It can be made from start to finish in 25 minutes!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“I was looking for something different from the normal bread and fry recipes.
This was it! The flavor was amazing and everyone loved it.”
— CJ Litts
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 224 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
Ingredient Notes
This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
- Catfish fillets — Either farm-raised or wild caught.
- Lemon, butter, salt, pepper
- Herbs — Thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, paprika, garlic powder.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
One of the other great things about this recipe is that you don’t have to dirty many dishes. You can even line the baking pan with aluminum foil, so there’s no scrubbing up after you cook!
You just need two small bowls to mix the seasonings and butter, as well as a baking sheet. I bet you have most of these ingredients in your pantry right now, so there’s not much shopping to do, either!
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 to make the seasoning blend.
- Place the fillets on a baking pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. I line my pan with foil first because it makes it so much easier to clean.
- Sprinkle the spice-herb seasoning mixture over both sides of the catfish fillets.
- Add the melted butter, lemon juice, and garlic powder to a small bowl or measuring cup. Mix well to combine.
- Drizzle the butter-lemon-garlic mixture over the fillets. Transfer the pan with the fillets to the oven.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
Serving Suggestions
So, you can go two ways with sides. Option A keeps the low-carb theme going with roasted asparagus or leeks and a side salad with a classic vinaigrette. For dessert, try a crisp, refreshing watermelon and mint salad!
Or, try the slightly heavier Option B with my pan-fried zucchini, stick of butter rice, and a peach blueberry basil cobbler!
Variations
- To make a Cajun catfish version, add two teaspoons of Cajun seasoning to the herbs and spice mixture.
- Easily turn this into a catfish nugget recipe by cutting the fillets into 2 to 3-inch pieces before coating and baking them.
Questions About Baked Catfish
Sure! If using frozen fillets, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator, pat dry, and then proceed with the recipe.
Catfish is done when it’s opaque and easily flakes when tested with a fork. If it doesn’t flake easily, then it needs a little more time.
I haven’t tested this recipe in an air fryer, but I feel pretty sure it would work. However, I don’t have cooking times or temperature for that method.
Many people do soak catfish in milk or buttermilk before cooking it to remove any strong “fishy” taste. I think it depends on how fishy it smells. Farm-raised catfish (which is what you’ll get from your local grocery store) tend to have far less fishy odor than wild-caught. It’s up to you whether or not to do that extra step.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Baked Catfish with Herbs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 24 ounces catfish fillets (4 fillets, approx. 6 ounces each)
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Juice of one lemon
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the parsley, salt, paprika, thyme, oregano, basil and pepper in a small bowl.2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Place the fillets on a baking pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.24 ounces catfish fillets, Non-stick cooking spray
- Sprinkle the spice-herb mixture over both sides of catfish fillets.
- Add the melted butter, lemon juice and garlic powder to a small bowl. Mix well to combine.2 tablespoons melted butter, Juice of one lemon, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Drizzle the butter-lemon-garlic mixture over the fillets.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
Notes
- Catfish is done when it’s opaque and easily flakes when tested with a fork. If it doesn’t flake easily then it needs a little more time.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on January 21, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Quite possibly the best catfish I’ve ever tasted.
Thank you so much!
This is actually the recipe I used. This is so very good, the catfish was perfect. We loved it and will make it again.
I read the entire page and I couldn’t find the recommended temperature to bake the catfish.
Step #1 in both the text of the post and the recipe card states “Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.”
At 350 the fish needs to go for more like 30 min. At 20 min it was barely cooked through, more time needed to get the proper texture
The cooking time for any fish can vary depending on how thick the fillets are. Another factor, of course, is whether your oven is correctly calibrated.
Absolutely delicious. Easy to make and we loved it. Have made it many times. This is also delicious with shrimp. Thank you so much
So glad that you like the recipe. I haven’t tried it with shrimp, but I’m sure it is delicious!!
I’ve made this wonderful recipe three or four times, generally following the recipe as written, but adding some cajun seasoning as recommended in the notes.
Only thing, no matter how organized I am, no way prep is 5 minutes unless maybe the seasoning is mixed ahead of time and we don’t start the clock until the butter is melted and the lemon juiced. But that’s all recipes on the interwebs, ever.
