This Oven Baked Catfish Nuggets recipe has a light panko coating seasoned with garlic. It is a delicious recipe that is perfect for a quick dinner, light lunch, or afternoon snack.

The nuggets are light, a little crisp, and they are so tender that they practically melt in your mouth!
Table of contents
My inspiration for this recipe is from a booklet I have from The Catfish Institute in Mississippi. Their catfish nugget recipe is deep-fried and is accompanied by a champagne mustard sauce.
Although their recipe looks absolutely fabulous, I knew I would need to lighten it up a bit for our taste. Since deep frying is something we only do occasionally, so I immediately decided to bake these nuggets.
Other seafood recipes
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Salmon Cooked on the Grill
- Grilled Salmon with Black Bean Salsa
- Quick and Easy Shrimp Tacos
I wanted a baked catfish nuggets recipe that was quick and easy to prepare on busy days. Something that not only my husband and I would like but that the kids would also enjoy.
Unfortunately, I did not get step by step photos of this recipe. It is really similar to my Homemade Shake and Bake process where I throw the coating in a bag and shake it up.
Ingredients needed
- Catfish
- Panko
- Bread crumbs
- Canola oil
- Garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Non-stick cooking spray
How to prepare this recipe
- Pre-heat the oven.
- Cut the catfish into bite-size pieces. About 1-inch squares.
- In a bowl or a zip-loc bag, mix together the panko, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and canola oil. Mix well.
- Drizzle a good coat of canola oil, 2 or 3 teaspoons, onto a baking sheet.
- Dip the catfish bites into the panko mixture, or place a few pieces at a time in the zip-loc bag and shake. (shake and bake style!)
- Place the catfish nuggets on the baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan.
- Spray the tops lightly with the non-stick spray.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven. Turn the catfish nuggets over when there are about 3 to 4 minutes of cooking time left. Cook until fork-tender.
What to serve with this recipe
- First of all, tartar sauce goes great with this baked catfish nuggets recipe. I usually mix up my own extremely basic sauce using mayonnaise and dill relish.
- For a quick veggie side dish try some Sauteed Green Beans or Oven Roasted Cauliflower.
- How about some Crispy Smashed Potatoes? Recipe by Red's Reality.
- Maybe some Broccoli Salad or Cornbread? Recipes by Your Everyday Heirlooms.
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Recipe
Baked Catfish Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Catfish cut into 1-inch squares
- ⅔ cup Panko
- ⅔ cup Bread Crumbs
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 tablespoon Canola Oil divided
- ½ teaspoon Salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper more or less to taste
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the catfish into bite-size pieces. About 1-inch squares.
- In a bowl or a Zip-loc bag, mix together the panko, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and canola oil. Mix well.
- Drizzle the remaining canola oil onto a baking sheet.
- Dip the catfish bites into the panko mixture, or place a few pieces at a time in the Zip-loc bag and shake. (shake and bake style!)
- Place the catfish nuggets on the baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan.
- Spray the tops lightly with the non-stick spray.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the catfish nuggets over and continue to bake for another 2 - 5 minutes.
- The nuggets are done when they are fork-tender.
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my family’s favorite recipes.
If you tried this Baked Catfish Nuggets recipe and liked it, please use the stars on the above recipe card, or next to the comments below to rate the recipe. If you have a question or suggestion about this or any other recipe, please leave a comment and I will respond as soon as possible.
Shawn
Wonderful an easy thanks