Catfish is delicious, relatively inexpensive, and more sustainable than many other fish species available to consumers in the United States.
This recipe features spicy, deep-fried catfish fillets served in corn tortillas with a spicy cabbage slaw.

Spicy Catfish Tacos with Louisiana-Inspired Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
For the Cabbage Slaw:
- 3 cups green cabbage (shredded)
- ½ cup red cabbage (shredded)
- 1 carrot (peeled & shredded)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp Louisiana-style hot sauce (Crystal, or Tabasco)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)
For the Deep-Fried Catfish:
- 1 pound catfish fillets
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
For the Remaining Taco Ingredients:
- 8 small corn tortillas (5-inch)
- 1 ripe avocado (sliced)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (roughly chopped, as garnish)
- A few drops of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 lime (cut into wedges, as garnish)
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the cabbage slaw.
- In a large bowl, combine the finely-shredded green and red cabbage with the shredded carrot.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, Kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Pour this coleslaw dressing over the cabbage, and toss until well coated.
- Refrigerate the slaw while you prepare the catfish.
- Heat the vegetable oil in your preferred deep-frying pan over medium-high heat, until the oil is roughly 360-370F.
- *If your catfish fillets are very thick, you can deep-fry at a temperature closer to 340-350 for a longer period of time, with the same golden-brown exterior you want when the fish is cooked through. The thinner your fillets are, the less time you want them to deep-fry, and the hotter you want your vegetable oil to be (up to about 380-390F).
- In a shallow dish, mix the cornmeal, paprika, cayenne pepper, Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Dip each catfish fillet into the cornmeal mixture, ensuring all sides of the fillets are thoroughly coated.
- Dust off the excess cornmeal coating.
- Fry the catfish fillets in the hot oil until golden brown and crispy, or about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets.
- Once cooked, transfer the catfish to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil, and salt with some Kosher salt.
- To assemble the tacos, warm the corn tortillas on a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds on each side.
- Place a piece of fried catfish on each tortilla.
- Top with a generous helping of the spicy cabbage slaw, a few slices of avocado, some sour cream, fresh cilantro, and a few drops of your favorite hot sauce.
- Serve the Catfish Tacos immediately, with lime wedges served on the side for squeezing over the top.
Notes