Carrageenan Free Cajun-Spiced Catfish

Total time22 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time12 min

4.6

(13)

Catfish gets a serious upgrade here, coated in a bold homemade spice blend and seared in a cast iron skillet until the crust is deeply golden and the inside is perfectly flaky. The seasoning mix — smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, oregano, thyme, and a few other pantry staples — comes together in minutes and delivers that signature Southern heat without reaching for any packaged blends. That matters more than it might seem, because many pre-made Cajun seasonings and processed seafood products contain carrageenan as a filler or stabilizer, making a from-scratch approach the smartest move. Every single ingredient here is clean and straightforward, so you know exactly what's going into the pan. A squeeze of fresh lemon at the end cuts through the richness of the olive oil and brightens all that smoky spice beautifully. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the Cajun spice blend

1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¾ tsp kosher salt

For the fish

4 catfish fillets (about 6 oz each), patted dry
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For serving

1 lemon, cut into wedges
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

1
In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper, cayenne, and kosher salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
2
Pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the spice blend evenly over both sides of each fillet, pressing gently so it adheres.

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