Are you wondering what to serve with catfish? Then you’ve come to the right place!
Catfish is a popular meal in the United States’ southern states. Its meat is rich and moist when cooked, and it has a slight sweetness to it.
You can enjoy catfish by baking, grilling, or frying it, but what can you serve with it? Here are some delicious side dish suggestions to go with your catfish.
1. Homemade Ice Cream
This is a good way to round off your seafood meal. Get your kids to help you prepare some homemade ice cream!
All you need to make ice cream is milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and time to wait to freeze.
Nevertheless, frozen yogurt also sounds delicious if you want a healthier dessert. You can make your froyo with heavy cream, plain yogurt, and honey.
Regardless of whatever one you choose to prepare, don’t forget to add fruits or berries for a tart flavor.
Fruits pair perfectly with ice cream and offer a lovely counterpoint to the rich catfish meal you’re about to have.
2. Peach Cobbler
You can try this classic southern dessert for what to serve with catfish. A delicious peach cobbler will complement your lovely meal.
Your taste buds will probably crave something cooling after that delicious catfish meal, and I’m confident that a slice (or two) of peach cobbler would satisfy that craving.
Ripe peaches with a sweet sauce, flaky crust, and a crumble made with butter on top? You can’t say no.
3. Fried Okra
Okra is a slimy vegetable, but fried okra is another Southern favorite that makes it so delicious. Try this simple dish before cutting off okra forever.
Apply a cornmeal batter to the okra and deep-fry it until brown. You will reconsider, I’m very certain of it. Oh, you might even include it in your regular menu!
4. Asparagus Fries
Use asparagus instead of potato if you want a healthier version of the traditional fries. Moreover, bake the spears rather than deep-frying them! They’ll still be fresh and delicious.
Coat the asparagus with panko cheese and breadcrumbs for an added flavor and crunch. Who would have thought something so healthy could also taste so good?
5. Mashed Cauliflower
If you’re still wondering what to serve with catfish, prepare mashed cauliflower.
This is another healthy alternative to mashed potatoes. As you know, potatoes have more calories per serving than cauliflower.
Yet, it doesn’t lack flavor, so you can still enjoy that rich and creamy mash without feeling guilty. Top your mashed potatoes with cheese, sour cream, and bacon for an even more delicious side.
6. Salt and Vinegar Chips
Consider a customized version of fish and chips. Salt and vinegar chips will provide a crisp contrast to the meal and cut through the richness of the catfish.
Making your chips at home can be more fun, even though purchasing a bag from the supermarket is much simpler.
Potatoes should be sliced as thinly as possible for homemade chips. A food processor can help you slice them in regular sizes, which is also very important.
After soaking the potatoes in a salt-vinegar solution for 30 minutes, cook them till crisp and golden.
7. Cucumber Salad
If you want a comforting side dish, don’t worry about what to serve with catfish; prepare your cucumber salad!
This looks like a refreshing side dish: cucumbers mixed with red onions, oregano, and dill, then drizzled in Greek yogurt.
It will add a refreshing, fresh contrast to your deep, delicate catfish. The perfect mixture.
8. Coleslaw
To prepare a delicious and refreshing slaw, shred some cabbage and carrots and toss them in mayonnaise.
But why not include some broccoli to make a more interesting side dish? It will complement your catfish well and provide another crunchy, nutritious ingredient.
9. Cornbread
Serve your catfish with a delicious and crunchy quick bread to balance out its richness.
It’s okay if you don’t want your cornbread to be overly sweet. For savory bread, reduce the sugar and add some jalapenos.
10. Mac and Cheese
If you want something rich and creamy, then don’t worry about what to serve with catfish, as this dish of Mac and cheese is a perfect choice!
Mac and cheese are, without a doubt, the best among creamy sides. It will satiate your family’s appetite and excite their taste buds.
You’ll start salivating just thinking about eating flavorful catfish with a creamy, buttery pasta dish!
11. Fried Green Tomatoes
Here’s another traditional Southern dish that goes well with catfish! Even though it’s another fried meal, they’re nonetheless really tasty.
Just cut those green tomatoes into slices and coat them with cornmeal batter. And then fry till golden.
12. French Fries
Of course! Nothing like a dish of old-fashioned French fries to go with your fried catfish. Yes, to the fat, salt, and flavor.
It’s not the healthiest of unions, but live a little! But if you want something more diet-friendly, bake potato wedges instead.
Granted, they won’t have the distinct flavor that deep-frying brings, but they’re still delicious, especially if you season them well.
13. Hush Puppies
Hush puppies are on the list of side dishes to consider when considering what to serve with catfish.
Although simple, these deep-fried balls of cornmeal batter are incredibly irresistible.
You can never have just one of those! As a result, you might want to think about preparing a guilt-free, healthier version of this dish. Try air-frying them as an alternative to frying.
Spoons of batter should be dropped into the basket to air fry. You can have oil-free golden hush puppies in only ten minutes.
14. Cilantro Lime Rice
Since fried catfish isn’t the most filling food, you should serve a filling side dish with it. All you need is a bowl of plain, steaming rice.
Add some lime juice and cilantro to it to give it more flavor. They make an excellent pairing since the mild zesty flavor will cut through the richness of the catfish.
15. Corn Salsa
For what to serve with catfish, try corn salsa. This corn salsa will brighten your dish and palette.
This nutrient-rich side dish is stylish enough for a formal celebration and easy to prepare for weeknight dinners.
On top of that, the grilled catfish will taste great with corn salsa. Combine corn, bell peppers, onions, and lime juice to make a dish that will please a large crowd without using meat.
In addition, a trace of jalapeno gives the dish a light spicy boost. Use any corn you like for this dish, even frozen or leftover corn. Other than that, handle the jalapeno pepper with extreme care.
Grilling the corn adds additional smokey aromas to the dish. However, if you’re in a hurry, bake it.
There are numerous ways to decorate your corn salsa. Try black beans, avocado pieces, fresh cilantro, or black olives. Sour cream or even a spoonful would be wonderful.
16. Parmesan Potato Pennies
Parmesan potato pennies are a good choice if you’re wondering what to serve with catfish. They are the perfect catfish side dish—savory and crispy.
These potato slices maintain their crisp outside and fluffy interior after roasting. To ensure that all slices cook equally, cut them to the same thickness.
In addition, soaking the potatoes in ice water for 30 minutes helps remove extra starch and produce crispy results because overly starchy potatoes will cook unevenly.
These roasted bites benefit greatly from the flavorful combination of garlic and Parmesan.
The Parmesan cheese coating imparts a nutty flavor to the potatoes, while the garlic infuses a strong flavor and salty aroma.
Furthermore, both grated and shredded Parmesan is used in this recipe.
17. Fried Onion Ring
Last on our list of what to serve with catfish is fried onion rings. If you don’t mind serving fried catfish with extra grease, these fried onion rings are for you.
This meal is a fantastic side dish that goes well with anything and is available at any restaurant in the US.
Choose carefully, as different types of onions have different flavors. But most people use yellow onions due to their mild flavor.
This dish contains salt, paprika, granulated garlic, and pepper. If it’s more convenient, use garlic powder for the granulated garlic.
This one uses Panko bread crumbs, unlike other recipes, which coat the onion rings in a beer batter. The rings take on a crispier texture better when coated in panko.
Even if the onion rings are already flavorful and delicious, you may boost your satisfaction by dipping them in ketchup, ranch, or another preferred sauce.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our list of what to serve with catfish. So whether you grill, bake, or fry your catfish, there’s always a side dish to go with it.
Have you tried any other sides? Please feel free to share in the comment section below!
