Pan-Seared Catfish with Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce
Delicately pan-seared catfish fillets topped with a zesty lemon pepper butter sauce, perfect for a soulful seafood dinner. This Southern-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs catfish fillets, all-purpose flour, lemon pepper seasoning for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets (6 oz each) catfish fillets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: In a shallow dish, combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dredge each of the 4 catfish fillets in the flour mixture, coating both sides evenly.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the fillets and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through, with the flesh flaking easily.
- Step 3: Remove the fillets from the skillet and set aside on a warm plate. Reduce heat to medium and add 4 tbsp unsalted butter to the same skillet. Once melted, stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and cook for 1 minute until the sauce slightly thickens and becomes fragrant.
- Step 4: Spoon the lemon pepper butter sauce evenly over the catfish fillets and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving.







