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Ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, this easy mahi mahi recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. Served with a brown butter garlic sauce and finished with some fresh avocado salsa, this is one delicious fish dish!
Fresh, healthy, and full of flavor, this pan seared mahi mahi recipe is served with the most delicious brown butter sauce and topped off with some homemade avocado salsa.
This is a great go-to recipe after a busy day and is a dish that the whole family will love. Perfect in its simplicity, but fancy enough to serve to guests!
Be sure to try my Mahi Mahi with Roasted Pepper Butter Sauce and Honey Sriracha Salmon too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Quick and easy: Ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, everything is all cooked in one pan so clean up is a breeze too!
- Healthy: High in protein with lots of healthy fats, this dish is also under 10g in carbs and full of vitamins and minerals.
- So delicious: The flavors in this dish are so good! The rich buttery and garlic sauce adds so much depth to the mahi mahi and the avocado salsa adds some freshness and zing. This really is a must make!
Tools you need
- Stackable Glass Mixing Bowls
- Lemon and Lime Squeezer
- Cast Iron Enameled Frying Pan, 10-inch
- Splatter Screen for Frying Pan
Ingredients for Mahi Mahi recipe with sauce
- Mahi Mahi: Also known as Dorado. Mahi Mahi is a white flakey fish that is hearty and tender. It absorbs flavors very easily, so every bite is super delicious.
- Butter: The butter is gently browned to create a nice nutty flavor.
- Seasonings for the butter sauce: Lime juice, garlic and honey add sweetness and tang, and these flavors work so well with the salsa.
- Avocado salsa: Avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, cilantro.
How to make this mahi mahi recipe
Avocado salsa
- Mix the avocado, tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Salt and pepper the mahi mahi and cook until golden 4 – 5 minutes each side, or until the fish filets reach an internal temperature of 135 F. Set aside on a plate.
Brown butter garlic sauce
- Heat the butter in the same skillet. Swirl the butter occasionally until it has turned a light brown color and is fragrant. Remove from heat and whisk the lime juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper into the sauce.
- Add the fish back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the fish.
- Top the mahi mahi with the avocado salsa and serve warm.
Can you make this with other fish?
I love mahi mahi, it has a sweet a mild flavor with large and tender flakes. Other white fish like cod would work well with the flavors in this dish, or even salmon or tuna if you prefer those. If you haven’t tried mahi mahi before, this is one delicious way to serve it!
What’s the best way to cook mahi mahi?
I like to cook mahi mahi in a skillet to get it nicely browned on the outside whist staying moist and tender in the middle. Pat it dry before seasoning, this helps to remove excess moisture which can cause the fish to steam when it cooks and it’s harder to brown it nicely. Make sure the oil in the pan is hot when you place it in. It only needs a few minutes on each side, overcooking can cause it to become dry.
What do you serve it with?
This healthy mahi mahi recipe is great to serve alongside your favorite veggie or potato sides for a hearty, healthy, and filling meal. Try it with:
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips for the best Mahi Mahi recipe
- Pat the mahi mahi fillets dry with kitchen paper before seasoning. This will help them to brown.
- Take care not to burn the butter, it should be a light golden brown color when it’s taken off of the heat. If it’s burnt it can taste bitter.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check that the fish is cooked all the way through. It should register at 135F in the thickest part of the fillet.
More Fish Recipes
Mahi Mahi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 mahi mahi fish filets
- salt and pepper
Brown Butter Garlic Sauce:
Avocado Salsa:
- 1 avocado, diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ of a red onion chopped
- Juice from 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon dash of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Avocado salsa:
- Mix the avocado, tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and salt in a small mixing bowl.1 avocado, ½ cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ of a red onion chopped, Juice from 2 limes, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/8 teaspoon dash of salt
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi:
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Salt and pepper the mahi mahi and cook until golden 4 – 5 minutes each side, or until the fish filets reach an internal temperature of 135 F. Set aside on a plate.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 4 mahi mahi fish filets, salt and pepper
Brown butter garlic sauce:
- Heat the butter in the same skillet. Swirl the butter occasionally until it has turned a light brown color and is fragrant. Remove from heat and whisk the lime juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper into the sauce.6 Tablespoons Butter, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Add the fish back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the fish.
- Top the mahi mahi with the avocado salsa and serve warm.
TIPS & NOTES
- Pat the mahi mahi fillets dry with kitchen paper before seasoning. This will help them to brown.
- Take care not to burn the butter, it should be a light golden brown color when it’s taken off of the heat. If it’s burnt it can taste bitter.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check that the fish is cooked all the way through. It should register at 135F in the thickest part of the fillet.
NUTRITION
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