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Grilled Blackened Catfish

Name: Grilled Blackened Catfish
Prep time: 23 min
Total time: 23 min
Cuisine: Cajun/Creole · Cajun
Ingredients: smoked paprika — 30 g; garlic — 15 g; onion powder — 15 g; dried leaf oregano — 3 g; thyme — 3 g; cayenne pepper — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 5 g; salt — 5 g; catfish fillets — 680 g; unsalted butter — 54 g; vegetable oil — 27 g; lemon — 65 g

Grilled Blackened Catfish reads citrus 6.5, sourness 5.8 and fruity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole · Cajun main, about 23 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.9 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 8.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 4.7 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.5 · Sourness 5.8 · Fruity 5.2 · Smoke 4.3 · Umami 4.3 · Richness 4.1 · Allium 4.0 · Salinity 3.7 · Heat 3.6 · Warm Spice 3.2 · Marine & Briny 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Sweetness 1.5 · Earthy 1.5 · Bitterness 1.4 · Floral 1.3 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (12)

smoked paprika — 30 g
garlic — 15 g
onion powder — 15 g
dried leaf oregano — 3 g
thyme — 3 g
cayenne pepper — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 5 g
salt — 5 g
catfish fillets — 680 g
unsalted butter — 54 g
vegetable oil — 27 g
lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 23 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 130 kcal, 11.9 g protein, 12.5 g fat, 3.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

In a small bowl, whisk together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne, black pepper, and salt to make the blackening spice blend.
Pat the catfish fillets completely dry with paper towels, then brush both sides of each fillet with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
Press the spice blend firmly over both sides of the fillets until fully and evenly coated.
Heat a grill to high (450-500°F) with the lid closed, 10 minutes; set a large cast-iron skillet on the grates and let it heat until just smoking, about 5 minutes more.
Add the vegetable oil to the hot skillet and swirl to coat, then lay the fillets in the skillet without crowding.
Sear undisturbed until a deep blackened crust forms on the first side, 3-4 minutes.
Flip and sear the second side until blackened and the fish flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145°F in the thickest part, 3-4 minutes more.
Transfer the fillets to a platter, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, and squeeze the lemon wedges over the top; season with a pinch more salt if needed, and serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Foil Packets — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
Kedgeree (Smoked Fish and Rice, the Colonial Descendant of Khichuri) — Indian · Anglo-Indian
Cajun Blackened Grilled Shrimp Skewers — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
Low Country Shrimp Boil — Southern · Lowcountry
Crispy Cajun Fried Shrimp with Remoulade — Cajun/Creole

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.