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Spicy Catfish Tacos with Louisiana-Inspired Cabbage Slaw

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.

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

Try cooking these for a summer dinner party where you have some friends over and let people assemble their own tacos. It is easy to scale up or down, and the coleslaw can be made a day in advance.
If you are breaking down the catfish yourself, make sure to wash off any blood from the cleaned fillets before you deep fry them. This blood can impart some unappealing flavors to your meat.
Deep-fried items with a crispy skin, especially fish, are best eaten right after it they have been fried while they are still hot.
There is always a debate, across countries and regionally, as to which hot sauce is best. In Louisiana, I have heard that many folks prefer a brand of hot sauce called Crystal Hot Sauce. It has a heat profile similar to Tabasco, with a less vinegar- forward taste. Tabasco will always have a fond place in my heart and in my pantry, but Crystal Hot Sauce is amazing as well!