Grilled catfish is an easy, delicious, and simple way to cook the hard fighting, abundant but often underappreciated bottom-dwelling catfish. Catfish throw their weight around equally, in the water and on the table, providing anglers with bulldog battles with the rod and reel and follow that up with dinner plates full of delicious meat.
How To Grill Catfish
We’ll show you the step-by-step process to grill a catfish with a simple Cajun blend and olive oil. You can purchase pre-mixed Cajun seasoning at the store or make a homemade version with things like salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and thyme.
Ingredients:
- Catfish Fillets (leaving skin on is optional)
- Olive Oil
- Cajun Seasoning
- Butter
- Milk
- Salt + Pepper
- Lemon (optional)
Time needed: 1 hour.
How To Grill Catfish
- Soaking The Fish
Before cooking, soak fish filets in milk for 30-90 minutes. This will help mask the fishy taste.
- Rinse And Dry Your Catfish
Rinse your catfish under cool water, and then pat the filets dry.
- Adding The Oil And Seasonings
Drizzle and then rub olive oil all around your catfish and then liberally smother the fish in Cajun seasoning.
- Prepping The Grill
Make sure your grill is grate is hot, clean, and covered with oil to prevent the fish from sticking.
- Laying Things Down
Lay the catfish diagonally across the hot part of the grill with the skin side down (will work with or without skin).
- Grilling The Catfish
It usually takes 4-5 minutes for the fish to cook. You will know it’s ready when the sides begin to stiffen.
- Flip The Catfish
Once ready, flip the catfish gently to get the solid grill marks on the other side.
- Top Off Your Grilled Catfish
To finish off, add a little slice of butter and some fresh lemon juice.