This is a keeper recipe. Absolutely spectacular! I used smoked paprika instead of regular but followed the rest of the recipe. The flavor was legendary! Thanks for posting!
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe!
I’m 74. I never oven baked catfish before. I didn’t have all the proper ingredients. So I made a test meal using your basic bake timings and what ingredients I did have, substituting here and there. Let me tell you it was delicious and tasty. Next time I go to the grocery store I’m gonna get the whole recipe list. Thanks for posting this great catfish!
Fantastic! I hope you like it even more when you have all the needed ingredients.
This is an easy, delicious, moist cat fish reipe. I will make time and again.
Thanks! I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
Lana,
Thanks for the simple, useful inspiration for catfish for my family! Easy, much healthier than frying (or even sauteeing) and delish! We served with a garlic/lemon kale salad and every bit disappeared!
thank you,
Kari Niles
My pleasure! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Made it exactly as the recipe says and it was a 5 star
Great to hear! Thank you.
Recipe was very simple, quick and delicious!
i tried his recipe once and i didnt follow the ingredients to the same measurements andni substituted a couple of things in it with other hearbs n spices and they were very excellent and the only comment that was in any way negative was that I hadnt madd anymore then what i did that night, so im trying it again amd this time im fonna write out what i all use and how much this time and ill share it with you if it ends up being another successful meal
This recipe is fabulous. I use fresh thyme instead of the dried and adds such a lovely flavor along with the fresh parsley. I also use 16 mesh black pepper as well which love on everything. We will definitely use the recipe for other types of fish as well.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Fast, easy and delicious. Healthier than fried. Will definitely are again.
This was great. I’d make it again.
Substituted orange juice, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, and couldn’t believe how delicious this dish came out! Thank you so much, can’t wait to try another of your recipes!
Great!
This was simple and delicious. I had to adjust my ingredients based on what I had, and it still was a winner. I was skeptical about the flavor being just the right balance. This will be on my meal rotation from now on! Thank you.
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe!
I had every ingredient. Easy and quick.
Had a few shrimp so I threw them on top of the fillets before drizzling the lemon butter. Added some sliced green onion before serving. Presents beautifully and tasted delicious. I’d add a tad less salt next time. This is a keeper!
I love the idea of adding shrimp! Sounds delicious.
Use MSG (Accent)for the salt. It makes a big difference as a flavor enhancer.
Can I use fresh herbs?
Yes.
I was admittedly skeptical at first, but this was really good and flavorful. I doubled the recipe ingredients (minus the fish), and it produced a lot of gravy/sauce/broth for rice, veggies etc. thank you for sharing your gift with the marketplace!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic. Had 1/2 the fish so I halved the seasonings. Still used the same amount of butter, lemon and garlic powder though. Delicious.
Great! So glad you enjoyed it.
I was looking for something different from the normal bread and fry recipes.
This was it! So glad you’re recipe was in one of the top ones that showed up on Goggle search. The flavor was amazing and everyone loved it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, CJ! I think it’s a great alternative to fried fish.
Baked cat fish is my favorite. Tried the lemon butter herb on mine tonight and it was delicious
So glad you enjoyed it!
I agree with you about fried catfish but you have created a delicious baked catfish recipe. I will be using it frequently in my recipe rotation. Thank you.
Thanks Pat!
My family of 18 LOVES this recipe. I also do it w catfish nuggets as a healthy alternative to fried catfish. Never disappoints.
18! wow! That’s a lot of people to cook for :-) I’m happy that you all enjoy the recipe!
Used catfish nuggets and baked for 30 min and it came out fishy. I love good fish but I’d fry catfish over baking.
I’m a southern girl who loves CATFISH basically any type of way about to try recipe Friday night and maybe Saturday night too
Hope you enjoy it!
My husband loves catfish and really loves this recipe!
Glad to hear that, Ramona!
Made this exactly as directed. We found the paprika was overwhelming. Otherwise it is good. If I make it again I will just use a light sprinkling of paprika but that would be the only adjustment.
That’s very interesting. Regular old paprika is mostly used just for color – it has very little flavor. Maybe you used smoked paprika or a spicy type? Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I made this recipe exactly as written. Loved every bite. My wife now thinks I am a chef. Ha. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe
Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed the recipe, Dan!
