Last Updated on 15th September 2022 by
Mahi Mahi is a versatile whitefish that can be prepared any number of ways and served with the typical sides you would have with any seafood dish. Mahi mahi usually comes in skinless fillets and may be labelled as dolphinfish, which you may see in certain parts of the world where it is sold.
You can cook this fish similarly to how you would cook halibut, salmon, or a typical whitefish. Since the fillets tend to be thin, it will cook fast, so keep the heat moderately low so that you don’t burn the outside and leave the inside uncooked.
I’m going to give you a few different methods you can use for how to cook (and how to bake hake in the oven)How to Bake Hake Fish in the Oven and how to season mahi mahi, and this should give you some options depending on the dish you want to make or what cooking setup you have available to you.
How to Cook Mahi Mahi in the Oven
Oven baking isn’t the fastest way to cook mahi mahi by far, but it is fairly simple. There is little chance that you’ll mess it up, as long as you set the correct temperature and cooking time for your fish.
Try the recipe below for a wonderfully tasty and delicately crispy baked fish that is ready in just a few steps.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of mahi mahi (about 4 fillets)
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- ¼ cup of chopped white onion
- 1 cup of mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- Breadcrumbs
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Clean the fish off by rinsing it and patting it dry, and then place it onto a baking dish.
- Sprinkle on the lemon juice as well as black pepper and garlic salt.
- Combine chopped onions and mayonnaise and spread that mixture over the fix. Sprinkle on enough breadcrumbs to coat the top of the fish and bake for 25 minutes at 425°F.
How to Grill Mahi Mahi
This fish cooks up even faster on a charcoal or gas-powered grill, so let me show you how to cook mahi mahi on the grill.
You can use the recipe I gave you above or try something else. I like to season my mahi mahi with garlic powder, onion powder, olive oil, pepper, salt, and lemon pepper when I want something quick and easy. Feel free to use whatever seasoning combination you feel confident in trying. Remember that mahi mahi can be seasoned with the same recipes as most whitefish.
Directions for grilling:
- Warm up the grill on medium-high heat.
- Mix together all the spices in a small bowl.
- Brush olive oil over the mahi mahi fillets and then sprinkle on your seasoning.
- Cook the fish on the grill using indirect heat and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side. You know it is done when the fish has turned a golden brown color, if you kept the temperature at medium high.
- If you are seasoning with lemon juice, you can drizzle some on once the fish has finished cooking.
After you’ve grilled your mahi mahi, it’s best to let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This ensures that the juices stay inside whether they’re leaking out and robbing the fish some of its flavor.
This same grilling method works for how to grill mahi mahi with skin on or off. You won’t have to make any changes either way.
How to Make Blackened Mahi Mahi
To give the fish a darker look and crustier texture, try cooking it for longer on the grill until it blackens. Sear it over direct heat for the last minute of cooking on each side. That medium high direct heat will char the outside of the fish slightly and give it a beautiful, slightly darker appearance. The skin will become crispier.
How to Cook Mahi Mahi from Frozen
Can you cook my mahi straight from frozen or does it need to be thawed out first? That depends on which method you’re using to cook it. If you’re baking this fish in the oven, it does not need to be thawed first. However, it can be difficult to season frozen fish. It is ideal to thaw it out before cooking it, and you can do that by leaving it in the fridge overnight or running it under cold water for a few minutes. You could also defrost the fish in the microwave, but that will start to cook the fish slightly and could affect the flavor, texture, and how long it needs to cook for.
Always thaw out this fish completely before cooking it in a skillet on the stove. Because you’ll be working with hot oil to cook it like this, you don’t want ice to melt into the oil and cause the hot oil to spatter around the kitchen. That can be really dangerous.
It’s best to thaw out mahi mahi fish if you’re grilling it as well. You don’t want the ice to drip down onto your hot coals.
How to Cook Mahi Mahi for Tacos
If you making fish tacos with mahi mahi filets, what’s the best way to prepare them? For the right texture for fish tacos, you should be frying or grilling the fillets. You can use the method for grilling I gave you above or fry them up in a pan in a matter of minutes. Just season your thawed filets and warm up oil or butter in a skillet.
Once the oil is heated, you can add your seasoned fillets carefully. Allow them to cook on medium high heat for about four to five minutes per side. Flip them over to ensure they cook on both sides, and then pat off the extra oil with a paper towel and allow the fish to rest for about 3 minutes before serving it. Cut the fillets up into bite-size pieces to add them to the tacos.
If you’ve never given this fish a try, I hope these different cooking directions will help you feel confident in trying to make it yourself.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
