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Fish Fry Seasoning and Breading

This Fish Fry Seasoning and Breading is a homemade batter spice blend crafted with herbs and spices and promises to transport your taste buds to bliss. Dive into crispy, golden perfection as every bite of succulent fish melts in your mouth.

breaded catfish nuggets on a plate with hot sauce and a fresh lemon
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Key Ingredients

  • Yellow Cornmeal
  • All-purpose flour
  • Smoked paprika
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cayenne pepper (optional, for a spicy kick)
yellow cornmeal, all purpose flour, and spices in separate bowls

Why You Will Love this Breading

It’s a mixture of ingredients used to coat fish before frying, giving it a crispy and flavorful crust.

  • Crispy Texture: The breading creates a crispy and crunchy exterior that contrasts with the tender and moist fish inside. It adds an enjoyable texture to the dish.
  • Flavor Enhancement: The seasonings in the breading mixture add flavor to the fish. The combination of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and other spices enhances the natural taste of the fish and provides a well-rounded flavor profile.
  • Moisture Retention: The breading helps to seal in the moisture of the fish during the cooking process. It forms a protective barrier that prevents the fish from drying out and helps maintain its juiciness.
  • Golden Crust: Breading gives the fish a mouth-watering golden-brown crust.
cornmeal, flour, and spices in a glass bowl

How to Get Crispy Brown Crust

  • Select the right type of fish: Choose a firm and flaky fish variety like cod, catfish, haddock, or tilapia. These types of fish hold up well to frying and provide a nice texture.
  • Preparing the fish: Ensure the fish is completely dry. This helps remove any excess moisture, which can prevent the breading from sticking properly.
  • Dip each fish fillet into the fish fry breading, pressing gently to help it adhere. Make sure both sides are evenly coated with the breading mixture. You can also use buttermilk, as noted above.
  • Resting the breaded fish: Place the breaded fish fillets on a baking sheet or plate and let them rest for about 10-15 minutes. This resting period allows the breading to set and adhere better to the fish, resulting in a crispier texture.

How to Make Fish Fry Breading

  1. Combine cornmeal, flour, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  2. Stir and use for breaded fish or store for use later.
fish fry breading in a white bowl

How to Ensure the Breading Sticks to the Fish

I love to use buttermilk to ensure it sticks. It’s also great for tenderizing the fish.

Additional Flavor Substitutions

  • Cajun Seasoning
  • Lemon Pepper
  • Smoky Chipotle
  • Parmesan and Herb
  • Old Bay Seasoning
breaded catfish nuggets on a sheet pan with parchment paper

How to Store

It can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.

Can You Reuse Leftover Breading

If the leftover breading mixture has come into contact with raw fish, it’s best to discard it to avoid cross-contamination. Bacteria from the raw fish could multiply and pose a food safety risk.

More Spice Blend Recipes

Dry Rub for Chicken Recipe
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and Rub
Homemade BBQ Seasoning and Rub

person holding catfish nugget dipped in hot sauce
fish fry breading in a white bowl
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Fish Fry Seasoning and Breading

This Fish Fry Seasoning and Breading is a homemade batter spice blend crafted with herbs and spices and promises to transport your taste buds to bliss. Dive into crispy, golden perfection as every bite of succulent fish melts in your mouth.
Save this recipe here.
Course seasoning, Spices
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword catfish breading, fish fry, fish fry breading, fish fry seasoning
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 123kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir.
  • Pair the fish fry breading with this Catfish Nuggets Recipe.

Notes

When making your own spice blend you should always make it to suit your taste. If it’s your first time, cut the spices noted in the recipe in half. Taste the blend (you will have to do so before mixing it with flour), and then build and add more to suit your taste. You can always add additional spices in, but once you have added something, it’s much harder to walk that back.
The recipe can be easily doubled, tripled, etc. for batch use.
Recipe Tools Used in this RecipeAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g
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Nutrition DataMacros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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