I made this recipe tonight! It was really good, and my husband loved it! I used the original recipe, didn’t alter it at all. Best part of the dinner…it took only 20 minutes!! Thank yo so much!
Thanks, Anna. I think it’s a keeper, too!
I made this for my son, who says he wants to eat more fish. It was a bit too lemony for me but he loved it. Will certainly make again, might look for a smaller lemon to squeeze. I loved the flavor from all the herbs and spices.
I hear this a lot (too lemony) with several fish recipes. My solution has been to use a smaller “greener” lemon: a lime. Good luck!
This was so very delicious. Up until I made this recipe I thought frying catfish was the only way to enjoy it. Thank you for helping me know better :) I did not use the butter, but it was still AMAZING! Thank you!
So glad you like the recipe, Tina! I still like fried catfish, but this is a really good way to cook them as well.
This turned out great. However, I will reduce the amount of salt next time.
This is my go to recipe for baked catfish! Very moist and lots of flavor.. I cook some Brussels sprouts or broccoli to add to the dish. Also we have had a fresh garden salad with this fish.
Those are great side dish choices for this, Audrey! Glad to know you enjoy the recipe.
I just made it, it was excellent! So moist and well seasoned. I had to leave out the lemon because I didn’t have any. I wanted to make tacos so I added cumin. I appreciate this healthier cooking option. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Very good, very strong on the herbs and it’s perfect. Used fresh catfish and didn’t taste fishy at all. Made it with homemade rice pilaf (rice with chicken bouillon then season with butter garlic and Rosemary) and that helped even out the flavor.
Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed the recipe!
I’m gonna use frozen catfish that we caught earlier can I put in on a broiler to let the extra liquid drain
It should work. I would thaw it and let it drain really well. Then pat it dry with paper towels, too.
Lana thank you for this the best ale catfish made 2 weeks ago and I make again for supper tonight 10 stars rating from me
My pleasure! I’m so glad to know that you enjoyed it!
This is absolutely delicious! I cook it twice a week. So easy! Five stars!
Thanks, Joanie!
Thanks for sharing….my favorite recipe for preparing fish
Many Thanks !
My pleasure! I’m glad you like it :-)
Yasssssss!!!! This bake fish smells good and look good 👌.Can’t wait to try it my daughter even said ,”wow mom it looks good!!!. Only if I could post a picture 😜🖼️ thank you again for recipe!!!
I’m so glad to know that you enjoyed the recipe! It does smell wonderful cooking, doesn’t it?
I’ve shared this outstanding recipe with several cooking friends and they all love it for its flavor and ease. We’ve used the same mix with cod and tilapia. Probably any mild fish would be enhanced with this recipe.
I’m happy to know that you and your friends enjoy the recipe, Suzi! It’s a long time favorite of ours, too.
We did not care for this. There was too much liquid in the pan and the fish was almost poached. We may not have had tasty fish to be fair, but we will not use this recipe again.
That’s interesting. The only “liquid” called for in the recipe is a little lemon juice and melted butter. There shouldn’t have been excess liquid in the pan unless maybe you used frozen fish? They contain a huge amount of water usually.
This is my go-to catfish recipe. My whole family loves it. Yum yum.
So glad you like it, Missy! It’s a favorite of mine, too.
This recipe is easy and very good. The oregano gave it a taste of Greek seasoning. Fresh lemon is a must.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I have made this delicious dish several times now, precisely as directed, yet with dried herbs. It is simply wonderful. Being from Louisiana, we catch a lot of catfish and breading and frying gets old….. And fattening! As someone about to embark on a low carb diet, it is a blessing to find a fish recipe that fits the bill !
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Hollly! It’s a favorite here as well.
Tried this tonight and we both very much enjoyed the flavors.
So glad you liked it!
Not a big fan of fish but this was good. My husband loved it!
So nice to hear that! Thanks.
Made this tonight as an emergency recipe. Had planned to make another recipe but ran out of time for the 2 hour marinade. Made slight changes, but nothing huge. I had 3 fairly large catfish fillets so I ended up doubling the herb mix. I also baked for 15 minutes at 375 and an additional 2 minutes on broil. Perfection! So glad I found this recipe. Thank you!
