15 Impressive Sides Dishes For Catfish To Grab At Meal Time

Catfish is a popular type of fish eaten all across the world in continents like Asia and North America.

It is known for its unique taste that is unlike anything else in other white fish  – it is surprisingly sweet and mild, especially if the catfish is farmed rather than caught from the wild. 

Because of this, catfish is often served up for dinner and cooked in lots of different ways. It is fried, boiled, grilled and even baked!

There are so many ways to cook this delicious type of fish that choosing just one can be tricky – and that is not the only question that comes with cooking catfish.

What Should You Serve With It?

Here are 15 of the best side dishes that go great with catfish so you can treat yourself to a hearty meal with the best paired food! Take a look at our list below and find the right side dishes for you. 

Quick Table: Impressive Sides Dishes For Catfish

1. Cornbread

Cornbread is an iconic side dish that originates from the southern states of the United States that also pairs amazingly well with seafood based dishes. 

It is incredibly light and sweet, with a crisp crust and fluffy center for a range of textures to treat your mouth with. This recipe will help you make the perfect, buttery cornbread that will complement your catfish dinner perfectly. 

Plus, it is really simple to make so you will have the ideal side dish in no time at all! 

Calories Per Serving: 180

Preparation Time: 35 Minutes

2. French Fries

Fish and chips, anyone?

Take inspiration from Great Britain by serving this famous English dish for your dinner. All you need to do is follow this recipe to make some classic french fries – it’s extremely easy and requires very few ingredients.

This makes it the ideal side dish for those who want a simple and quick recipe to follow with little effort or fuss. 

So by making your own french fries next to your catfish dinner, you can try an alternative taste of England’s most iconic cuisine. 

Calories Per Serving: 308

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

3. Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a popular side dish often served up at barbecues and at picnics, but it also pairs perfectly well with catfish. 

This is because coleslaw does an amazing job of balancing savory flavors with sweetness, combining a lot of flavors together to make a medley of delicious tastes and flavors.

This recipe even adds honey to further complement the sweetness of the catfish while contrasting it with zesty lemon juice and tart apple cider. 

It all blends together well to make a creamy coleslaw that works as an excellent side dish alongside a catfish dinner. 

Calories Per Serving: 240

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

4. Corn On The Cob

Another classic favorite seen often at barbecues and picnics, corn on the cob is a delicious way to add sweetness to your main dish. 

Buttery and juicy, corn on the cob is very easy to make – either by grilling or roasting – but this recipe shows the way to make the perfect garlic butter infused corn on the cob in just a few quick steps.

Calories Per Serving: 89

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

5. Asparagus

Those searching for a delicious vegetable-based side dish should try out this recipe for some oven roasted asparagus.

Asparagus is a great side dish for grilled fish, including catfish, plus it is very easy to make as it only needs a few ingredients to cook to perfection.

You can even add some extra zest and flavor by adding lemon juice and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

But whatever you choose to add, this recipe for roasted asparagus is foul proof and will leave you with a healthy and delicious side dish for your catfish dinner. 

Calories Per Serving: 20

Preparation Time: Not Available

6. Hush Puppies

Another side dish that hails from the southern states of the US, hush puppies are a light and delicious side dish that consists of fried cornmeal dough. 

This recipe adds additional spices like paprika to give these hush puppies a little kick to enhance their flavor even more appetizing.

This makes them perfect when paired with sweet catfish, so why not try serving up these delicious little treats to your guests?

Calories Per Serving: 55

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

7. Potato Salad

Potato salad is a classic American side dish that pairs great with baked fish dishes like baked catfish. 

This recipe is especially good as it includes fine ingredients like red potatoes and green onions to really bring out the savory flavors to match incredibly well with sweet catfish.

Creamy and smooth, potato salad also pairs well with the soft texture of catfish. 

This makes potato salad the ideal side dish to serve up alongside a delicious dinner of home-baked catfish! 

Calories Per Serving: 305

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

8. Roasted Cauliflower

This is another great vegetable-based side dish for those seeking to add more healthy choices to their diet – roasted cauliflower! 

To make this tasty dish, all you need is a hot oven and some fine herbs to turn your plain cauliflower florets into a celebration of flavor!

This recipe is also incredibly easy to follow, meaning that it takes nearly no time at all to make your side dish of roasted cauliflower.

So if you want a healthy side dish that is quick to rustle up in a hurry, then try out this recipe for roasted cauliflower! 

Calories Per Serving: 71

Preparation Time: 40 Minutes

9. Onion Rings

This savory side dish has crossed across the Atlantic Ocean from England over a century ago, making this iconic appetizer a great pair with catfish and lots of other meals! 

So make your very own onion rings from scratch using this easy recipe! By following these few simple steps, you can make the finest batch of crispy onion rings that pair well with soft cooked catfish and a few greens. 

Its texture is completely original and contrasts perfectly against the soft texture of the catfish, so you can get the best of both worlds! 

Calories Per Serving: 348

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

10. Green Beans

Lots of people tend to avoid green beans, but this infamous side dish tastes perfectly delicious as long as it is properly cooked and seasoned. 

