Catfish Stew is a Southern one-pot stew: crisp bacon, onion, celery and green bell pepper, petite diced tomatoes and chicken stock, with Yukon gold potatoes and catfish fillets simmered in at the end. A little Worcestershire, hot sauce and thyme season the broth. It all cooks in one Dutch oven in 35 minutes and serves 4.
How to make it: Crisp the bacon, then soften the onion, celery and pepper in the drippings with garlic and thyme. Add the tomatoes, stock and seasonings, bring it to a boil and simmer the potatoes until tender. Lay in the catfish, cover, and cook about 6 minutes, until the fish is white and flaky and reaches 145°F. Break it into pieces and serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot, 35 minutes: bacon, vegetables, broth and fish all in the same Dutch oven.
- Tomato and bacon broth: smoky, a little tangy, with a gentle kick of hot sauce.
- Flaky fish: the catfish goes in last, so it stays in tender pieces.
- A full meal: potatoes and vegetables are already in the bowl.
Ingredient Notes
Thick-sliced bacon: 2 slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces. The drippings cook the vegetables.
Onion, celery and green bell pepper: 1 cup yellow onion, 1/2 cup celery and 1/2 cup green bell pepper, all diced.
Garlic and thyme: 2 minced cloves and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.
Petite diced tomatoes and chicken stock: one 14-ounce can with its juice and 3 cups of stock make the broth.
Seasoning: 1/2 teaspoon each of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and black pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided.
Yukon gold potatoes: 8 ounces, diced into even bite-sized pieces.
Catfish fillets: 1 pound. They go in whole and get broken up at the end.
Fresh parsley: 1 1/2 tablespoons, minced, for garnish.
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (1/4 teaspoon with the garlic, the rest in the broth)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (14 ounces, with the juice)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, diced into uniform bite-sized pieces
- 1 pound catfish fillets
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced, for garnish
How to Make Catfish Stew
1. Crisp the bacon. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon in a single layer over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Cook the vegetables. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper to the pot and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the garlic and the thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Build the broth. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the bacon pieces.
4. Cook the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the potatoes, re-cover and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
5. Add the catfish. Add the fillets, re-cover with the lid and cook until the fish is cooked through, white and flaky, about 6 minutes. Check that the fish reaches 145°F on a food thermometer.
6. Break up the fish and serve. Break the fish into smaller pieces, garnish with the parsley and serve right away, by itself or with rice or crusty bread.
How Long Does Catfish Take to Cook in Stew?
About 6 minutes for whole fillets in a covered, simmering pot. Timing is what keeps the fish in tender flakes instead of mush, so the order matters:
- Potatoes first. They need 8 to 10 minutes to get fork-tender. Dice them evenly, not too big and not too small, so they finish together.
- Catfish last. Lay the fillets on top once the potatoes are tender, cover, and let the steam and broth cook them.
- Check early. The fish is done when it’s white, flakes easily and reads 145°F on a food thermometer.
- Don’t overcook. Catfish that simmers too long turns mushy.
- Break it up at the end. Use a spoon to break the cooked fillets into bite-sized pieces in the pot.
Smaller pieces cook faster: bite-sized chunks added raw take about 5 minutes. Recipes that cook the fish longer, 10 to 20 minutes, use larger pieces or shred the fish on purpose.
Tips
- Keep the bacon heat moderate so the fat renders and the pieces crisp without burning.
- Keep the lid on while the potatoes and fish cook.
- Too thick? Loosen the stew with a little stock or water.
- Whole catfish? Simmer the dressed fish 10 to 15 minutes, lift it out, pull the meat from the bones and skin, and stir the meat back in.
Variations
- South Carolina style: more bacon, a spoonful of ketchup, red pepper flakes, and water instead of stock, just enough to cover the potatoes.
- Tomatoes and okra: use stewed tomatoes and canned tomatoes with okra, and finish with a squeeze of lemon.
- Green chilies: swap in diced tomatoes with green chilies and a little tomato puree.
- Creamy chowder-style: use butter, carrots, flour, stock, milk, heavy cream and a splash of white wine instead of tomatoes.
- Catfish and crab: add lump crab, okra and corn.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Divide the stew into smaller shallow containers so it cools fast, and refrigerate within 2 hours. It keeps 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in freezer-safe bags or containers for 3 to 4 months; it freezes fine with the potatoes. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat covered in a pot over medium heat, or single servings in the microwave, bringing it to a rolling boil, until it reaches 165°F. Add a splash of stock or water if it’s thick. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it on its own, over rice, or with crusty bread, crackers or biscuits. Try Southern cheddar biscuit bites or Southern cornmeal hoecakes for dunking.
More catfish: golden fried catfish. More bowls: crab and shrimp seafood bisque, cowboy stew and slow cooker poor man’s stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take catfish to cook in stew?
About 6 minutes for whole fillets in a covered simmering pot, until white, flaky and 145°F.
What are the ingredients in catfish stew?
Here: bacon, onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, thyme, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire, hot sauce, potatoes and catfish fillets.
Is catfish good for stews?
Yes. Added at the end, it cooks into tender, flaky pieces in the broth.
Do I need a Dutch oven?
No. Any large pot with a lid works.
Can I freeze catfish stew?
Yes, for 3 to 4 months, potatoes and all.
Final Notes
Crisp the bacon, simmer the potatoes, and give the catfish just 6 minutes at the end. If you try the okra version, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Catfish Stew
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Ingredients
- 2 slices thick-sliced bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided: 1/4 teaspoon with the garlic, the rest in the broth
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes 14 ounces, with the juice
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes diced into uniform bite-sized pieces
- 1 pound catfish fillets
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced, for garnish
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon in a single layer over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the onion, celery and bell pepper to the pot and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the garlic and the thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the bacon pieces.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the potatoes, re-cover and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add the fillets, re-cover with the lid and cook until the fish is cooked through, white and flaky, about 6 minutes. Check that the fish reaches 145°F on a food thermometer.
- Break the fish into smaller pieces, garnish with the parsley and serve right away, by itself or with rice or crusty bread.
