Mahi Mahi is a delicious flakey fish that easily and quickly cooks in your air fryer. Only a few simple ingredients are needed to make this recipe. For an extra fresh flavor, make the tomato avocado salsa to serve with the fish fillets.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- Mahi Mahi is a lean, healthy form of protein. It is a low calorie, whitefish that has a mild, sweet flavor. You can enjoy this fish knowing it is low carb and keto.
- Cooking the Mahi Mahi in your air fryer guarantees an easy weeknight dinner. Just a bit of butter and spices and in less than 10 minutes, the fish is done.
- The tomato and avocado salsa is full of fresh ingredients with a hint of heat. It is not rich or heavy so it the perfect go-along with the lighter fish.
Ingredient Notes
- We are using fresh lime, Roma tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, red onion, rice wine vinegar, avocado and some seasonings.
- To substitute: you can use cherry or whole tomato if you prefer. I like the Roma since it has less seeds. Scrape out more before you chop them.
- I used thawed Mahi Mahi fillets, melted butter. Mix together some Old Bay and some cajun or Italian seasonings.
Directions to make Avocado Tomato Salsa
- To make the salsa, it is all chop and mix. I love using my mini chopper or mini food processor. But a good sharp knife will do the same.
- Mix the chopped vegetables (remove seeds from jalapeno) with the lime juice, vinegar and seasoning. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
If you like to try a tomato relish on your Mahi Mahi, I've made this to serve with tuna steaks. Or if you'd like to try a sweet and spicy relish, my orange jalapeno is so delicious!
Directions to make Air Fryer Mahi Mahi
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Brush melted butter on both side of fish.
- Press the seasonings into both sides.
- Lower temperature to 375°F and cook 4 minutes one side without moving it.
- Then carefully flip over and air fry the other side 4 minutes or until flakey and opaque.
FAQ
I prefer to defrost my packaged fish in the refrigerator overnight. However I have occasionally defrosted a sealed package in a bowl of cold water for about an hour, changing the water every 20 minutes, making sure it is cold.
Wiki states you can cook the fish right from frozen by holding the fillets under cold running water to remove ice crystals. Then patting dry and cook as per the recipe. The cooking time will take an extra few minutes, depending on how thick the fish fillet is.
Since it is a very mild tasting fish, you don't want to overwhelm its flavor with side dishes that are overly strong. We love many different vegetables so that is what we always serve to go along. I like to choose quick cooking, steamed or pan fried so that they are ready when the fish is done. Marinated asparagus is a delicious side dish. Or try a healthy salad with creamy garlic dressing. Another option is my Butter lettuce salad.
Cooking Tips
- Don't defrost the Mahi Mahi under warm water or microwave them. You will risk introducing bacteria as the fish will partially cook. And it will change the texture of the fish.
- There is no need to spray your pan since you are using some melted butter on the fish.
- My grill insert fits 3 fillets perfectly without crowding them. You want the hot air to circulate as they air fry. If you are making more, cook in them in separate batches.
- As the fish is cooking, don't move it around since it might stick to the pan. Wait the full 4 minutes and then carefully slide the spatula underneath to flip the fillet.
Some other seafood recipes to try:
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Air Fryer Mahi Mahi
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Mahi Mahi is a delicious flakey fish that easily and quickly cooks in your air fryer. Only a few simple ingredients are needed to make this recipe. For an extra fresh flavor, make the tomato avocado salsa to serve with the fish fillets.
Ingredients
- Tomato Avocado Relish
- 2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely minced
- ½ ripe avocado, diced
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar ( or white wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic power
- 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Mahi Mahi Fillets
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning *
- 1 teaspoon Blackened seasoning *
- 3 Mahi Mahi fillets, approximately 5 oz. each
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
To make salsa
- With a mini food processor, chopper or with a sharp knife, mince the tomatoes, pepper and onion.
- Stir in the lime juice, vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Add chopped avocado last and squeeze more lime juice over it to prevent browning.
- Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Mahi Mahi Fillets
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Then lower to 375°F before cooking.
- Combine the seasonings in a bowl.
- Pat the fillets with a paper towels to dry.
- Brush melted butter on both sides of fish. Pat the seasonings onto both sides.
- Place mahi mahi in air fryer basket and cook for 4 minutes without moving the fish.
- Slide a spatula under the fish and flip over and cook for another 4 -5 minutes or until the fillet is flakey and is opaque (not see through).
- Serve with lemon slices and tomato relish.
Notes
*If using frozen fish, defrost in refrigerator overnight. Or placed in a sealed bag or container and place in bowl of cold water for about an hour. Change out the water for fresh after 20-30 minutes.
*To sub for Blackened seasoning, use ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ¼ cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika. To sub for Old Bay use ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ onion powder, ¼ celery salt, ¼ lemon zest.
* If your fish is larger or thicker, the cook time will increase by a few minutes.
*To reheat leftovers, pan fry for a few minutes over low-medium flame. Or air fryer at 375°F until hot, about 2 minutes. You could also serve the Mahi Mahi cold over a salad.
**The prep time and nutrition includes the tomato and avocado salsa.
Keywords: fried fish, healthy fillets, low carb, keto seafood
Kalyn says
Easy enough for weeknight meals! Love the salsa
★★★★★
Deb Belsha says
Thanks!
Kate says
The salsa was so great on the fish. I’m going to try it on some shrimp tacos too
★★★★★
Jay says
Looks great
★★★★★
meg says
I love how quick this recipe is!
★★★★★