To achieve this, then all you need to do is follow this recipe as it guides you through the proper way to saute green beans using strong garlic and some salt and pepper.

It’s simple and easy yet very effective – and it is sure to change your mind about eating green beans forever! 

So if you have some picky eaters who are avoiding their veggies, serve up some sauteed green beans to get the right kind of nutrients in their systems without fuss or argument.

Paired with some nutritious catfish, green beans can help you make a balanced meal for a healthy diet. 

Calories Per Serving: 52

Preparation Time: 6 Minutes

RELATED: Perfect Addition To Know The Taste Of Wild Catfish Vs Farmed Catfish

11. Lemon Rice

A flavor that is well known for pairing well with seafood dishes is lemon thanks to its zestiness. So, it only makes sense to include a lot of lemon-flavored foods such as lemon rice. 

Seeing as rice is a staple side dish consumed all across the globe, it is understandable that it also is a great side dish to serve alongside catfish as it is filling and delicious.

When infused with some lemon juice, this light and fluffy rice becomes a citrus delight that is perfect when eaten with some deliciously sweet catfish. 

Calories Per Serving: 321

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

12. Steamed Broccoli

Another great vegetable side dish is steamed broccoli. 

This recipe is the best way to prepare broccoli to be eaten with catfish as it uses lemon juice and garlic to infuse strong and zesty flavors with the nutritious goodness of broccoli.

This helps the flavors of the broccoli to complement the soft white meat of the catfish, combining the two together to make a tasty dinner. 

So, if you want a way to cook broccoli so it can be perfectly in tune with your catfish dinner, then this recipe is the way to go! 

Calories Per Serving: 48

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

13. Mediterranean Salad

For another salad recipe that is perfectly balanced with plenty of fresh veggies and flavors, then try out this classic recipe for a Mediterranean salad. 

This recipe merges together plenty of ingredients to create a healthy salad made of many different flavors and tastes.

A few examples include some sweet peppers, delicious feta cheese, a light greek vinaigrette, and cucumber and red onion to add some extra exotic flavors. 

It is a true melody of lots of different ingredients to make the perfect salad for a catfish dinner.  

Calories Per Serving: 84

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

14. Herby Wedges

Similar to french fries, why not try out something thicker and richer? 

This recipe for a batch of potato wedges includes a generous amount of herbs like rosemary and thyme to really enhance the flavor of the wedges.

Once roasted, they are perfectly crispy on the outside yet remain light and fluffy on the inside – the ideal result for wedges! 

With a foolproof recipe that is easy to follow, you are sure to make the best wedges to go alongside your catfish dinner. 

Calories Per Serving: 220.91

Preparation Time: 50 Minutes

15. Cheesy Cauliflower

And finally, we have cheesy cauliflower! 

This is another great way to add more vegetables to your diet while indulging in a rich cheesy sauce. 

This recipe for cheesy cauliflower is incredibly strong, perfect for cheese-lovers, and yet remains thick and creamy.

This sauce is also delicious with soft catfish meat, so don’t be afraid to dunk your forkful of catfish straight into the rich cheese sauce!

Calories Per Serving: 250

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

Conclusion

And there you have it! 

Those were 15 of the best sides to serve alongside some delicious catfish. Each is hearty and is sure to fill your belly. Each side perfectly complements the sweetness of catfish so they are all an excellent choice to choose. 

They each also have their own unique recipes that are quick and easy to follow so you will have a hearty side dish in no time at all with minimal fuss. 

So with all that said and done, it’s time to pick out one or two sides and try cooking them up to serve alongside your piece of catfish. 

Happy cooking! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can You Catch Catfish In The Wild? 

Catfish can be commonly found in a lot of different countries across the world. In fact, they can be found on every continent in the world – except the Antarctic. So really, you can catch catfish in the wild just about everywhere in the world. 

Can You Get Sick From Eating Catfish?

Catfish is a type of fish which means you can get two types of food poisoning from eating catfish. These are ciguatera poisoning and scombroid poisoning.

Both have similar symptoms of cramps and vomiting, but the risk of having food poisoning from catfish is no higher than having it from any other type of fish. 

As long as you are sure the catfish is properly cooked, then you are not likely to fall ill from eating catfish. 

Is It Healthy To Eat Catfish?

Catfish is low in calories yet it is packed with a lot of good nutrients that are good for you. These include lean protein, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. 

It is very rich in omega-3 and vitamin B12. This makes catfish a healthy addition to your plate so it is recommended you eat catfish in order to add more goodness to your diet. 

15 Best Sides Dishes For Catfish

Catfish is eaten all around the world – but what sides go best with this delicious dish? Here are the 15 best side dishes to serve with catfish!

Ingredients

• Cornbread

• French Fries

• Coleslaw

• Corn On The Cob

• Asparagus

• Hush Puppies

• Potato Salad

• Roasted Cauliflower

• Onion Rings

• Green Beans

• Lemon Rice

• Steamed Broccoli

• Mediterranean Salad

• Herby Wedges

• Cheesy Cauliflower

Directions

• Pick a recipe from the list above
• Click the recipe name and visit the website
• Collect the ingredients and cook the food
• Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review

Recipe Video

• Author
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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!

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