So glad you liked the recipe!
Great recipe! My 8 year old sepecially loved it, and when we asked her what she wanted for dinner this week she requested this recipe again! So this is a keeper for sure. :)
That’s so nice to hear! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it.
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!
Those recipes sound really delicious! I’ll give them a try.
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!!
So glad you liked the recipe! It’s one of my favorites, too.
This was delicious!! I used 1/2 tsp salt not the full tsp. Loved the fresh parsley. Will be a regular meal now!
I’m so glad you liked it, Julie.
Add some Pico de gallo to the top of this. Yum!!!
That sounds delicious!
What would a good side be for the catfish?
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.
this recipe sound great for catfish having a time printing it. am i doing something wrong
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.
Tried different recipes for catfish throughout the years,this is definitely the best.
(Cooked it at 400 deg,much better.
Made this last Friday. Still impressed! Absolutely delicious spicing. A keeper recipe. Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
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.
Believe it or not, I’ve been making my whole catfish with Thai peanut sauce. So thanks for a proper recipe. I am making your recipe with brown rice and refried beans and a zuchinni caserole.
Lana, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Hi Lana, Lana Ellis here! Your blog was the first thing that came up when I googled “tips on cooking catfish”. Can’t wait to try the baked catfish recipe because my son brought home several pounds of it. Been afraid to use it, but will thaw some out and give it a try! Looks great!
Thank you Lana, from another Lana!
Hi there other Lana! Hope you enjoy the recipe, but I can’t imagine why you’d be afraid to use catfish :-) It’s delicious.
20 mins was too short on my oven
Mine too
This is my new favorite baked catfish recipe. It’s simple and flavorful, just how catfish should be. Everyone that knows me knows I am always game for catfish.
I’ve made this recipe numerous times using fresh cod since it’s easier to find in the northeast during the winter. The only changes are that I use half the salt and since cod tends to be thicker I bake it 5 minutes longer than the recipe calls for. Comes out perfect each time. Great recipe that will work with just about any fish. Definitely give this a try!
I, too, grew up in a time when everything was fried so yes I love it cooked that way also. Today, I rarely fry anything because people are more aware of healthier ways to cook things and with me being diabetic and having tremendous amounts of Gerd, I have to watch how and what I eat. Today I,m cooking catfish with Old Bay seasoning but it will not be fried. This recipe looks like a keeper for sure and will save it for a later time to experience. Thanks so much for your recipes and may God Bless.
This was delcious and easy! Tons of flavor.
I made this dish exactly as Lana prescribed. It was very very good. We eat catfish filetts at least once a week at home, mostly fried which I get tired of. I’ve tried several recipes and some of my own creations but never really satisfied.
Thanks Lana!
I cook for my husband, adult son, and myself. I dipped the catfish in the butter, lemon juice, and garlic powder mixture before I put on the herb mixture. That way the herbs stay in place better for me. I used nonstick foil in the 9 x 13. I baked them just until flaky and still juicy. Both men said it was absolutely delicious and wanted this again. My son took the extra juice in the pan and poured it over his fish and mashed potatoes to enjoy every last bit of the wonderful tasty juice. This dish comes together so easy and does not take a lot of time to prepare. Served it with mashed potatoes, green beans, and fruit cocktail in lite juice with bananas and marshmallows. Thanks, Lana, for this easy and delicious recipe.
You’re welcome, Kathleen! It pleases me very much to know that your family enjoyed it!
Delish, just cut back a little on the salt…
Very Good, just a little salty, my picky hubby really liked it!
I’ve made this 3X, it’s good, especially if you don’t want to fry. Tasty.
This was really good, could have sworn I had thyme but my bottle was empty, still really good, put thyme on the list. Had two pan size frying catfish instead of filets, really good and easy.
I was always scared of catfish. I was given some and tried this and it was delicious! I only did 2 in my toaster oven and halved everything. Will use less salt next time. Thank you for curing my fears of catfish!
I made this recipe for my husband and me for dinner this week. I paired it with oven roasted asparagus and rice pilaf. Simply amazing! I, too, reduced the salt by half after reading the suggestions by other posters, and it was just perfect. I have found a new fish recipe to add to our collection! Thank you for sharing…the meal was just so delicious and flavorful, and best of all, quick and easy to prepare! :D
So glad you enjoyed it, Vada!
