When you are tired of figuring out what to cook for dinner, this Simple Seared Mahi Mahi Fillet is a nice addition to your dinner rotation. While we all love fish sticks or beer-battered fish, a pan-seared mahi mahi fillet in olive oil is tasty without tons of added fat.
What makes Simple Seared Mahi Mahi Fillet great
A crispy sear on a meaty fish seasoned with just salt and pepper is what you need on a busy weeknight when you only have 10 or 15 minutes to cook dinner. Just steam a vegetable in the microwave while the fish sears and you’re eating in no time.
This fish tastes great with many different types of seasonings, salsas, and sauces. You could use any leftover sauce or salsa from your grilled chicken earlier in the week on lean fish like this. Mahi mahi is not fatty, so it’s a great fish to cook when you are craving a more decadent sauce, like a tartar sauce or beurre blanc (a French butter sauce). Try this recipe for Easy Tartar Sauce on your seared mahi.
Mahi Mahi Health Benefits
Mahi mahi is a lean fish that is full of B vitamins. It also has selenium, which helps your immune system, and potassium, making it great for your heart and muscles.
If you are worried about eating swordfish often because of mercury exposure, mahi mahi is a great substitution. It’s firm and meaty like swordfish.
Enjoy more of what the ocean has to offer with these seafood recipes:
Simple Seared Mahi Mahi Fillet
Equipment
- 1 10" stainless steel saute pan
- 1 Cutting board or large plate
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 1 pound mahi mahi fillet (optional: cut into 4-ounce pieces)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the saute pan on medium high heat.
- Optional: If your mahi mahi fillet is in one large fillet, you can cut the mahi mahi fillet into smaller 4-ounce portions, so you have 4 pieces total. If you leave it as one large fillet you will have to cook it longer.
- On the cutting board or a large plate, season both sides of the mahi mahi with salt and pepper.
- Add olive oil to the hot saute pan and turn the pan to coat with oil. Add the mahi mahi and let it sear for 6 minutes (for 4-ounce pieces) to 8 minutes (for one large 16-ounce piece). Do not touch the fish while it sears.
- Once you can lift the fish with your spatula without the fish sticking, flip the fish and cook for another 2 minutes (for 4-ounce pieces) to 5 minutes (for one large 16-ounce piece).
- Remove fish from pan and let rest for a minutes before serving. If you seared one large piece of fish, cut it into four portions or serve family style and let everyone serve themselves.
- Eat plain or top with a salsa or tartar sauce. Great with steamed rice or mashed potatoes and steamed or roasted vegetables.
