Blackened Mahi Mahi

This deliciously quick and easy Blackened Mahi Mahi cooks up so tasty and moist with tons of flavor from homemade blackened seasoning. This lean protein-rich white fish has a slightly sweet flavor.

Serve this dish with sauteed green beans, mushrooms and onions, or with a garden salad for a well-balanced meal that you can feel good about feeding your family.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Mahi Mahi filets: This recipe works well with snapper, cod, grouper, and sea bass. 
• Olive oil: You can substitute avocado or safflower oil
• Butter: unsalted or salted
• Seasonings: paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and salt. Flavor-packed blackened fish is spicy.  If your taste buds are sensitive, cut back on the cayenne pepper in the spice blend.

How to make Blackened Mahi Mahi

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, dried oregano, and salt. Then dry the mahi-mahi fillets and rub a little olive oil over them. Dredge the filets in the blackening seasoning mix.

Now melt butter and heat olive oil in a large pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is good and hot, add the fillets and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Then flip and cook the other side until it is golden brown and the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Spritz with a little fresh lemon juice and serve. 

Preparation Tips

• After dredging the fish in the blackened spices, discard any leftover seasoning. It should not be repurposed.
• Get the butter and oil fairly hot, so the fish sears creating a delicious blacked crust.
• Fish cooks quite quickly, so stay with the skillet and cook just until the fish is cooked through. It is done when it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork at its thickest part.
• This fish is delicious with mango salsa or pineapple salsa.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not reheat mahi-mahi in the microwave.  It may be tempting, but it will dry it out, leaving you with an overcooked, rubbery, flavorless piece of pricey fish. To reheat, first, spritz or brush the mahi-mahi with a little olive oil.  Then place it in a foil tent on a baking sheet. Reheat in a preheated 275-degree oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

Consider flaking the mahi-mahi filet and using it in a salad or at room temperature in tacos.

More Seafood Recipes

Air Fryer Salmon

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Salmon Patties

Shrimp and Grits

Braised Scallops

Shrimp Toast

Blackened Mahi Mahi Recipe

A quick and easy Blackened Mahi Mahi recipe with a flavor-blasted homemade Cajun seasoning. This tasty recipe comes together in about 15 minutes, making it easily doable on weeknights.

5 from 17 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal fish

Cuisine: Southern

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 4 Mahi Mahi filets thawed 4 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Seasoning Blend

• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper this is the hot one so you may want to cut it back
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.

Instructions

• Mix the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, dried oregano, and salt in a small shallow bowl or plate.
• Dry the mahi-mahi filets with paper towels. Rub 1 – 1  1/2 tablespoons olive oil over the filets. Dredge the filets in the blackened seasoning. Discard any leftover seasoning.
• Melt the butter and heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is good and hot, add the fillets and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until it is golden brown and the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.

Notes

• After dredging the fish in the blackened spices, discard any leftover seasoning. It should not be repurposed.
• Get the butter and oil fairly hot, so the fish sears creating a delicious blacked crust.
• Fish cooks quite quickly, so stay with the skillet and cook just until the fish is cooked through. It is done when it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork at its thickest part.
• This fish is delicious with mango salsa or pineapple salsa.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 747mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 1024IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

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