Holy Crap! This recipe is the Bee’s Knees. I always make it a point to comment on a food blog if the recipe I tried it legit! This right here was amazing. Even my picky eater boyfriend went bananas over this recipe… He’s so hard to feed. He wouldn’t stop talking about the fish… He wanted it twice in one week and that’s rare. Anyway… I loved this recipe and it is definitely one of our favorites. I paired the baked catfish with Quinoa and roasted potatoes. It was delicious and healthy. Thank You!
Hi Nevaeh! I am so pleased that you and your boyfriend enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of our favorites here as well.
I’d agree with the less salt comments, but this recipe was amazing ! Definitely going to be a repeat for me .
Lana Stuart, thanks so much for the delicious recipe.
Lana Stewart
I replaced the lemon juice with fresh squeezed orange juice. Came out “Fabtabulous.
Wow! Just made this for my parents and I. It was great. I’d use a little less salt next time but it turned out. Made it with fried asparagus seasoned with garlic, salt, and lemon pepper and some lemon juice.
Thank you for this recipe. I bake catfish all the time but more basic with my seasoning. So I was excited to put a twist on my catfish tonight. My husband and my two boys loved it. I will continue to bake my catfish according to your recipe in the future. Thanks again!
Thank you for this fabulous recipe! I halved the ingredients, subbed 1 tsp dried parsley for fresh, and used unsalted butter for two fillets. Delicious and a definite keeper!
Hi
Was wondering if I could used dry parsley .. being that I have everything else except fresh parsley
Thanks for the tips ..
Sure. The standard for substituting dried for fresh herbs is to use 1/3 the amount of dried as fresh.
I have picky eaters. Fish is not allowed on the menu unless is salmon cooked in brown sugar and butter. HOWEVER my family LOVED this recipe and it is now on our regular dinner menu. This is so simple and delicious, it’s perfect for a “don’t have time to cook”. Hang up the phone, don’t order pizza, this is easier and a lot less expensive. I even made up the seasoning to keep in the pantry so I am not mixing it each time- just pulling out the jar of seasonings. **We have dairy allergies so I replaced the butter with hemp milk and sometimes almond milk. Catfish is generally a little on the oily side anyway. The hemp/almond milk give this a rich flavor with out the butter and it’s still very yummy!
So happy to hear that! This is one of our favorites, too.
My husband made this tonight!! It was excellent!! Very flavorful and looked just like the picture!
This is such a great recipe. I have made it three times now. I divide everything in half and make two fillets for my husband and myself. We both love it. Thank you so much for sharing this easy and delicious recipe!
So glad you like it, Chanda.
Going to make this in a few minutes, can’t wait! I know it’s going to be amazing!
I really hope you enjoy it, Angie!
Does this recipe apply to other fish as well?
I haven’t tried it with others, but I would think you could use any firm fish.
I tried it on salmon but swapped out the melted butter for olive oil, increased the temp to 400 degrees and baked it for 20-25 minutes.
So you made a completely different recipe then. I get it.
I’ve never really made fish before but my boyfriend is obsessed with catfish and he LOVED IT! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Hello. I curious about the nutrition facts, by any chance would you happen to know what they are?
Sorry, but for legal reasons I do not provide nutrition information on my recipes. There are numerous nutrition calculators on the internet where you can plug in the ingredients of a recipe and get a nutritional calculation. They all differ but you might try one of those.
Stumbled on this recipe Googling baked catfish recipes. Best stumble I’ve ever made. I added cornmeal and a quarter more of the herbs to the dry mix plus a light egg white wash. Totally delish! Thank you for posting your story and this delightful recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Alesia!
Tried the recipe and it’s delish. Did not have parsley so I left it out all together. I also did not salt as much because of the feedback above. I found your recipe because I was trying to make a meal in the oven all at the same time. So I started by roasting brussel sprouts. Then prepared and added corn bread. Then prepared and added the catfish. Waited 20 min and Voila! Everything was ready at the same time. Really happy the way it turned out.
I’m so glad it worked out well for you, Anna. It’s a recipe we really enjoy.
