How to Smoke Catfish
This recipe is specially designed to enhance the flavor of the catfish with a little spice without masking the natural fish flavor with smoke. After years of smoking different kinds of meats and fish, there are special smoking techniques this recipe incorporates to ensure a delicious fish that won't dry or overly saturated with smoke flavor. Brining the fish will help prevent it from drying out and using lighter fruit woods like cherry or apple are just a few pointers that will help you along the way.
This recipe is specially designed to enhance the flavor of the catfish with a little spice without masking the natural fish flavor with smoke. After years of smoking different kinds of meats and fish, there are special smoking techniques this recipe incorporates to ensure a delicious fish that won't dry or overly saturated with smoke flavor. Brining the fish will help prevent it from drying out and using lighter fruit woods like cherry or apple are just a few pointers that will help you along the way.
Cajun Smoked Catfish Ingredients
- 4-8 catfish fillets
- Water
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup hot sauce (Louisiana preferred)
- Cajun seasoning
- Salt and black pepper
- Cherry or apple wood chips
Smoked Catfish Recipe Directions
- This recipe calls for a brine to help the fish fillets absorb water and salt before smoking them. The brine will help keep the fish from drying out. Start by filling a couple casserole dishes half full with room temperature water. Put 1/2 a cup of salt in each casserole dish and then lay the catfish fillets inside the salty water mixture. Set the dishes in the refrigerator for 4 hours to let them brine.
- Fire up your smoker to 200 degrees. Typical smoking is done between 220-250, but a little lower temperature for these catfish is nice to have to prevent them from cooking too quickly without absorbing the smoke flavor.
- Take your catfish out of the refrigerator and out of the brine mixture. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper all along the top of the fillets and then drizzle hot sauce on top.
- Once your smoker is up to temperature, add cherry or apple wood. Then put your catfish on the smoker grate and close the lid. Position the vents 1/2 to 3/4 open. You can adjust the vents more closed to lower the temperature or open them to increase it while you are smoking. Make sure you maintain the same temperature the entire time you are cooking.
- Your catfish fillets should take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to smoke, depending on the temperature of your smoker and their distance away from the source of the heat. Once the fish has turned flaky white with a warm center, you can take it off the smoker and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving. Letting the fish sit with foil over the top on your counter will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the fillets before serving