Catfish Po’Boy

A catfish po’boy is a treat of a Southern sandwich, comprising crispy fried catfish topped with a spicy Cajun slaw in a soft roll. The most intensive part of this catfish po’boy recipe is breading and frying the fish. The slaw on top is a quick, stir-together topping that doesn’t even require any chopping. The fish fries up quickly, which means it’s easy to make round after round of these overstuffed sandwiches to feed a crowd after a day at the beach or some other body of water.

What is a po’boy?

A poor boy, or po’boy, is the Gulf Coast’s answer to a sub, an overstuffed sandwich served on long segments of French bread that can be loaded with any number of fillings. They were invented in New Orleans in 1929 to feed streetcar workers during a strike, an inexpensive but satisfying working-class lunch that’s now beloved by locals and tourists alike.

Catfish Po’Boy Ingredients

• Coleslaw mix: A great shortcut ingredient, coleslaw mix is a blend of shredded carrot and often two colors of cabbage. It serves as a base for a crunchy, spicy slaw.
• Mayonnaise: A little mayo makes the Cajun slaw creamy. Use store-bought or homemade mayonnaise.
• Seafood cocktail sauce: This combination of ketchup and horseradish contributes a pink color and a tangy flavor to the Cajun slaw.
• Cajun seasoning: Garlicky and spicy, Cajun seasoning adds big flavor to both the slaw and the catfish.
• Seafood seasoning: Bay leaves, celery seed and mustard seed are key flavors in any good seafood seasoning, and they layer in lots of flavor to both the slaw and the seafood dredge for these catfish po’boys. Make our salt-free seafood seasoning or use a pre-mixed option from the spice aisle.
• Cornmeal and flour: A light seafood breading made of flour and cornmeal, seasoned with salt and spiced with Cajun and seafood seasoning blends, coats the fried shrimp with a light, tender crumb. Once fried, this dry dredge has a subtle crunch.
• Buttermilk: A dip in buttermilk adds a layer of tang to the catfish and helps the spiced cornmeal dredge adhere to the fillets. Use cultured buttermilk, regular buttermilk or reconstituted buttermilk powder in water. If you’re out of all the above, learn how to make buttermilk using regular milk and an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar.
• Catfish fillets: The starring ingredient, catfish fillets have a pleasant minerality to them. You can also use any thin, white fish fillets you like.
• Oil: We call for deep-frying the catfish for this po’boy recipe, so you’ll need an oil with a high smoke point suitable for that type of cooking. This can be vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil or even avocado oil, whatever you prefer.
• Hoagie buns: In Louisiana, po’boy bread is sold in long loaves and cut into segments. We call for hoagie rolls with a soft crumb and a crispy crust instead.

Directions 

Step 1: Make the Cajun slaw

In a large bowl, toss the coleslaw mix, mayonnaise, cocktail sauce, Cajun seasoning and seafood seasoning, then set it aside.

Step 2: Bread the catfish

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, Cajun seasoning and seafood seasoning. Place the buttermilk in another shallow bowl. Dip the fish in buttermilk, then coat it with the cornmeal mixture.

Catfish Po’Boy Variations

• Switch up the sauce: Omit the Cajun slaw and dress your catfish po’boys instead with a classic remoulade sauce, or keep it super simple and use dijonnaise (mayo and mustard mixed together) or just plain mayonnaise! 
• Swap out the catfish: Fry oysters, shrimp or even soft-shell crabs in the exact same breading for another popular version of a po’boy. You could also load up your po’ boys with roast beef, fried chicken or barbecue favorites like smoked sausage or pulled pork. Any of the above would be great with this Cajun-spiced slaw. 
• Take a shortcut: Substitute the breaded catfish with breaded frozen fish fillets. Cook them according to the package instructions to build a quick version of these po’boys with slaw.

How to Store Catfish Po’Boys

Store any leftover fried fish and slaw in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat fried fish in an air fryer or a 300° oven. Drain any extra liquid from the slaw before adding it to the sandwiches. 

Can you make catfish po’boys ahead of time? 

Catfish po’boys are at their very best when each ingredient is at its optimal temperature: the fish is hot, the slaw is cool and the bread is ready to sop up all the juices. As they sit, the heat of the cooked fish will fade the slaw and everything will get soggy. You can prepare the components ahead of time, but wait to assemble the sandwiches until just before eating. 

Catfish Po’Boy Tips

Can you air-fry the fish for catfish po’boys?

You can absolutely air-fry the catfish instead of deep-frying it. Transfer the breaded fillets to a preheated air fryer, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Flip the fish halfway through to ensure it browns evenly on both sides.

What can you serve with catfish po’boys?

The beauty of a po’boy is that it’s a complete meal that contains protein, carbs and vegetables. Feel free to add any classic deli side, such as potato salad, cucumber salad or pickles, and follow it up with something refreshing and light like a watermelon sorbet. 

What’s the best bread for po’boys?

True po’boy bread, French bread sold in long rolls and cut into segments, is a regional staple that will be difficult to find outside of Louisiana. The ideal bread for a po’boy has a soft, fluffy texture that cradles the toppings, but also a crispy exterior that shatters when you take a bite. A baguette will certainly work, but the ideal texture is a little softer. Look for long French or Italian rolls with a tight, soft crumb and a crackly exterior.