Fixed this recipe tonight and it was wonderful. I left out the paprika as I didn’t have any and I used dried parsley instead of the fresh parsley. This recipe is a “keeper”.
That’s great to hear, Lorinda. I’m always pleased when someone enjoys a recipe.
Hi Lana,
If we enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed reading your narrative, it will be a keeper for sure. Seriously, looks great, and I have some parsley, thyme, and oregano in my little herb garden I’m just itching to use. We’ll try it tonight! Thanks. . .
Thank you for this recipe! I tried it last night , and it was just right. Light, not spicy, but a bold flavor. I am always on the lookout for good fish recipes that are not complicated and time consuming . So glad I found your site! Thanks a million.
Hi Nell. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of our favorites. Hope you’ll find lots of other things to enjoy here on the blog.
Do you oil the fish after thawing it out or just thaw it out and then prepare to add your seasoning
I mostly use fresh catfish, but if using frozen you should thaw it first and then proceed with the recipe.
Just found this recipe by looking around on google. Looks like I hit the jackpot. I give this recipe five stars. Quick and easy. So much flavor.
I’ve made this recipe a couple times and have been very happy with it. I’ve done catfish with rice, I’ve done it by itself, tonight I’m even using this seasoning on tilapia and baking vegatables with it. Baked fish is so good.
Very good catfish recipe, so delish. Will try again.
Delish! I just finished eating. Didn’t have lemon juice but this was sooooo good!!!!
So glad you liked it, Lori.
You make a good point about how the calorie laden diets of yesteryear suited the labour intensive lifestyle. I sit behind a computer around 10 hours a day. I couldn’t have country fried steak every night for dinner. Although I would love to try it just once! I wonder if future generations one day become more active and frown upon our low calorie diets as a diet for lazy and feeble people?
Fantastic! I love catfish, and like you, I grew up eating everything fried. My grandparents and then my parents owned a fried catfish restaurant when I was growing up, so your post made me smile! Can’t wait to try this.
I hope you will try it and like it! It’s an alternative for times when you want something a little different from the usual fried :-)
This looks sooo tasty!! I don’t have any cat fish but I bet it would be good on the white fish I have in my freezer
Lana, i enjoyed it a lot…just a bit more salt than I am used to,,,,,as per the site i dont remeber being unable to use the right click of the mouse to make corrections….maybe in the past my spelling was better and corrections were not needed hahahaha
the dish was ok….a bit too salty for me. I wrote a halfe decent comment but correcting spelling mistakes with the new system you have is such a PITA i deleted the whole thing and wrote this instead
So sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Clive. You can always adjust the amount of salt to suit your personal tastes. I’m unsure what you are talking about with “the new system.” I haven’t changed anything at all – still the same old “system” I’ve always had.
Oh my gosh, these look so incredibly good! We don’t eat a lot of fish here, but I bet if I put this on the table they’d be drooling!
Hi Lana,
First time here and am bowled over.Your connection to your family,keeping up your ‘southern cooking traditions’ and celebrating humble food – these have me floored.I am a vegetarian and am going to drop in a lot to enjoy your blog…
Regards,
Rajani.
Since you sound like a person that loves a plate of fried catfish as much as I do, I’m betting this is delicious. Isn’t catfish fabulous? Being a Texas gal, I think catfish is as much fun to catch as it is to eat, :)
You can cook catfish fillets on the George Foreman also. Make sure that you coat the fillets with olive oil, and really spray the surfaces with cooking spray. Season to your liking, and cook for only 2 or 3 minutes. Really quick, super good.
Miss P
Thank you I use my grill for many thing because now that I am older & wiser? I do not eat much fried food & love my G.F. as I think I am frying but healthy, but Fish I always had to bake/broil so glad to get this recipe I will try tonight. again thank you.
I will eat catfish anyway prepared… nothing better than cornmeal battered & fried but I have baked and panteened fillets lately cooking very similar to this recipe…. reminds me of the oven-fried catfish recipe I did for Dara back in August…
I dont know why, but cooking with catfish scares me but I would happily eat this it! :)
I cannot wait to make this…made sauteedfish the other day……if only i had known this recipe was coming i would have saved the fish for tonight :0
thanks a million